Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by epidermal hyperproliferation and lymphocytic infiltration. The ongoing inflammatory process in psoriasis affects the arterial wall promoting the atherosclerotic process, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease in a younger group of patients. Atherosclerotic processes involve an inflammatory component and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein considered as a marker of the inflammatory component in atherosclerosis. This study

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... s undertaken to evaluate the levels of hsCRP and the traditional risk markers like lipid profile in psoriasis. A case control study was done with 40 cases of psoriasis and 40 healthy controls. The biochemical parameters: lipid profile, hsCRP, malondialdehyde and total antioxidant capacity were estimated on the fasting blood samples. There was a significant increase in lipid profile in cases but these levels were well within the reference ranges for the same. There was a significant rise in hsCRP and malondialdehyde with decreased levels of total antioxidant capacity in cases suggesting a state of inflammation and oxidative stress which co-exists with psoriasis and also plays a role in atherosclerosis.