Alteration of <i>STAT3</i> gene expression in psoriasis treatment

. Psoriasis is a typical complex multigenic and multifactorial disease with heterogeneous genetic heredity, which requires the interaction of genes both with each other and with environmental factors. STAT3 (Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 3) has only recently been considered a key player in the development and pathogenesis of psoriasis and psoriatic inflammatory conditions. Aim of the study . To study the expression of the STAT3 gene in the affected part of the skin of psoriasis patients in relation to the visually unaffected part. To study the change in the STAT3 gene expression level in psoriasis-affected skin as compared to nonaffected skin in patients before and after treatment with low-level laser radiation at a wavelength of 1.27 pm. Materials and methods . The study involved 12 psoriasis patients. Biopsies from the unaffected skin were taken at a distance of about 3 cm from the affected skin. Real-time PCR analysis was performed. Results and discussion . The expression of the STAT3 gene was quantitatively measured using RT-PCR in the affected part of the skin of psoriasis patients compared to the visually unaffected part of the skin of the same patients before and after treatment with low-level laser radiation with a wavelength of 1.27 gm (short-wave infrared). As a result of the study, an increase in the expression of the STAT3 gene in the affected part of the skin of psoriasis patients of an average of 3.96 ± 2 times was experimentally shown. A decrease in gene expression was observed in psoriasis affected skin compared to samples of non-affected areas. After treatment of patients with low-level laser radiation, a significant reduction in the expression of the overexpressed STAT3 gene to 1.75 ± 0.5 times was observed. Conclusions . The transcription activity of the STAT3 gene can be an indicator of the efficacy of psoriasis treatment at the molecular level and can also be a new therapeutic target.