Skip to main content
Advertisement
Browse Subject Areas
?

Click through the PLOS taxonomy to find articles in your field.

For more information about PLOS Subject Areas, click here.

  • Loading metrics

A practical inflammatory blood-cell marker for cardiovascular risk stratification in psoriasis: Development of the Platelet-Leukocyte Adjusted Cardiovascular (PLAC) score

  • Julian A. Cortes,

    Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Validation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

    Affiliation University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, San Diego, California, United States of America

  • Shaliz Aflatooni,

    Roles Conceptualization, Investigation, Visualization, Writing – review & editing

    Affiliation University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, Florida, United States of America

  • Andrea Ure,

    Roles Conceptualization, Investigation, Visualization, Writing – review & editing

    Affiliation University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California, United States of America

  • Gabriela Palma,

    Roles Conceptualization, Investigation, Visualization, Writing – review & editing

    Affiliation Donald & Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, Uniondale, New York, United States of America

  • Nicole Johnsen,

    Roles Conceptualization, Investigation, Visualization, Writing – review & editing

    Affiliation David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America

  • Kimberly Smart,

    Roles Conceptualization, Investigation, Visualization, Writing – review & editing

    Affiliation Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America

  • Yvonne Nong,

    Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Validation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

    Affiliation Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America

  • April W. Armstrong

    Roles Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Software, Supervision, Validation, Visualization, Writing – review & editing

    armstrongpublication@gmail.com

    Affiliation Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, California, United States of America

Abstract

Background

Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease associated with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Although blood-cell markers predict ASCVD in the general population, the utility of these markers in cardiovascular risk stratification in psoriasis remains unclear given heightened inflammatory burdens among these patients.

Objectives

We aimed to develop a composite ASCVD risk score for psoriasis and evaluate its performance by integrating a novel inflammatory blood-cell marker with traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study using All of Us (enrollment:May 2018-October 2023). ASCVD included acute coronary syndrome, cerebrovascular accident, or coronary artery disease. Independent predictors of ASCVD in Cox regression informed the Platelet-Leukocyte Adjusted Cardiovascular (PLAC) score, incorporating the Neutrophil-to-Platelet-to-Monocyte Ratio (NuPMoR=neutrophils/[platelets x monocytes]), age ≥ 65, male sex, hypertension, and diabetes.

Results

Among 1,572 psoriasis patients (median follow-up 7.2 years), the PLAC score (AUC 0.69, 95% CI 0.65–0.74), which incorporates NuPMoR, stratified patients into low-, medium-, and high-risk groups with corresponding 10-year ASCVD incidences of 4.9%, 11.8%, and 39.9%. Compared with the low-risk group, medium- (HR 2.27, 95% CI 1.53–3.39) and high-risk (HR 6.40, 95% CI 3.97–10.33) groups had significantly higher ASCVD hazard. The PLAC score demonstrated similar or numerically higher discrimination than the Framingham and PCE models in limited samples.

Conclusions

The PLAC score is a practical, psoriasis-specific ASCVD risk tool that integrates a novel inflammatory marker with traditional risk factors. It enables clinically meaningful ASCVD risk stratification using routine laboratory values in a high-risk population and may help identify psoriasis patients warranting closer cardiovascular monitoring.

Introduction

Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory disease affecting more than 7.5 million adults in the United States and approximately 1.5% of the population of Western and Central European countries [12]. Patients with psoriasis are at increased risk for both cardiometabolic comorbidities [310] and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) [1116], including acute coronary syndrome, cerebrovascular accident, and coronary artery disease. Dysregulation of immune and inflammatory pathways in psoriasis is thought to underlie the development of both erythematous, scaly plaques on the skin [1726] and atherosclerotic plaques within blood vessels, suggesting shared mechanisms underlying these conditions [2731].

Given the shared inflammatory mechanisms linking psoriasis and atherosclerosis, several studies have investigated whether inflammatory blood-cell markers are associated with ASCVD [3241]. In the general population, elevated ratios incorporating neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, or platelets have been linked to increased risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary artery disease, and cardiac mortality [3237]. In psoriasis, these inflammatory ratios have been associated with the presence of psoriatic disease and may correlate with disease severity [3841]. However, given the heightened inflammatory burden within psoriasis, it remains uncertain whether any inflammatory blood-cell marker may improve risk stratification when incorporated into a predictive model.

In particular, a psoriasis-specific inflammatory marker derived from routinely obtained laboratory data would offer a practical tool to better identify psoriasis patients at heightened cardiovascular risk. Thus, this study aimed to develop a psoriasis-specific ASCVD risk score and evaluate its performance by integrating a novel inflammatory blood-cell marker with traditional cardiovascular risk factors.

