Gasdermin E (GSDME)—A New Potential Marker of Psoriasis and Its Metabolic Complications: The First Combined Study on Human Serum, Urine and Tissue

Abstract

Psoriasis is a frequent and incurable skin disease whose pathogenesis is still not fully understood. It is characterized by immune disturbances leading to hyperproliferation and improper differentiation of keratinocytes. Gasdermin E (GSDME) is a protein from the gasdermin family involved in the processes of inflammation and cell death based on apoptosis, necroptosis and pyroptosis. It has never been studied in psoriatics’ sera or urine before. Our study enrolled 60 patients with psoriasis and 30 volunteers without dermatoses as controls. Serum and urinary GSDME concentrations were examined by ELISA and tissue expression of GSDME by immunohistochemistry. Serum GSDME concentration was significantly higher in patients than controls (p < 0.05). There were no differences in urinary GSDME concentrations between patients and controls. GSDME expression was significantly higher in the psoriatic plaque than non-lesional patients’ skin and compared to controls (both p < 0.001). There was no correlation between serum GSDME or its lesional expression and psoriasis severity, age or disease duration. GSDME serum concentration was significantly negatively correlated with BMI, triglycerides and glucose concentrations. The obtained results suggest the engagement of GSDME in psoriasis pathogenesis. It could potentially become a new non-invasive psoriasis marker. Considering its pro-apoptotic influence, GSDME could be compensatively elevated to direct cells towards apoptosis, whereas under other circumstances, it may lead to pyroptosis and sustain inflammation. GSDME may exert a protective influence on the metabolic complications in psoriasis which requires further studies.