Dr. Tsolakou Annia

Doctor Annia Tsolakou
School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

Genetic Variations and Oxidative Stress: Investigating Their Role in Psoriasis Susceptibility

Authors: Tsolakou A.¹, Katsarou M.S.¹, Sidiropoulou P.¹ ², Sotirchos S.¹, Rompoti N.², Stefanaki E.², Apostolaki A.¹, Palaiologou D.¹, Stratigos A.², Drakoulis N.¹, and Nikolaidou H.²
¹Research Group of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacogenomics, Department of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Athens, Greece
²First Clinic of Venereal and Dermatological Diseases, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), ‘Andreas Syggros’ Hospital, Athens, Greece

Psoriasis is chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory dermatosis with a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors. Emerging evidence highlights the role of oxidative stress in amplifying immune-driven inflammation, leading to psoriatic lesions. This study examines the impact of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in antioxidant-related genes—GSTP1, UCP2, CAT, SOD2, and EPHX1—on psoriasis susceptibility in the Greek population.
A total of 570 unrelated participants (142 psoriasis patients and 428 controls) were included in this cross-sectional study. Peripheral blood samples were collected for DNA isolation, and SNP genotyping was performed using KASP PCR. Statistical analysis revealed significant associations for SOD2 rs4880 (T allele, risk-enhancing), UCP2 rs660339 (C allele, risk-enhancing), and EPHX1 rs2234922 (AA genotype and A allele as strongest predictors of susceptibility). No statistically significant findings were observed for the other polymorphisms.
Our findings highlight the involvement of oxidative stress-related genetic variants in psoriasis pathogenesis. The EPHX1 rs2234922 polymorphism, in particular, emerged as a key risk factor, offering potential for its development as a diagnostic biomarker. Further studies with larger cohorts and diverse populations are warranted to validate these findings and explore their implications for personalized therapeutic strategies in psoriasis.

Scurt CV

Annia Tsolakou, MSc, is a Laboratory Coordinator and researcher in Pharmacogenomics and Pharmacognosy at the Faculty of Pharmacy, School of Health Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. She conducts research under the supervision of Professor Nikolaos Drakoulis as a key member of the Research Group of Clinical Pharmacology & Pharmacogenomics, where she oversees laboratory operations and coordinates projects integrating pharmacogenomic insights with natural product therapeutics.
She played an active role in the organizing committee of the 4th International Congress of Pharmacogenomics and Precision Medicine, contributing to the planning and execution of this major scientific event. Her work has also been featured in leading scientific journals, including the Journal of Molecular Neuroscience, Biotech, and the Journal of Chemistry, covering topics such as genetic markers in neurological diseases, machine learning applications in disease severity prediction, and bioactive compounds in olive oil with neuroprotective properties.
She has presented her research at international conferences, including the Santorini 10+1 Conference on Systems Medicine, the Research Got Talent Conference, and multiple dermatology congresses, where she explored the role of antioxidant enzyme polymorphisms in skin disorders.
Annia holds an MSc in Production and Quality Control of Bioactive Natural Products from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and a BSc in Biotechnology from the Agricultural University of Athens. She has extensive experience in NMR spectroscopy, natural bioactive compounds isolation, PCR, and bioinformatics analysis.
She is also an active member of the World Olive Center for Health, contributing to the study of olive oil’s health benefits and a member of EEPHARM (Hellenic Society of Pharmacogenomics & Personalized Diagnosis and Therapy).