Materials and methods

Data source

We conducted a retrospective, longitudinal cohort study using the All of Us research platform (version 8.0), including individuals enrolled between May 2018 and October 2023 [42]. The All of Us initiative, led by the National Institutes of Health, aims to promote inclusion of participants from a wide diversity of backgrounds across the United States. Participant data are derived from electronic health records, laboratory results, surveys, and additional sources. Health data prior to 2018 may have been collected retrospectively at the time of enrollment. The All of Us platform was accessed between July 1st, 2025 and December 31st, 2025 for the analyses included within this manuscript. All data within the All of Us platform is entirely de-identified, and the authors were unable to identify individual participants during or after data collection. Relevant condition flags were identified using All of Us standard concept names which integrate International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes from within the electronic health record, ensuring consistency across coding systems and years. This study was deemed exempt from review by the University of California, Los Angeles Institutional Review Board.

Study population

Adults aged 18 years or older with at least two healthcare encounters coded for psoriasis (ICD-9 696.0/1/8 or ICD-10 L40.x) at least six weeks apart were included. The index date was defined as the date of the first encounter with a relevant psoriasis code. Individuals were excluded if they had any code indicating an ASCVD event, including acute coronary syndrome, cerebrovascular accident, or coronary artery disease, before the index date (see S1 Table).

Variable definitions and outcomes

Demographic variables included age, sex, race, and ethnicity. Baseline cardiovascular comorbidities, including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, and obesity were identified by at least one relevant code prior to the index date (see S2 Table). History of smoking prior to the index date was identified using the All of Us Lifestyle Survey responses for smoking status, accounting for number of smoking years and date of survey completion.

Laboratory data were analyzed for participants with complete blood count results recorded within six months of the index date. All complete blood count results were assessed in units of 103 cells/µL. New ASCVD events were identified by relevant codes at least six months after the index date to minimize potential collinearity. Follow-up time was calculated from the index date to the earliest occurrence of an ASCVD event or the end of the study period (October 31, 2023). Only participants with complete data available for analysis were included in the final analytical cohort.

Development of neutrophil-to-platelet-to-monocyte ratio (NuPMoR)

To generate a psoriasis-specific inflammatory marker, we evaluated routinely measured blood counts with established roles in atherosclerosis (lymphocytes, platelets, and monocytes). Neutrophil count was prespecified as a numerator component of the composite ratio based on its established biological relevance in both systemic inflammation and atherosclerosis [4344]. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression was used to evaluate the relative importance and direction of these cell types in predicting new ASCVD events. Accordingly, the novel Neutrophil-to-Platelet-to-Monocyte Ratio (NuPMoR=neutrophil count / [platelet count x monocyte count]) was developed.

The predictive performance of NuPMoR for new ASCVD events was evaluated using Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) area under the curve (AUC) analysis and compared with previously reported inflammatory indices. The optimal cutoff value of NuPMoR for identifying high ASCVD risk was determined using Youden’s method to maximize sensitivity and specificity. Participants were stratified into low and high NuPMoR groups based on this optimal cutoff.

Development of Platelet-Leukocyte Adjusted Cardiovascular (PLAC) score

To create a psoriasis-specific cardiovascular risk model, we first identified independent predictors of new ASCVD events using Cox proportional hazards regression. Candidate predictors included elevated NuPMoR, defined as NuPMoR = neutrophil count / [platelet count x monocyte count], age ≥ 65, sex, race, ethnicity, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, obesity, and history of smoking. Variables independently predictive of ASCVD were assigned point values proportional to their hazard ratios and rounded to the nearest integer. These weighted components formed the Platelet-Leukocyte Adjusted Cardiovascular (PLAC) score.

The PLAC score was then categorized into low-, medium-, and high-risk groups. Its independent predictive performance for new ASCVD events was assessed with Cox regression, adjusting for hyperlipidemia, obesity, race, ethnicity, and history of smoking. Cumulative ASCVD incidence by each PLAC risk group was estimated using Kaplan-Meier curves. Model discrimination was further evaluated using ROC AUC analysis and compared among eligible participants to established cardiovascular risk models, including the Pooled Cohort Equations (PCE) and Framingham risk score, using published coefficients [45,46].

Statistical analyses

Categorical variables were compared using chi-squared tests and continuous variables using the Mann-Whitney U test. All statistical tests were two-sided with significance set at ɑ = 0.05. Analyses were performed within the All of Us research platform using R, version 4.4.0. This study was conducted and reported in accordance with the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines.

Results

Cohort demographics

Of 10,629 patients with a relevant psoriasis diagnosis, 4,696 patients met criteria for inclusion. Among these, 1,572 participants with available laboratory data were included in the final analytical cohort. 65.3% of included participants were male, 76.5% were white, and 10.2% were Hispanic or Latino. The median age at psoriasis diagnosis was 52.8 years (interquartile range [IQR] 40.8–62.1) and the median follow-up time was 7.2 years (IQR 4.5–11.0) (Table 1). During complete follow-up, 154 participants (9.8%) experienced an ASCVD event at least six months after their index date.

