Increased IL-23 Levels in PsA Patients are Tied with Depression and Anxiety

According to a recent study published in the Clinical Rheumatology, assessment of serum levels of IL-23 in PsA patients and its correlation with depression, anxiety, and disease activity was conducted.

Eighty psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients and eighty healthy volunteers matched for age and gender were included in this observational case-control study. All participants underwent a detailed history, clinical assessment, PsA activity using the Disease Activity Index for Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA) score, and the severity and extent of psoriasis were assessed by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). Ultrasonographic assessments of the entheses were examined according to the Madrid Sonographic Enthesitis Index (MASEI). Depression and anxiety were assessed by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Serum IL-23 was measured and correlated with disease activity, depression, and anxiety.

Results

There was no significant difference between patients and controls regarding demographic data. Thirty-six PsA patients (45%) had anxiety and 28 patients (35%) had depression, while in the control group, 16 persons (20%) had anxiety and 12 (15%) had depression, with significant differences between the two groups.

There were significant differences in HADS anxiety and depression scores between patients and controls with significant positive correlations between HADS depression, anxiety scores and IL-23, DAPSA, PASI, and MASEI scores.

IL-23 was positively correlated with DAPSA, PASI, and HADS scores; we observed that interleukin 23, higher DAPSA, and PASI were independently associated with depression and anxiety.

Thus, serum interleukin-23 levels were elevated in PsA patients and were found to be correlated with depression, anxiety, and disease activity.

Reference

Tabra SA, Abd Elghany SE, Amer RA, Fouda MH, Abu-Zaid MH. Serum interleukin-23 levels: relation to depression, anxiety, and disease activity in psoriatic arthritis patients. Clin Rheumatol. 2022 Jul 21:1–9. doi: 10.1007/s10067-022-06300-1. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35861930; PMCID: PMC9301620.