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Sample records for connective tissue disease-psoriasis

  1. Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Home Conditions Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease (UCTD) Undifferentiated Connective Tissue Disease (UCTD) Make an Appointment Find a Doctor ... by Barbara Goldstein, MD (February 01, 2016) Undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) is a systemic autoimmune disease. This ...

  2. Mixed Connective Tissue Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mixed connective tissue disease Overview Mixed connective tissue disease has signs and symptoms of a combination of disorders — primarily lupus, scleroderma and polymyositis. For this reason, mixed connective tissue disease ...

  3. Radiotherapy in patients with connective tissue diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giaj-Levra, Niccolò; Sciascia, Savino; Fiorentino, Alba; Fersino, Sergio; Mazzola, Rosario; Ricchetti, Francesco; Roccatello, Dario; Alongi, Filippo

    2016-03-01

    The decision to offer radiotherapy in patients with connective tissue diseases continues to be challenging. Radiotherapy might trigger the onset of connective tissue diseases by increasing the expression of self-antigens, diminishing regulatory T-cell activity, and activating effectors of innate immunity (dendritic cells) through Toll-like receptor-dependent mechanisms, all of which could potentially lead to breaks of immune tolerance. This potential risk has raised some debate among radiation oncologists about whether patients with connective tissue diseases can tolerate radiation as well as people without connective tissue diseases. Because the number of patients with cancer and connective tissue diseases needing radiotherapy will probably increase due to improvements in medical treatment and longer life expectancy, the issue of interactions between radiotherapy and connective tissue diseases needs to be clearer. In this Review, we discuss available data and evidence for patients with connective tissue diseases treated with radiotherapy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. [Pulmonary involvement in connective tissue disease].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartosiewicz, Małgorzata

    2016-01-01

    The connective tissue diseases are a variable group of autoimmune mediated disorders characterized by multiorgan damage. Pulmonary complications are common, usually occur after the onset of joint symptoms, but can also be initially presenting complaint. The respiratory system may be involved in all its component: airways, vessels, parenchyma, pleura and respiratory muscles. Lung involvement is an increasing cause of morbidity and mortality in the connective tissue diseases. Clinical course is highly variable - can range from mild to rapidly progressive, some processes are reversible, while others are irreversible. Thus, the identification of reversible disease , and separately progressive disease, are important clinical issues. The frequency, clinical presentation, prognosis and responce to therapy are different, depending on the pattern of involvement as well as on specyfic diagnostic method used to identify it. High- resolution computed tompography plays an important role in identifying patients with respiratory involvement. Pulmonary function tests are a sensitive tool detecting interstitial lung disease. In this article, pulmonary lung involvement accompanying most frequently apperaing connective tissue diseases - rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, lupus erythematosus, polymyositis/dermatomyositis, Sjögrens syndrome and mixed connective tissue disaese are reviewed.

  5. Connective tissue diseases, multimorbidity and the ageing lung.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spagnolo, Paolo; Cordier, Jean-François; Cottin, Vincent

    2016-05-01

    Connective tissue diseases encompass a wide range of heterogeneous disorders characterised by immune-mediated chronic inflammation often leading to tissue damage, collagen deposition and possible loss of function of the target organ. Lung involvement is a common complication of connective tissue diseases. Depending on the underlying disease, various thoracic compartments can be involved but interstitial lung disease is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality. Interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension or both are found most commonly in systemic sclerosis. In the elderly, the prevalence of connective tissue diseases continues to rise due to both longer life expectancy and more effective and better-tolerated treatments. In the geriatric population, connective tissue diseases are almost invariably accompanied by age-related comorbidities, and disease- and treatment-related complications, which contribute to the significant morbidity and mortality associated with these conditions, and complicate treatment decision-making. Connective tissue diseases in the elderly represent a growing concern for healthcare providers and an increasing burden of global health resources worldwide. A better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the regulation of the immune functions in the elderly and evidence-based guidelines specifically designed for this patient population are instrumental to improving the management of connective tissue diseases in elderly patients. Copyright ©ERS 2016.

  6. Cutaneous lupus erythematosus, morphea profunda and psoriasis: A case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    García-Arpa, Mónica; Flores-Terry, Miguel A; Ramos-Rodríguez, Claudia; Franco-Muñoz, Monserrat; González-Ruiz, Lucía; Ramírez-Huaranga, Marco Aurelio

    2018-04-03

    Psoriasis is a common inflammatory dermatosis that may be associated with a number of diseases. Recent studies provide evidence that there is a greater frequency of autoimmune diseases, but association with autoimmune connective tissue diseases is uncommon. The coexistence of psoriasis and lupus erythematosus is rare. Besides, the occurrence of morphea has rarely been reported in patients with lupus or psoriasis. We report a woman with cutaneous lupus and morphea profunda associated with psoriasis, with an excellent response to methotrexate, and review the literature. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Reumatología y Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología. All rights reserved.

  7. Pregnancy and autoimmune connective tissue diseases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marder, Wendy; Littlejohn, Emily A

    2016-01-01

    The autoimmune connective tissue diseases predominantly affect women and often occur during the reproductive years. Thus, specialized issues in pregnancy planning and management are commonly encountered in this patient population. This chapter provides a current overview of pregnancy as a risk factor for onset of autoimmune disease, considerations related to the course of pregnancy in several autoimmune connective tissue diseases, and disease management and medication issues before and during pregnancy and the postpartum period. A major theme that has emerged across these inflammatory diseases is that active maternal disease during pregnancy is associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes, and that maternal and fetal health can be optimized when conception is planned during times of inactive disease and through maintaining treatment regimens compatible with pregnancy. PMID:27421217

  8. Esophageal involvement and interstitial lung disease in mixed connective tissue disease.

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    Fagundes, M N; Caleiro, M T C; Navarro-Rodriguez, T; Baldi, B G; Kavakama, J; Salge, J M; Kairalla, R; Carvalho, C R R

    2009-06-01

    Mixed connective tissue disease is a systemic inflammatory disorder that results in both pulmonary and esophageal manifestations. We sought to evaluate the relationship between esophageal dysfunction and interstitial lung disease in patients with mixed connective tissue disease. We correlated the pulmonary function data and the high-resolution computed tomography findings of interstitial lung disease with the results of esophageal evaluation in manometry, 24-hour intraesophageal pH measurements, and the presence of esophageal dilatation on computed tomography scan. Fifty consecutive patients with mixed connective tissue disease, according to Kasukawa's classification criteria, were included in this prospective study. High-resolution computed tomography parenchymal abnormalities were present in 39 of 50 patients. Esophageal dilatation, gastroesophageal reflux, and esophageal motor impairment were also very prevalent (28 of 50, 18 of 36, and 30 of 36, respectively). The presence of interstitial lung disease on computed tomography was significantly higher among patients with esophageal dilatation (92% vs. 45%; pmotor dysfunction (90% vs. 35%; pesophageal and pulmonary involvement, our series revealed a strong association between esophageal motor dysfunction and interstitial lung disease in patients with mixed connective tissue disease.

  9. Histopathology of lung disease in the connective tissue diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vivero, Marina; Padera, Robert F

    2015-05-01

    The pathologic correlates of interstitial lung disease (ILD) secondary to connective tissue disease (CTD) comprise a diverse group of histologic patterns. Lung biopsies in patients with CTD-associated ILD tend to demonstrate simultaneous involvement of multiple anatomic compartments of the lung. Certain histologic patterns tend to predominate in each defined CTD, and it is possible in many cases to confirm connective tissue-associated lung disease and guide patient management using surgical lung biopsy. This article will cover the pulmonary pathologies seen in rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis, myositis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren syndrome, and mixed CTD. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Oral manifestations of connective tissue disease and novel therapeutic approaches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heath, Kenisha R; Rogers, Roy S; Fazel, Nasim

    2015-10-16

    Connective tissue diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis (SSc), and Sjögren syndrome (SS) have presented many difficulties both in their diagnosis and treatment. Known causes for this difficulty include uncertainty of disease etiology, the multitude of clinical presentations, the unpredictable disease course, and the variable cell types, soluble mediators, and tissue factors that are believed to play a role in the pathogenesis of connective tissue diseases. The characteristic oral findings seen with these specific connective tissue diseases may assist with more swift diagnostic capability. Additionally, the recent use of biologics may redefine the success rate in the treatment and management of the disease. In this review we describe the oral manifestations associated with SLE, SSc, and SS and review the novel biologic drugs used to treat these conditions.

  11. Connective Tissue Degeneration: Mechanisms of Palmar Fascia Degeneration (Dupuytren's Disease)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Karkampouna, S.; Kreulen, M.; Obdeijn, M. C.; Kloen, P.; Dorjée, A. L.; Rivellese, F.; Chojnowski, A.; Clark, I.; Kruithof-de Julio, Marianna

    2016-01-01

    Dupuytren's disease is a connective tissue disorder of the hand causing excessive palmar fascial fibrosis with associated finger contracture and disability. The aetiology of the disease is heterogeneous, with both genetic and environmental components. The connective tissue is abnormally infiltrated

  12. Pruritus in Autoimmune Connective Tissue Diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Gideon P; Argobi, Yahya

    2018-07-01

    Pruritus in autoimmune connective tissue diseases is a common symptom that can be severe and affect the quality of life of patients. It can be related to disease activity and severity or occur independent of the disease. Appropriate therapy to control the itch depends on the etiology, and it is therefore essential to first work-up these patients for the underlying trigger. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Psoriasis-associated vascular disease: the role of HDL.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paiva-Lopes, Maria Joao; Delgado Alves, José

    2017-09-14

    Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory systemic disease with a prevalence of 2-3%. Overwhelming evidence show an epidemiological association between psoriasis, cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis. Cardiovascular disease is the most frequent cause of death in patients with severe psoriasis. Several cardiovascular disease classical risk factors are also increased in psoriasis but the psoriasis-associated risk persists after adjusting for other risk factors.Investigation has focused on finding explanations for these epidemiological data. Several studies have demonstrated significant lipid metabolism and HDL composition and function alterations in psoriatic patients. Altered HDL function is clearly one of the mechanisms involved, as these particles are of the utmost importance in atherosclerosis defense. Recent data indicate that biologic therapy can reverse both structural and functional HDL alterations in psoriasis, reinforcing their therapeutic potential.

  14. New perspectives on rare connective tissue calcifying diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rashdan, Nabil A; Rutsch, Frank; Kempf, Hervé; Váradi, András; Lefthériotis, Georges; MacRae, Vicky E

    2016-06-01

    Connective tissue calcifying diseases (CTCs) are characterized by abnormal calcium deposition in connective tissues. CTCs are caused by multiple factors including chronic diseases (Type II diabetes mellitus, chronic kidney disease), the use of pharmaceuticals (e.g. warfarin, glucocorticoids) and inherited rare genetic diseases such as pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE), generalized arterial calcification in infancy (GACI) and Keutel syndrome (KTLS). This review explores our current knowledge of these rare inherited CTCs, and highlights the most promising avenues for pharmaceutical intervention. Advancing our understanding of rare inherited forms of CTC is not only essential for the development of therapeutic strategies for patients suffering from these diseases, but also fundamental to delineating the mechanisms underpinning acquired chronic forms of CTC. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  15. Secular trends of pregnancies in women with inflammatory connective tissue disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wallenius, Marianne; Salvesen, Kjell Å; Daltveit, Anne K; Skomsvoll, Johan F

    2015-11-01

    This study examined secular trends in reproductive outcome in women with inflammatory connective tissue disease compared with reference deliveries from the general population. Historical cohort study based on data registered in the Medical Birth Register of Norway from 1967 to 2009. The study included singleton births in women recorded with connective tissue disease (n = 851) and reference deliveries from the general population (n = 2 437 110). Births were stratified in four periods, 1967-1979, 1980-1989, 1990-1999 and 2000-2009. Associations between connective tissue disease and maternal and perinatal outcomes by decade were assessed in logistic regression analyses and adjusted for maternal age at delivery and parity. In the 1970s, around 2.7 deliveries/year were registered for women with connective tissue disease (0.004% of all deliveries). This increased to 42 deliveries/year (0.07% of all deliveries) after 2000. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) for cesarean section were 5.0 (95% CI 2.1-11.9) in the first and 1.8 (95% CI 1.4-2.3) in the last period. For preterm delivery the aOR decreased from 4.9 (95% CI 2.1-11.4) to 3.1 (95% CI 2.3-4.2) and the aOR for birthweight connective tissue disease. Adverse pregnancy outcomes were more common among women with connective tissue disease but risks have decreased over time. © 2015 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

  16. Chloroquine cardiotoxicity mimicking connective tissue disease heart involvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vereckei, András; Fazakas, Adám; Baló, Timea; Fekete, Béla; Molnár, Mária Judit; Karádi, István

    2013-04-01

    The authors report a case of rare chloroquine cardiotoxicity mimicking connective tissue disease heart involvement in a 56-year-old woman with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) manifested suddenly as third degree A-V block with QT(c) interval prolongation and short torsade de pointes runs ultimately degenerating into ventricular fibrillation. Immunological tests suggested an MCTD flare, implying that cardiac arrest had resulted from myocardial involvement by MCTD. However, QT(c) prolongation is not a characteristic of cardiomyopathy caused by connective tissue disease, unless anti-Ro/SSA positivity is present, but that was not the case. Therefore, looking for another cause of QT(c) prolongation the possibility of chloroquine cardiotoxicity emerged, which the patient had been receiving for almost two years in supramaximal doses. Biopsy of the deltoid muscle was performed, because in chloroquine toxicity, specific lesions are present both in the skeletal muscle and in the myocardium, and electron microscopy revealed the accumulation of cytoplasmic curvilinear bodies, which are specific to antimalarial-induced myocyte damage and are absent in all other muscle diseases, except neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis. Thus, the diagnosis of chloroquine cardiotoxicity was established. It might be advisable to supplement the periodic ophthalmological examination, which is currently the only recommendation for patients on long-term chloroquine therapy, with ECG screening.

  17. Imaging of connective tissue diseases of the head and neck

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-01-01

    We review the imaging appearance of connective tissue diseases of the head and neck. Bilateral sialadenitis and dacryoadenitis are seen in Sjögren’s syndrome; ankylosis of the temporo-mandibular joint with sclerosis of the crico-arytenoid joint are reported in rheumatoid arthritis and lupus panniculitis with atypical infection are reported in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus. Relapsing polychondritis shows subglottic stenosis, prominent ear and saddle nose; progressive systemic sclerosis shows osteolysis of the mandible, fibrosis of the masseter muscle with calcinosis of the subcutaneous tissue and dermatomyositis/polymyositis shows condylar erosions and autoimmune thyroiditis. Vascular thrombosis is reported in antiphospholipid antibodies syndrome; cervical lymphadenopathy is seen in adult-onset Still’s disease, and neuropathy with thyroiditis reported in mixed connective tissue disorder. Imaging is important to detect associated malignancy with connective tissue disorders. Correlation of the imaging findings with demographic data and clinical findings are important for the diagnosis of connective tissue disorders. PMID:26988082

  18. The Coexistence of Coeliac Disease, Psoriasis and Vitiligo

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sevgi Akarsu

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available It has been defined that coeliac disease is associated with most of the autoimmune diseases including psoriasis and vitiligo. Here, a 26-year-old woman who was diagnosed palmoplantar pustular psoriasis and already had coeliac disease and vitiligo is reported. According to our opinions, this is the first report describing the development of these three disorders in one patient, even though vitiligo, psoriasis and coeliac disease are common disorders, and the coexistence of the two of them has been previously reported in the literature. This case has been presented to emphasize the importance of considering and inquiring the possible coeliac disease in chronic and autoimmune dermatoses, although psoriasis and vitiligo may have coincidental associations with coeliac disease.

  19. Radiological approach to systemic connective tissue diseases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wiesmann, W; Schneider, M

    1988-07-01

    Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) represent the most frequent manifestations of systemic connective tissue diseases (collagen diseases). Radiological examinations are employed to estimate the extension and degree of the pathological process. In addition, progression of the disease can be verified. In both of the above collagen diseases, specific radiological findings can be observed that permit them to be differentiated from other entities. An algorithm for the adequate radiological work-up of collagen diseases is presented.

  20. Radiological approach to systemic connective tissue diseases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wiesmann, W.; Schneider, M.

    1988-01-01

    Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) represent the most frequent manifestations of systemic connective tissue diseases (collagen diseases). Radiological examinations are employed to estimate the extension and degree of the pathological process. In addition, progression of the disease can be verified. In both of the above collagen diseases, specific radiological findings can be observed that permit them to be differentiated from other entities. An algorithm for the adequate radiological work-up of collagen diseases is presented. (orig.) [de

  1. Halting angiogenesis by non-viral somatic gene therapy alleviates psoriasis and murine psoriasiform skin lesions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zibert, John Robert; Wallbrecht, Katrin; Schön, Margarete

    2011-01-01

    Dysregulated angiogenesis is a hallmark of chronic inflammatory diseases, including psoriasis, a common skin disorder that affects approximately 2% of the population. Studying both human psoriasis in 2 complementary xenotransplantation models and psoriasis-like skin lesions in transgenic mice......-15) by in vivo electroporation reduced cutaneous angiogenesis and vascularization in all 3 models. As demonstrated using red fluorescent protein-coupled RDD, the treatment resulted in muscular expression of the gene product and its deposition within the cutaneous hyperangiogenic connective tissue....... High-resolution ultrasound revealed reduced cutaneous blood flow in vivo after electroporation with RDD but not with control plasmids. In addition, angiogenesis- and inflammation-related molecular markers, keratinocyte proliferation, epidermal thickness, and clinical disease scores were downregulated...

  2. Psoriasis and ischemic coronary artery disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mahiques-Santos, L; Soriano-Navarro, C J; Perez-Pastor, G; Tomas-Cabedo, G; Pitarch-Bort, G; Valcuende-Cavero, F

    2015-03-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with an increased risk of ischemic coronary artery disease (CAD) in some populations. We aimed to determine the association between these 2 diseases in our geographic area. We performed a cross-sectional study of patient records between 2005 and 2012 in the database (Abucacis, Datamart) that contains all medical case histories in the province of Castellón, Spain. Patients diagnosed with psoriasis were compared with a control group of patients diagnosed with melanocytic nevus. The prevalence of CAD and the presence or absence of the main cardiovascular risk factors were analyzed in each group. A total of 9181 patients with psoriasis and 21925 with melanocytic nevus were studied. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that CAD was significantly associated with psoriasis, age (in years), sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and obesity (P<.05). On adjustment for age, sex, and the other cardiovascular risk factors, multivariate regression analysis established that psoriasis was independently associated with CAD (P<.029). Our findings in a large sample of patients in a Mediterranean area support the hypothesis that patients in this population have an increased risk of ischemic CAD. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and AEDV. All rights reserved.

  3. Breast implant rupture and connective tissue disease: a review of the literature

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hölmich, Lisbet Rosenkrantz; Lipworth, Loren; McLaughlin, Joseph K

    2007-01-01

    Large-scale epidemiologic studies to date have not found any credible association between silicone breast implants and either well-defined connective tissue diseases or undefined or atypical connective tissue diseases. It has been hypothesized that implant rupture could prompt an immunologic reac...

  4. Optimal management of nail disease in patients with psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piraccini BM

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Bianca Maria Piraccini, Michela Starace Division of Dermatology, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic and Specialty Medicine, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy Abstract: Psoriasis is a common skin disease, with nail involvement in approximately 80% of patients. Nail psoriasis is often associated with psoriatic arthropathy. Involvement of the nails does not always have relationship with the type, gravity, extension, or duration of skin psoriasis. Nail psoriasis can occur at any age and all parts of the nails and the surrounding structures can be affected. Two clinical patterns of nail manifestations have been seen due to psoriasis: nail matrix involvement or nail bed involvement. In the first case, irregular and deep pitting, red spots of the lunula, crumbling, and leukonychia are seen; in the second case, salmon patches, onycholysis with erythematous border, subungual hyperkeratosis, and splinter hemorrhages are observed. These clinical features are more visible in fingernails than in toenails, where nail abnormalities are not diagnostic and are usually clinically indistinguishable from other conditions, especially onychomycosis. Nail psoriasis causes, above all, psychosocial and aesthetic problems, but many patients often complain about functional damage. Diagnosis of nail psoriasis is clinical and histopathology is necessary only in selected cases. Nail psoriasis has an unpredictable course but, in most cases, the disease is chronic and complete remissions are uncommon. Sun exposure does not usually improve and may even worsen nail psoriasis. There are no curative treatments. Treatment of nail psoriasis includes different types of medications, from topical therapy to systemic therapy, according to the severity and extension of the disease. Moreover, we should not underestimate the use of biological agents and new therapy with lasers or iontophoresis. This review offers an investigation of the different treatment options for nail

  5. Human Langerhans Cells with Pro-inflammatory Features Relocate within Psoriasis Lesions

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    Eidsmo, Liv; Martini, Elisa

    2018-01-01

    Psoriasis is a common skin disease that presents with well-demarcated patches of inflammation. Recurrent disease in fixed areas of the skin indicates a localized disease memory that is preserved in resolved lesions. In line with such concept, the involvement of tissue-resident immune cells in psoriasis pathology is increasingly appreciated. Langerhans cells (LCs) are perfectly placed to steer resident T cells and local tissue responses in psoriasis. Here, we present an overview of the current knowledge of LCs in human psoriasis, including findings that highlight pro-inflammatory features of LCs in psoriasis lesions. We also review the literature on conflicting data regarding LC localization and functionality in psoriasis. Our review highlights that further studies are needed to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that drive LCs functionality in inflammatory diseases. PMID:29520279

  6. [Nailfold capillaroscopy in the evaluation of Raynaud's phenomenon and undifferentiated connective tissue disease].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cortes, Sara; Clemente-Coelho, Paulo

    2008-01-01

    Microvascular abnormalities involved in the pathogenic mechanism of several connective tissue disorders can be detected by nailfold capillaroscopy. Evaluation of the interest of nailfold capillaroscopy results in patients with Raynaud s phenomenon or undifferentiated connective tissue disease and their correlation with diagnostic and therapeutical evolution. Selection of capillaroscopic and laboratory results of patients with the diagnosis of Raynaud s phenomenon (without defined connective tissue disease) or undifferentiated connective tissue disease. Evaluation of the present diagnosis and treatment comparing with the ones existed at the time of capillaroscopy performance. 80 patients were enrolled with an age of 51.4+/-14.3 years (mean+/-SD) 78 females (97.5%) with Raynaud s phenomenon and undifferentiated connective tissue disease 27 patients (33.8%); Raynaud s Phenomenon 46 patients (57.5%); undifferentiated connective tissue disease 7 patients (8.7%). The capillaroscopic results were normal 30 patients (37.5%); minor changes tortuosity enlargement 16 patients (20.0%) major changes 34 patients (42.5%) hemorrhages 25 patients (31.3%) megacapillaries 26 patients (32.5%) avascular areas 3 patients (3.8%). The introduction of new treatments after the capillaroscopy occurred in 32 patients (40.0%) and a new diagnosis was done in 39 patients (48.8%). Major changes in capillaroscopy correlated with the change of diagnosis and the introduction of a new treatment (pNailfold capillaroscopy performed in patients with isolated Raynaud s phenomenon or undifferentiated connective tissue disease has a role in the prognostic evaluation related to the possibility of an evolution of the diagnosis or to the need of the introduction of new treatments.