Neutrophil-platelet-monocyte ratio (NuPMoR)

LASSO regression demonstrated an inverse relationship between platelet and monocyte counts and ASCVD (see S3 Table). Neutrophil count was incorporated into the composite NuPMoR ratio based on established biological relevance [4344] ROC analysis identified an optimal NuPMoR cutoff of 0.036 for new ASCVD events, with participants grouped into low (<0.036) or high (≥0.036) NuPMoR groups. There were no statistically significant differences in race, ethnicity, or baseline cardiovascular comorbidities between the low and high NuPMoR groups (Table 1). Among several tested blood-cell inflammatory indices, NuPMoR demonstrated the numerically highest discrimination (AUC 0.57, 95% CI 0.52–0.62; see S4 Table and Fig 1.

thumbnail
Fig 1. Receiver Operating Characteristics Curve for Platelet-Leukocyte Adjusted Cardiovascular (PLAC) Score and Neutrophil-to-Platelet-to-Monocyte Ratio (NuPMoR) in Predicting New Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0353475.g001

In multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression adjusting for age ≥ 65, sex, race, ethnicity, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, obesity, and history of smoking, high NuPMoR was independently associated with increased ASCVD hazard compared with low NuPMoR (HR 1.66, 95% CI 1.19–2.30, p = 0.003). Full model results are shown in Fig 2.

thumbnail
Fig 2. Adjusted Hazard Ratios for New Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease adjusting for Neutrophil-to-Platelet-to-Monocyte Ratio (NuPMoR), Demographics, and Cardiovascular Comorbidities.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0353475.g002

Platelet-Leukocyte Adjusted Cardiovascular (PLAC) score

The novel PLAC score was constructed by integrating high NuPMoR with traditional cardiovascular risk factors independently predictive of ASCVD in multivariable Cox regression. Weighted point contributions included high NuPMoR (1), age ≥ 65 (2), male sex (1), diabetes (1), and hypertension (1), yielding total scores ranging from 0 to 6. Participants were stratified into low- (0–1), medium- (2–3), and high-risk (4−6) groups with 840, 554, and 178 participants in each group, respectively. ROC curve analysis for the PLAC score demonstrated an AUC of 0.69 (95% Confidence Interval [CI] 0.65–0.74) in predicting new ASCVD events (Fig 1).

In multivariable Cox regression adjusting for hyperlipidemia, obesity, race, ethnicity, and history of smoking, both the medium-risk (Hazard Ratio [HR] 2.27, 95% CI 1.53–3.39, p < 0.001) and high-risk (HR 6.40, 95% CI 3.97–10.33, p < 0.001) PLAC groups had significantly increased ASCVD hazard compared to the low-risk PLAC group. Full model results are shown in Fig 3. Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated significantly higher cumulative ASCVD incidence among the medium- and high-risk PLAC groups compared to the low-risk group across 10 years (Table 2 and Fig 4).

thumbnail
Table 2. Cumulative Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Incidence for Platelet-Leukocyte Adjusted Cardiovascular (PLAC) Score Groups at 3, 5, and 10 Years.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0353475.t002

thumbnail
Fig 3. Adjusted Hazard Ratios for New Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease adjusting for Platelet-Leukocyte Adjusted Cardiovascular (PLAC) Score, Demographics, and History of Smoking.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0353475.g003

thumbnail
Fig 4. Kaplan-Meier Curve demonstrating Cumulative Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Incidence for Platelet-Leukocyte Adjusted Cardiovascular (PLAC) Score Groups.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0353475.g004

Among participants with complete data for comparison, the PLAC score demonstrated similar and numerically higher discrimination than the Framingham risk score (N = 174, AUC 0.65 vs 0.65, p = 0.97; see S1 Fig) and PCE (N = 125, AUC 0.64 vs 0.59, p = 0.24; see S2 Fig), respectively.

Discussion

This study introduced the PLAC score as a novel, psoriasis-specific cardiovascular risk tool that integrates a novel inflammatory blood-cell marker with established clinical risk factors. By combining high NuPMoR with age ≥ 65, male sex, hypertension, and diabetes, the PLAC score effectively stratified psoriasis patients into low-, medium-, and high-risk groups with clinically significant differences in long-term ASCVD incidence. The score maintained independent predictive value after adjustment for demographic and cardiometabolic risk factors, and its discriminatory performance was similar to the Framingham risk score and numerically higher than the PCE model. NuPMoR, the inflammatory component of the PLAC score, also independently predicted ASCVD risk after adjusting for demographic and cardiometabolic factors.

