THE TRANSCRIPTOME PROFILE OF PATIENTS WITH SEVERE PSORIASIS

In current dermatological practice, there is an increasing prevalence of patients with severe psoriasis who are resistant to methotrexate (MTX) therapy. Objective: This study aimed to identify differentially expressed genes in the skin of psoriasis patients with MTX resistance using transcriptome profiling to evaluate the molecular basis of treatment efficacy. Methods: The study included 6 patients with widespread psoriasis vulgaris receiving MTX (7.5-25 mg/week) combined with folic acid (5 mg/week). Patients were categorized into two groups based on their 6-month clinical response: responders and non-responders. A control group consisted of patients with widespread psoriasis who were MTX-naïve. Skin biopsies were collected from lesional skin, preserved in RNA-stabilizing solution, and processed for total RNA extraction. Results: Genetic analysis identified key molecular markers associated with chronic inflammatory disease progression and the development of drug resistance. Conclusion: Individual transcriptomic profiling in patients with severe psoriasis may facilitate the development of personalized therapeutic approaches. Keywords: Psoriasis, methotrexate, transcriptome profile, resistance, total RNA.