Neutrophil Subsets, Platelets, and Vascular Disease in Psoriasis

Visual Abstract
Highlights • LDGs are a subset of neutrophils that were elevated in psoriasis and associated with the severity of disease. • In psoriasis, LDGs associated with noncalcified coronary plaque burden beyond cardiovascular risk factors and in vitro, induced endothelial cell damage. • Compared to normal-density granulocyte neutrophils, platelet-associated biological pathways were upregulated in LDGs, suggesting enhanced platelet adherence to the LDG surface. • LDGs co-localized with platelets in circulation, and the LDG-platelet interaction associated more strongly with non-calcified coronary burden by coronary CTA compared to LDGs alone.
Summary Psoriasis is an inflammatory skin disease associated with increased cardiovascular risk and serves as a reliable model to study inflammatory atherogenesis. Because neutrophils are implicated in atherosclerosis development, this study reports that the interaction among low-density granulocytes, a subset of neutrophils, and platelets is associated with a noncalcified coronary plaque burden assessed by coronary computed tomography angiography. Because early atherosclerotic noncalcified burden can lead to fatal myocardial infarction, the low-density granulocyte−platelet interaction may play a crucial target for clinical intervention.