The PLAC score, centered on NuPMoR, provides a practical and clinically intuitive framework for stratifying patients into distinct ASCVD risk groups. When used individually, calculation of NuPMoR from routinely available complete blood count results identifies patients at 66% increased ASCVD risk independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Within the PLAC score, elevated NuPMoR may function as a baseline measure of cardiovascular risk. For example, a patient with elevated NuPMoR and no other PLAC components would yield a PLAC score of 1 and be placed into the low-risk group with 1.5% 5-year and 4.9% 10-year cumulative ASCVD incidence.

As additional PLAC components accumulate, patients transition from low to progressively higher risk categories. The addition of one risk factor, such as male sex, diabetes, or hypertension, to elevated NuPMoR increases a patient’s PLAC score to 2 and places them in the medium-risk group where 5- (5.5%) and 10-year (11.8%) cumulative ASCVD incidence are more than double relative to the low-risk group. In older patients, the presence of elevated NuPMoR and one additional common cardiovascular risk factor would yield a score of 4 or greater and place them in the high-risk group. This category was associated with a 6.4-fold greater ASCVD hazard compared to the low-risk group, and it yielded the highest 5- (13.3%) and 10-year (39.9%) cumulative ASCVD incidence among all the risk groups.

Our findings provide an important evaluation of the PLAC score against established cardiovascular risk models. Although the number of participants with blood pressure data was limited, the PLAC score performed at least comparably to both the PCE and Framingham risk score. Previous real-world studies have shown that the PCE and Framingham models perform well in the general population, with c-statistics generally ranging between 0.7 and 0.8 [4750]. However, studies in psoriasis and other autoimmune diseases suggest that these traditional models may underpredict the presence or extent of atherosclerosis in these populations [5153]. Additionally, the relatively lower performance observed across models in our cohort may reflect limited sample size rather than intrinsic model weakness. Ultimately, the PLAC score offers a psoriasis-specific framework that integrates systemic inflammation into cardiovascular risk prediction, potentially improving ASCVD risk stratification in this high-risk population. By identifying patients at greater risk for adverse cardiovascular outcomes, NuPMoR and the PLAC score may help clinicians guide high-risk patients towards closer longitudinal cardiovascular monitoring and preventative interventions [5455].

These results also highlight the utility of NuPMoR, an inflammatory blood-cell marker, for ASCVD risk stratification among psoriasis patients. The complete blood count is routinely ordered in clinical practice and is readily accessible to both clinicians and patients. While a prior study suggested that inflammatory blood-cell markers do not improve ASCVD risk modeling in psoriasis [56], our findings provide a framework for incorporating markers such as NuPMoR into ASCVD risk assessment. NuPMoR may serve as an independent predictor of ASCVD development, and its inclusion within the PLAC score could yield a more comprehensive approach to ASCVD risk stratification in this population.

NuPMoR’s independent association with ASCVD may reflect the complex relationship between neutrophils, platelets, and monocytes in atherogenesis. Neutrophils promote atherosclerotic plaque formation and vascular injury via reactive oxygen species and neutrophil extracellular traps [5760]. Platelets contribute to thrombosis and amplify vascular inflammation through coagulation initiation and release of proinflammatory mediators [6162]. Monocytes internalize oxidized lipids, differentiate into foam cells, and promote plaque progression and instability [6364]. In psoriasis, chronic inflammatory signaling is associated with heightened platelet and monocyte activation, which may contribute to the increased ASCVD risk observed in these patients [6569]. Although LASSO regression suggested an inverse relationship between platelet and monocyte counts and ASCVD, this may reflect increased recruitment and sequestration of activated cells within vascular lesions, lowering circulating levels despite increased inflammatory activity. Other potential explanations include immune exhaustion following chronic inflammatory signaling or redistribution of platelets and monocytes to other inflamed tissues.

These results should be considered in light of the study’s design. Misclassification and residual confounding due to unmeasured factors may remain despite strict inclusion criteria and multivariable adjustment. The availability of laboratory data within our cohort may limit generalizability. Additionally, the number of participants with blood pressure data was limited. Although the All of Us cohort is diverse, results may not fully extend to the broader psoriasis population worldwide. External validation is also needed to further support the utility of NuPMoR and PLAC score for ASCVD risk stratification in psoriasis.

In conclusion, this study demonstrates that the PLAC score, which integrates a routinely available inflammatory marker with established cardiovascular risk factors, provides a clinically meaningful and psoriasis-specific framework for ASCVD risk stratification. NuPMoR independently predicted ASCVD risk, and its incorporation into the PLAC score enabled clear and practical classification of patients into low-, medium-, and high-risk groups using standard laboratory data. Although external validation is needed, these findings suggest that the PLAC score and NuPMoR may help guide more personalized cardiovascular monitoring and preventive strategies in this high-risk population.