  7. Facts and controversies in mixed connective tissue disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martínez-Barrio, Julia; Valor, Lara; López-Longo, F Javier

    2018-01-12

    Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is a systemic autoimmune rheumatic disease (SARD) characterised by the combination of clinical manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), cutaneous systemic sclerosis (SSc) and polymyositis-dermatomyositis, in the presence of elevated titers of anti-U1-RNP antibodies. Main symptoms of the disease are polyarthritis, hand oedema, Raynaud's phenomenon, sclerodactyly, myositis and oesophageal hypomobility. Although widely discussed, most authors today accept MCTD as an independent entity. Others, however, suggest that these patients may belong to subgroups or early stages of certain definite connective diseases, such as SLE or SSc, or are, in fact, SARD overlap syndromes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  8. Association between antinuclear antibody titers and connective tissue diseases in a Rheumatology Department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Menor Almagro, Raúl; Rodríguez Gutiérrez, Juan Francisco; Martín-Martínez, María Auxiliadora; Rodríguez Valls, María José; Aranda Valera, Concepción; de la Iglesia Salgado, José Luís

    To determine the dilution titles at antinuclear antibodies (ANA) by indirect immunofluorescence observed in cell substrate HEp-2 and its association with the diagnosis of systemic connective tissue disease in ANA test requested by a Rheumatology Unit. Samples of patients attended for the first time in the rheumatology unit, without prior ANA test, between January 2010 and December 2012 were selected. The dilution titers, immunofluorescence patterns and antigen specificity were recorded. In January 2015 the diagnosis of the patients were evaluated and classified in systemic disease connective tissue (systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren's syndrome, systemic sclerosis, undifferentiated connective, antiphospholipid syndrome, mixed connective tissue and inflammatory myophaty) or not systemic disease connective tissue. A total of 1282 ANA tests requested by the Rheumatology Unit in subjects without previous study, 293 were positive, predominance of women (81.9%). Patients with systemic connective tissue disease were recorded 105, and 188 without systemic connective tissue disease. For 1/640 dilutions the positive predictive value in the connective was 73.3% compared to 26.6% of non-connective, and for values ≥1/1,280 85% versus 15% respectively. When performing the multivariate analysis we observed a positive association between 1/320 dilution OR 3.069 (95% CI: 1.237-7.614; P=.016), 1/640 OR 12.570 (95% CI: 3.659-43.187; P=.000) and ≥1/1,280 OR 42.136 (95% CI: 8.604-206.345; P=.000). These results show association titles dilution ≥1/320 in ANA's first test requested by a Rheumatology Unit with patients with systemic connective tissue disease. The VPP in these patients was higher than previous studies requested by other medical specialties. This may indicate the importance of application of the test in a targeted way. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Reumatología y Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología. All rights reserved.

  9. Knowledge, Beliefs and Attitudes of Psoriasis Patients About the Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aslı Küçükünal

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Background and Design: This study evaluates the patients’ knowledge, opinions and attitudes about psoriasis.Materials and Methods: A total of 111 patients over the age of 18, clinically and histopathologically diagnosed with chronic plaque-type psoriasis were included in the study. Patients who have psychiatric illness and inadequate intelligence were excluded. A questionnaire including items on knowledge, opinions and attitudes on psoriasis were filled out by the patients and the results were analyzed statistically.Results: One hundred-eleven (45 female, 66 male patients were included in our study. 6.3% of patients did not know the diagnosis of their disease. 68.5% of patients thought that psoriasis was a contagious disease while18% thought that psoriasis was a hereditary condition. 88.3% of patients declined that they were informed about the disease by the doctor. 62.2% of patients believed that they had adequate information about psoriasis. 51.4% of patients believed that doctors gave them enough information about psoriasis. 44.1% of patients knew that psoriasis was aggravated by stress while 38.7% did not know any of the aggravating factors of psoriasis. 70.3% of patients believed that psoriasis would spread if not treated. Patients mostly (98.2% had idea about topical treatment options. 82% of patients were afraid of having psoriasis on their face. 5.4% of patients were uncomfortable with the idea of their partners’ having psoriasis. 72.1%, 88.3%, 72.1% of patients reported no negative effect of psoriasis on their relations with friends, family members, work or school life, respectivelyDiscussion: Our results showed that psoriasis patients do not have adequate knowledge about the disease. We think that dermatologists should pay more attention to inform and raise awareness of patie

  10. Psoriasis and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carrascosa, J M; Bonanad, C; Dauden, E; Botella, R; Olveira-Martín, A

    Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most prevalent liver condition in the West. The prevalence and severity of NAFLD is higher and the prognosis worse in patients with psoriasis. The pathogenic link between psoriasis and NAFLD is chronic inflammation and peripheral insulin resistance, a common finding in diseases associated with psoriasis. NAFLD should therefore be ruled out during the initial evaluation of patients with psoriasis, in particular if they show signs of metabolic syndrome and require systemic treatment. Concomitant psoriasis and NAFLD and the likelihood of synergy between them place limitations on general recommendations and treatment for these patients given the potential for liver toxicity. As hepatotoxic risk is associated with some of the conventional drugs used in this setting (e.g., acitretin, methotrexate, and ciclosporin), patients prescribed these treatments should be monitored as appropriate. Anti-tumor necrosis factor agents hold the promise of potential benefits based on their effects on the inflammatory process and improving peripheral insulin resistance. However, cases of liver toxicity have also been reported in relation to these biologics. No evidence has emerged to suggest that anti-p40 or anti-interleukin 17 agents provide benefits or have adverse effects. Copyright © 2017 AEDV. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  11. Prevalence of psoriasis in patients with alcoholic liver disease.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Tobin, A M

    2012-02-01

    BACKGROUND: Excessive alcohol use has been implicated as a risk factor in the development of psoriasis, particularly in men. Despite this, little is known of the incidence or prevalence of psoriasis in patients who misuse alcohol. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of psoriasis in patients with alcoholic liver disease. METHODS: In total, 100 patients with proven alcoholic liver disease were surveyed for a history of psoriasis and a full skin examination was performed if relevant. RESULTS: Of the 100 patients, 15 reported a history of psoriasis and another 8 had evidence of current activity, suggesting a prevalence (past or present) of 15% in this group of patients. CONCLUSION: It would appear that the prevalence of psoriasis in patients who misuse alcohol is much higher than the 1-3% variously quoted in the general population.

  12. A Histopathological Study of Pulmonary Hypertension in Connective Tissue Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nobuhito Sasaki

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Connective tissue diseases (CTD, such as systemic sclerosis (SSc, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, and mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD, develop pulmonary hypertension (PH. Generally all PH cases associated with any CTD are classified into the same PH group. However, histological examination shows both common and specific lesions for each disease. In patients with SLE, fibrosis is generally rare and mild. The findings of PH in SLE are similar to those in primary pulmonary hypertension. Many cases of SSc are accompanied by fibrosis. MCTD is rather close to SSc. Arterial and arteriolar lesions of MCTD are characterized by fibrous intimal thickening. In this review, we describe the pathological features of PH associated with each CTD.

  13. Patients with psoriasis have an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ahlehoff, Ole; Gislason, Gunnar; Lindhardsen, Jesper

    2012-01-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic immunoinflammatory disease that affects 2-3% of the population and shares pathophysiologic mechanisms and risk factors with cardiovascular diseases. Studies have suggested psoriasis as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and Danish guidelines...... on cardiovascular risk factor modification in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis have recently been published. We provide a short review of the current evidence and the Danish guidelines....

  14. Autoimmune disease in children and adolescents with psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blegvad, Christoffer; Egeberg, Alexander; Tind Nielsen, Tilde E.

    2017-01-01

    arthritis (adjusted OR 6.61; 2.75–15.87) and vitiligo (adjusted OR 4.76; 1.71–13.20) showed strong associations with psoriasis. In addition to increased risk of selected autoimmune diseases, the presence of psoriasis was associated with increased risk of multiple concurrent autoimmune diseases compared...

  15. Interstitial lung disease associated with connective tissue diseases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Medina, Yimy F; Restrepo, Jose Felix; Iglesias, Antonio; Ojeda, Paulina; Matiz, Carlos

    2007-01-01

    An interstitial lung disease (ILD) belongs to a group of diffuse parenchyma lung diseases it should be differentiated from other pathologies among those are idiopathic and ILD associated to connective tissue diseases (CTD) New concepts have been developed in the last years and they have been classified in seven defined subgroups. It has been described the association of each one of these subgroups with CTD. Natural history and other aspects of its treatment is not known completely .For complete diagnose it is required clinical, image and histopathologic approaches. The biopsy lung plays an essential role. It is important to promote and to stimulate the subclasification of each subgroup with the purpose of knowing their natural history directing the treatment and to improve their outcome

  16. Biochemical markers of psoriasis as a metabolic disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnieszka Gerkowicz

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Psoriasis is a chronic immune mediated inflammatory skin disease with a population prevalence of 2–3%. In recent years, psoriasis has been recognized as a systemic disease associated with metabolic syndrome or its components such as: obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension and atherogenic dyslipidemia. Many bioactive substances have appeared to be related to metabolic syndrome. Based on current literature, we here discuss the possible role of adiponectin, leptin, ghrelin, resistin, inflammatory cytokines, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, uric acid, C-reactive protein and lipid abnormalities in psoriasis and in metabolic syndrome.

  17. Management of cardiovascular disease in patients with psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Egeberg, Alexander; Skov, Lone

    2016-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Patients with psoriasis have an increased incidence and prevalence of cardiovascular (CV) risk factors, and CV undertreatment in these patients is a well-established problem. The link between psoriasis and CV disease is present on a pathogenic level, as well as due to modifiable...... lifestyle factors such as smoking and alcohol abuse. AREAS COVERED: In this manuscript we describe the evidence associating psoriasis with CV disease, as well as the pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment of CV risk factors including the CV effects of anti-psoriatic therapy and vice versa. EXPERT...

  18. Psoriasis and Obesity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehmet Ali Gürer

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available In recent years, it has been thought that a strong association exists between metabolic syndrome, specifically obesity, and psoriasis. Obesity is a multifactorial disease affected by both genetic and environmental factors. Adipokines (e.g. leptin secreted by the adipose tissue are believed to play a role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. The main role of leptin is to adjust metabolism by controlling appetite. Serum leptin levels in patients with severe and moderate psoriasis were found to be higher than in normal control groups. In many similar studies, leptin secretion has been found to stimulate keratinocyte proliferation, which is one of the characteristics of psoriasis. Although many studies showed increased prevalence of obesity in psoriasis patients, few others reported development of obesity in psoriasis patients. Additionally, obesity was found to affect treatment responses not only in classical systemic/topical treatment approaches in psoriasis, but also in newer biological treatments. Overall, increasing epidemiological evidence suggests strong association between obesity and psoriasis, increase in serum leptin levels is thought to have a major role, and weight loss may have significant impact on response to treatment.

  19. Selective reactivation of human herpesvirus 6 in patients with autoimmune connective tissue diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Broccolo, Francesco; Drago, Francesco; Cassina, Giulia; Fava, Andrea; Fusetti, Lisa; Matteoli, Barbara; Ceccherini-Nelli, Luca; Sabbadini, Maria Grazia; Lusso, Paolo; Parodi, Aurora; Malnati, Mauro S

    2013-11-01

    Viral infections have been associated with autoimmune connective tissue diseases. To evaluate whether active infection by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), human herpesvirus (HHV)-6, -7, -8, as well as parvovirus B19 (B19V) occur in patients with autoimmune connective tissue diseases, viral DNA loads were assessed in paired samples of serum and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 115 patients affected by different disorders, including systemic sclerosis, systemic, and discoid lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and dermatomyositis. Two additional groups, patients affected by inflammatory diseases (n=51) and healthy subjects (n=58) were studied as controls. The titers of anti-HHV-6 and anti-EBV antibodies were also evaluated. Cell-free HHV-6 serum viremia was detected in a significantly higher proportion of connective tissue diseases patients compared to controls (Preactivation and the active disease state was found only for lupus erythematosus (P=0.021). By contrast, the rate of cell-free EBV viremia was similar in patients and controls groups. Cell-free CMV, HHV-8, and B19V viremia was not detected in any subject. Anti-HHV-6 and anti-EBV early antigen IgG titers were both significantly higher in autoimmune diseases patients as compared to healthy controls, although they were not associated with the presence of viremia. EBV, HHV-6, -7 prevalence and viral load in PBMCs of patients with connective tissue diseases and controls were similar. These data suggest that HHV-6 may act as a pathogenic factor predisposing patients to the development of autoimmune connective tissue diseases or, conversely, that these disorders may predispose patients to HHV-6 reactivation. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Association between psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Egeberg, Alexander; Mallbris, L; Warren, R B

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Psoriasis, Crohn disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are chronic inflammatory disorders with overlapping genetic architecture. However, data on the frequency and risk of CD and UC in psoriasis are scarce and poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between CD...... and UC in patients with psoriasis. METHODS: All Danish individuals aged ≥ 18 years between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2012 were linked in nationwide registers. Psoriasis severity was defined in two models: hospital visits and medication. Incidence rates per 10 000 person-years were calculated......, and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were estimated by Poisson regression. RESULTS: In the total cohort (n = 5 554 100) there were 75 209 incident cases of psoriasis, 11 309 incident cases of CD and 30 310 incident cases of UC, during follow-up. The adjusted IRRs (95% confidence intervals) of CD were 1·28 (1...

  1. Cure of Psoriasis and Arthritis when Addison's Disease Was Detected.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lind, Marcus

    2010-06-01

    INTRODUCTION: Corticoid therapy is well-known to improve the symptoms of psoriasis. Addison's disease is an autoimmune disease which leads to a loss of cortisol production in the adrenal glands. This case report describes a patient with wide-spread psoriasis for 34 years who was cured when Addison's disease was detected and substitution to reach normal biological cortisol levels was introduced. CASE REPORT: A 59-year-old man was diagnosed with Addison's disease. He had been tired for several years and had had difficulties in continuing his work. His brother had Addison's disease and recommended him to make a screen for the disease. Synacthen test diagnosed Addison's disease with a clear deficiency of cortisol production. After substitution with hydrocortisone the patient's constitution improved rapidly and he felt no longer tired during work. At the same time, all skin lesions of psoriasis disappeared as well as aches in several joints, both symptoms having been present for a couple of decades. Previously, salves of cortisol had been used to reduce the symptoms of psoriasis, but now, 1-2 years later, after the treatment of Addison's disease, no symptoms in the skin or joints have reoccurred. CONCLUSIONS: This report illustrates that Addison's disease, although a rare condition, should be kept in mind before treatment of psoriasis is started. Especially if other symptoms such as fatigue are present, a screening test of serum cortisol in the morning should be liberally made. The report also illustrates a need of examining corticoid levels in patients with psoriasis compared to the general population.

  2. Skin-infiltrating, interleukin-22-producing T cells differentiate pediatric psoriasis from adult psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cordoro, Kelly M; Hitraya-Low, Maria; Taravati, Keyon; Sandoval, Priscila Munoz; Kim, Esther; Sugarman, Jeffrey; Pauli, Mariela L; Liao, Wilson; Rosenblum, Michael D

    2017-09-01

    Evidence from adult psoriasis studies implicates an imbalance between regulatory and effector T cells, particularly T H -17-producing T cells, in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Little is known about the immunopathology of psoriasis in children. We sought to functionally characterize the inflammatory cell profiles of psoriatic plaques from pediatric patients and compare them with healthy, age-matched controls and adult psoriasis patients. Skin samples from pediatric psoriasis patients and healthy controls were analyzed by multiparameter flow cytometry to determine the dominant immune cell subsets present and cytokines produced. Lesional tissue from pediatric psoriasis patients had significantly increased interleukin (IL) 22 derived from CD4 + and CD8 + cells compared with the tissues from healthy pediatric controls and adult psoriasis patients. Tissue from pediatric psoriasis patients had significantly less elevation of IL-17 derived from CD4 + and CD8 + cells compared with the tissue from adult psoriasis patients. In contrast with the lesions from adult patients, lesional skin in pediatric patients with psoriasis did not have increases in regulatory T cells. This is a pilot study, thus the sample size is small. Significant differences in IL-17 and IL-22 expression were observed in the pediatric psoriasis patients compared with pediatric healthy controls and adult psoriasis patients. IL-22 might be relevant in the pathogenesis of pediatric psoriasis and represents a potential treatment target unique to pediatric psoriasis. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Compounds of psoriasis with obesity and overweight.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Owczarczyk-Saczonek, Agnieszka; Placek, Waldemar

    2017-08-24

    Many epidemiological studies have confirmed the relationship of obesity and psoriasis, and it is believed that obesity is an independent risk factor for its development and is associated with a worse prognosis. Furthermore, the reduction of body weight, using low-calorie diet combined with exercise, reduces the severity of psoriasis.Visceral adipose tissue is the largest endocrine organ, producing proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17) and adipokines (adiponectin, omentin, chemerin). They participate in the development of dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, diabetes, and consequently of the cardiovascular diseases. Macrophages of visceral adipose tissue have a special role and they increase significantly in obesity. They are responsible for the development of inflammation in adipose tissue and produce inflammatory cytokines (TNF alpha, IL-6, Il-8, Il-17, Il-18, MCP-1) and other adipokines: resistin, visfatin, retinol-binding protein 4. This explains the concept of «psoriatic march «and observations of the frequent coexistence of psoriasis with obesity. Inflammation associated with systemic disease, fanned by pro-inflammatory cytokines and adipokines produced by the visceral adipose tissue lead to the development of insulin resistance, endothelial cell damage. Endothelial dysfunction predisposes to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and faster development of cardiovascular events. Complication of obesity is the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which states twice as likely in patients with plaque psoriasis and is associated with the severity of the disease. Another consequence is the development of depression. Probably the proinflammatory cytokines can interact with metabolism of neurotransmitters. Obesity also has a significant impact on the treatment of psoriasis, increasing the risk of adverse effects of systemic drugs, reducing the efficacy of biological agents which dose should be adjusted to the weight of the patient. It

  4. Compounds of psoriasis with obesity and overweight

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnieszka Owczarczyk-Saczonek

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Many epidemiological studies have confirmed the relationship of obesity and psoriasis, and it is believed that obesity is an independent risk factor for its development and is associated with a worse prognosis. Furthermore, the reduction of body weight, using low-calorie diet combined with exercise, reduces the severity of psoriasis.Visceral adipose tissue is the largest endocrine organ, producing proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-17 and adipokines (adiponectin, omentin, chemerin. They participate in the development of dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, diabetes, and consequently of the cardiovascular diseases. Macrophages of visceral adipose tissue have a special role and they increase significantly in obesity. They are responsible for the development of inflammation in adipose tissue and produce inflammatory cytokines (TNF alpha, IL-6, Il-8, Il-17, Il-18, MCP-1 and other adipokines: resistin, visfatin, retinol-binding protein 4. This explains the concept of «psoriatic march «and observations of the frequent coexistence of psoriasis with obesity. Inflammation associated with systemic disease, fanned by pro-inflammatory cytokines and adipokines produced by the visceral adipose tissue lead to the development of insulin resistance, endothelial cell damage. Endothelial dysfunction predisposes to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques and faster development of cardiovascular events. Complication of obesity is the development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD, which states twice as likely in patients with plaque psoriasis and is associated with the severity of the disease. Another consequence is the development of depression. Probably the proinflammatory cytokines can interact with metabolism of neurotransmitters. Obesity also has a significant impact on the treatment of psoriasis, increasing the risk of adverse effects of systemic drugs, reducing the efficacy of biological agents which dose should be adjusted to the weight of

  5. Spontaneous and X-ray induced chromosomal aberrations in selected connective tissue diseases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burkhardt, W.C.; Jackson, J.F.; Songcharoen, S.; Meydrech, E.F.

    1980-01-01

    Chromosome studies were performed on peripheral blood lymphocytes of 28 patients with connective tissue disease (6 with progressive systemic sclerosis, 6 with systemic lupus erythematosus, 6 with anti-nuclear antibody positive rheumatoid arthritis, 6 with anti-nuclear antibody negative rheumatoid arthritis, and 4 with mixed connective tissue disease) and on 17 controls to determine the frequency of spontaneous as well as X-ray (75 rads) induced aberrations. The mean spontaneous chromosomal aberration frequency for the 28 patients (9.1%) was significantly (P=0.038) greater than that of controls (6.4%). When patients were categorized into specific clinically designated connective tissue disease subdivisions for comparison with the controls, only X-irradiated cells from the progressive systemic sclerosis group displayed significantly elevated levels of total chromosomal aberrations over those of the control group. The X-irradiated lymphocytes from these patients had an average of 23.6% aberrations per patient, while those of the control group showed an average of 14.9% per patient (P<0.05). (author)

  6. Spontaneous and X-ray induced chromosomal aberrations in selected connective tissue diseases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Burkhardt, W C; Jackson, J F; Songcharoen, S; Meydrech, E F [Mississippi Univ., Jackson (USA). Medical Center

    1980-01-01

    Chromosome studies were performed on peripheral blood lymphocytes of 28 patients with connective tissue disease (6 with progressive systemic sclerosis, 6 with systemic lupus erythematosus, 6 with anti-nuclear antibody positive rheumatoid arthritis, 6 with anti-nuclear antibody negative rheumatoid arthritis, and 4 with mixed connective tissue disease) and on 17 controls to determine the frequency of spontaneous as well as X-ray (75 rads) induced aberrations. The mean spontaneous chromosomal aberration frequency for the 28 patients (9.1%) was significantly (P=0.038) greater than that of controls (6.4%). When patients were categorized into specific clinically designated connective tissue disease subdivisions for comparison with the controls, only X-irradiated cells from the progressive systemic sclerosis group displayed significantly elevated levels of total chromosomal aberrations over those of the control group. The X-irradiated lymphocytes from these patients had an average of 23.6% aberrations per patient, while those of the control group showed an average of 14.9% per patient (P<0.05).

