Tumour necrosis factor (TNF‐α) alpha converting enzyme and soluble TNF‐α receptor type 1 in psoriasis patients in relation to the chronic alcohol consumption

Abstract

Tumour necrosis factor alpha converting enzyme (TACE) is a major sheddase of TNF-alpha and its receptors, essential for the generation of soluble, mature molecules. The regulation of the TACE activity by ethanol in vitro has been suggested recently. The alcohol abuse is a frequent problem among psoriasis patients. The aim of the study was to analyse the relationship between long-term alcohol consumption and the concentration of TACE in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and its substrate--soluble TNF-alpha receptor type 1 (sTNF-R1) in plasma in psoriasis patients. The study has been conducted among 44 patients (aged 30-59 years) with early-onset, plaque-type psoriasis. Thirty-eight patients (aged 29-61 years) with other than psoriasis chronic dermatologic disorders were controls. The data on alcohol consumption during previous 10 years were obtained with a structured questionnaire. The severity of the disease was assessed using Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), and concentrations of TACE in PBMC lysate and sTNF-R1 in plasma was assessed with a quantitative sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique. The TACE concentration correlated to that of sTNF-R1 (R = 0.52 in psoriasis patients and R = 0.56 in controls, P < 0.05). The concentrations of TACE were 2.62 +/- 0.32 ng/mL in patients and 1.29 +/- 0.25 ng/mL in controls (P < 0.05), and corresponding sTNF-R1 concentrations were 2.54 +/- 0.27 ng/mL and 1.79 +/- 0.14 ng/mL (P < 0.05), respectively. The concentrations of TACE and sTNF-R1 in patients correlated to the intensity of alcohol consumption (R = 0.56, and R = 0.52, P < 0.05, respectively) and were the highest in excessive drinking psoriasis patients (2.94 +/- 0.34 and 2.67 +/- 0.13 ng/mL). The alcohol abuse may contribute to the increase of TACE expression in PBMC and also to the elevated plasma sTNF-R1 concentration in psoriasis patients.