Supporting information

S1 Table. All of Us Standard Concept Names for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0353475.s001

(DOCX)

S2 Table. All of Us Standard Concept Names for Cardiometabolic Comorbidities.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0353475.s002

(DOCX)

S3 Table. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator Regression Assessing Relationship between Complete Blood Counts and Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0353475.s003

(DOCX)

S4 Table. Receiver Operating Characteristics Area Under the Curve Analysis for Predicting Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Among Inflammatory Blood-Cell Markers.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0353475.s004

(DOCX)

S1 Fig. Receiver Operating Characteristics Curve for Platelet-Leukocyte Adjusted Cardiovascular (PLAC) Score and Framingham Risk Score in Predicting New Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0353475.s005

(TIFF)

S2 Fig. Receiver Operating Characteristics Curve for Platelet-Leukocyte Adjusted Cardiovascular (PLAC) Score and Pooled Cohort Equations in Predicting New Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0353475.s006

(TIFF)

Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge All of Us participants for their contributions, without whom this research would not have been possible. We also thank the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us Research Program for making available the participant data examined in this study.

References

  1. 1. Armstrong AW, Mehta MD, Schupp CW, Gondo GC, Bell SJ, Griffiths CEM. Psoriasis Prevalence in Adults in the United States. JAMA Dermatol. 2021;157(8):940–6. pmid:34190957
  2. 2. Parisi R, Iskandar IYK, Kontopantelis E, Augustin M, Griffiths CEM, Ashcroft DM, et al. National, regional, and worldwide epidemiology of psoriasis: systematic analysis and modelling study. BMJ. 2020;369:m1590. pmid:32467098
  3. 3. Yim KM, Armstrong AW. Updates on cardiovascular comorbidities associated with psoriatic diseases: epidemiology and mechanisms. Rheumatol Int. 2017;37(1):97–105. pmid:27221457
  4. 4. Arnold KA, Treister AD, Lio PA, Alenghat FJ. Association of Atherosclerosis Prevalence With Age, Race, and Traditional Risk Factors in Patients With Psoriasis. JAMA Dermatol. 2019;155(5):622–3. pmid:30785601
  5. 5. Armstrong AW, Schupp C, Bebo B. Psoriasis comorbidities: results from the National Psoriasis Foundation surveys 2003 to 2011. Dermatology. 2012;225(2):121–6.
  6. 6. Armstrong AW, Lin SW, Chambers CJ, Sockolov ME, Chin DL. Psoriasis and hypertension severity: results from a case-control study. PLoS One. 2011;6(3):e18227. pmid:21479272
  7. 7. Ma C, Schupp CW, Armstrong EJ, Armstrong AW. Psoriasis and dyslipidemia: a population-based study analyzing the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2014;28(8):1109–12. pmid:23909936
  8. 8. Armstrong AW, Gelfand JM, Boehncke W-H, Armstrong EJ. Cardiovascular comorbidities of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: a report from the GRAPPA 2012 annual meeting. J Rheumatol. 2013;40(8):1434–7. pmid:23908540
  9. 9. Wiala A, Elhage KG, Leung A, Young AT, Gregory M, Adrianto I, et al. Patients with PSOriasis and Suppurative Hidradenitis (PSO-SH) share genetic risk factors and are at risk of increased morbidity. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2025;92(6):1303–11. pmid:39929305
  10. 10. Hercogová J, Ricceri F, Tripo L, Lotti T, Prignano F. Psoriasis and body mass index. Dermatol Ther. 2010;23(2):152–4. pmid:20415822
  11. 11. Armstrong EJ, Harskamp CT, Armstrong AW. Psoriasis and major adverse cardiovascular events: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. J Am Heart Assoc. 2013;2(2):e000062. pmid:23557749
  12. 12. Santilli S, Kast DR, Grozdev I, Cao L, Feig RL, Golden JB, et al. Visualization of atherosclerosis as detected by coronary artery calcium and carotid intima-media thickness reveals significant atherosclerosis in a cross-sectional study of psoriasis patients in a tertiary care center. J Transl Med. 2016;14(1):217. pmid:27448600
  13. 13. Armstrong AW, Harskamp CT, Ledo L, Rogers JH, Armstrong EJ. Coronary artery disease in patients with psoriasis referred for coronary angiography. Am J Cardiol. 2012;109(7):976–80. pmid:22221950