  7. Transcriptome classification reveals molecular subtypes in psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ainali Chrysanthi

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Psoriasis is an immune-mediated disease characterised by chronically elevated pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, leading to aberrant keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation. Although certain clinical phenotypes, such as plaque psoriasis, are well defined, it is currently unclear whether there are molecular subtypes that might impact on prognosis or treatment outcomes. Results We present a pipeline for patient stratification through a comprehensive analysis of gene expression in paired lesional and non-lesional psoriatic tissue samples, compared with controls, to establish differences in RNA expression patterns across all tissue types. Ensembles of decision tree predictors were employed to cluster psoriatic samples on the basis of gene expression patterns and reveal gene expression signatures that best discriminate molecular disease subtypes. This multi-stage procedure was applied to several published psoriasis studies and a comparison of gene expression patterns across datasets was performed. Conclusion Overall, classification of psoriasis gene expression patterns revealed distinct molecular sub-groups within the clinical phenotype of plaque psoriasis. Enrichment for TGFb and ErbB signaling pathways, noted in one of the two psoriasis subgroups, suggested that this group may be more amenable to therapies targeting these pathways. Our study highlights the potential biological relevance of using ensemble decision tree predictors to determine molecular disease subtypes, in what may initially appear to be a homogenous clinical group. The R code used in this paper is available upon request.

  8. Cyclophosphamide for connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnes, Hayley; Holland, Anne E; Westall, Glen P; Goh, Nicole Sl; Glaspole, Ian N

    2018-01-03

    Approximately one-third of individuals with interstitial lung disease (ILD) have associated connective tissue disease (CTD). The connective tissue disorders most commonly associated with ILD include scleroderma/systemic sclerosis (SSc), rheumatoid arthritis, polymyositis/dermatomyositis, and Sjögren's syndrome. Although many people with CTD-ILD do not develop progressive lung disease, a significant proportion do progress, leading to reduced physical function, decreased quality of life, and death. ILD is now the major cause of death amongst individuals with systemic sclerosis.Cyclophosphamide is a highly potent immunosuppressant that has demonstrated efficacy in inducing and maintaining remission in autoimmune and inflammatory illnesses. However this comes with potential toxicities, including nausea, haemorrhagic cystitis, bladder cancer, bone marrow suppression, increased risk of opportunistic infections, and haematological and solid organ malignancies.Decision-making in the treatment of individuals with CTD-ILD is difficult; the clinician needs to identify those who will develop progressive disease, and to weigh up the balance between a high level of need for therapy in a severely unwell patient population against the potential for adverse effects from highly toxic therapy, for which only relatively limited data on efficacy can be found. Similarly, it is not clear whether histological subtype, disease duration, or disease extent can be used to predict treatment responsiveness. To assess the efficacy and adverse effects of cyclophosphamide in the treatment of individuals with CTD-ILD. We performed searches on CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science up to May 2017. We handsearched review articles, clinical trial registries, and reference lists of retrieved articles. We included randomised controlled parallel-group trials that compared cyclophosphamide in any form, used individually or concomitantly with other immunomodulating therapies, versus non

  9. Deciphering psoriasis. A bioinformatic approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melero, Juan L; Andrades, Sergi; Arola, Lluís; Romeu, Antoni

    2018-02-01

    Psoriasis is an immune-mediated, inflammatory and hyperproliferative disease of the skin and joints. The cause of psoriasis is still unknown. The fundamental feature of the disease is the hyperproliferation of keratinocytes and the recruitment of cells from the immune system in the region of the affected skin, which leads to deregulation of many well-known gene expressions. Based on data mining and bioinformatic scripting, here we show a new dimension of the effect of psoriasis at the genomic level. Using our own pipeline of scripts in Perl and MySql and based on the freely available NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database: DataSet Record GDS4602 (Series GSE13355), we explore the extent of the effect of psoriasis on gene expression in the affected tissue. We give greater insight into the effects of psoriasis on the up-regulation of some genes in the cell cycle (CCNB1, CCNA2, CCNE2, CDK1) or the dynamin system (GBPs, MXs, MFN1), as well as the down-regulation of typical antioxidant genes (catalase, CAT; superoxide dismutases, SOD1-3; and glutathione reductase, GSR). We also provide a complete list of the human genes and how they respond in a state of psoriasis. Our results show that psoriasis affects all chromosomes and many biological functions. If we further consider the stable and mitotically inheritable character of the psoriasis phenotype, and the influence of environmental factors, then it seems that psoriasis has an epigenetic origin. This fit well with the strong hereditary character of the disease as well as its complex genetic background. Copyright © 2017 Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Is psoriasis a T-cell disease?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nickoloff, B J; Schröder, J M; von den Driesch, P; Raychaudhuri, S P; Farber, E M; Boehncke, W H; Morhenn, V B; Rosenberg, E W; Schön, M P; Holick, M F

    2000-10-01

    The etiology and pathogenesis of psoriasis--one of the most common chronic, inflammatory, hyperproliferative skin disorders of man--have long fascinated dermatologists, pathologists and biologists alike. Here, we have a model disease that offers to study neuroectodermal-mesenchymal interactions in the widest sense possible. Epithelial, endothelial, and hematopoietic cells as well as neurons projecting into the skin apparently all interact with each other to generate the characteristic psoriatic lesion. For decades, the ongoing controversy on the molecular nature, choreography and hierarchy of these complex interactions e.g. between epidermal keratinocytes, T cells, neurotrophils, endothelial cells and sensory nerves has served as a driving force propelling investigative dermatology to ever new horizons. This debate has not only been at the heart of our quest to develop more effective forms of therapy for this socially crippling disease, but it also has profoundly influenced how we view the skin as a whole: the numerous competing theories on the pathogenesis of psoriasis published so far also are reflections on the evolution of mainstream thought in skin biology over the last decades. These days, conventional wisdom infatuated with a T-cell-centered approach to inflammatory skin diseases-- portrays psoriasis as an autoimmune disease, where misguided T lymphocyte activities cause secondary epithelial abnormalities. And yet, as this CONTROVERSIES feature reminds us, some authoritative "pockets of academic resistance" are still quite alive, and interpret psoriasis e.g. as a genetically determined, abnormal epithelial response pattern to infectious and/or physicochemical skin insults. Weighing the corresponding lines of argumentation is not only an intriguing, clinically relevant intellectual exercise, but also serves as a wonderful instrument for questioning our own views of the skin universe and its patterns of deviation from a state of homeostasis.

  11. Development and clinical course of diseases accompanied by connective tissue dysplasia in children of puberty age

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elizarova S.Yu.

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available The risk of development and clinical course of somatic diseases have been analyzed in the research work. 111 adolescents suffering from connective tissue dysplasia have been under the study. It has been stated that the frequency of somatic diseases among adolescents with connective tissue dysplasia is higher than this frequency among adolescents without such disease. Phenotypic signs of connective tissue dysplasia have been revealed. They are responsible for the development of bronchial asthma and severe stomach ulcer

  12. Psoriasis inversa

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Omland, Silje Haukali; Gniadecki, Robert

    2015-01-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic skin disorder affecting approximately 2% of the European and American population. The most common form of psoriasis is the chronic plaque type. Inverse psoriasis, also named flexural or intertriginous psoriasis, is not considered a separate disease entity but rather a special...... site of involvement of plaque psoriasis, characterized by its localization to inverse/intertriginous/flexural body sites. We review current evidence and establish whether inverse psoriasis is a separate disease entity based on characteristics in terms of epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical...

  13. Impact of smoking on disease severity in patients with plaque type psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nuriye Kayıran

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Background and Design: Psoriasis is a chronic enflammatory systemic disease involving skin, scalp, nails and joints and is characterized by remission and activation periods. Although the etiopathogenesis of psoriasis has not been fully elucidated, many genetic and environmental factors are believed to have a role in the development of the disease. Obesity, smoking, family history of psoriasis, repetitive physical traumas and stress are the factors thought to affect the severity and progress of the disease. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of smoking on the clinical severity of psoriasis in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis. Materials and Methods: Three hundred outpatients with chronic plaque-type psoriasis were enrolled in the study. Data on age, gender, family history, smoking history, educational status, history of chronic illness, and psoriasis area severity index (PASI scores were recorded for each patient. The effects of these factors on PASI were evaluated. Results: Current smokers, never smokers and former smokers were compared in terms of disease severity. The median PASI values of current smokers and never smokers were compared. The mean PASI value was statistically significantly higher in smokers (p=0.049. In multiple logistic regression analysis, it was detected that the risk of moderate and severe disease increased by male sex 2 times, by family history 2.3 times, and by smoking period above 20 years, 10 times. In smokers of more than 1 pack a day, this risk further increased. Conclusion: On the basis of these data, it may be concluded that smoking affects the severity of disease significantly. In addition to amount of daily cigarette consumption, smoking period was shown to have an effect on the severity of disease. Elimination of risk factors such as smoking, which appears to increase the severity of diseases, may be helpful in the management of psoriasis.

  14. Addison's disease secondary to connective tissue diseases: a report of six cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhuo-li; Wang, Yu; Zhou, Wei; Hao, Yan-jie

    2009-04-01

    Addison's disease is an autoimmune process. However, Addison's disease associated with connective tissue diseases (CTD) is only occasionally reported. Here, we report six cases of Addison's disease secondary to a variety of CTD, which include systemic lupus erythematosus, Takayasu arteritis, systemic sclerosis, ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and antiphospholipid antibody syndrome. The association of Addison's disease with Takayasu arteritis and AS is reported for the first time. We also found high prevalence of hypothyroidism as concomitant autoimmune disorder. Our case series highlight the autoimmune features of Addison's disease. Therefore, we suggest considering adrenal dysfunction in patients with CTD.

  15. Healthcare costs in psoriasis and psoriasis sub-groups over time following psoriasis diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al Sawah, Sarah; Foster, Shonda A; Goldblum, Orin M; Malatestinic, William N; Zhu, Baojin; Shi, Nianwen; Song, Xue; Feldman, Steven R

    2017-09-01

    To quantify healthcare costs in patients with psoriasis overall and in psoriasis patient sub-groups, by level of disease severity, presence or absence of psoriatic arthritis, or use of biologics. Administrative data from Truven Health Analytics MarketScan Research Database were used to select adult patients with psoriasis from January 2009 to January 2014. The first psoriasis diagnosis was set as the index date. Patients were required to have ≥6 months of continuous enrollment with medical and pharmacy benefits pre-index and ≥12 months post-index. Patients were followed from index until the earliest of loss to follow-up or study end. All-cause healthcare costs and outpatient pharmacy costs were calculated for the overall psoriasis cohort and for the six different psoriasis patient sub-groups: (a) patients with moderate-to-severe disease and mild disease, (b) patients with psoriatic arthritis and those without, and (c) patients on biologics and those who are not. Costs are presented per-patient-per-year (PPPY) and by years 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of follow-up, expressed in 2014 US dollars. A total of 108,790 psoriasis patients were selected, with a mean age of 46.0 years (52.7% females). Average follow-up was 962 days. All-cause healthcare costs were $12,523 PPPY. Outpatient pharmacy costs accounted for 38.6% of total costs. All-cause healthcare costs were highest for patients on biologics ($29,832), then for patients with psoriatic arthritis ($23,427) and those with moderate-to-severe disease ($21,481). Overall, all-cause healthcare costs and outpatient pharmacy costs presented an upward trend over a 5-year period. Psoriasis is associated with significant economic burden, which increases over time as the disease progresses. Patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, those with psoriatic arthritis, or use of biologics contributes to higher healthcare costs. Psoriasis-related pharmacy expenditure is the largest driver of healthcare costs in patients with psoriasis.

  16. Cure of Psoriasis and Arthritis when Addison’s Disease Was Detected

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcus Lind

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Corticoid therapy is well-known to improve the symptoms of psoriasis. Addison’s disease is an autoimmune disease which leads to a loss of cortisol production in the adrenal glands. This case report describes a patient with wide-spread psoriasis for 34 years who was cured when Addison’s disease was detected and substitution to reach normal biological cortisol levels was introduced. Case Report: A 59-year-old man was diagnosed with Addison’s disease. He had been tired for several years and had had difficulties in continuing his work. His brother had Addison’s disease and recommended him to make a screen for the disease. Synacthen test diagnosed Addison’s disease with a clear deficiency of cortisol production. After substitution with hydrocortisone the patient’s constitution improved rapidly and he felt no longer tired during work. At the same time, all skin lesions of psoriasis disappeared as well as aches in several joints, both symptoms having been present for a couple of decades. Previously, salves of cortisol had been used to reduce the symptoms of psoriasis, but now, 1–2 years later, after the treatment of Addison’s disease, no symptoms in the skin or joints have reoccurred. Conclusions: This report illustrates that Addison’s disease, although a rare condition, should be kept in mind before treatment of psoriasis is started. Especially if other symptoms such as fatigue are present, a screening test of serum cortisol in the morning should be liberally made. The report also illustrates a need of examining corticoid levels in patients with psoriasis compared to the general population.

  17. Scleroderma renal crisis in a case of mixed connective tissue disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mukul Vij

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD is an overlap syndrome first defined in 1972 by Sharp et al. In this original study, the portrait emerged of a connective tissue disorder sharing features of systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis (scleroderma and polymyositis. Scleroderma renal crisis (SRC is an extremely infrequent but serious complication that can occur in MCTD. The histologic picture of SRC is that of a thrombotic micro-angiopathic process. Renal biopsy plays an important role in confirming the clinical diagnosis, excluding overlapping/superimposed diseases that might lead to acute renal failure in MCTD patients, helping to predict the clinical outcome and optimizing patient management. We herewith report a rare case of SRC in a patient with MCTD and review the relevant literature.

  18. Scleroderma renal crisis in a case of mixed connective tissue disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vij, Mukul; Agrawal, Vinita; Jain, Manoj

    2014-07-01

    Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is an overlap syndrome first defined in 1972 by Sharp et al. In this original study, the portrait emerged of a connective tissue disorder sharing features of systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) and polymyositis. Scleroderma renal crisis (SRC) is an extremely infrequent but serious complication that can occur in MCTD. The histologic picture of SRC is that of a thrombotic micro-angiopathic process. Renal biopsy plays an important role in confirming the clinical diagnosis, excluding overlapping/superimposed diseases that might lead to acute renal failure in MCTD patients, helping to predict the clinical outcome and optimizing patient management. We herewith report a rare case of SRC in a patient with MCTD and review the relevant literature.

  19. ProvenCare-Psoriasis: A disease management model to optimize care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gionfriddo, Michael R; Pulk, Rebecca A; Sahni, Dev R; Vijayanagar, Sonal G; Chronowski, Joseph J; Jones, Laney K; Evans, Michael A; Feldman, Steven R; Pride, Howard

    2018-03-15

    There are a variety of evidence-based treatments available for psoriasis. The transition of this evidence into practice is challenging. In this article, we describe the design of our disease management approach for Psoriasis (ProvenCare®) and present preliminary evidence of the effect of its implementation. In designing our approach, we identified three barriers to optimal care: 1) lack of a standardized and discrete disease activity measure within the electronic health record, 2) lack of a system-wide, standardized approach to care, and 3) non-uniform financial access to appropriate non-pharmacologic treatments. We implemented several solutions, which collectively form our approach. We standardized the documentation of clinical data such as body surface area (BSA), created a disease management algorithm for psoriasis, and aligned incentives to facilitate the implementation of the algorithm. This approach provides more coordinated, cost effective care for psoriasis, while being acceptable to key stakeholders. Future work will examine the effect of the implementation of our approach on important clinical and patient outcomes.

  20. Diagnosis of Protein Losing Enteropathy in connective Tissue Diseases with 99mTc-human Serum Albumin(Hsa)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Won, Kyoung Sook; Oh, Yeong Seok; Bang, Shin Ho; Park, Won

    1993-01-01

    Anterior abdominal scintigraphy after intravenous injection of 99m Tc-human serum albumin ( 99m Tc-HSA 20 mCi) was done in 16 patients with connective tissue diseases and 15 healthy control patients. Patients with proteinuria or hepatopathy were excluded. 1) 7(44%) patients among 16 connective tissue disease patients without the apparent evidence of external protein loss showed abnormal intestinal accumulation of albumin. 6 patients with positive albumin scintigraphy showed hypoalbuminaemia. 2) There was no false positive scintigraphic finding in control group. 3) The serum albumin level in connective tissue disease patients (3.1 ± 0.6 g/dl, n=16) was lower than control patients(3.9 ± 0.3 g/dl, n=15) (p 99m Tc-HSA scan(2.8 ± 0.6 g/dl, n=7) than the connective tissue disease patients with negative scan(3.3 ± 0.3 g/dl, n=9) (p 99m Tc-HSA scan also must be validated by more extended study and comparison with the quantitative study such as stool α -1 antitrypsin measurement. There must be a reevaluation of PLE in various diseases especially in connective tissue diseases with easy, fast, economical, and noninvasive method.

  1. Vasculitis associated with connective tissue diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cozzani, E; Gasparini, G; Papini, M; Burlando, M; Drago, F; Parodi, A

    2015-04-01

    Vasculitis in connective tissue disease (CTD) is quite rare, it is reported in approximately 10% of patients with CTD; systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) shows the highest association rate. Vessels of any size may be involved, but mainly small vessels vasculitis is reported. At present the classification of these vasculitis is unsatisfactory. According to the 2012 revised International Chapel Hill Consensus Conference, vasculitides secondary to CTD are a well identified entity and are classified under the category of "vasculitis associated with systemic disease". However only lupus vasculitis and rheumatoid vasculitis are explicitly listed, while the remaining are generically included under the heading "others". Petechiae, purpura, gangrene and ulcers are the most frequent cutaneous manifestations that should investigated in order to rule out potentially dangerous systemic involvement, especially if cryoglobulinemic or necrotizing vasculitis are suspected. This review will focus on the cutaneous involvement in CTD associated vasculitis.

  2. The concept of psoriasis as a systemic inflammation: implications for disease management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reich, K

    2012-03-01

    Psoriasis is a systemic, immune-mediated disorder, characterized by inflammatory skin and joint manifestations. A range of co-morbidities is associated with psoriasis, including metabolic diseases, such as diabetes, and psychological disorders. Although the systemic nature of psoriasis often remains unrecognized, the inflammatory processes involved may be associated with the development of co-morbidities, which, themselves, have a significant impact on the patient's health and quality of life. The relative risks of myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke are increased in patients with psoriasis compared with the general population. These are especially seen in younger patients with more severe disease, and are believed to contribute to the 3- to 4-year reduction in life expectancy among patients with severe psoriasis. The recent results of large studies indicate that the increased cardiovascular (CV) risk is at least partially attributable to psoriasis and independent of the presence of metabolic co-morbidities. The possible interplay between psoriasis and CV disease is complex. Metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes have overlapping genetic predispositions with psoriasis. Both conditions are likely to also interact at a functional level because obesity and the up-regulation of pro-inflammatory mediators in psoriasis appear to influence adipocyte homoeostasis, inducing non-professional immune functions. This may perpetuate psoriatic inflammation, displaying similarities to the immunopathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Finally, the disturbed adipokine profile and inflammation associated with psoriasis enhances insulin resistance, causing subsequent endothelial dysfunction, atherosclerosis and eventual coronary events. The differential contribution of psoriasis and uncontrolled classical CV risk factors to the increased CV risk seen in psoriasis patients is not clear. Successful treatment with methotrexate appears to lower the rates of MI in patients with

  3. Immunology of Psoriasis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lowes, Michelle A.; Suárez-Fariñas, Mayte; Krueger, James G.

    2014-01-01

    The skin is the front line of defense against insult and injury and contains many epidermal and immune elements that comprise the skin-associated lymphoid tissue (SALT). The reaction of these components to injury allows an effective cutaneous response to restore homeostasis. Psoriasis vulgaris is the best-understood and most accessible human disease that is mediated by T cells and dendritic cells. Inflammatory myeloid dendritic cells release IL-23 and IL-12 to activate IL-17-producing T cells, Th1 cells, and Th22 cells to produce abundant psoriatic cytokines IL-17, IFN-γ, TNF, and IL-22. These cytokines mediate effects on keratinocytes to amplify psoriatic inflammation. Therapeutic studies with anticytokine antibodies have shown the importance of the key cytokines IL-23, TNF, and IL-17 in this process. We discuss the genetic background of psoriasis and its relationship to immune function, specifically genetic mutations, key PSORS loci, single nucleotide polymorphisms, and the skin transcriptome. The association between comorbidities and psoriasis is reviewed by correlating the skin transcriptome and serum proteins. Psoriasis-related cytokine-response pathways are considered in the context of the transcriptome of different mouse models. This approach offers a model for other inflammatory skin and autoimmune diseases. PMID:24655295

  4. Silicone breast implants and connective tissue disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lipworth, Loren; Holmich, Lisbet R; McLaughlin, Joseph K

    2011-01-01

    The association of silicone breast implants with connective tissue diseases (CTDs), including systemic sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and fibromyalgia, as well as a hypothesized new "atypical" disease, which does not meet established diagnostic criteria for any known...... CTD, has been extensively studied. We have reviewed the epidemiologic literature regarding an association between cosmetic breast implants and CTDs, with particular emphasis on results drawn from the most recent investigations, many of which are large cohort studies with long-term follow-up, as well...... as on those studies that address some of the misinformation and historically widespread claims regarding an association between breast implants and CTDs. These claims have been unequivocally refuted by the remarkably consistent evidence from published studies, as well as numerous independent meta...

  5. [Hepatobiliary System Diseases as the Predictors of Psoriasis Progression].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smirnova, S V; Barilo, A A; Smolnikova, M V

    2016-01-01

    To assess the state of the hepatobiliary system in psoriasis andpsoriatic arthritis in order to establish a causal relationship and to identify clinical and functional predictors of psoriatic disease progression. The study includedpatients with extensive psoriasis vulgaris (n = 175) aged 18 to 66 years old and healthy donors (n = 30), matched by sex and age: Group 1--patients with psoriasis (PS, n = 77), group 2--patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA, n = 98), group 3--control. The evaluation of functional state of the hepatobiliary system was performed by the analysis of the clinical and anamnestic data and by the laboratory-instrumental methods. We identified predictors of psoriasis: triggers (stress and nutritionalfactor), increased total bilirubin, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, eosinophilia, giardiasis, carriers of hepatitis C virus, ductal changes andfocal leisons in the liver, thickening of the walls of the gallbladder detected by ultrasound. Predictors ofpsoriatic arthritis: age over 50 years, dyspeptic complaints, the presence of hepatobiliary system diseases, the positive right hypochondrium syndrome, the clinical symptoms of chronic cholecystitis, excess body weight, high levels of bilirubin, cholesterol and low density lipoprotein, hepatomegaly, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. High activity of hepatocytes cytolysis, cholestasis, inflammation, metabolic disorders let us considerpsoriatic arthritis as a severe clinical stage psoriatic disease when the hepatobiliary system, in turn, is one of the main target organs in systemic psoriatic process. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and chronic cholecystitis are predictors of psoriatic disease progression.

