The role of (micro)vasculature and angiogenesis in inflammatory diseases of the human ski

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: Completed

Sex: Not specified

Target Recruitment: 60

Inclusion Criteria

Patients must meet the following criteria:
- Adults older than 18 years of age
- All patients have tot have chronique plaque psoriasis (i.e. psoriasis vulgaris)
- Patients must be willing to give a written informed consent
- Patients must be able to adhere to the visit schedule
- Applicable in fifty patients; The doctor and the patient decided that the best treatment option was photo therapy, clobetasol 17-proprionate, dithranol or anti-TNF treatment;Criteria voor vrijwilligers:
- Adults older than 18 years of age
- Volunteers must be willing to give written informed consent
- Volunteers must be able to adhere to the visit schedule

Exclusion Criteria

Patients will be excluded from this study when any of the following criteria listed below are met:
- Children or adolescents younger than 18 years of age
- Patients with relevant co-morbidities
- Patients with another subtype of psoriasis than psoriasis vulgaris
- Patients with a history of signs of other (inflammatory) skin diseases, for example atopic dermatitis
- Patients who use medication with inhibitory effects on angiogenesis (for example Thalidomide (Softanon®), Sunitinib (Sutent®), COX-2 inhibitors as NSAIDs)
- Patients with co-morbidity that positively or negatively affects angiogenesis (such as microangiopathy and/or peripheral vascular disease in diabetics, smokers, etc)
- Use of anti-psoriatic medication before inclusion:
- Topical medication in the last 7 days
- Systemic medication or photo therapy within the last 4 weeks
- Patients with multiple (superficial) wounds and excoriations
- Patients with contra-indications for any kind of psoriatic treatment;Exclusion criteria for Healthy volunteers:
- Children or adolescents younger than 18 years of age
- Volunteers with relevant co-morbidities
- Volunteers with a history or signs of other (inflammatory) skin diseases, for example atopic dermatitis and psoriasis
- Volunteers who use medication with inhibitory effects on angiogenesis (for example Thalidomide (Softanon®), Sunitinib (Sutent®), COX-2 inhibitors as NSAIDs)
- Volunteers with co-morbidity that positively or negatively affects angiogenesis (such as micro-angiopathy and/or peripheral vascular disease in diabetics, smokers, etc)
- Volunteers with multiple (superficial) wounds and excoriations

Study & Design

Study Type: Observational invasive

Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>The main goal of this study will be an extensive evaluation of the<br /><br>microvasculature and angiogenesis in different phases of psoriatic disease and<br /><br>in uninvolved skin of psoriatic patients. In this manner more knowledge<br /><br>regarding angiogenesis and its impact on psoriatic lesion development,<br /><br>maintenance and remission of this inflammatory skin disease is to be expected.<br /><br>Biopsies will be processed and tissue sections will be analyzed for the<br /><br>presence of angiogenesis and the extent of the MVD, using immunohistochemistry<br /><br>(IHC) and immunofluorescence (IF). The tissues will be stained with markers for<br /><br>Endothelial Cells (ECs) and markers for cell proliferation and inflammation.<br /><br>The tissues will be visualized using microscopy, photographed and analyzed<br /><br>using computer software (Image J). </p><br>

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>Subsequent to this (pilot) study, the relation of angiogenesis in relation to<br /><br>other key processes in inflammatory skin disease (i.e. recruitment of immune<br /><br>cells, cytokine levels, pro- and anti-angiogenic factors and epidermal<br /><br>proliferation) will be analyzed.</p><br>