  14. 14. Wu JJ, Choi YM, Bebchuk JD. Risk of myocardial infarction in psoriasis patients: a retrospective cohort study. J Dermatolog Treat. 2015;26(3):230–4. pmid:25102892
  15. 15. Kimball AB, Guerin A, Latremouille-Viau D, Yu AP, Gupta S, Bao Y, et al. Coronary heart disease and stroke risk in patients with psoriasis: retrospective analysis. Am J Med. 2010;123(4):350–7. pmid:20362755
  16. 16. Fioranelli M, Roccia MG, Lotti T. Coronary blood flow and psoriasis. Dermatol Ther. 2017;30(2):10.1111/dth.12471. pmid:28211598
  17. 17. Armstrong AW, Blauvelt A, Callis Duffin K, Huang YH, Savage LJ, Guo L. Psoriasis. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2025;11(1):45.
  18. 18. Coates LC, FitzGerald O, Helliwell PS, Paul C. Psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis: Is all inflammation the same?. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2016;46(3):291–304. pmid:27388027
  19. 19. Baldo A, Di Domizio J, Yatim A, Vandenberghe-Dürr S, Jenelten R, Fries A, et al. Human neutrophils drive skin autoinflammation by releasing interleukin (IL)-26. J Exp Med. 2024;221(5):e20231464. pmid:38448036
  20. 20. Puig L, Costanzo A, Muñoz-Elías EJ, Jazra M, Wegner S, Paul CF, et al. The biological basis of disease recurrence in psoriasis: a historical perspective and current models. Br J Dermatol. 2022;186(5):773–81. pmid:34939663
  21. 21. Bozó R, Flink LB, Ambrus B, Ghaffarinia A, Koncz B, Kui R, et al. The Expression of Cytokines and Chemokines Potentially Distinguishes Mild and Severe Psoriatic Non-Lesional and Resolved Skin from Healthy Skin and Indicates Different Stages of Inflammation. Int J Mol Sci. 2024;25(20):11292. pmid:39457071
  22. 22. Gyulai R, Kemény L. A pikkelysömör immunológiája: az alapkutatástól a betegágyig. Orv Hetil. 2006;147(46):2213–20.
  23. 23. Bebes A, Kovács-Sólyom F, Prihoda J, Kui R, Kemény L, Gyulai R. Interleukin-1 receptors are differentially expressed in normal and psoriatic T cells. Mediators Inflamm. 2014;2014:472625. pmid:24665164
  24. 24. Sugiyama H, Gyulai R, Toichi E, Garaczi E, Shimada S, Stevens SR, et al. Dysfunctional blood and target tissue CD4+CD25high regulatory T cells in psoriasis: mechanism underlying unrestrained pathogenic effector T cell proliferation. J Immunol. 2005;174(1):164–73. pmid:15611238
  25. 25. Speeckaert R, Belpaire A, Lambert J, Speeckaert M, van Geel N. Th Pathways in Immune-Mediated Skin Disorders: A Guide for Strategic Treatment Decisions. Immune Netw. 2024;24(5):e33. pmid:39513029
  26. 26. Evers BDG, Hils M, Heuser C, Hölge IM, Argiriu D, Skabytska Y, et al. Inflammatory Cues Direct Skin-Resident Type 1 Innate Lymphoid Cells to Adopt a Psoriasis-Promoting Identity. JID Innov. 2023;3(4):100204. pmid:37533580
  27. 27. Armstrong AW, Read C. Pathophysiology, Clinical Presentation, and Treatment of Psoriasis: A Review. JAMA. 2020;323(19):1945–60. pmid:32427307
  28. 28. Armstrong AW, Voyles SV, Armstrong EJ, Fuller EN, Rutledge JC. A tale of two plaques: convergent mechanisms of T-cell-mediated inflammation in psoriasis and atherosclerosis. Exp Dermatol. 2011;20(7):544–9. pmid:21692858
  29. 29. Armstrong AW, Voyles SV, Armstrong EJ, Fuller EN, Rutledge JC. Angiogenesis and oxidative stress: common mechanisms linking psoriasis with atherosclerosis. J Dermatol Sci. 2011;63(1):1–9. pmid:21600738
  30. 30. Armstrong AW, Armstrong EJ, Fuller EN, Sockolov ME, Voyles SV. Smoking and pathogenesis of psoriasis: a review of oxidative, inflammatory and genetic mechanisms. Br J Dermatol. 2011;165(6):1162–8. pmid:21777217
  31. 31. Armstrong EJ, Krueger JG. Lipoprotein Metabolism and Inflammation in Patients With Psoriasis. Am J Cardiol. 2016;118(4):603–9. pmid:27392508
  32. 32. Corriere T, Di Marca S, Cataudella E, Pulvirenti A, Alaimo S, Stancanelli B, et al. Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio is a strong predictor of atherosclerotic carotid plaques in older adults. Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2018;28(1):23–7. pmid:29241668
