Abnormalities of plasma lipoprotein composition and fluidity in psoriasis.

We have studied the lipoprotein chemical composition and fluidity, using the fluorescence polarization of the probe 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) in two age- and sex-matched groups of subjects (14 healthy normolipidemic children and 15 psoriatic children). The compositional study has shown a significant increase of the percentage content in triacylglycerol and a significant decrease of the apo-protein content in all lipoprotein fractions of psoriatic children compared to the controls. A significant increase of the percentage content in total cholesterol and of the cholesterol/protein ratio has also been observed in low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and in high-density lipoproteins (HDL) of psoriatic children. The compositional changes were associated with alterations of fluidity in LDL and HDL of psoriatic patients. The modifications of lipoprotein composition and fluidity observed in psoriatic patients could be of physiopathological and clinical relevance in relation to the pathogenesis of the disease.