  6. Introducing Stereology as a Tool to Assess the Severity of Psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kamp, Søren; Stenderup, Karin; Rosada, Cecilia

    2008-01-01

    to histological specimens in order to obtain three-dimensional properties from two-dimensional tissue samples. The psoriasis xenograft model used in this trial is accepted as a leading animal model for psoriasis. Psoriatic skin from psoriatic patients was grafted onto severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice......  The purpose of this study was to introduce stereology as a novel tool in assessing the severity of psoriasis. Psoriasis is a well described chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting approximately 2% of the Caucasian population.   The severity of psoriasis has been assessed by a multitude...

  7. About Psoriasis

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Submit a Question | Learn More | En Español About Psoriasis « Psoriasis News, Advocacy & Life: Advance Next Topic: Causes & Triggers » Psoriasis is an immune-mediated disease that causes raised, ...

  8. Serum TNF-α, IL-6 and Resistin Levels in Chronic Plaque Psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yasemin Yıldırım

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Background and Design: Psoriasis is a chronic recurrent inflammatory disease of the skin. Despite previous extensive studies, etiology is still unclear. Obesity is a significant risk factor for psoriasis and body mass index (BMI correlates with the disease severity. In recent years, the relationship between psoriasis and adipose tissue cytokines has been reported. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to determine the levels of adipose tissue cytokines TNF-α, IL-6 and resistin in psoriasis patients and to evaluate their relation with disease severity.Material and Methods: Our study was performed between January 2010 and February 2010 on a total of 40 patients who were admitted to Abant Izzet Baysal University, Medical School Clinic of Dermatology with complaints of psoriasis. Additionally, forty healthy individuals whose age, gender and BMI did not differ from the patients’ ones formed the control group. TNF-α, IL-6, and resistin levels were measured in both the patients diagnosed with psoriasis and the control group using ELISA methods. The t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were performed to examine the differences between the two groups. Results: In our study, TNF-α, IL-6, and resistin levels were all significantly elevated in the patient group, and serum IL-6 and resistin correlated with disease severity. Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI score showed statistically significant association with IL-6 and resistin levels. Furthermore, it was detected that BMI did not correlate with serum TNF-α, IL-6, and resistin levels.Conclusion: The results of our study showed that TNF-α, IL-6, and resistin play a part in psoriasis etiopathogenesis, and IL-6 and resistin can be used as markers to assess the severity of the disease. Also, our study showed that the elevation in serum TNF-α, IL-6, and resistin levels is independent from the increase in adipose tissue. Larger studies are needed to support our findings.

  9. SECONDARY PULMONARY ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION IN SYSTEMIC DISEASES OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. A. Shostak

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Modern definition of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH as well as data on prevalence and incidence of secondary PAH in systemic disease of connective tissue is presented,  including data of USA, France and Scotland registers. The main chains of pathogenesis, classification approaches, clinical features and diagnostics are described. 

  10. SECONDARY PULMONARY ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION IN SYSTEMIC DISEASES OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. A. Shostak

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Modern definition of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH as well as data on prevalence and incidence of secondary PAH in systemic disease of connective tissue is presented,  including data of USA, France and Scotland registers. The main chains of pathogenesis, classification approaches, clinical features and diagnostics are described. 

  11. Autoimmune connective tissue diseases and vaccination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ewa Więsik-Szewczyk

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The idea that infectious agents can induce autoimmune diseases in genetically susceptible subjects has been a matter of discussion for years. Moreover, increased incidence of autoimmune diseases and introduction of prophylactic vaccinations from early childhood suggest that these two trends are linked. In the medical literature and even non-professional media, case reports or events temporally related to vaccination are reported. It raises the issue of vaccination safety. In everyday practice medical professionals, physicians, rheumatologists and other specialists will be asked their opinion of vaccination safety. The decision should be made according to evidence-based medicine and the current state of knowledge. The purpose of this paper is to discuss a potential mechanism which links infections, vaccinations and autoimmunity. We present an overview of published case reports, especially of systemic connective tissue diseases temporally related to vaccination and results from case-nested studies. As yet, no conclusive evidence supports a causal relationship between vaccination and autoimmune diseases. It has to be determined whether the performed studies are sufficiently Epsteinasensitive to detect the link. The debate is ongoing, and new data may be required to explain the pathogenesis of autoimmunity. We would like to underscore the need for prophylactic vaccination in patients with autoimmune rheumatic diseases and to break down the myth that the vaccines are contraindicated in this target group.

  12. Psoriasis: new comorbidities*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Machado-Pinto, Jackson; Diniz, Michelle dos Santos; Bavoso, Nádia Couto

    2016-01-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with several comorbidities. A few decades ago, it was considered an exclusive skin disease but today it is considered a multisystem disease. It is believed that 73% of psoriasis patients have at least one comorbidity. Studies have demonstrated the association of psoriasis with inflammatory bowel disease, uveitis, psychiatric disorders, metabolic syndrome and its components and cardiovascular diseases. The systemic inflammatory state seems to be the common denominator for all these comorbidities. This work aims at presenting a review of the current literature on some new comorbidities that are associated with psoriasis as osteoporosis, obstructive sleep apnea and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. While there is still controversy, many studies already point to a possible bone involvement in patients with psoriasis, especially in the male group, generally less affected by osteoporosis. Psoriasis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease present some risk factors in common as obesity, smoking and physical inactivity. Besides, both diseases are associated with the metabolic syndrome. These factors could be potential confounders in the association of the two diseases. Further prospective studies with control of those potential confounders should be developed in an attempt to establish causality. Existing data in the literature suggest that there is an association between obstructive sleep apnea and psoriasis, but studies performed until now have involved few patients and had a short follow-up period. It is, therefore, premature to assert that there is indeed a correlation between these two diseases. PMID:26982772

  13. Effect of ionizing radiations on connective tissue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Altman, K.I.; Gerber, G.B.

    1980-01-01

    The effects of ionizing radiations on connective tissue in lung, heart, vasculature, kidney, skin, and skeletal tissues are reviewed. Special emphasis is given to the effect of ionizing radiations on vasculo-connective tissue and fibrotic changes following radiation-induced injury to organs and tissues. In order to put the subject matter in proper prospective, the general biochemistry, physiology, and pathology of connective tissue is reviewed briefly together with the participation of connective tissue in disease. The review closes with an assessment of future problems and an enumeration and discussion of important, as yet unanswered questions

  14. Estimating the incidence of connective tissue diseases and vasculitides in a defined population in Northern Savo area in 2010.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elfving, P; Marjoniemi, O; Niinisalo, H; Kononoff, A; Arstila, L; Savolainen, E; Rutanen, J; Kaipiainen-Seppänen, O

    2016-07-01

    Objective of the study was to evaluate the annual incidence and distribution of autoimmune connective tissue diseases and vasculitides during 2010. All units practicing rheumatology in the Northern Savo area, Finland, participated in the study by collecting data on newly diagnosed adult patients with autoimmune connective tissue disease or vasculitis over 1-year period. Seventy-two cases with autoimmune connective tissue disease were identified. The annual incidence rates were as follows: systemic lupus erythematosus 3.4/100,000 (95 % CI 1.4-7.0), idiopathic inflammatory myopathies 1.9 (0.5-5.0), systemic sclerosis 4.4 (2.0-8.3), mixed connective tissue disease 1.0 (0.1-3.5), Sjögren's syndrome 10.7 (6.7-16.1) and undifferentiated connective tissue disease 13.6 (9.0-19.6). The annual incidence rates among vasculitis category were as follows: antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis 1.5/100,000 (95 % CI 0.3-4.3), central nervous system vasculitis 0.5 (0-2.7) and Henoch-Schönlein purpura 1.5 (0.3-4.3). The annual incidence of giant cell arteritis in the age group of 50 years or older was 7.5/100,000 (95 % CI 3.2-14.8). The longest delay from symptom onset to diagnosis occurred in systemic sclerosis. The incidences of autoimmune connective tissue diseases and vasculitides were comparable with those in published literature. The present study showed female predominance in all connective tissue diseases, excluding idiopathic inflammatory muscle diseases and mean age at onset of disease around 50 years of age. Despite improved diagnostic tools, diagnostic delay is long especially among patients with systemic sclerosis.

  15. Oral candidiasis in patients with psoriasis: correlation of oral examination and cytopathological evaluation with psoriasis disease severity and treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Picciani, Bruna Lavinas Sayed; Michalski-Santos, Bruna; Carneiro, Sueli; Sampaio, Ana Luisa; Avelleira, Joao Carlos Regazzi; Azulay, David Rubem; Pinto, Jane Marcy Neffa; Dias, Eliane Pedra

    2013-06-01

    Infections are known to trigger and exacerbate psoriasis. Although oral candidiasis is often clinically diagnosed, it is not always confirmed by laboratory tests such as oral cytopathology. The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of oral candidiasis in patients with psoriasis through clinical and cytopathological diagnosis and to investigate the association between oral candidiasis and psoriasis with regards to the severity of the clinical presentation and the type of treatment for psoriasis. A total of 140 patients with psoriasis and 140 healthy control subjects received an oral examination. Scrapings of the tongue were also obtained for a cytopathological examination. The oral examination and the results of the cytopathological smear revealed 37 (26%) cases of candidiasis in the patients with psoriasis and no cases of candidiasis in the healthy control subjects. There was no correlation between the type of psoriasis treatment and the presence of oral candidiasis (P = .616). There was a statistically significant association (P = .033) between the clinical severity of psoriasis and the presence of Candida. This study was limited by the small number of subjects and the lack of follow-up to determine the development of psoriasis after treatment for oral candidiasis. The presence of oral candidiasis is higher in patients with psoriasis and it is associated with disease severity. This increased presence of oral candidiasis was apparent despite any type of treatment for the psoriasis. Cytopathology to rule out oral candidiasis should be used in the routine medical workup of patients with psoriasis. Copyright © 2012 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Mediastinal lymphadenopathy and pulmonary arterial hypertension in mixed connective tissue disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guit, G.L.; Shaw, P.C.; Ehrlich, J.; Kroon, H.M.; Oudkerk, M.

    1985-01-01

    A case of mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is presented in which mediastinal lymphadenopathy was the most prominent radiological finding detected by plain chest radiographs and computed tomography. Pulmonary arterial hypertension, which is a rare and often fatal complication of MCTD, also developed in this patient

  17. Psoriasis and Obesity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Peter; Skov, Lone

    2017-01-01

    Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease with a complex pathogenesis consisting of a genetic component, immune dysfunction, and environmental factors. It is associated with numerous comorbidities including psoriatic arthritis, cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, and obesity....... Evidence suggests that obesity is a risk factor for incident psoriasis, aggravates existing psoriasis, and that weight reduction may improve the severity of psoriasis in overweight individuals. Excess body weight may interfere with the medical treatment used in psoriasis and adds to the cardiovascular risk...... profile in these patients, which underscores the importance of effective weight control regimens. In this review we examine the current literature with regard to the association between obesity and psoriasis....

  18. Pediatric psoriasis: an update

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nanette B Silverberg

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Nanette B SilverbergPediatric and Adolescent Dermatology, St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY, USAAbstract: Pediatric psoriasis consists broadly of 3 age groups of psoriatic patients: infantile psoriasis, a self-limited disease of infancy, psoriasis with early onset, and pediatric psoriasis with psoriatic arthritis. About one-quarter of psoriasis cases begin before the age of 18 years. A variety of clinical psoriasis types are seen in childhood, including plaque-type, guttate, erythrodermic, napkin, and nail-based disease. Like all forms of auto-immunity, susceptibility is likely genetic, but environmental triggers are required to initiate disease activity. The most common trigger of childhood is an upper respiratory tract infection. Once disease has occurred, treatment is determined based on severity and presence of joint involvement. Topical therapies, including corticosteroids and calcipotriene, are the therapies of choice in the initial care of pediatric patients. Ultraviolet light, acitretin and cyclosporine can clear skin symptoms, while methotrexate and etanercept can clear both cutaneous and joint disease. Concern for psychological development is required when choosing psoriatic therapies. This article reviews current concepts in pediatric psoriasis and a rational approach to therapeutics. Keywords: psoriasis, autoimmunity, Streptococcus, etanercept, calcipotriene, topical corticosteroids

  19. Mining tissue specificity, gene connectivity and disease association to reveal a set of genes that modify the action of disease causing genes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reverter Antonio

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The tissue specificity of gene expression has been linked to a number of significant outcomes including level of expression, and differential rates of polymorphism, evolution and disease association. Recent studies have also shown the importance of exploring differential gene connectivity and sequence conservation in the identification of disease-associated genes. However, no study relates gene interactions with tissue specificity and disease association. Methods We adopted an a priori approach making as few assumptions as possible to analyse the interplay among gene-gene interactions with tissue specificity and its subsequent likelihood of association with disease. We mined three large datasets comprising expression data drawn from massively parallel signature sequencing across 32 tissues, describing a set of 55,606 true positive interactions for 7,197 genes, and microarray expression results generated during the profiling of systemic inflammation, from which 126,543 interactions among 7,090 genes were reported. Results Amongst the myriad of complex relationships identified between expression, disease, connectivity and tissue specificity, some interesting patterns emerged. These include elevated rates of expression and network connectivity in housekeeping and disease-associated tissue-specific genes. We found that disease-associated genes are more likely to show tissue specific expression and most frequently interact with other disease genes. Using the thresholds defined in these observations, we develop a guilt-by-association algorithm and discover a group of 112 non-disease annotated genes that predominantly interact with disease-associated genes, impacting on disease outcomes. Conclusion We conclude that parameters such as tissue specificity and network connectivity can be used in combination to identify a group of genes, not previously confirmed as disease causing, that are involved in interactions with disease causing

  20. Mixed connective tissue disease associated with noted pulmonary CT findings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yamazaki, Souji; Tsukada, Atsuko; Furuya, Tatsutaka

    1984-10-01

    CT was performed in a 56-year-old woman with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). Much more definitive pulmonary findings were obtained by CT than by the conventional chest x-ray examination and pulmonary function test. CT findings disclosed pulmonary lesions extremely similar to those in cases of progressive systemic sclerosis. Pulmonary CT was considered useful in examining pulmonary lesions for MCTD.

  1. Psoriasis: the visible killer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torres, Tiago; Bettencourt, Nuno

    2014-02-01

    Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory disease associated with serious comorbidities. In recent years, increased mortality due to cardiovascular disease (myocardial infarction and stroke) has been documented in patients with severe psoriasis. Patients with psoriasis have a higher prevalence of traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia and obesity, but it has been suggested that the chronic inflammatory nature of psoriasis is also a contributing and potentially an independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. The authors highlight the need for early identification and treatment of psoriasis-related comorbidities and cardiovascular disease, as well as effective treatment of psoriasis, in order to reduce the underlying systemic inflammation, and also the importance of a multidisciplinary approach of severe psoriasis patients to optimize the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of various comorbidities, so as to prevent cardiovascular events. Copyright © 2013 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

  2. Cutting edge: A critical functional role for IL-23 in psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tonel, Giulia; Conrad, Curdin; Laggner, Ute; Di Meglio, Paola; Grys, Katarzyna; McClanahan, Terrill K; Blumenschein, Wendy M; Qin, Jian-Zhong; Xin, Hong; Oldham, Elizabeth; Kastelein, Robert; Nickoloff, Brian J; Nestle, Frank O

    2010-11-15

    Interleukin-23 is a key cytokine involved in the generation of Th17 effector cells. Clinical efficacy of an anti-p40 mAb blocking both IL-12 and IL-23 and disease association with single nucleotide polymorphisms in the IL23R gene raise the question of a functional role of IL-23 in psoriasis. In this study, we provide a comprehensive analysis of IL-23 and its receptor in psoriasis and demonstrate its functional importance in a disease-relevant model system. The expression of IL-23 and its receptor was increased in the tissues of patients with psoriasis. Injection of a mAb specifically neutralizing human IL-23 showed IL-23-dependent inhibition of psoriasis development comparable to the use of anti-TNF blockers in a clinically relevant xenotransplant mouse model of psoriasis. Together, our results identify a critical functional role for IL-23 in psoriasis and provide the rationale for new treatment strategies in chronic epithelial inflammatory disorders.

  3. MicroRNA-223 and miR-143 are important systemic biomarkers for disease activity in psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Løvendorf, Marianne B; Zibert, John R; Gyldenløve, Mette

    2014-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a systemic inflammatory skin disease. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small non-coding RNA molecules that recently have been found in the blood to be relevant as disease biomarkers. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore miRNAs potential as blood biomarkers for psoriasis. METHODS......: Using microarray and quantitative real-time PCR we measured the global miRNA expression in whole blood, plasma and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with psoriasis and healthy controls. RESULTS: We identified several deregulated miRNAs in the blood from patients with psoriasis...... following a significant decrease in psoriasis severity, miR-223 and miR-143 were significantly downregulated in the PBMCs from patients with psoriasis. CONCLUSION: We suggest that changes in the miR-223 and miR-143 expressions in PBMCs from patients with psoriasis may serve as novel biomarkers for disease...

  4. FEATURES OF CLINICAL COURSE OF GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE IN NEWLY RECRUITED WITH CONNECTIVE TISSUE UNDIFFERENTIATED DYSPLASIA SYNDROME

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E.I. Kashkina

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available The presence of connective tissue undifferentiated dysplasia syndrome against a background of psychological stress at newly recruited can promote the risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease occurrence. To the utmost, correlation between the gastroesophageal reflux disease and such manifestations of connective tissue undifferentiated dysplasia syndrome as asthenic constitution, chest deformation, Gothic palate and hypermobility of joints was found

  5. Mixed connective tissue disease associated with noted pulmonary CT findings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamazaki, Souji; Tsukada, Atsuko; Furuya, Tatsutaka

    1984-01-01

    CT was performed in a 56-year-old woman with mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). Much more definitive pulmonary findings were obtained by CT than by the conventional chest x-ray examination and pulmonary function test. CT findings disclosed pulmonary lesions extremely similar to those in cases of progressive systemic sclerosis. Pulmonary CT was considered useful in examining pulmonary lesions for MCTD. (Namekawa, K.)

  6. Skin cancer risk in autoimmune connective tissue diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kostaki, D; Antonini, A; Peris, K; Fargnoli, M C

    2014-10-01

    Cutaneous malignancies have been significantly associated with autoimmune connective tissue diseases (ACTDs). This review focuses on the current state of knowledge on skin cancer risk in the most prevalent ACTDs in dermatology including lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, dermatomyositis and Sjögren syndrome. Potential pathogenetic mechanisms for the association between ACTDs and malignancy involve disease-related impairment of immune system, sustained cutaneous inflammation, drug-associated immune suppression and increased susceptibility to acquired viral infections. An additional causal role might be played by environmental factors such as UV exposure and smoking. The occurrence of skin cancer can have a profound impact on the already compromised quality of life of ACTD patients. Therefore, effective screening and monitoring strategies are essential for ACTD patients as early detection and prompt therapeutic intervention can reduce morbidity and mortality in these patients.

  7. A Case of Advanced Unicentric Retroperitoneal Castleman's Disease, Associated With Psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Ali Mohagheghi

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available We present here a 32-year-old male with advanced lately diagnosed, right sided retroperitoneal mass, which had been already treated due to progressive muco-cutaneous lesions clinically consistent with psoriasis, during recent four years. The advanced retroperitoneal mass resected surgically and reported as hyaline-vascular castleman disease with a dense focus of coarse calcification, on histopathology. Association of psoriasis and castlman disease is discussed in this case report. 

  8. Clinical, Diagnostic, and Therapeutic Implications in Psoriasis Associated With Cardiovascular Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonanad, C; González-Parra, E; Rivera, R; Carrascosa, J M; Daudén, E; Olveira, A; Botella-Estrada, R

    2017-11-01

    In recent years the concept of psoriasis as a systemic disease has gained acceptance due to its association with numerous comorbid conditions, particularly atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Several studies have shown that patients with psoriasis, especially younger patients and those with more severe forms of psoriasis or with psoriatic arthritis, have a higher prevalence of risk factors and metabolic syndrome, as well as an increased risk of major cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disease, and peripheral arterial disease. Furthermore, it remains unclear which of the current treatments might be more effective in reducing cardiovascular risk in these patients. It is therefore important for dermatologists to be aware of this increased risk, to be able to detect modifiable risk factors early and, when appropriate, refer patients to other specialists for the prevention of major cardiovascular events. Copyright © 2017 AEDV. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  9. Turkey Psoriasis Treatment Guide-2016

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melih Akyol

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Psoriasis is a common, chronic, recurrent, inflammatory disease of the skin with unknown etiology. In addition to skin involvement, joint involvement is often seen in psoriasis; however as comorbidities including metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, psychological/psychiatric disorders and inflammatory bowel disease accompany psoriasis, the inflammatory process underlying has been shown to damage several organs. It is also known that the risk of mortality is increased in patients with severe psoriasis. What’s more, psoriasis significantly affects the patients quality of life. According to physical/psychological examinations, the quality of life is affected from psoriasis as much as other chronic diseases like cancer or diabetes. Psoriasis leads to massive performance loss because of time and work loss at business and daily life as a result of either disease itself or its treatment. Psoriasis has several treatment modalities either topical or systemic. Topical treatment is sufficient and successful for mild psoriasis but early systemic therapy is recommended for moderate and severe psoriasis to prevent comorbidites due to increased inflammatory effect and to manage psoriatic arthritis. Topical treatment is usually applied alone for mild cases and in combination with systemic therapy or phototherapy for moderate or severe cases. Indications for the systemic therapy includes erythrodermic psoriasis, generalized pustular psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis and moderate-severe plaque psoriasis that causes serious decrease at quality of life which is irresponsive-incompatible to topical modalities or phototherapy. As the role of the immunology in pathophysiology of psoriasis is better understood, new generation of biological therapies affecting molecular mechanisms which take role at onset of psoriasis have been developed. Today, cyclosporine, methotrexate, and acitretin are used systemically; etanercept, infliximab, adalimumab or ustekinumab are

  10. Mixed Connective Tissue Disease and Papillary Thyroid Cancer: A Case Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thongpooswan, Supat; Tushabe, Rachel; Song, Jeffrey; Kim, Paul; Abrudescu, Adriana

    2015-08-06

    Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is a connective tissue disorder characterized by high titers of distinct antibodies: U1 ribonucleoprotein with clinical features seen in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), dermatomyositis (DM), polymyositis, and scleroderma. The association of SLE and DM with various cancers of the thyroid has been reported in the literature. However, there have been no reports associating MCTD with thyroid cancer. We present a 58-year-old woman diagnosed with MCTD with co-morbid interstitial lung disease that has remained stable for 10 years, who developed papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) 10 years after initial diagnosis. We theorize that: 1) MCTD may have been a primary diagnosis complicated by PTC, or 2) MCTD may have been an initial presentation of paraneoplastic syndrome of silent PTC, because her symptoms of MCTD significantly improved after total thyroidectomy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report to associate MCTD with PTC. It highlights the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion for thyroid malignancy in MCTD patients.

