Interleukin-23 and its Receptor Expression (IL-23R) in Psoriatic and Psoriatic Arthritis Patients

Background: Psoriasis (Ps) is a systemic autoimmune disorder that develops under the influence of environmental factors in a genetically susceptible person.The IL-23/IL-17 axis is the primary signaling pathway for cellular and molecular alterations in Ps.Objective: This study aimed to investigate the serum levels of interleukin-23 (IL-23) and its receptor (IL-23R) expression in patients with Ps and psoriatic arthritis (PsA), as well as to evaluate the possibility of using (IL-23R) in blood as a helpful marker for diagnosis of psoriasis and susceptibility to psoriatic arthritis.Patients and Methods: Medical data and clinical evaluations were done, and blood samples from patients and control groups were collected.Serum IL-23 concentration was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the expression of IL-23R in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) was determined using western blotting.Results: Serum IL-23 concentration was significantly higher among Ps cases than in controls and it was significantly different between Ps and PsA groups.The protein expression of IL-23R was significantly greater in the Ps group than in the control group, with no significant difference between Ps and PsA groups.The receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC) curve showed a diagnostic value for the increased blood IL-23R with a sensitivity of 83.3% and a specificity of 73.3% for psoriasis.Also, ROC curve showed a diagnostic value for the increased blood IL-23 with a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 73.3% for the diagnosis of psoriasis.Conclusion: Serum IL-23 and its receptor expression measurements are helpful tools in the diagnosis of Ps as well as in the prediction of PsA.We demonstrated that there is a link between IL-23 and IL-23R and the risk of Ps in addition to PsA, with evidence that the expression of IL-23R is linked to a significantly greater risk of psoriasis.