Serum Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen in Psoriasis: A Potential Quantitative Biomarker for Disease Severity

Background: An objective and quantitative method to evaluate psoriasis severity is important for practice and research in the precision care of psoriasis. Objectives: We aimed to explore serum biomarkers quantitatively in association with disease severity and treatment response in psoriasis patients, with serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCCA) evaluated in this pilot study. Methods: 15 psoriasis patients were treated with adalimumab. At different visits before and after treatment, quantitative body surface area (qBSA) was obtained from standardized digital body images of the patients, and the psoriasis area severity index (PASI) was also monitored. SCCA were detected by using microparticle enzyme immunoassay. The serum biomarkers were also tested in healthy volunteers as normal controls. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to explore the optimal cutoff point of SCCA to differentiate mild and moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Results: The serum SCCA level in the psoriasis group was significantly higher (p #x3c; 0.05) than in the normal control group. After treatment, the serum SCCA levels were significantly decreased (p #x3c; 0.05). The SCCA level was well correlated with PASI and qBSA. In ROC analysis, when taking PASI = 10 or qBSA = 10% as the threshold, an optimal cutoff point of SCCA was found at 2.0 ng/mL with the highest Youden index. Conclusion: Serum SCCA might be a useful quantitative biomarker for psoriasis disease severity.
Dermatology

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