  11. Psoriasis: classical and emerging comorbidities*

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Oliveira, Maria de Fátima Santos Paim; Rocha, Bruno de Oliveira; Duarte, Gleison Vieira

    2015-01-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory systemic disease. Evidence shows an association of psoriasis with arthritis, depression, inflammatory bowel disease and cardiovascular diseases. Recently, several other comorbid conditions have been proposed as related to the chronic inflammatory status of psoriasis. The understanding of these conditions and their treatments will certainly lead to better management of the disease. The present article aims to synthesize the knowledge in the literature about the classical and emerging comorbidities related to psoriasis. PMID:25672294

  12. The clinical and pathological characteristics of nephropathies in connective tissue diseases in the Japan Renal Biopsy Registry (J-RBR).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ichikawa, Kazunobu; Konta, Tsuneo; Sato, Hiroshi; Ueda, Yoshihiko; Yokoyama, Hitoshi

    2017-12-01

    In connective tissue diseases, a wide variety of glomerular, tubulointerstitial, and vascular lesions of the kidney are observed. Nonetheless, recent information is limited regarding renal lesions in connective tissue diseases, except in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In this study, we used a nationwide database of biopsy-confirmed renal diseases in Japan (J-RBR) (UMIN000000618). In total, 20,523 registered patients underwent biopsy between 2007 and 2013; from 110 patients with connective tissue diseases except SLE, we extracted data regarding the clinico-pathological characteristics of the renal biopsy. Our analysis included patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (n = 52), Sjögren's syndrome (SjS) (n = 35), scleroderma (n = 10), mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD; n = 5), anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS; n = 3), polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM; n = 1), Behçet's disease (n = 1) and others (n = 3). The clinico-pathological features differed greatly depending on the underlying disease. The major clinical diagnosis was nephrotic syndrome in RA; chronic nephritic syndrome with mild proteinuria and reduced renal function in SjS; rapidly progressive nephritic syndrome in scleroderma. The major pathological diagnosis was membranous nephropathy (MN) and amyloidosis in RA; tubulointerstitial nephritis in SjS; proliferative obliterative vasculopathy in scleroderma; MN in MCTD. In RA, most patients with nephrosis were treated using bucillamine, and showed membranous nephropathy. Using the J-RBR database, our study revealed that biopsy-confirmed cases of connective tissue diseases such as RA, SjS, scleroderma, and MCTD show various clinical and pathological characteristics, depending on the underlying diseases and the medication used.

  13. Generalized connective tissue disease in Crtap-/- mouse.

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    Dustin Baldridge

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Mutations in CRTAP (coding for cartilage-associated protein, LEPRE1 (coding for prolyl 3-hydroxylase 1 [P3H1] or PPIB (coding for Cyclophilin B [CYPB] cause recessive forms of osteogenesis imperfecta and loss or decrease of type I collagen prolyl 3-hydroxylation. A comprehensive analysis of the phenotype of the Crtap-/- mice revealed multiple abnormalities of connective tissue, including in the lungs, kidneys, and skin, consistent with systemic dysregulation of collagen homeostasis within the extracellular matrix. Both Crtap-/- lung and kidney glomeruli showed increased cellular proliferation. Histologically, the lungs showed increased alveolar spacing, while the kidneys showed evidence of segmental glomerulosclerosis, with abnormal collagen deposition. The Crtap-/- skin had decreased mechanical integrity. In addition to the expected loss of proline 986 3-hydroxylation in alpha1(I and alpha1(II chains, there was also loss of 3Hyp at proline 986 in alpha2(V chains. In contrast, at two of the known 3Hyp sites in alpha1(IV chains from Crtap-/- kidneys there were normal levels of 3-hydroxylation. On a cellular level, loss of CRTAP in human OI fibroblasts led to a secondary loss of P3H1, and vice versa. These data suggest that both CRTAP and P3H1 are required to maintain a stable complex that 3-hydroxylates canonical proline sites within clade A (types I, II, and V collagen chains. Loss of this activity leads to a multi-systemic connective tissue disease that affects bone, cartilage, lung, kidney, and skin.

  14. Geographic Tongue and Fissured Tongue in 348 Patients with Psoriasis: Correlation with Disease Severity

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    Bruna L. S. Picciani

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Geographic tongue (GT and fissured tongue (FT are the more frequent oral lesions in patients with psoriasis. The aims of this study were to compare the prevalence of GT/FT between psoriasis group (PG and healthy controls (HC and investigate the correlation between GT/FT and psoriasis severity using the PASI and age of psoriasis onset. Three hundred and forty-eight PG and 348 HC were selected. According to the age of psoriasis onset, the individuals were classified as having early psoriasis and late psoriasis. The severity of vulgaris psoriasis was determined according to PASI. A follow-up was conducted in patients with psoriasis vulgaris (PV with GT to evaluate the progression of oral and cutaneous lesions. The FT and GT were more frequent in PG than in HC. The incidence of GT was higher in patients with early psoriasis and that of FT in late-psoriasis. There is association between psoriasis intensity and GT; and a higher monthly decrease of PASI score in patients without GT. The presence of GT and FT is higher in PG than in the HC. GT is associated with disease severity and may be a marker of the psoriasis severity.

  15. A genetic risk score combining ten psoriasis risk loci improves disease prediction.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haoyan Chen

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated skin disease affecting 2-3% of Caucasians. Recent genetic association studies have identified multiple psoriasis risk loci; however, most of these loci contribute only modestly to disease risk. In this study, we investigated whether a genetic risk score (GRS combining multiple loci could improve psoriasis prediction. Two approaches were used: a simple risk alleles count (cGRS and a weighted (wGRS approach. Ten psoriasis risk SNPs were genotyped in 2815 case-control samples and 858 family samples. We found that the total number of risk alleles in the cases was significantly higher than in controls, mean 13.16 (SD 1.7 versus 12.09 (SD 1.8, p = 4.577×10(-40. The wGRS captured considerably more risk than any SNP considered alone, with a psoriasis OR for high-low wGRS quartiles of 10.55 (95% CI 7.63-14.57, p = 2.010×10(-65. To compare the discriminatory ability of the GRS models, receiver operating characteristic curves were used to calculate the area under the curve (AUC. The AUC for wGRS was significantly greater than for cGRS (72.0% versus 66.5%, p = 2.13×10(-8. Additionally, the AUC for HLA-C alone (rs10484554 was equivalent to the AUC for all nine other risk loci combined (66.2% versus 63.8%, p = 0.18, highlighting the dominance of HLA-C as a risk locus. Logistic regression revealed that the wGRS was significantly associated with two subphenotypes of psoriasis, age of onset (p = 4.91×10(-6 and family history (p = 0.020. Using a liability threshold model, we estimated that the 10 risk loci account for only 11.6% of the genetic variance in psoriasis. In summary, we found that a GRS combining 10 psoriasis risk loci captured significantly more risk than any individual SNP and was associated with early onset of disease and a positive family history. Notably, only a small fraction of psoriasis heritability is captured by the common risk variants identified to date.

  16. Evaluation of an automated connective tissue disease screening assay in Korean patients with systemic rheumatic diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeong, Seri; Yang, Heeyoung; Hwang, Hyunyong

    2017-01-01

    This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic utilities of the automated connective tissues disease screening assay, CTD screen, in patients with systemic rheumatic diseases. A total of 1093 serum samples were assayed using CTD screen and indirect immunofluorescent (IIF) methods. Among them, 162 were diagnosed with systemic rheumatic disease, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and mixed connective tissue disease (MCT). The remaining 931 with non-systemic rheumatic disease were assigned to the control group. The median ratios of CTD screen tests were significantly higher in the systemic rheumatic disease group than in the control group. The positive likelihood ratios of the CTD screen were higher than those of IIF in patients with total rheumatic diseases (4.1 vs. 1.6), including SLE (24.3 vs. 10.7). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC-AUCs) of the CTD screen for discriminating total rheumatic diseases, RA, SLE, and MCT from controls were 0.68, 0.56, 0.92 and 0.80, respectively. The ROC-AUCs of the combinations with IIF were significantly higher in patients with total rheumatic diseases (0.72) and MCT (0.85) than in those of the CTD screen alone. Multivariate analysis indicated that both the CTD screen and IIF were independent variables for predicting systemic rheumatic disease. CTD screen alone and in combination with IIF were a valuable diagnostic tool for predicting systemic rheumatic diseases, particularly for SLE.

  17. Evaluation of an automated connective tissue disease screening assay in Korean patients with systemic rheumatic diseases.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seri Jeong

    Full Text Available This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic utilities of the automated connective tissues disease screening assay, CTD screen, in patients with systemic rheumatic diseases. A total of 1093 serum samples were assayed using CTD screen and indirect immunofluorescent (IIF methods. Among them, 162 were diagnosed with systemic rheumatic disease, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE, and mixed connective tissue disease (MCT. The remaining 931 with non-systemic rheumatic disease were assigned to the control group. The median ratios of CTD screen tests were significantly higher in the systemic rheumatic disease group than in the control group. The positive likelihood ratios of the CTD screen were higher than those of IIF in patients with total rheumatic diseases (4.1 vs. 1.6, including SLE (24.3 vs. 10.7. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC-AUCs of the CTD screen for discriminating total rheumatic diseases, RA, SLE, and MCT from controls were 0.68, 0.56, 0.92 and 0.80, respectively. The ROC-AUCs of the combinations with IIF were significantly higher in patients with total rheumatic diseases (0.72 and MCT (0.85 than in those of the CTD screen alone. Multivariate analysis indicated that both the CTD screen and IIF were independent variables for predicting systemic rheumatic disease. CTD screen alone and in combination with IIF were a valuable diagnostic tool for predicting systemic rheumatic diseases, particularly for SLE.

  18. Integrative biology approach identifies cytokine targeting strategies for psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perera, Gayathri K; Ainali, Chrysanthi; Semenova, Ekaterina; Hundhausen, Christian; Barinaga, Guillermo; Kassen, Deepika; Williams, Andrew E; Mirza, Muddassar M; Balazs, Mercedesz; Wang, Xiaoting; Rodriguez, Robert Sanchez; Alendar, Andrej; Barker, Jonathan; Tsoka, Sophia; Ouyang, Wenjun; Nestle, Frank O

    2014-02-12

    Cytokines are critical checkpoints of inflammation. The treatment of human autoimmune disease has been revolutionized by targeting inflammatory cytokines as key drivers of disease pathogenesis. Despite this, there exist numerous pitfalls when translating preclinical data into the clinic. We developed an integrative biology approach combining human disease transcriptome data sets with clinically relevant in vivo models in an attempt to bridge this translational gap. We chose interleukin-22 (IL-22) as a model cytokine because of its potentially important proinflammatory role in epithelial tissues. Injection of IL-22 into normal human skin grafts produced marked inflammatory skin changes resembling human psoriasis. Injection of anti-IL-22 monoclonal antibody in a human xenotransplant model of psoriasis, developed specifically to test potential therapeutic candidates, efficiently blocked skin inflammation. Bioinformatic analysis integrating both the IL-22 and anti-IL-22 cytokine transcriptomes and mapping them onto a psoriasis disease gene coexpression network identified key cytokine-dependent hub genes. Using knockout mice and small-molecule blockade, we show that one of these hub genes, the so far unexplored serine/threonine kinase PIM1, is a critical checkpoint for human skin inflammation and potential future therapeutic target in psoriasis. Using in silico integration of human data sets and biological models, we were able to identify a new target in the treatment of psoriasis.

  19. Bioelectrical impedance analysis to define an excess of body fat: evaluation in patients with psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galluzzo, M; Talamonti, M; Perino, F; Servoli, S; Giordano, D; Chimenti, S; De Simone, C; Peris, K

    2017-06-01

    There is strong evidence that obesity is closely associated with psoriasis. However, data on body composition are lacking in psoriasis. The purpose of this study were to investigate the body composition in psoriasis patients using bioelectrical impedance analysis and to correlate the bioelectrical impedance data with disease severity and laboratory parameters. Anthropometric measurements and bioelectrical impedance analyses were performed on patients with psoriasis, naïve to any systemic treatment, who attended the outpatient clinics of two University centers. Data of 164 adult patients were analyzed. Compared to men, women had several significantly higher bioelectrical impedance parameters including reactance, fat mass% and adipose tissue%. The values of adipose tissue were positively correlated only with patients age (p = .021) and age at disease onset (p = .0006), but not with disease severity. In addition, we observed that the use of BMI cutoffs allowed to categorize 36.7% of women and 19.2% of men as obese, while fat mass% showed that 53.3% of women and 48.1% of men were obese. In our study, psoriasis is been associated with a high fat mass%. We suggest that screening for body fat distribution in psoriatic patients might be useful to identify early obesity-related disease.

  20. A Rare Clinical Presentation of Giant Bilateral Labial Fibroepithelial Stromal Polyps in Patient with Psoriasis Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ayse Filiz Avsar

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Fibroepithelial polyps (FEPs are rarely seen lesions of the lower female genital tract with polypoid proliferations of stroma. These tumors usually present in the vulvovaginal region of the reproductive aged women. In this presentation, we report a case of a psoriatic woman who developed unusual multiple polypoid lesions approximately 15 cm in size arising from both left and right labia minora and unique connection of FEPs with psoriasis disease.

  1. Quality of life in psoriasis patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Augustin, Matthias; Radtke, Marc Alexander

    2014-08-01

    Patient-reported outcomes are major components of decision making in clinical research, reimbursement, health policy and health care for psoriasis. The most important construct in patient-reported outcomes is health-related quality of life (HRQoL) which encompasses the individual's well-being with respect to health. HRQoL cannot directly be measured but is assessed in single dimensions, especially physical, emotional, social and functional aspects. For this, disease- and condition-specific instruments are used. Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting the skin as well as other tissues and organ systems. Patients suffer from a large scale of impairments, for example, physical symptoms, stigmatization and embarrassment, psychological strain and disabilities in profession. Improvement of HRQoL is a major objective of disease management. Current knowledge on determinants of HRQoL and the treatments available increase QoL in clinical care.

  2. Evaluation of muscular lesions in connective tissue diseases: thallium 201 muscular scans

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guillet, G.; Guillet, J.; Sanciaume, C.; Maleville, J.; Geniaux, M.; Morin, P.

    1988-01-01

    We performed thallium 201 muscle scans to assess muscular involvement in 40 patients with different connective tissue diseases (7 with dermatomyositis, 7 with systemic lupus erythematosus, 12 with progressive systemic scleroderma, 2 with calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal involvement, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasia (CREST) syndrome, 3 with monomelic scleroderma, 6 with morphea, and 3 with Raynaud's disease). Only 12 of these patients complained of fatigability and/or myalgia. Electromyography was performed and serum levels of muscle enzymes were measured in all patients. Comparison of thallium 201 exercise recording with the other tests revealed that scan sensitivity is greater than electromyographic and serum muscle enzymes levels. Thallium 201 scans showed abnormal findings in 32 patients and revealed subclinical lesions in 18 patients, while electromyography findings were abnormal in 25 of these 32 patients. Serum enzyme levels were raised in only 8 patients. Thallium 201 scanning proved to be a useful guide for modifying therapy when laboratory data were conflicting. It was useful to evaluate treatment efficacy. Because our data indicate a 100% positive predictive value, we believe that thallium 201 scanning should be advised for severe systemic connective tissue diseases with discordant test results

  3. Evaluation of muscular lesions in connective tissue diseases: thallium 201 muscular scans

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Guillet, G.; Guillet, J.; Sanciaume, C.; Maleville, J.; Geniaux, M.; Morin, P.

    1988-04-01

    We performed thallium 201 muscle scans to assess muscular involvement in 40 patients with different connective tissue diseases (7 with dermatomyositis, 7 with systemic lupus erythematosus, 12 with progressive systemic scleroderma, 2 with calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal involvement, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasia (CREST) syndrome, 3 with monomelic scleroderma, 6 with morphea, and 3 with Raynaud's disease). Only 12 of these patients complained of fatigability and/or myalgia. Electromyography was performed and serum levels of muscle enzymes were measured in all patients. Comparison of thallium 201 exercise recording with the other tests revealed that scan sensitivity is greater than electromyographic and serum muscle enzymes levels. Thallium 201 scans showed abnormal findings in 32 patients and revealed subclinical lesions in 18 patients, while electromyography findings were abnormal in 25 of these 32 patients. Serum enzyme levels were raised in only 8 patients. Thallium 201 scanning proved to be a useful guide for modifying therapy when laboratory data were conflicting. It was useful to evaluate treatment efficacy. Because our data indicate a 100% positive predictive value, we believe that thallium 201 scanning should be advised for severe systemic connective tissue diseases with discordant test results.

  4. Cardiovascular disease and risk factors in patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Tobin, Anne-Marie

    2012-02-01

    OBJECTIVE: Patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) have an increased incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cardiovascular risk factors such as smoking, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome compared to the normal population. Patients with psoriasis and PsA may also have increased risk from nonconventional risk factors such as raised levels of homocysteine and excessive alcohol consumption. We conducted a comprehensive review of the literature on CVD and all cardiovascular risk factors in patients with psoriasis and PsA. METHODS: Data sources: All studies identified from a Medline (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) search pertaining to CVD, individual risk factors in psoriasis, and PsA were included. Study selection: Studies included a healthy reference population, were published between 1975 and 2009, and were written in English. RESULTS: Our search yielded 14 studies that documented rates of CVD in patients with psoriasis and PsA compared to controls. Substantial evidence points to elevated risk of CVD in patients with psoriasis and PsA. CONCLUSION: It remains difficult to conclude if risk factors are caused by psoriasis or share a common pathogenesis. Physicians treating patients with psoriasis and PsA must be aware of all potential cardiovascular risk factors in their patients.

  5. Investigation of dietary supplements prevalence as complementary therapy: Comparison between hospitalized psoriasis patients and non-psoriasis patients, correlation with disease severity and quality of life.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yousefzadeh, Hadis; Mahmoudi, Mahmoud; Banihashemi, Mahnaz; Rastin, Maryam; Azad, Farahzad Jabbari

    2017-08-01

    Psoriasis patients are often displeased with traditional medical treatments and they may self-prescribe dietary supplements as an alternative or complementary treatments. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of self-medication of dietary supplements among psoriasis and non-psoriasis cases and its impact on disease severity and quality of life. This case-control study evaluated 252 records of psoriasis patients and 245 non-psoriasis cases. Dietary supplementation over last 30days and characteristics, including age, age at onset of disease, co-morbidities, smoking and education were recorded. Psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) and dermatology quality of life index (DLQI) were calculated. P value less than 0.05 was considered as significant level. This study consisted 138 psoriasis (females; 54) and 138 non-psoriasis cases (females; 50), aged between 21 and 91 years. Among psoriasis patients, 72% reported using at least one of dietary supplements, which was different from non-psoriasis cases (25.36%, P=0.01). Multivitamin/mineral supplements (MVM) were the most frequent used dietary supplements (26.81%) and the most common reasons for the consumption of these supplements were to maintain and improve health. The consumption of folic acid (21.73%), omega-3 fatty acids or fish oil (10.14%), herbs (12.31%) and vitamin E (1.44%) had the most frequencies after MVM. No significant differences in PASI and DLQI were found among patients with consumption of different supplements (P>0.05). There was non-significant and negative correlation between education and use of supplements (P=0.21, r=-0.02). Self-medicating of MVM over last 30days was prevalent among studied psoriasis patients. They took dietary supplements in order to improve and maintain their health. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Quantifying cardiovascular disease risk factors in patients with psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Miller, I M; Skaaby, T; Ellervik, C

    2013-01-01

    BACKGROUND: In a previous meta-analysis on categorical data we found an association between psoriasis and cardiovascular disease and associated risk factors. OBJECTIVES: To quantify the level of cardiovascular disease risk factors in order to provide additional data for the clinical management...... of the increased risk. METHODS: This was a meta-analysis of observational studies with continuous outcome using random-effects statistics. A systematic search of studies published before 25 October 2012 was conducted using the databases Medline, EMBASE, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, PASCAL and BIOSIS......·65 mmol L(-1) )] and a higher HbA1c [1·09 mmol mol(-1) , 95% CI 0·87-1·31, P controls are significant, and therefore relevant to the clinical management of patients with psoriasis....

  7. Management of psoriasis in adolescence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fotiadou C

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Christina Fotiadou, Elizabeth Lazaridou, Demetrios Ioannides First Department of Dermatology–Venereology, Aristotle University Medical School, Thessaloniki, Greece Abstract: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory cutaneous disorder affecting 2%–4% of the world's population. The prevalence of the disease in childhood and adolescence ranges between 0.5% and 2%. The management of psoriasis in adolescence is an intriguing and complicated task. Given the paucity of officially approved therapies, the very limited evidence-based data from randomized controlled trials, and the absence of standardized guidelines, physicians must rely on published experience from case reports both from the field of dermatology as well as from the application of these drugs for other pediatric conditions coming from the disciplines of rheumatology, gastroenterology, and oncology. Psoriatic adolescents deal with a potentially disfiguring and lifelong disease that could permanently impair their psychological development. It must be clarified to them that psoriasis does not have a permanent cure, and therefore the main goal of treatments is to establish disease control and prolonged periods between flares. The majority of adolescents suffer from mild psoriasis, and thus they are treated basically with topical treatment modalities. Phototherapy is reserved for adolescents with mild-to-moderate plaque disease and/or guttate psoriasis when routine visits to specialized centers do not create practical problems. Systemic agents and biologics are administered to patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, pustular psoriasis, or erythrodermic psoriasis. Keywords: adolescent psoriasis, pediatric psoriasis, treatment, systemic treatment, biologic agents

  8. Misbehaving macrophages in the pathogenesis of psoriasis

    OpenAIRE

    Clark, Rachael A.; Kupper, Thomas S.

    2006-01-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease unique to humans. In this issue of the JCI, 2 studies of very different mouse models of psoriasis both report that macrophages play a key role in inducing psoriasis-like skin disease. Psoriasis is clearly a polygenic, inherited disease of uncontrolled cutaneous inflammation. The debate that currently rages in the field is whether psoriasis is a disease of autoreactive T cells or whether it reflects an intrinsic defect within the skin — or both....

