Association of Serum Lipocalin-2 Concentrations with Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis: An Updated Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to explore the association of serum lipocalin-2 concentrations with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). METHODS: A systematic search of studies on the association of serum lipocalin-2 concentrations with psoriasis/PsA was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Elsevier ScienceDirect, and Cochrane Library. Eventually, 8 eligible studies were included. The strength of association between serum lipocalin-2 concentrations and psoriasis/PsA was assessed by pooled standard mean difference (SMD) with its 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: A total of 8 case-control studies, consisting of 349 psoriasis/PsA patients and 258 controls, were included in the meta-analysis. This meta-analysis showed significant association between serum lipocalin-2 concentrations and psoriasis/PsA in overall population (SMD: 0.757, 95%CI = 0.588-0.926, and P (H) = 0.114; P (H) is the P value for the heterogeneity test). Similar results were found in subgroup analysis by ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: Serum lipocalin-2 concentrations are higher in psoriasis/PsA patients than controls. However, more large-scale studies are warranted to explore the association between serum lipocalin-2 and the pathogenetic mechanisms of psoriasis/PsA.