QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE CHANGES IN LEUKOCYTES OF PSORIATIC PATIENTS

Abstract

Background: Psoriasis is a disease concerned with inflammation and scaling of skin. In psoriasis, cells of the skin come on surface quickly before their complete maturation. In psoriatic patients, T-cells produce an abnormally large amount of toxic chemicals and cause inflammation. This study was undertaken to find out values of prognostic significance for worsening of the disease at early stage and to evaluate the changes (quantitative and qualitative) occurring in white blood cells of psoriatic patients. Methods: A total of 158 subjects, 79 psoriatic patients (44 males and 35 females) and same numbers of normal control volunteers were recruited. Total and Differential Leukocyte Counts (TLC and DLC) were determined.  Morphological examination was also undertaken. All results of patients were compared with normal control volunteers. Results: In 47.7% male and 54.2% female patients TLC was higher than controls while variation in differential count was observed in 61.3% male and 62.8% female patients. Overall, neutrophils in 45% patients, basophils in 30.3%, eosinophils in 65.8%, and monocytes in 15% of patients were elevated. In 77.2% psoriatic patients, lymphocytes were decreased. In volunteers total and differential leukocyte counts were within normal range. Total leukocyte count in normal males was 5,136±31, and in psoriatic male subjects it was 10,498±43, and it was 5,023±35 against 11,390±31 in normal versus psoriatic females (p<0.001). Conclusion: Total leukocyte count was elevated in psoriatics while on DLC neutrophils, eosinophils and neutrophils were significantly raised where as lymphocytes were significantly decreased in psoriatic patients. Morphological changes were also noted.