الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Psoriasis is a common, systemic, immune-mediated disease, characterized clinically by sharply demarcated, red scaly plaques. The histopathology of psoriasis is characterized by hyperproliferation and incomplete terminal differentiation of the epidermis, and migration of activated neutrophils and T lymphocytes into the dermis and the epidermis. The exact cause of psoriasis is still unknown; however, T cells play a dominant pathogenic role in the initiation and maintenance of psoriasis. Th1 cells secrete key cytokines such as INF-γ and TNF-α. Recent studies increasingly indicate that immune responses by Th17 cells, mediated through the effector cytokines IL-17 and IL-22, are crucially involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.
IL-27 is a member of the IL- 12 family. It is mainly produced by DCs under proinflammatory conditions. IL-27 plays a central role in orchestrating the innate and acquired immune responses by affecting various cell types. However, most influential contribution of IL-27 is to promote the proliferation of naïve CD4+ lymphocytes into effector Th1 cells. On the other hand, IL-27 exerts an immunosuppressive role on T helper cells, including Th17, in an attempt to control the inflammation propably to prevent unnecessary tissue damage.
IL-27 has been reported to be involved in Th1/Th17-mediated diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, and inflammatory bowel diseases. This study was carried out to explore a possible role of IL-27 in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.
The present study aimed to study the serum concentrations of IL-27 in psoriasis, and further highlighting its role in the pathogenesis of the disease. The present study included fifty patients with psoriasis. The diagnosis of psoriasis was based mainly on clinical evaluation. Twenty persons served as controls.
Following dermatological and medical history taking and clinical examination, the sera of patients and controls were assessed for IL-27 levels using ELISA technique. The present study showed that statistically significant elevation in serum IL-27 levels in psoriatic patients