  9. Undifferentiated connective tissue disease and interstitial lung disease: Trying to define patterns.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alberti, María Laura; Paulin, Francisco; Toledo, Heidegger Mateos; Fernández, Martín Eduardo; Caro, Fabián Matías; Rojas-Serrano, Jorge; Mejía, Mayra Edith

    To identify clinical or immunological features in patients with undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD) associated interstitial lung disease (ILD), in order to group them and recognize different functional and high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) behavior. Retrospective cohort study. Patients meeting Kinder criteria for UCTD were included. We defined the following predictive variables: 'highly specific' connective tissue disease (CTD) manifestations (Raynaud's phenomenon, dry eyes or arthritis), high antinuclear antibody (ANA) titer (above 1: 320), and 'specific' ANA staining patterns (centromere, cytoplasmic and nucleolar patterns). We evaluated the following outcomes: change in the percentage of the predicted forced vital capacity (FVC%) during the follow-up period, and HRCT pattern. Sixty-six patients were included. Twenty-nine (43.94%) showed at least one 'highly specific' CTD manifestation, 16 (28.57%) had a 'specific' ANA staining pattern and 29 (43.94%) high ANA titer. Patients with 'highly specific' CTD manifestations were younger (mean [SD] 52 years [14.58] vs 62.08 years [9.46], P<.001), were more likely men (10.34% vs 48.65%, P<.001) and showed a smaller decline of the FVC% (median [interquartile range] 1% [-1 to 10] vs -6% [-16 to -4], P<.006). In the multivariate analysis, the presence of highly specific manifestations was associated with improvement in the FVC% (B coefficient of 13.25 [95% confidence interval, 2.41 to 24.09]). No association was observed in relation to the HRCT pattern. The presence of 'highly specific' CTD manifestations was associated with female sex, younger age and better functional behavior. These findings highlight the impact of the clinical features in the outcome of patients with UCTD ILD. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Reumatología y Colegio Mexicano de Reumatología. All rights reserved.

  10. Pulmonary function in subjects with psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, P. R.; Isaksen, Jonas Lynggaard; Jemec, G. B.

    2018-01-01

    Psoriasis is a prevalent chronic inflammatory disease associated with comorbidities, e.g. cardiometabolic diseases, inflammatory bowel disease, and depression that may share an inflammatory origin. Smoking increases the risk of psoriasis and the disease has also been linked to chronic obstructive...... pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma, with evidence of shared inflammatory cytokine-mediated mechanisms. Moreover, subjects with psoriasis display increased risk of infections, especially respiratory infections including pneumonia. However, only a small single-center study of pulmonary function in subjects...... with psoriasis is available. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved....

  11. Psoriasis-like skin disease and arthritis caused by inducible epidermal deletion of Jun proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zenz, Rainer; Eferl, Robert; Kenner, Lukas; Florin, Lore; Hummerich, Lars; Mehic, Denis; Scheuch, Harald; Angel, Peter; Tschachler, Erwin; Wagner, Erwin F

    2005-09-15

    Psoriasis is a frequent, inflammatory disease of skin and joints with considerable morbidity. Here we report that in psoriatic lesions, epidermal keratinocytes have decreased expression of JunB, a gene localized in the psoriasis susceptibility region PSORS6. Likewise, inducible epidermal deletion of JunB and its functional companion c-Jun in adult mice leads (within two weeks) to a phenotype resembling the histological and molecular hallmarks of psoriasis, including arthritic lesions. In contrast to the skin phenotype, the development of arthritic lesions requires T and B cells and signalling through tumour necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1). Prior to the disease onset, two chemotactic proteins (S100A8 and S100A9) previously mapped to the psoriasis susceptibility region PSORS4, are strongly induced in mutant keratinocytes in vivo and in vitro. We propose that the abrogation of JunB/activator protein 1 (AP-1) in keratinocytes triggers chemokine/cytokine expression, which recruits neutrophils and macrophages to the epidermis thereby contributing to the phenotypic changes observed in psoriasis. Thus, these data support the hypothesis that epidermal alterations are sufficient to initiate both skin lesions and arthritis in psoriasis.

  12. Management of scalp psoriasis: current perspectives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Blakely K

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available Kim Blakely,1 Melinda Gooderham2 1Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; 2Skin Centre for Dermatology, Peterborough, ON, Canada Abstract: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory condition. The age of onset, chronicity, physical, and psychosocial consequences of the disease cause psoriasis to have a significant impact on patient quality of life. Scalp psoriasis is no different, and effective treatment results in an improvement in quality of life. Successful management of scalp psoriasis includes topical therapies that are acceptable to the patient for mild-to-moderate disease, and systemic therapies for recalcitrant or moderate-to-severe disease. The most effective topical therapies are corticosteroid products, or combination products with calcipotriol and corticosteroid. Newer vehicle options provide more attractive and pleasing products for patients and may improve adherence. The current perspectives for management of scalp psoriasis are discussed including available data for systemic therapy of severe disease. Keywords: psoriasis, scalp psoriasis, topical therapies, systemic therapies, biologics

  13. Psoriasis Patients Are Enriched for Genetic Variants That Protect against HIV-1 Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Haoyan; Hayashi, Genki; Lai, Olivia Y.; Dilthey, Alexander; Kuebler, Peter J.; Wong, Tami V.; Martin, Maureen P.; Fernandez Vina, Marcelo A.; McVean, Gil; Wabl, Matthias; Leslie, Kieron S.; Maurer, Toby; Martin, Jeffrey N.; Deeks, Steven G.; Carrington, Mary; Bowcock, Anne M.; Nixon, Douglas F.; Liao, Wilson

    2012-01-01

    An important paradigm in evolutionary genetics is that of a delicate balance between genetic variants that favorably boost host control of infection but which may unfavorably increase susceptibility to autoimmune disease. Here, we investigated whether patients with psoriasis, a common immune-mediated disease of the skin, are enriched for genetic variants that limit the ability of HIV-1 virus to replicate after infection. We analyzed the HLA class I and class II alleles of 1,727 Caucasian psoriasis cases and 3,581 controls and found that psoriasis patients are significantly more likely than controls to have gene variants that are protective against HIV-1 disease. This includes several HLA class I alleles associated with HIV-1 control; amino acid residues at HLA-B positions 67, 70, and 97 that mediate HIV-1 peptide binding; and the deletion polymorphism rs67384697 associated with high surface expression of HLA-C. We also found that the compound genotype KIR3DS1 plus HLA-B Bw4-80I, which respectively encode a natural killer cell activating receptor and its putative ligand, significantly increased psoriasis susceptibility. This compound genotype has also been associated with delay of progression to AIDS. Together, our results suggest that genetic variants that contribute to anti-viral immunity may predispose to the development of psoriasis. PMID:22577363

  14. Childhood psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dogra Sunil

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Psoriasis is a common dermatosis in children with about one third of all patients having onset of disease in the first or second decade of life. A chronic disfiguring skin disease, such as psoriasis, in childhood is likely to have profound emotional and psychological effects, and hence requires special attention. Psoriasis in children has been reported to differ from that among adults being more frequently pruritic; plaque lesions are relatively thinner, softer, and less scaly; face and flexural involvement is common and guttate type is the characteristic presentation. Whether onset in childhood predicts a more severe form of psoriasis is a matter of controversy, it may cause significant morbidity particularly if it keeps relapsing. Most children have mild form of psoriasis which can be generally treated effectively with topical agents such as emollients, coal tar, corticosteroids, dithranol, calcipotriol etc. according to age and the sites affected. Narrow band UVB is the preferred form of phototherapy in children for moderate to severe disease or in patients not responding to topical therapy alone. Systemic therapies are reserved for more severe and extensive cases that cannot be controlled with topical treatment and/or phototherapy such as severe plaque type, unstable forms like erythrodermic and generalized pustular psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. There are no controlled trials of systemic therapies in this age group, most experience being with retinoids and methotrexate with favorable results. Cyclosporine can be used as a short-term intermittent crisis management drug. There is an early promising experience with the use of biologics (etanercept and infliximab in childhood psoriasis. Systemic treatments as well as phototherapy have limited use in children due to cumulative dose effects of drugs, low acceptance, and risk of gonadal toxicity. More evidence-based data is needed about the effectiveness and long-term safety of topical

  15. Psoriasis and comorbidities: links and risks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ni C

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Catherine Ni, Melvin W Chiu Division of Dermatology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA Abstract: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting approximately 2% of the population worldwide. In the past decade, many studies have drawn attention to comorbid conditions in psoriasis. This literature review examines the epidemiological evidence, pathophysiological commonalities, and therapeutic implications for different comorbidities of psoriasis. Cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, cancer, anxiety and depression, and inflammatory bowel disease have been found at a higher prevalence in psoriasis patients compared to the general population. Because of the wide range of comorbid conditions associated with psoriasis, comprehensive screening and treatment must be implemented to most effectively manage psoriasis patients. Keywords: cardiovascular, metabolic syndrome

  16. Emotion Regulation in Patients with Psoriasis: Correlates of Disability, Clinical Dimensions, and Psychopathology Symptoms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almeida, Vera; Taveira, Sofia; Teixeira, Maribel; Almeida, Isabel; Rocha, José; Teixeira, Ana

    2017-08-01

    There are known connections between emotions and psoriasis; however, we have not established a clear pathway for this association. This study aimed to explore correlates of difficulties in emotional regulation in patients with psoriasis and predict the influence of emotional regulation in psoriasis disability. Two hundred and twenty eight participants completed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale, Self-administered Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, Psoriasis Disability Index, and Brief Symptom Inventory. Spearman's correlation and a hierarchical stepwise multiple regression were carried out to analyse associations. Results indicated that patients with the most recent diagnoses experienced greater difficulty in acting in accordance with goals (r = .16, p psoriasis severity (r = .15, p psoriasis disability (β = .34). The results highlighted the relationship between emotional regulation difficulty, disease characteristics, and psychological variables in psoriasis disability emphasizing the importance of including a broader approach in clinical management of psoriatic patients.

  17. Morphological, clinical and radiological aspects in diagnostics of bronchopulmonary diseases and their complications in children with dysplasia of connective tissue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Palchik S.M.

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The article provides an overview of the literature devoted to study of radiological, morphological and clinical aspects of diagnostics of respiratory diseases and their complications in children with dysplasia of connective tissue nowadays. We made an analysis of the role of connective tissue disorders in pathogenesis of bronchopulmonary diseases. Theoretically was substantiated the importance of radiological methods in early diagnostics of this disease in children.

  18. Putting together the psoriasis puzzle: an update on developing targeted therapies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leanne M. Johnson-Huang

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Psoriasis vulgaris is a chronic, debilitating skin disease that affects millions of people worldwide. There is no mouse model that accurately reproduces all facets of the disease, but the accessibility of skin tissue from patients has facilitated the elucidation of many pathways involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and highlighted the importance of the immune system in the disease. The pathophysiological relevance of these findings has been supported by genetic studies that identified polymorphisms in genes associated with NFκB activation, IL-23 signaling and T helper 17 (Th17-cell adaptive immune responses, and in genes associated with the epidermal barrier. Recently developed biologic agents that selectively target specific components of the immune system are highly effective for treating psoriasis. In particular, emerging therapeutics are focused on targeting the IL-23–Th17-cell axis, and several agents that block IL-17 signaling have shown promising results in early-phase clinical trials. This review discusses lessons learned about the pathogenesis of psoriasis from mouse-and patient-based studies, emphasizing how the outcomes of clinical trials with T-cell-targeted and cytokine-blocking therapies have clarified our understanding of the disease.

  19. Effects of bleomycin and x irradiation on the frequency of chromosomal aberrations in selected connective tissue diseases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burkhardt, W.C. Jr.

    1978-01-01

    Whole blood lymphocytes from 28 patients with selected connective tissue disorders (6 progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS), 6 anti-nuclear antibody positive rheumatoid arthritis, 6 anti-nuclear antibody negative rheumatoid arthritis, 6 systemic lupus erythematosus, and 4 mixed connective tissue disease) and 17 controls matched for sex, age, and race were studied to determine the frequency of spontaneous as well as bleomycin and/or x-irradiation induced chromosomal aberrations. The effects of bleomycin on cultured lymphocytes were tested, but differential susceptibilities to this clastogen were not demonstrated among the disease groups and controls investigated. However, the combined effect of bleomycin and x irradiation were found to be additive in control lymphocytes, nearly additive in PSS, RA+, and SLE cultures, but reduced considerably from the expected additive value in Ra- cultures. This study indicated that peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with connective tissue disease, as a whole, possess greater frequencies of spontaneous chromosomal aberrations than matched controls and that x rays can produce greater frequencies of chromosomal aberrations in whole blood lymphocytes of PSS patients than in suitably matched control individuals

  20. Moderate Psoriasis: A Proposed Definition.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Llamas-Velasco, M; de la Cueva, P; Notario, J; Martínez-Pilar, L; Martorell, A; Moreno-Ramírez, D

    2017-12-01

    The Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) is the most widely used scale for assessing the severity of psoriasis and for therapeutic decision making. On the basis of the PASI score, patients have been stratified into 2 groups: mild disease and moderate-to-severe disease. To draft a proposal for the definition and characterization of moderate psoriasis based on PASI and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) scores. A group of 6 dermatologists with experience in the treatment of psoriasis undertook a critical review of the literature and a discussion of cases to draft a proposal. In order of priority, PASI, DLQI, and body surface area (BSA) are the parameters to be used in daily practice to classify psoriasis as mild, moderate, or severe. Severity should be assessed on the basis of a combined evaluation and interpretation of the PASI and DLQI. And 3, PASI and DLQI should carry equal weight in the determination of disease severity. On this basis, psoriasis severity was defined using the following criteria: mild, PASI15, independently of the DLQI score. A more precise classification of psoriasis according to disease severity will improve the risk-benefit assessment essential to therapeutic decision making in these patients. Copyright © 2017 AEDV. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  1. Insight into psoriasis management: commercial perspectives for the U.S. psoriasis market.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tran, Bryant; Feldman, Steven R

    2011-02-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition that has a significant impact on quality of life, self-esteem and comorbidities. Management of this condition is complicated and heavily influenced by psychosocial and economic realities. Addressing psychosocial and treatment education issues can be facilitated by use of the National Psoriasis Foundation. Localized disease is generally treated with topical treatment for which good generic medications are available. Somewhat higher priced branded vehicles are helpful for enhancing patients' treatment adherence, and may help avoid the need for far more toxic and expensive systemic treatment. Patients with extensive disease are best managed with phototherapy as a first-line option, and there is room for improvement in how insurers promote the use of this approach. Biologic treatments continue to offer new, safer options for patients with severe disease, albeit at higher cost. This review addresses practical issues in psoriasis management that would be of interest to organizations that are involved in the delivery of care for patients with psoriasis, such as managed care pharmacists and pharmaceutical companies that develop products for psoriasis.

  2. Psoriasis and high blood pressure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salihbegovic, Eldina Malkic; Hadzigrahic, Nermina; Suljagic, Edin; Kurtalic, Nermina; Sadic, Sena; Zejcirovic, Alema; Mujacic, Almina

    2015-02-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic skin ailment which can be connected with an increased occurrence of other illnesses, including high blood pressure. 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 48,57%. Average duration of psoriasis was 15,52 (SD=±12,54) years. Frequency of high blood pressure in those affected by psoriasis was 54,28%. Average age of the patients with psoriasis and high blood pressure was 53,79 year (SD=±14,15) and average duration of psoriasis was 17,19 years (SD=±13,51). Average values of PASI score were 16,65. Increase in values of PASI score and high blood pressure were statistically highly related (r=0,36, p=0,0001). Psoriasis was related to high blood pressure and there was a correlation between the severity of psoriasis and high blood pressure.

  3. BIOCOMPATIBILITY OF AZITROMICYN ON CONNECTIVE TISSUE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shafira Kurnia

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: periodontal disease is commonly caused by bacteria, especially actinomyces actinomycetemcomitans and porphyromonas gingivalis have an abilty enter epithelial cells objectives: to investigate systemic azithromycin as the antibiotic of choice for periodontal disease based on biocomptability test in connective tissue. Material and Methods: BHK 21 cell lines were exposed to 0.025%, 0.050%, 0.075%, and 0.1% azithromycin solution for seven times. Samples were put in incubator for 24 hours. Result: Azitrromycin 0.050%-0.1% showed significant difference between life cells percentage and control, however, azithromycin 0.025% revealed insignificant difference with control. Conclusion: 0.025% azithromycin was considered biocompatible with connective tissue and 0.050% was not.

  4. Association between Contact allergy and Psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bangsgaard, Nannie

    2011-01-01

    6. SUMMERY 6.1 Summery in English Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) and psoriasis are the two most prevalent skin diseases in the western world. ACD is the clinical manifestation of contact allergy. Contact allergy and psoriasis are both due to inflammatory mechanisms involving the innate...... and adaptive immune system. Psoriasis is conceived to be an autoimmune disease. Recent studies have suggested an inverse relation between contact allergy and autoimmune diseases. The association between contact allergy and psoriasis could reveal mechanistic insights into both inflammatory processes....... The overall aim of this PhD study was to investigate the association between contact allergy and autoimmune disease, with focus on psoriasis. The work was done in three study parts. Part I Epidemiological studies. Part II Sensitization study and Part III Experimental studies. In part I the association between...

  5. Treating Psoriasis During Pregnancy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bangsgaard, Nannie; Rørbye, Christina; Skov, Lone

    2015-01-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease with a well-documented negative effect on the quality of life of affected patients. Psoriasis often occurs in the reproductive years, during which the issue of pregnancy needs to be addressed. The course of psoriasis during pregnancy is unpredictable......, and many patients face the challenge of needing treatment during pregnancy. In this review we provide an overview of the key considerations for managing psoriasis in pregnant women, covering the potential effects of active psoriasis and co-morbid conditions on the health of the mother and fetus, as well...

  6. Quantitative nailfold capillaroscopy findings in a population with connective tissue disease and in normal healthy controls.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kabasakal, Y; Elvins, D M; Ring, E F; McHugh, N J

    1996-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To describe and quantify the morphological characteristics of nailfold capillaries that distinguish different forms of connective tissue disease from healthy controls. METHODS: A CCD video microscope with fibreoptic illumination and PC based image processing was used to visualise nailfold capillaries and to quantify findings in 23 patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), 22 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 21 patients with undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD), and 38 healthy controls. RESULTS: Capillary density was reduced in SSc (5.2 (SD 1.3) capillaries/mm) compared with other patient groups and controls. The average number of enlarged capillaries/finger was high in all disease groups (5.5-6.6) compared with controls (2). However, giant capillaries were most frequent in SSc (43%) and were not present in controls. Mild and moderate avascular areas were present in all groups (35%-68%), but severe avascularity was most frequent in SSc (44%) compared with other patients (18%-19%) and controls (0%). The greatest frequency of extensive haemorrhage was in SSc (35%). CONCLUSIONS: There is a range of abnormal capillary findings in patients with connective tissue disease and healthy controls. However, certain abnormalities such as a reduced number of capillaries, severe avascularity, giant capillaries, and haemorrhage are most commonly associated with SSc. Videomicroscopy with image processing offers many technical advantages that can be exploited in further studies of nailfold capillaries. Images PMID:8774177

  7. Psoriasis in the pediatric population; Psoriasis en la poblacion pediatrica

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vindas Calderon, Wendy

    2013-07-01

    A scientific and updated bibliographic review is realized for handling and care of a pediatric patient with psoriasis disease. Health personnel related with this pathology must to know the different perspectives and angles of psoriasis, as well as clinical criteria, therapeutic and emotional in the treatment of patients. The incidence of psoriasis is recognized globally. Ethnic groups have developed with most frequently this disorder. The different clinical faces of psoriasis are studied. The morphological and topographical manifestations have presented a variety very similar to that of adults, and have made for the doctor difficult to make the diagnostic. Clinical studies that were realized in the last years, have reported etiological and pathogenic evidence, both genetic and immunological of this illness. Children with psoriasis usually have presented a mild illness, where psoriasis type plaque has been the predominant variant. Psoriasis in the population has required a special attention in triggers or aggravating factors of this disease such as infections, exposure to snuff, obesity, stress and interactions with other drugs. The discovery and use of new drugs have led to different etiological factors for the handling of psoriasis; so it is important to know the function, availability and adverse effects that can to cause new therapies. Treatments must to include the provision of a safe and effective therapy for the maintenance for free long periods of lesions, reducing the severity of the disease, and inhibiting structural damage of joints. The topical treatment has been the therapy of first choice in mild psoriasis and localized. An interrogatory is recommended to decide objectively a systemic treatment, because the infant population has been a sensitive group of possible adverse effects. Methotrexate has been the treatment of choice for psoriasis related to arthropathy both adults and children. Phototherapy, including UVB, PUVA light and excimer laser is

  8. Relationship between Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Psoriasis: A Novel Hepato-Dermal Axis?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mantovani, Alessandro; Gisondi, Paolo; Lonardo, Amedeo; Targher, Giovanni

    2016-02-05

    Over the past 10 years, it has become increasingly evident that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a multisystem disease that affects multiple extra-hepatic organ systems and interacts with the regulation of several metabolic and immunological pathways. In this review we discuss the rapidly expanding body of clinical and epidemiological evidence supporting a strong association between NAFLD and chronic plaque psoriasis. We also briefly discuss the possible biological mechanisms underlying this association, and discuss treatment options for psoriasis that may influence NAFLD development and progression. Recent observational studies have shown that the prevalence of NAFLD (as diagnosed either by imaging or by histology) is remarkably higher in psoriatic patients (occurring in up to 50% of these patients) than in matched control subjects. Notably, psoriasis is associated with NAFLD even after adjusting for metabolic syndrome traits and other potential confounding factors. Some studies have also suggested that psoriatic patients are more likely to have the more advanced forms of NAFLD than non-psoriatic controls, and that psoriatic patients with NAFLD have more severe psoriasis than those without NAFLD. In conclusion, the published evidence argues for more careful evaluation and surveillance of NAFLD among patients with psoriasis.

  9. Beliefs about health, illness and acceptance of the limitations of chronic somatic disease inpeople with psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joanna Miniszewska

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Occurrence of a chronic disease means for an affected person significant changes in life and the disease itself can be seen in various categories. Assessment of the disease often affects its acceptance, which in turn affects the choice of coping strategies in dealing with it. Beliefs about psoriasis, a chronic skin disease that causes numerous psychosocial consequences, may influence its acceptance. Aim of the study: To determine the relationship between the way the disease is perceived, beliefs about having an impact on one’s own health, and acceptance of limitations of the disease. Material and methods: The study included 61 psoriasis patients. The following measures were employed: Acceptance of Illness Scale (AIS, Disease-Related Appraisals Scale (SOWC, Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHLC, Self-Administered Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (SAPASI. Results: Sex and occurrence of the disease in family members did not differentiate the respondents in terms of the level of acceptance of the disease. Their perception of the disease as a threat, harm, obstacles and imbalances of life and treatment of health in terms of a chance, and severity of psoriasis measured with SAPASI correlated negatively with the disease acceptance. Internal health locus of control affected it positively. Two homogeneous subgroups were separated. Assessment of the disease in terms of an obstacle/loss, internal health locus of control and treatment of health in terms of a chance allow to predict the level of psoriasis acceptance. Conclusions: People’s beliefs relating to their own illness and their belief in having (or not an influence on their own health are associated with the level of accepting the disease. In other words, beliefs about a disease correlate with adaptation to it.