  33. 33. Açar G, Fidan S, Uslu ZA, Turkday S, Avci A, Alizade E, et al. Relationship of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio with the presence, severity, and extent of coronary atherosclerosis detected by coronary computed tomography angiography. Angiology. 2015;66(2):174–9. pmid:24554426
  34. 34. Yang Y-L, Wu C-H, Hsu P-F, Chen S-C, Huang S-S, Chan WL, et al. Systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) predicted clinical outcome in patients with coronary artery disease. Eur J Clin Invest. 2020;50(5):e13230. pmid:32291748
  35. 35. Liu K, Yang L, Liu Y, Zhang Y, Zhu J, Zhang H, et al. Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII) and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR): A Strong Predictor of Disease Severity in Large-Artery Atherosclerosis (LAA) Stroke Patients. J Inflamm Res. 2025;18:195–202. pmid:39802522
  36. 36. Wang Y, Yuan M, Ma Y, Shao C, Wang Y, Qi M, et al. The Admission (Neutrophil+Monocyte)/Lymphocyte Ratio Is an Independent Predictor for In-Hospital Mortality in Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2022;9:870176. pmid:35463771
  37. 37. Hua Y, Sun J-Y, Lou Y-X, Sun W, Kong X-Q. Monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio predicts mortality and cardiovascular mortality in the general population. Int J Cardiol. 2023;379:118–26. pmid:36905945
  38. 38. Zhao Y, Bai YP, Li LF. Association between systemic immune-inflammation index and psoriasis, psoriasis comorbidities, and all-cause mortality: A study based on NHANES. Immun Inflamm Dis. 2024;12(10):e70050.
  39. 39. Zhao X, Li J, Li X. Association between systemic immune-inflammation index and psoriasis: a population-based study. Front Immunol. 2024;15:1305701. pmid:38504983
  40. 40. Solak B, Kara RÖ. Assessing systemic inflammatory markers in psoriasis: A retrospective study. Trop Med Int Health. 2024;29(11):971–8. pmid:39449194
  41. 41. Dey AK, Teague HL, Adamstein NH, Rodante JA, Playford MP, Chen MY, et al. Association of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio with non-calcified coronary artery burden in psoriasis: Findings from an observational cohort study. J Cardiovasc Comput Tomogr. 2021;15(4):372–9. pmid:33390348
  42. 42. Ginsburg GS, Denny JC, Schully SD. Data-driven science and diversity in the All of Us Research Program. Sci Transl Med. 2023;15(726):eade9214. pmid:38091411
  43. 43. Soehnlein O. Multiple roles for neutrophils in atherosclerosis. Circ Res. 2012;110(6):875–88. pmid:22427325
  44. 44. Pende A, Artom N, Bertolotto M, Montecucco F, Dallegri F. Role of neutrophils in atherogenesis: an update. Eur J Clin Invest. 2016;46(3):252–63. pmid:26573245
  45. 45. Goff DC Jr, Lloyd-Jones DM, Bennett G, Coady S, D’Agostino RB, Gibbons R, et al. 2013 ACC/AHA guideline on the assessment of cardiovascular risk: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines. Circulation. 2014;129(25 Suppl 2):S49-73. pmid:24222018
  46. 46. Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults. Executive summary of the third report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood cholesterol in adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). JAMA. 2001;285(19):2486–97.
  47. 47. Wallisch C, Heinze G, Rinner C, Mundigler G, Winkelmayer WC, Dunkler D. External validation of two Framingham cardiovascular risk equations and the Pooled Cohort equations: A nationwide registry analysis. Int J Cardiol. 2019;283:165–70. pmid:30429082
  48. 48. Wallisch C, Heinze G, Rinner C, Mundigler G, Winkelmayer WC, Dunkler D. Re-estimation improved the performance of two Framingham cardiovascular risk equations and the Pooled Cohort equations: A nationwide registry analysis. Sci Rep. 2020;10(1):8140. pmid:32424214
  49. 49. Sud M, Sivaswamy A, Chu A, Austin PC, Anderson TJ, Naimark DMJ, et al. Population-Based Recalibration of the Framingham Risk Score and Pooled Cohort Equations. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2022;80(14):1330–42.
  50. 50. Jung KJ, Jang Y, Oh DJ, Oh B-H, Lee SH, Park S-W, et al. The ACC/AHA 2013 pooled cohort equations compared to a Korean Risk Prediction Model for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Atherosclerosis. 2015;242(1):367–75. pmid:26255683
  51. 51. Eder L, Chandran V, Gladman DD. The Framingham Risk Score underestimates the extent of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with psoriatic disease. Ann Rheum Dis. 2014;73(11):1990–6. pmid:23887287
