Insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs) regulate cell proliferation, differentiation, metabolic processes, and immune activities. Psoriasis is a systemic inflammatory disease with metabolic disorders as an important comorbidity in the pathogenesis of which members of the IGF family could also play a role. Therefore, we decided to evaluate the levels of members of the IGF signaling pathway in patients with psoriasis. Sixty-nine people were enrolled in our study: 34 patients with psoriasis and 35 controls. The following parameters were evaluated in serum obtained from peripheral blood: total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, fasting glucose, IGF-1, IGF-1R, IGF-2, IGF-2R, IGFBP1, IGFBP2, IGFBP3, IGFBP4, IGFBP6, and insulin. The levels of several parameters differed between groups. The levels of fasting glucose, insulin, IGFBP3, and IGFBP6 were higher in patients with psoriasis, while the levels of IGF-1, IGF-1R, and IGBP4 were higher in controls. The results suggested that the IGF-1 signaling pathway can be involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and its comorbidities, especially metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. The novelty of our study is in its comprehensive assessment of the involvement of the IGF-1 signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and advances the understanding of the pathogenesis of psoriasis and its comorbidities.