  10. Psoriasis in children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pinson R

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Roxanne Pinson,1 Bahman Sotoodian,2 Loretta Fiorillo2,3 1School of Medicine, 2Division of Dermatology and Cutaneous Sciences, Department of Medicine, 3Division of Pediatric Dermatology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada Abstract: The clinical presentation, disease associations, and diverse treatment modalities in overcoming the challenges of managing pediatric psoriasis have been extensively summarized in this article. An extensive literature review revealed the differences in presentation of psoriasis during infancy, childhood, and adolescence. We also summarized the latest topical, systemic, and biological modalities in treating recalcitrant psoriasis. The association of psoriasis with juvenile arthritis and obesity and the significant influence of the disease on the children's quality of life were explored. The clinical presentation of psoriasis can evolve during the child's lifespan. While many treatment modalities already exist for treating pediatric psoriasis, some of the new biologics that are approved for adult patients have not been investigated in the pediatric population and no algorithm exists for their use in this population. Large clinical studies in the future will enhance our understanding with regards to their safety and potential implications in pediatric populations. Keywords: pediatric, epidemiology, juvenile arthritis, topical treatment, systemic treatment, phototherapy, biologics

  11. Biosimilars for psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cohen, A. D.; Wu, J. J.; Puig, L.

    2017-01-01

    The introduction of biological drugs for the treatment of patients with psoriasis has revolutionized treatment paradigms and enabled numerous patients to achieve disease control with an acceptable safety profile. However, the high cost of biologics limits access to these medications for the major......The introduction of biological drugs for the treatment of patients with psoriasis has revolutionized treatment paradigms and enabled numerous patients to achieve disease control with an acceptable safety profile. However, the high cost of biologics limits access to these medications...... for the majority of patients worldwide. In recent years, the introduction of biosimilars for inflammatory diseases has become a fast evolving field. The future use of biosimilars offers the potential for decreased cost and increased access to biologics for patients with psoriasis. For approval of biosimilars...... in patients with psoriasis; spontaneous reporting, registries and use of ‘big data’ should facilitate this process on a global basis. The current article describes biosimilar regulatory guidelines and examples of biosimilar uptake in clinical practice in several countries around the world. As it is apparent...

  12. Connective Tissue Disorders

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... of connective tissue. Over 200 disorders that impact connective tissue. There are different types: Genetic disorders, such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Marfan syndrome, and osteogenesis imperfecta Autoimmune disorders, such as lupus and scleroderma Cancers, like some types of soft tissue sarcoma Each ...

  13. Connective tissue diseases and noninvasive evaluation of atherosclerosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ardita G

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Giorgio Ardita, Giacomo Failla, Paolo Maria Finocchiaro, Francesco Mugno, Luigi Attanasio, Salvatore Timineri, Michelangelo Maria Di SalvoCardiovascular Department, Angiology Unit, Ferrarotto Hospital, Catania, ItalyAbstract: Connective tissue diseases (CTDs are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease due to accelerated atherosclerosis. In patients with autoimmune disorders, in addition to traditional risk factors, an immune-mediated inflammatory process of the vasculature seems to contribute to atherogenesis. Several pathogenetic mechanisms have been proposed, including chronic inflammation and immunologic abnormalities, both able to produce vascular damage. Macrovascular atherosclerosis can be noninvasively evaluated by ultrasound measurement of carotid or femoral plaque. Subclinical atherosclerosis can be evaluated by well-established noninvasive techniques which rely on ultrasound detection of carotid intima-media thickness. Flow-mediated vasodilatation and arterial stiffness are considered markers of endothelial dysfunction and subclinical atherosclerosis, respectively, and have been recently found to be impaired early in a wide spectrum of autoimmune diseases. Carotid intima-media thickness turns out to be a leading marker of subclinical atherosclerosis, and many studies recognize its role as a predictor of future vascular events, both in non-CTD individuals and in CTD patients. In rheumatic diseases, flow-mediated dilatation and arterial stiffness prove to be strongly correlated with inflammation, disease damage index, and with subclinical atherosclerosis, although their prognostic role has not yet been conclusively shown. Systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and likely antiphospholipid syndrome are better associated with premature and accelerated atherosclerosis. Inconclusive results were reported in systemic sclerosis.Keywords: rheumatic disease, subclinical atherosclerosis, arterial stiffness

  14. Psoriasis and comorbidities. Epidemiological studies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Egeberg, Alexander

    2016-01-01

    as well. Indeed, approximately one-third of patients with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis, and patients with severe psoriasis have a shortened life expectancy. Although our knowledge of the pathogenesis of psoriasis has advanced significantly in the past decade, as have the pharmacological treatment......, the relationship between psoriasis and uveitis, and the risk of incident multiple sclerosis (MS) following the onset of psoriasis, respectively. The main results were a significantly increased risk of myocardial infarction, stroke, and CVD death in patients with psoriasis during stages of acute depression....... Moreover, we found a bidirectional relationship between psoriasis and uveitis, where the occurrence of either disease significantly increased the risk of the other. Perhaps most notably, however, was that we found a psoriasis-severity dependent increased risk of MS. In conclusion, psoriasis...

  15. Stem cells in psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hou, Ruixia; Li, Junqin; Niu, Xuping; Liu, Ruifeng; Chang, Wenjuan; Zhao, Xincheng; Wang, Qiang; Li, Xinhua; Yin, Guohua; Zhang, Kaiming

    2017-06-01

    Psoriasis is a complex chronic relapsing inflammatory disease. Although the exact mechanism remains unknown, it is commonly accepted that the development of psoriasis is a result of multi-system interactions among the epidermis, dermis, blood vessels, immune system, neuroendocrine system, metabolic system, and hematopoietic system. Many cell types have been confirmed to participate in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Here, we review the stem cell abnormalities related to psoriasis that have been investigated recently. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  16. Genetic polymorphisms associated with psoriasis and development of psoriatic arthritis in patients with psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Loft, Nikolai Dyrberg; Skov, Lone; Rasmussen, Mads Kirchheiner

    2018-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Psoriasis (PsO) is a chronic inflammatory disease with predominantly cutaneous manifestations. Approximately one third of patients with PsO develop psoriatic arthritis (PsA), whereas the remaining proportion of patients has isolated cutaneous psoriasis (PsC). These two phenotypes share...... (rs6887695) was associated with PsO. CONCLUSION: Among a cohort of Danish patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, two SNPs in the IL12B and TNF genes were associated with susceptibility of psoriasis. None of the SNPs were specifically associated with isolated cutaneous psoriasis or psoriatic...

  17. Psoriasis in the pediatric population

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vindas Calderon, Wendy

    2013-01-01

    A scientific and updated bibliographic review is realized for handling and care of a pediatric patient with psoriasis disease. Health personnel related with this pathology must to know the different perspectives and angles of psoriasis, as well as clinical criteria, therapeutic and emotional in the treatment of patients. The incidence of psoriasis is recognized globally. Ethnic groups have developed with most frequently this disorder. The different clinical faces of psoriasis are studied. The morphological and topographical manifestations have presented a variety very similar to that of adults, and have made for the doctor difficult to make the diagnostic. Clinical studies that were realized in the last years, have reported etiological and pathogenic evidence, both genetic and immunological of this illness. Children with psoriasis usually have presented a mild illness, where psoriasis type plaque has been the predominant variant. Psoriasis in the population has required a special attention in triggers or aggravating factors of this disease such as infections, exposure to snuff, obesity, stress and interactions with other drugs. The discovery and use of new drugs have led to different etiological factors for the handling of psoriasis; so it is important to know the function, availability and adverse effects that can to cause new therapies. Treatments must to include the provision of a safe and effective therapy for the maintenance for free long periods of lesions, reducing the severity of the disease, and inhibiting structural damage of joints. The topical treatment has been the therapy of first choice in mild psoriasis and localized. An interrogatory is recommended to decide objectively a systemic treatment, because the infant population has been a sensitive group of possible adverse effects. Methotrexate has been the treatment of choice for psoriasis related to arthropathy both adults and children. Phototherapy, including UVB, PUVA light and excimer laser is

  18. Lung involvement in systemic connective tissue diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Plavec Goran

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aim. Systemic connective tissue diseases (SCTD are chronic inflammatory autoimmune disorders of unknown cause that can involve different organs and systems. Their course and prognosis are different. All of them can, more or less, involve the respiratory system. The aim of this study was to find out the frequency of respiratory symptoms, lung function disorders, radiography and high-resolution computerized tomography (HRCT abnormalities, and their correlation with the duration of the disease and the applied treatment. Methods. In 47 non-randomized consecutive patients standard chest radiography, HRCT, and lung function tests were done. Results. Hypoxemia was present in nine of the patients with respiratory symptoms (20%. In all of them chest radiography was normal. In five of these patients lung fibrosis was established using HRCT. Half of all the patients with SCTD had symptoms of lung involvement. Lung function tests disorders of various degrees were found in 40% of the patients. The outcome and the degree of lung function disorders were neither in correlation with the duration of SCTD nor with therapy used (p > 0.05 Spearmans Ro. Conclusion. Pulmonary fibrosis occurs in about 10% of the patients with SCTD, and possibly not due to the applied treatment regimens. Hypoxemia could be a sing of existing pulmonary fibrosis in the absence of disorders on standard chest radiography.

  19. Psoriasis og aterotrombotisk sygdom

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ahlehoff, Ole; Gislason, Gunnar H; Skov, Lone

    2010-01-01

    Psoriasis and atherosclerosis share immunoinflammatory mechanisms and patients with psoriasis may carry an excess of cardiovascular risk factors (hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, smoking etc.) and increased risk of atherothrombotic disease....... The current review summarises the available evidence in this area of research and calls for increased awareness of cardiovascular risk assessment and treatment in patients with psoriasis....

  20. Fibrosis in connective tissue disease: the role of the myofibroblast and fibroblast-epithelial cell interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krieg, Thomas; Abraham, David; Lafyatis, Robert

    2007-01-01

    Fibrosis, characterized by excessive extracellular matrix accumulation, is a common feature of many connective tissue diseases, notably scleroderma (systemic sclerosis). Experimental studies suggest that a complex network of intercellular interactions involving endothelial cells, epithelial cells, fibroblasts and immune cells, using an array of molecular mediators, drives the pathogenic events that lead to fibrosis. Transforming growth factor-β and endothelin-1, which are part of a cytokine hierarchy with connective tissue growth factor, are key mediators of fibrogenesis and are primarily responsible for the differentiation of fibroblasts toward a myofibroblast phenotype. The tight skin mouse (Tsk-1) model of cutaneous fibrosis suggests that numerous other genes may also be important. PMID:17767742

  1. Psoriasis og aterotrombotisk sygdom

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ahlehoff, Ole; Gislason, Gunnar H; Skov, Lone

    2010-01-01

    Psoriasis and atherosclerosis share immunoinflammatory mechanisms and patients with psoriasis may carry an excess of cardiovascular risk factors (hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, smoking etc.) and increased risk of atherothrombotic disease...

  2. [Mixed connective tissue disease: prevalence and clinical characteristics in African black, study of 7 cases in Gabon and review of the literature].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Missounga, Landry; Ba, Josaphat Iba; Nseng Nseng Ondo, Ingrid Rosalie; Nziengui Madjinou, Maria Ines Carine; Malekou, Doris; Mouendou Mouloungui, Emeline Gracia; Nzengue, Emmanuel Ecke; Boguikouma, Jean Bruno; Kombila, Moussavou

    2017-01-01

    The literature reports that mixed connective tissue disease seems more frequent in the black population and among Asians. This study aims to determine the prevalence of mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) among connective tissue disorders and all rheumatologic pathologies in a hospital population in Gabon as well as to describe the clinical features of this disease. We conducted a retrospective study by reviewing the medical records of patients treated for mixed connective tissue disease (Kasukawa criteria) and other entities of connective tissue disorders (ACR criteria) in the Division of Rheumatology at the University Hospital in Libreville between January 2010 and December 2015. For each case of MCTD the parameters studied were articular and extra-articular manifestations, anti-U1RNP antibodies levels, patient's evolution. Over a period of 6 years, data were collected by medical records of 7 patients out of 6050 patients and 67 cases of connective tissue disorders, reflecting a prevalence of 0.11% and 10.44% respectively. the 7 patients were women (100%), with an average age of 39.5 years. Articular manifestations included: polyarthritis, myalgias, chubby fingers and Raynaud's phenomenon in 87.5%, 87.5%, 28.6% and 14% respectively. The 7 patients had high anti-U1RNP antibodies levels, ranging between 5 and 35N (N≤ 7 IU). A case of death due to pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) was certified. This is the largest case series of MCTD reported in Black Africa. The disease seems to be rare among the black Africans; the reason could be genetic. The demographic and clinical aspects appear similar to those in Caucasians, Asians and Blacks except for a low frequency of Raynaud?s phenomenon among Blacks.

  3. Immunogenicity of influenza H1N1 vaccination in mixed connective tissue disease: effect of disease and therapy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renata Miossi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To assess the potential acute effects regarding the immunogenicity and safety of non-adjuvanted influenza A H1N1/2009 vaccine in patients with mixed connective tissue disease and healthy controls. METHODS: Sixty-nine mixed connective tissue disease patients that were confirmed by Kasukawa's classification criteria and 69 age- and gender-matched controls participated in the study; the participants were vaccinated with the non-adjuvanted influenza A/California/7/2009 (H1N1 virus-like strain. The percentages of seroprotec-tion, seroconversion, geometric mean titer and factor increase in the geometric mean titer were calculated. The patients were clinically evaluated, and blood samples were collected pre- and 21 days post-vaccination to evaluate C-reactive protein, muscle enzymes and autoantibodies. Anti-H1N1 titers were determined using an influenza hemagglutination inhibition assay. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01151644. RESULTS: Before vaccination, no difference was observed regarding the seroprotection rates (p = 1.0 and geometric mean titer (p = 0.83 between the patients and controls. After vaccination, seroprotection (75.4% vs. 71%, (p = 0.7, seroconversion (68.1% vs. 65.2%, (p = 1.00 and factor increase in the geometric mean titer (10.0 vs. 8.0, p = 0.40 were similar in the two groups. Further evaluation of seroconversion in patients with and without current or previous history of muscle disease (p = 0.20, skin ulcers (p = 0.48, lupus-like cutaneous disease (p = 0.74, secondary Sjogren syndrome (p = 0.78, scleroderma-pattern in the nailfold capillaroscopy (p = 1.0, lymphopenia #1000/mm³ on two or more occasions (p = 1.0, hypergammaglobulinemia $1.6 g/d (p = 0.60, pulmonary hypertension (p = 1.0 and pulmonary fibrosis (p = 0.80 revealed comparable rates. Seroconversion rates were also similar in patients with and without immunosuppressants. Disease parameters, such as C-reactive protein (p = 0.94, aldolase (p = 0.73, creatine

  4. Purpura fulminans in a patient with mixed connective tissue disease.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Murad, Aizuri A

    2013-01-01

    A 43-year-old lady was admitted to the intensive care unit with sepsis. She had a history of mixed connective tissue disease, Raynaud\\'s syndrome and hypothyroidism. 2 days later, she developed a purpuric rash on her face and extremities with a livedoid background. Few days later, her distal fingers and toes became gangrenous which then had to be amputated. Laboratory investigations showed that she was coagulopathic and had multiple organ dysfunctions. Antiphospholipid antibodies were negative; however, protein C and antithrombin III levels were low. A skin biopsy showed fibrinoid necrosis in the vessel wall with microthrombi and red-cell extravasation. A diagnosis of purpura fulminans was made.

  5. Recommendations for obstetric management and principles of cooperation between rheumatologists and obstetricians in systemic connective tissue disease patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Justyna Teliga-Czajkowska

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Systemic connective tissue diseases, notably rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus, frequently affect women of reproductive age. The significant impact of the diseases on the course of pregnancy is well established, and vice versa – the course of systemic connective tissue diseases may be affected by pregnancy. The risk of developing serious pregnancy complications and obstetric failures is markedly higher in the mentioned disease group. The foundation of obstetric success, i.e. giving birth to a healthy child and pregnancy having no effect on the course of a given autoimmune disease, is cooperation between rheumatologists and obstetricians so as to plan procreation at an optimal period and provide accurate pregnancy monitoring. The article delineates recommendations relating to contraception management, obstetric supervision and fetus wellbeing monitoring, from the point of view of the obstetrician.

  6. Psychological differences between early- and late-onset psoriasis: a study of personality traits, anxiety and depression in psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Remröd, C; Sjöström, K; Svensson, A

    2013-08-01

    Onset of psoriasis may occur at any age. Early negative experiences often influence personality development, and may lead to physical disease, anxiety and depression in adulthood. Knowledge about onset of psoriasis and psychopathology is limited. To examine whether patients with early-onset psoriasis differ psychologically from patients with late-onset psoriasis, regarding personality traits, anxiety and depression. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 101 consecutively recruited outpatients with psoriasis. A psychosocial interview was performed followed by self-assessment of validated questionnaires: Swedish Universities Scales of Personality (SSP), Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory. Psoriasis severity was assessed by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index. Patients with early-onset psoriasis (age personality traits: SSP-embitterment, -trait irritability, -mistrust and -verbal trait aggression. Our results indicate that early detection of psychological vulnerability when treating children and adolescents with psoriasis seems to be of great importance. Traits of psychological vulnerability and pessimistic personality traits were found to be significantly associated with the early onset of psoriasis, but not with disease duration in this study. These traits may be seen as a consequence of psoriasis, and/or as individual traits modulating and impairing clinical course and efforts to cope with psoriasis. © 2013 The Authors BJD © 2013 British Association of Dermatologists.

  7. Osteomalacia associated with cutaneous psoriasis as the presenting feature of coeliac disease: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frikha, Faten; Snoussi, Mouna; Bahloul, Zouhir

    2012-01-01

    Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic digestive disease that results in hypersensitivity to the gliadin fraction of Gluten. Malabsorption syndrome may be responsible for weight loss, diarrhea, osteomalacia, and vitamins deficiency. Herein we report a patient with coeliac disease (CD) who presented with osteomalacia and psoriasis without classical symptoms of CD. A 25-year-old North African Tunisian white woman was admitted to the hospital because of a 1-year history of bone pain, weight loss and weakness. She had cutaneous psoriasis on dermatologic examination. She had also anemia, hypocalcemia and pathological fracture. She was diagnosed to have osteomalacia on the basis of clinical, biological and radiological findings. Further investigations revealed the presence of antiglutaminase antibodies, and histopathologic findings of the duodenal biopsy were consistent with celiac disease. The patient showed a fast response to gluten-free diet, and full recovery with calcium and vitamin D replacement. Coeliac disease is frequently misdiagnosed leading to major complications such as osteolamacia. In the other hand, osteomalacia can still be the presenting feature of undiagnosed celiac disease. Association between osteomalacia and cutaneous psoriasis is rarely reported.

  8. PASI (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index in the evaluation of the clinical manifestations of psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. A. Kubanov

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Psoriasis is one of the most prevalent chronic inflammatory skin diseases. The severity of its clinical manifestations can vary greatly. Objective assessment of psoriasis severity is required to select an adequate therapy. One of the simplest and most consistent methods used to determine psoriasis severity is to calculate the PASI (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index. This index is based on the doctor’s determination of the sum of indices showing the intensity of the main symptoms of psoriasis: erythema, infiltration and peeling in view of the affected skin area. The PASI can also be used to assess the efficacy of treatment for psoriasis patients.

  9. Epidemiology and comorbidity of psoriasis in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Augustin, M; Glaeske, G; Radtke, M A; Christophers, E; Reich, K; Schäfer, I

    2010-03-01

    Psoriasis is a common disease affecting all age groups. In contrast to adult psoriasis, only few studies on the epidemiology of childhood psoriasis have been published. Assessment of prevalence and comorbidities of juvenile psoriasis in Germany based on health insurance data. Data were collected from a database of about 1.3 million nonselected individuals from a German statutory health insurance organization which covers all geographical regions. Individuals with psoriasis were identified by ICD-10 codes applied to all outpatient and inpatient visits. The present analysis consists of all patients who were enlisted throughout the year 2005. The diagnosis of psoriasis was registered whenever there was at least one documented patient contact using code L40.* and subcodes. Comorbidities were also evaluated by ICD-10 diagnoses. In total, 33 981 patients with the diagnosis of psoriasis were identified. The prevalence in 2005 was 2.5%. The total rate of psoriasis in children younger than 18 years was 0.71%. The prevalence rates increased in an approximately linear manner from 0.12% at the age of 1 year to 1.2% at the age of 18 years. The overall rate of comorbidity in subjects with psoriasis aged under 20 years was twice as high as in subjects without psoriasis. Juvenile psoriasis was associated with increased rates of hyperlipidaemia, obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn disease. Psoriasis is a common disease in children. Like in adults, it is associated with significant comorbidity. Increased attention should be paid to the early detection and treatment of patients affected.

  10. Psoriasis: characteristics, psychosocial effects and treatment options.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Ryan, Sheila

    2012-02-01

    Psoriasis is a complex chronic non-infectious inflammatory skin disease with a variety of different presentations. The classic presentation is of well-defined red plaques with silver scale. The characteristic scale makes the disorder highly visible and intrusive on the patient\\'s lifestyle. The visible nature of the disease ensures that psoriasis has both physical and psychosocial effects. In normal skin, epidermal cell reproduction and proliferation takes 28 days. In psoriasis this process is considerably accelerated to approximately 4 days, resulting in the deposit of immature cells on the skin. While the exact cause of this process is unknown, certain environmental and genetic factors are known to be triggers. Disease management depends on disease severity, psychosocial effects and the patient\\'s lifestyle. To effectively treat this disease the nurse must be skilled in psoriasis management, and in patient education and motivation. This article reviews the characteristics, aetiology, psychosocial effects and treatment strategies of psoriasis.

  11. Ineffectiveness of rat liver tissues in the screening of connective tissue disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aziz, Khalil A.