  52. 52. Galarza-Delgado DA, Azpiri-Lopez JR, Colunga-Pedraza IJ, Guajardo-Jauregui N, Rodriguez-Romero AB, Lugo-Perez S, et al. Cardiovascular risk reclassification according to six cardiovascular risk algorithms and carotid ultrasound in psoriatic arthritis patients. Clin Rheumatol. 2022;41(5):1413–20. pmid:34826020
  53. 53. Shen J, Lam SH, Shang Q, Wong C-K, Li EK, Wong P, et al. Underestimation of Risk of Carotid Subclinical Atherosclerosis by Cardiovascular Risk Scores in Patients with Psoriatic Arthritis. J Rheumatol. 2018;45(2):218–26. pmid:29142027
  54. 54. Anyfanti P, Dara A, Angeloudi E, Bekiari E, Dimitroulas T, Kitas GD. Monitoring and Managing Cardiovascular Risk in Immune Mediated Inflammatory Diseases. J Inflamm Res. 2021;14:6893–906. pmid:34934338
  55. 55. Lloyd-Jones DM, Hong Y, Labarthe D, Mozaffarian D, Appel LJ, Van Horn L, et al. Defining and setting national goals for cardiovascular health promotion and disease reduction: the American Heart Association’s strategic Impact Goal through 2020 and beyond. Circulation. 2010;121(4):586–613. pmid:20089546
  56. 56. Guo X-Y, Xue G-H, Zou Y-M, Chen J-Q, Chen S, Zhou D-M. A diagnostic prediction model for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in patients with psoriasis. Front Cardiovasc Med. 2025;12:1584305. pmid:40491720
  57. 57. Carbone F, Nencioni A, Mach F, Vuilleumier N, Montecucco F. Pathophysiological role of neutrophils in acute myocardial infarction. Thromb Haemost. 2013;110(3):501–14. pmid:23740239
  58. 58. Viola J, Soehnlein O. Atherosclerosis - A matter of unresolved inflammation. Semin Immunol. 2015;27(3):184–93. pmid:25865626
  59. 59. Megens RTA, Vijayan S, Lievens D, Döring Y, van Zandvoort MAMJ, Grommes J, et al. Presence of luminal neutrophil extracellular traps in atherosclerosis. Thromb Haemost. 2012;107(3):597–8. pmid:22318427
  60. 60. Gupta AK, Joshi MB, Philippova M, Erne P, Hasler P, Hahn S, et al. Activated endothelial cells induce neutrophil extracellular traps and are susceptible to NETosis-mediated cell death. FEBS Lett. 2010;584(14):3193–7. pmid:20541553
  61. 61. Massberg S, Brand K, Grüner S, Page S, Müller E, Müller I, et al. A critical role of platelet adhesion in the initiation of atherosclerotic lesion formation. J Exp Med. 2002;196(7):887–96. pmid:12370251
  62. 62. Müller I, Klocke A, Alex M, Kotzsch M, Luther T, Morgenstern E, et al. Intravascular tissue factor initiates coagulation via circulating microvesicles and platelets. FASEB J. 2003;17(3):476–8. pmid:12514112
  63. 63. Pamukcu B, Lip GYH, Devitt A, Griffiths H, Shantsila E. The role of monocytes in atherosclerotic coronary artery disease. Ann Med. 2010;42(6):394–403. pmid:20568979
  64. 64. Virmani R, Kolodgie FD, Burke AP, Finn AV, Gold HK, Tulenko TN, et al. Atherosclerotic plaque progression and vulnerability to rupture: angiogenesis as a source of intraplaque hemorrhage. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2005;25(10):2054–61. pmid:16037567
  65. 65. Garshick MS, Drenkova K, Kazatsker F, Boothman I, Muller M, Schlamp F, et al. Platelet Activation and a Platelet Biosignature Are Associated With Cardiovascular Risk in Patients With Controlled Psoriasis. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2025;45(11):2086–96. pmid:40905118
  66. 66. Chandrashekar L, Rajappa M, Revathy G, Sundar I, Munisamy M, Ananthanarayanan PH, et al. Is enhanced platelet activation the missing link leading to increased cardiovascular risk in psoriasis?. Clin Chim Acta. 2015;446:181–5. pmid:25920693
  67. 67. Li L, Yu J, Zhou Z. Platelet-associated parameters in patients with psoriasis: A PRISMA-compliant systematic review and meta-analysis. Medicine (Baltimore). 2021;100(50):e28234. pmid:34918687
  68. 68. Golden JB, Groft SG, Squeri MV, Debanne SM, Ward NL, McCormick TS, et al. Chronic Psoriatic Skin Inflammation Leads to Increased Monocyte Adhesion and Aggregation. J Immunol. 2015;195(5):2006–18. pmid:26223654
  69. 69. Dong C, Yang W, Sun L, Lin JM, Wang J, Wang Y, et al. Glycoprotein Ib-CD11b + monocyte-derived macrophages mediate atherosclerosis-exacerbated psoriatic inflammation. Life Sci. 2025;380:123960.