Alterations of the skin microvasculature are known to play an important role in the development and maintenance of psoriatic skin lesions. In this study, we investigated lesional skin in 11 psoriatic patients during a modified Goeckerman treatment using reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) to study the relationship between clinical clearance and histological normalization of psoriatic skin and...

BACKGROUND Biologics are effective for the treatment of psoriasis. However, treatment outcomes may differ among biologic-naive patients and those switched from previous biological therapies. OBJECTIVES The study's objective was to investigate efficacy and safety of ixekizumab, a high-affinity anti-interleukin-17A antibody, in patients with psoriasis with and without previous exposure to biolo...

OBJECTIVE To compare the efficacy of ustekinumab with that of other biological agents using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) among adult patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. DATA SOURCES We conducted a systematic search of the period January 31, 1992, to February 1, 2012, using MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, the Cochrane Library, and clinicaltrials.gov. STUDY SELECTION We i...

BACKGROUND Efalizumab, a T-cell-targeted, recombinant, humanized, monoclonal IgG1 antibody, inhibits key T-cell-mediated steps in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Efalizumab is approved for the treatment of moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis in adults in more than 50 countries. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the efficacy and safety of long-term, continuous efalizumab therapy in patients with p...

BACKGROUND Psoriasis is characterized by infiltration with mononuclear cells. Especially activated memory CD4+ T cells are critical in the pathogenesis. Interaction between the CD4 receptor and the major histocompatibility complex class II molecule is important for T-cell activation. OBJECTIVE To test safety and efficacy of a fully human monoclonal anti-CD4 antibody (HuMax-CD4) in the treatme...

OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy of Methotrexate in patients with plaque type psoriasis. METHODS This descriptive study was conducted in the department of Dermatology, Civil Hospital Karachi from September 2009 to March 2010. Seventy three patients between 18 to 50 years of age suffering from plaque type psoriasis with PASI score of >10 were included in the study after taking the informed con...

BACKGROUND Alefacept, human lymphocyte function-associated antigen 3/immunoglobulin 1 fusion protein, binds to CD2 molecules on the surface of activated T cells, selectively targeting memory-effector (CD45RO+) T cells, which comprise more than 75% of T cells in psoriatic plaques. OBJECTIVE To examine the efficacy and tolerability of intramuscular alefacept. DESIGN International, randomized,...

PURPOSE This retrospective study was done to investigate the mean platelet volume (MPV) level in patients with psoriasis vulgaris and its relationship with disease severity. MATERIALS AND METHODS We undertook a cross-sectional study on 176 patients and 101 healthy controls to examine the association between MPV and psoriasis. Various clinical and laboratory parameters were analyzed and compar...