BACKGROUND Some studies have shown that switching patients from one tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alfa inhibitor to another may be beneficial when they have an inadequate response or an adverse event. OBJECTIVE We sought to assess the variables predicting the efficacy of the second TNF-alfa inhibitor in patients discontinuing the first TNF-alfa inhibitor. METHODS Data from all 5423 consecutiv...

BACKGROUND Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a long history in the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris. We aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of Chinese herbal Pulian ointment in treating psoriasis vulgaris of blood-heat syndrome. METHODS A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted. Participants with psoriasis vulgaris of blood-heat syndrom...

Background: Psoriasis is a common skin disease which beneficiated lately from many new drugs, acting on immunity. Phototherapy remains however a cornerstone of treatment in moderate-to-severe forms. Patients exhibit a continuous and longstanding interest in Dead Sea Climatotherapy (DSC), a well-known off-label psoriasis treatment which demonstrated high rates of success since decades. Objective...

Objectives: To determine and compare the impact of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), ankylosing spondylitis (AS), and psoriasis on work productivity, to calculate the productivity costs (PC), and to map out factors that influence (functional status and disease activity) work productivity. Methods: The Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire was used to evaluate productivity losses of p...

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that is estimated to affect 0.6% to 4.8% of the general population. The optimum number of NB-UVB phototherapy sessions is yet to be determined. The aim of this study was to compare therapeutic effects of NB-UVB in treating chronic plaque type psoriasis three times weekly vs. five times weekly. Materials and Methods: This study was des...

INTRODUCTION The impact of psoriasis varies with the body region affected. In addition, patients have different perceptions of disease improvement and treatment satisfaction based on the location of skin clearance with treatment. The monoclonal antibody secukinumab selectively targets interleukin-17A-a central cytokine of psoriasis-and provides rapid and sustained clearance for moderate-to-seve...

BACKGROUND A wide variety of psoriasis assessment tools have been proposed to evaluate the severity of psoriasis in clinical trials and daily practice. The most frequently used clinical instrument is the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI); however, none of the currently published severity scores used for psoriasis meets all the validation criteria required for an ideal score. OBJECTIVES...

INTRODUCTION Psoriasis is a chronic skin ailment which can be connected with an increased occurrence of other illnesses, including high blood pressure. EXAMINEES AND METHODS A prospective study has been conducted which included 70 patients affected by psoriasis, both genders, older than 18 years. Average age being 47,14 (SD= ±15,41) years, from that there were 36 men or 51,43 and 34 women or ...

Background. There is raised interest in the involvement of interleukin-(IL-)23/T-helper 17 cells (Th17) axis in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Objectives. To compare the effect of narrow band ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) and methotrexate (MTX) therapy on serum levels of IL-17 and IL-23 in psoriatic patients. Methods. Thirty patients with severe plaque psoriasis were included: 15 patients received NB-...