Evaluation of serum midkine levels and metabolic parameters in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa.

Abstract

The exact pathogenesis of Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) has not been known yet. Midkine (MK) is a heparin-binding protein that has crucial roles in many processes such as cell proliferation, cell survival, cell migration, anti-apoptotic activity, and also inflammation and angiogenesis. No data exists in the literature on the evaluation of MK in patients with HS. The present study aimed to determine the serum levels of MK and metabolic parameters in patients with HS and to compare them with healthy subjects. Forty-five patients with HS and 45 healthy controls were included. The severity of the disease was assessed with Hurley staging system in the patient group. Levels of MK, C-reactive protein (CRP), lipids, and fasting glucose were measured with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. MK levels were significantly higher in the patient group (p < 0.05). Moreover, smoking habit, total cholesterol, triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and CRP were significantly higher in the patient group (for all p < 0.05). Correlation analyses revealed that MK value was correlated positively with waist circumference, TG, total cholesterol level and diastolic blood pressure (for all p < 0.05), while negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) level (p = 0.046, r = - 0.219). There was no difference in the MK levels according to the severity of the disease among patients. This is the first preliminary study showing that these patients with HS have higher serum MK levels, which may also be related to autoinflammation, angiogenesis, atherosclerosis and metabolic syndrome risk.