    2004-01-01

    To assess the effectiveness of using rat liver tissue (RLT) for the screening of connective tissue disease (CTD). Results of patient samples submitted to the Clinical Immunology Laboratory, Brimingham Heartlands Hospital, Bordsley Green East, Brimingham, United Kingdom for the investigation of CTD between 2001 and 2002 were analyzed. Positive results for anti-double stranded DNA (dsDNA) antibodies and anti-extractable nuclear antigen (ENA) antibodies were correlated with the results of the corresponding antinuclear antibodies (ANA), obtained by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) using RLT. In the second part of study samples that were previously tested positive for anti-ENA or anti-dsDNA antibodies were investigated prospectively for ANA using both RLTand human epithelial (Hep-2) cell line. The IIF method employing RLT for screening of CTD, failed to detect ANA patterns from 45% and 25%of patients sample know to contain antibodies to dsDNA and ENA.The anti -dsDNA antibodies that failed to be detected by the RLTwere of low avidity and their clinical significance is unknown. In contrast the antibodies to ENAwere mostly directed against the Ro antigen.In cotrast and like RLT, Hep-2 cell line failed to detect the low avidity anti-dsDNA antibdies.The present study has clearly shown that RLT are ineffective for screening of CTD. It is recommended that laboratories which ars still using these tissues should consider replacing them with the Hep-2 cell line. (author)

  12. Systemic Autoimmune, Rheumatic Diseases and Coinciding Psoriasis: Data from a Large Single-Centre Registry and Review of the Literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Bazsó

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Psoriasis is a systemic immune-inflammatory disease characterized by chronic or recurrent skin symptoms, psoriatic arthritis, enthesopathy, and uveitis. Psoriasis has recently been published to appear with various autoimmune disorders, but the coexistence has been systematically reviewed by only few studies until now. In the present study, charts and electronic database of 4344 patients with various systemic autoimmune disorders, under regular medical control at our department, were reviewed retrospectively searching for association with psoriasis. Hereby, we demonstrate 25 psoriatic patients coinciding with various systemic autoimmune diseases. The coexistence of psoriasis and autoimmune diseases resulted in the worsening of the clinical outcome of the autoimmune diseases as indicated by higher frequency and dosages of glucocorticoid use, need for biologicals, and other comorbidities. These results suggest common environmental and genetic background as well as therapeutic possibilities in the future.

  13. The skin in psoriasis: assessment and challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oji, Vinzenz; Luger, Thomas A

    2015-01-01

    The coexistence of psoriasis arthritis (PsA) and psoriasis vulgaris in about 20% of patients with psoriasis leads to a need for rheumatologic-dermatologic team work. We summarise the role of dermatologists in assessment of the skin in psoriasis. Chronic plaque psoriasis must be differentiated from other subtypes such as generalised pustular psoriasis (GPP) or palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP). Therapeutic management is based on the evaluation of the disease severity. Quantitative scoring of skin severity includes calculation of the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), body surface area (BSA) as well as the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). These scoring systems do not replace the traditional dermatologic medical history and physical examination of the patient. The skin should be examined for additional skin diseases; moreover, patients should be monitored for comorbidity, most importantly PsA and cardiovascular comorbidity.

  14. Association of HLA-DRB1 alleles with susceptibility to mixed connective tissue disease in Polish patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paradowska-Gorycka, A; Stypińska, B; Olesińska, M; Felis-Giemza, A; Mańczak, M; Czuszynska, Z; Zdrojewski, Z; Wojciechowicz, J; Jurkowska, M

    2016-01-01

    Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is a systemic autoimmune disease, originally defined as a connective tissue inflammatory syndrome with overlapping features of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM) and systemic sclerosis (SSc), characterized by the presence of antibodies against components of the U1 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein (U1snRNP). The aim of the study was to assess the frequency of (high-resolution-typed) DRB1 alleles in a cohort of Polish patients with MCTD (n = 103). Identification of the variants potentially associated with risk and protection was carried out by comparison with the DKMS Polish Bone Marrow Donor Registry (41306 alleles). DRB1*15:01 (odds ratio (OR): 6.06; 95% confidence interval (CI) 4.55-8.06), DRB1*04 (OR: 3.69; 95% CI 2.69-5.01) and *09:01 (OR: 8.12; 95% CI 2.15-21.75) were identified as risk alleles for MCTD, while HLA-DRB1*07:01 allele was found to be protective (OR: 0.50; 95% CI 0.28-0.83). The carrier frequency of the DRB1*01 was higher in MCTD patients compared with controls, although the differences were not statistically significant. Our results confirm the modulating influence of HLA-DRB1 genotypes on development of connective tissue diseases such as MCTD. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  15. Association of serum KL-6 levels with interstitial lung disease in patients with connective tissue disease: a cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oguz, Ekin Oktay; Kucuksahin, Orhan; Turgay, Murat; Yildizgoren, Mustafa Turgut; Ates, Askin; Demir, Nalan; Kumbasar, Ozlem Ozdemir; Kinikli, Gulay; Duzgun, Nursen

    2016-03-01

    It was aimed to evaluate KL-6 glycoprotein levels to determine if it may be a diagnostic marker for the connective tissue diseases (CTDs) predicting CTD-related interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) (CTD-ILD) development and to examine if there was a difference between patients and healthy controls. The study included 113 patients with CTD (45 CTD without lung involvement, 68 CTD-ILD) and 45 healthy control subjects. KL-6 glycoprotein levels were analyzed with ELISA in patients and the control group. The relationship between KL-6 glycoprotein levels and CTD-ILD was assessed. In the comparison of all the groups in the study, significantly higher levels of KL-6 were determined in the CTD-ILD group than in either the CTD without pulmonary involvement group or the healthy control group (p connective tissue diseases in the diagnostic groups (systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjögren's syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, mixed connective tissue disease, scleroderma, polymyositis/ dermatomyositis). In the healthy control group, there was a statistically significant difference between KL-6 levels in smokers and non-smokers. Smokers had significantly higher serum KL-6 levels compared with non-smokers (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between smoking status (pack-year) and serum KL-6 levels. There was no statistically significant correlation between serum KL-6 levels and time since diagnosis of CTD and CTD-ILD. The level of KL-6 as a predictive factor could be used to identify the clinical development of ILD before it is detected on imaging modality. Further prospective clinical studies are needed to define whether levels of KL-6 might have prognostic value or might predict progressive ILD.

  16. Human papilloma virus infection and psoriasis: Did human papilloma virus infection trigger psoriasis?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jain, Sonia P; Gulhane, Sachin; Pandey, Neha; Bisne, Esha

    2015-01-01

    Psoriasis is an autoimmune chronic inflammatory skin disease known to be triggered by streptococcal and HIV infections. However, human papilloma virus infection (HPV) as a triggering factor for the development of psoriasis has not been reported yet. We, hereby report a case of plaque type with inverse psoriasis which probably could have been triggered by genital warts (HPV infection) and discuss the possible pathomechanisms for their coexistence and its management.

  17. Characterization of innate lymphoid cells in human skin and blood demonstrates increase of NKp44+ ILC3 in psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villanova, Federica; Flutter, Barry; Tosi, Isabella; Grys, Katarzyna; Sreeneebus, Hemawtee; Perera, Gayathri K; Chapman, Anna; Smith, Catherine H; Di Meglio, Paola; Nestle, Frank O

    2014-04-01

    Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) are increasingly appreciated as key regulators of tissue immunity. However, their role in human tissue homeostasis and disease remains to be fully elucidated. Here we characterize the ILCs in human skin from healthy individuals and from the inflammatory skin disease psoriasis. We show that a substantial proportion of IL-17A and IL-22 producing cells in the skin and blood of normal individuals and psoriasis patients are CD3-negative innate lymphocytes. Deep immunophenotyping of human ILC subsets showed a statistically significant increase in the frequency of circulating NKp44+ ILC3 in the blood of psoriasis patients compared with healthy individuals or atopic dermatitis patients. More than 50% of circulating NKp44+ ILC3 expressed cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen, indicating their potential for skin homing. Analysis of skin tissue revealed a significantly increased frequency of total ILCs in the skin compared with blood. Moreover, the frequency of NKp44+ ILC3 was significantly increased in non-lesional psoriatic skin compared with normal skin. A detailed time course of a psoriasis patient treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor showed a close association between therapeutic response, decrease in inflammatory skin lesions, and decrease of circulating NKp44+ ILC3. Overall, data from this initial observational study suggest a potential role for NKp44+ ILC3 in psoriasis pathogenesis.

  18. Psoriasis and psoriasic arthritis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cortes Vera, Sandra Liliana; Iglesias Gamarra, Antonio; Restrepo Suarez, Jose Felix

    2003-01-01

    The psoriasis is an skin inflammatory disease characterized by chronic and recurrent red skin covered with silver scales. In their pathogenesis, immunogenetic and environmental factors are conjugated. Psoriatic arthritis. That is a seronegative arthropathy. In the greater part of cases follow to a chronic course of cutaneous psoriasis. In this paper, we analyzed the most frequent forms of presentation of cutaneous psoriasis and we revised the psoriatic arthropathy, with some indications about its treatment

  19. Zinc therapy on children with Psoriasis modulates trace elements in serum and tissue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    El-Said, S. A.

    2013-01-01

    This study illustrates the effect of zinc therapy on some trace elements in either serum and skin which has been done on twenty patients with psoriasis with age range between 4 -13 years. They were under medical treatment with 5 milligram; oral zinc sulfate for 12 weeks. A significant increase in both serum and tissue copper and iron levels was detected by atomic absorption spectrophotometer . In addition, a significant decrease in both serum and tissue calcium and magnesium in psoriatic patients. It has been concluded that zinc therapy could be valuable through modulation of copper, calcium, iron and magnesium in psoriatic patients.

  20. Secukinumab treatment in new-onset psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Iversen, L; Eidsmo, L; Austad, J

    2018-01-01

    BACKGROUND: To date, biologic treatments have been assessed in subjects with a long-term history of psoriasis and previous failures to systemic and topical therapies. In rheumatoid arthritis and other immune-mediated inflammatory diseases, early intensive systemic treatment prolongs treatment......-free remission. We hypothesize that by treating patients with psoriasis early with an effective systemic therapy, we may be able to alter the clinical outcome and the natural course of the disease. The STEPIn study (NCT03020199) investigates early intervention with secukinumab versus narrow-band ultraviolet B...... (nb-UVB) phototherapy in subjects with new-onset psoriasis. OBJECTIVE: To determine if early intervention with either nb-UVB treatment or secukinumab in subjects with new-onset plaque psoriasis might modify the natural course of the disease.. METHODS: One-hundred and sixty subjects aged 18-50 years...

  1. Contemporary management of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Jashin J

    2017-12-01

    Psoriasis is a multisystem inflammatory disease that is often underdiagnosed, leaving many patients untreated. Plaque psoriasis, the most common form of the disease, affects approximately 80% to 90% of patients with psoriasis. Formulating a treatment plan can be complicated when various factors are considered. For example, type of therapy is dependent on the severity of the disease. Topical agents are preferred for mild disease, while phototherapy alone or in combination with systemic agents is recommended for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Traditional systemic agents have the convenience of oral dosing; however, their toxicity profile can be a limiting factor. Newer biologic agents haven proven efficacious, if not superior to traditional oral agents, but their high cost can be a substantial disadvantage. Psoriasis has also been associated with increased risk of developing comorbidities, such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, and psoriatic arthritis, all of which increase the patient's overall mortality and further worsen their overall physical well-being. Management of these comorbidities is often overlooked. Moreover, psoriasis may affect a patient's psychological and social well-being. Patients with psoriasis are at a higher risk of developing clinical depression than patients without psoriasis. Inadequate management of comorbidities inevitably leads to poor outcomes, which increases the economic burden to the patient and society. Prevention and management of comorbidities, including cardiovascular and mental health, must be addressed as a part of a patient's overall treatment plan. Specialist coordination may be beneficial for patients with psoriasis. Improved patient care may lead to better clinical and economical outcomes.

  2. Misbehaving macrophages in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Rachael A; Kupper, Thomas S

    2006-08-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease unique to humans. In this issue of the JCI, 2 studies of very different mouse models of psoriasis both report that macrophages play a key role in inducing psoriasis-like skin disease. Psoriasis is clearly a polygenic, inherited disease of uncontrolled cutaneous inflammation. The debate that currently rages in the field is whether psoriasis is a disease of autoreactive T cells or whether it reflects an intrinsic defect within the skin--or both. However, these questions have proven difficult to dissect using molecular genetic tools. In the current studies, the authors have used 2 different animal models to address the role of macrophages in disease pathogenesis: Wang et al. use a mouse model in which inflammation is T cell dependent, whereas the model used by Stratis et al. is T cell independent (see the related articles beginning on pages 2105 and 2094, respectively). Strikingly, both groups report an important contribution by macrophages, implying that macrophages can contribute to both epithelial-based and T cell-mediated pathways of inflammation.

  3. Characterization of innate lymphoid cells (ILC) in human skin and blood demonstrates increase of NKp44+ ILC3 in psoriasis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tosi, Isabella; Grys, Katarzyna; Sreeneebus, Hemawtee; Perera, Gayathri K; Chapman, Anna; Smith, Catherine H; Di Meglio, Paola; Nestle, Frank O

    2013-01-01

    Innate lymphoid cells (ILC) are increasingly appreciated as key regulators of tissue immunity. However, their role in human tissue homeostasis and disease remains to be fully elucidated. Here we characterise the ILC in human skin from healthy individuals and from the inflammatory skin disease psoriasis. We show that a substantial proportion of IL-17A and IL-22 producing cells in skin and blood of normal individuals and psoriasis patients are CD3 negative innate lymphocytes. Deep immunophenotyping of human ILC subsets showed a statistically significant increase in the frequency of circulating NKp44+ ILC3 in blood of psoriasis patients compared to healthy individuals or atopic dermatitis patients. More than 50% of circulating NKp44+ ILC3 expressed cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen indicating their potential for skin homing. Analysis of skin tissue revealed a significantly increased frequency of total ILC in skin compared to blood. Moreover the frequency of NKp44+ ILC3 was significantly increased in non-lesional psoriatic skin compared to normal skin. A detailed time course of a psoriasis patient treated with anti-TNF showed a close association between therapeutic response, decrease in inflammatory skin lesions, and decrease of circulating NKp44+ ILC3. Overall, data from this initial observational study suggest a potential role for NKp44+ ILC3 in psoriasis pathogenesis. PMID:24352038

  4. Quality of care in patients with psoriasis: an initial clinical study of an international disease management programme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Korte, J; Van Onselen, J; Kownacki, S; Sprangers, M A G; Bos, J D

    2005-01-01

    Patients with psoriasis have to cope with their disease for many years or even throughout their entire life. To provide optimal care, a disease management programme was developed. This programme consisted of disease education, disease management training, and psychological support, together with topical treatment. To test a disease management programme in dermatological practice, to assess patients' satisfaction with this programme, and adherence to topical treatment. Additionally, disease severity and quality of life were assessed. An initial clinical investigation was conducted in 10 European treatment centres. A total of 330 patients were included. Patient satisfaction, adherence, disease severity and quality of life were measured with study-specific and standardized self-report questionnaires. Patients reported a high degree of satisfaction with the programme, and a high degree of adherence to topical treatment. Disease severity and quality of life significantly improved. The programme was well received by the participating professionals. The disease management programme was found to be a useful tool in the management of psoriasis, providing patients with relief from the burden of psoriasis in everyday life. A full-scale evaluation is recommended.

  5. Psoriasis herpeticum due to Varicella zoster virus: A Kaposi′s varicelliform eruption in erythrodermic psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Geeta Garg

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Kaposi′s varicelliform eruption (KVE or eczema herpeticum is characterized by disseminated papulovesicular eruption caused by a number of viruses like Herpes simplex virus I and II, Coxsackie virus, and Vaccinia and Small pox viruses in patients with pre-existing skin disease. The occurrence of KVE with psoriasis has been reported recently as a new entity psoriasis herpeticum. The rare causation of psoriasis herpeticum due to Varicella zoster virus in a patient with underlying psoriasis is being reported for the first time.

  6. Interventions for nail psoriasis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Vries, Anna Christa Q.; Bogaards, Nathalie A.; Hooft, Lotty; Velema, Marieke; Pasch, Marcel; Lebwohl, Mark; Spuls, Phyllis I.

    2013-01-01

    Psoriasis is a common skin disease that can also involve the nails. All parts of the nail and surrounding structures can become affected. The incidence of nail involvement increases with duration of psoriasis. Although it is difficult to treat psoriatic nails, the condition may respond to therapy.

  7. Interventions for nail psoriasis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vries, A.C. de; Bogaards, N.A.; Hooft, L.; Velema, M.; Pasch, M.C.; Lebwohl, M.; Spuls, P.I.

    2013-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a common skin disease that can also involve the nails. All parts of the nail and surrounding structures can become affected. The incidence of nail involvement increases with duration of psoriasis. Although it is difficult to treat psoriatic nails, the condition may respond

  8. Parvovirus B19 infection in an adult presenting with connective tissue disease-like symptoms: a report of the clinical and histological findings.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liles, J E; Shalin, S C; White, B A; Trigg, L B; Kaley, J R

    2017-06-15

    Parvovirus B19 infections in adults are usually associated with nonspecific and mild symptoms. However, cases presenting with a lupus-like syndrome have been described, leading to the hypothesis that parvovirus infection can induce connective tissue disease. Various histopathologic features of cutaneous manifestations of parvovirus have been reported, including features which overlap with those of connective tissue disease. Herein, we discuss an unusual case of Parvovirus  B19 infection in a middle-aged woman. The biopsy results showed granulomatous vasculitis and were consistent with the previously described superantigen id reaction. This case demonstrates that infectious causes should be considered in the differential diagnosis for granulomatous vasculitis and clinicopathologic correlation is required for accurate diagnosis. We also provide a review of the literature highlighting the possible role of parvovirus in induction of a connective tissue disease-like presentation.

  9. Review of U.S. registries for psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amin, Mina; No, Daniel J; Wu, Jashin J

    2017-12-01

    Patient registries are databases comprised of standardized clinical data for a specific population of patients with a particular disease or medical condition. Information from patient registries allows clinicians to assess long-lasting outcomes in patients with a specific disease, such as psoriasis. Our primary objective was to identify available psoriasis registries in the United States (U.S.) and evaluate the application of patient registries compared to clinical trials. We searched Google, the Registry of Patient Registries, Orphanet and ClinicalTrials.gov to create a list of U.S. psoriasis registries. We also performed a literature review on the application of psoriasis registries using PubMed. We identified 6 psoriasis patient registries in the United States. Patient registries are frequently used for psoriasis in the U.S. and provide important information about the safety, efficacy and long-term effects of systemic therapies.

  10. Epidemiology and Clinical Features of Adult Patients with Psoriasis in Malaysia: 10-Year Review from the Malaysian Psoriasis Registry (2007–2016

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Azura Mohd Affandi

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting 2-3% of the general population. Aim. To evaluate the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of patients with psoriasis who seek treatment in outpatient dermatology clinics throughout hospitals in Malaysia. Materials and Methods. Data were obtained from the Malaysian Psoriasis Registry (MPR. All patients (aged 18 and above who were notified to the registry from July 2017 to December 2017 were included in this study. Results. Among 15,794 patients, Malays were the most common (50.4%, followed by Chinese (21.4%, Indian (17.6%, and others (10.6%. The mean age onset of psoriasis for our study population was 35.14 ± 16.16 years. Male to female ratio was 1.3 : 1. 23.1% of patients had positive family history of psoriasis. The most common clinical presentation was chronic plaque psoriasis (85.1%, followed by guttate psoriasis (2.9%, erythrodermic psoriasis (1.7%, and pustular psoriasis (1.0%. Majority of our patients (76.6% had a mild disease with BSA < 10%. 57.1% of patients had nail involvement, while arthropathy was seen in 13.7% of patients. Common triggers of the disease include stress (48.3%, sunlight (24.9%, and infection (9.1%. Comorbidities observed include obesity (24.3%, hypertension (25.6%, hyperlipidemia (18%, diabetes mellitus (17.2%, ischaemic heart disease (5.4%, and cerebrovascular disease (1.6%. The mean DLQI (Dermatology Life Quality Index was 8.5 ± 6.6. One-third (33.1% of the patients had a DLQI score of more than 10, while 14.2% of patients reported no effect at all. Conclusion. Our study on the epidemiological data of adult patients with psoriasis in Malaysia showed a similar clinical profile and outcome when compared to international published studies on the epidemiology of psoriasis.

  11. Psoriasis: epidemiology, natural history, and differential diagnosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Basko-Plluska JL

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Juliana L Basko-Plluska, Vesna Petronic-RosicDepartment of Medicine, Section of Dermatology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USAAbstract: Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated, inflammatory disease which affects primarily the skin and joints. It occurs worldwide, but its prevalence varies considerably between different regions of the world. Genetic susceptibility as well as environmental factors play an important role in determining the development and prognosis of psoriasis. Genome-wide association studies have identified many genetic loci as potential psoriasis susceptibility regions, including PSORS1 through PSORS7. Histocompatibility antigen (HLA studies have also identified several HLA antigens, with HLA-Cw6 being the most frequently associated antigen. Epidemiological studies identified several modifiable risk factors that may predispose individuals to developing psoriasis or exacerbate pre-existing disease. These include smoking, obesity, alcohol consumption, diet, infections, medications and stressful life events. The exact mechanism by which they trigger psoriasis remains to be elucidated; however, existing data suggest that they are linked through Th1-mediated immunological pathways. The natural history of psoriasis varies depending on the clinical subtype as well as special circumstances, including pregnancy and HIV infection. In general, psoriasis is a chronic disease with intermittent remissions and exacerbations. The differential diagnosis is vast and includes many other immune-mediated, inflammatory disorders.Keywords: psoriasis, epidemiology, natural history, differential diagnosis

  12. Economic considerations in psoriasis management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radtke, Marc Alexander; Augustin, Matthias

    2008-01-01

    With a prevalence of 2% to 3%, psoriasis is a very common chronic disease worldwide and generates therapy costs and continuing cost for health insurance and patients and their families. Cost-political changes in health care and the ever increasing health-economic demands in all areas of the health system make it necessary to differentiate between the two when recording the expenses for a disease. The main characteristics of the pharmacoeconomic evaluation are the record of costs, the cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness ratio, and efficiency of various treatment forms. Numerous publications discuss the cost of individual forms of therapy in the treatment of psoriasis, but there are fewer studies on the total cost of psoriasis therapy, especially studies that take both direct and indirect costs into account. The scientific articles on pharmacoeconomy and quality of life in psoriasis have proven (without a doubt) that, despite the lack of a vital threat, psoriasis is highly important to the national economy and to those who have the disease. This justifies appropriate monetary expenditure for treatment. Studies that address the cost of therapies (especially for chronic diseases) will be necessary in the future and will create the required transparency to guarantee reasonable medical care that takes the cost-benefit ratio and the best outcome for the patient's quality of life into account.

  13. Biomarkers in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villanova, Federica; Di Meglio, Paola; Nestle, Frank O

    2013-04-01

    Psoriasis is a common immune-mediated disease of the skin, which associates in 20-30% of patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The immunopathogenesis of both conditions is not fully understood as it is the result of a complex interaction between genetic, environmental and immunological factors. At present there is no cure for psoriasis and there are no specific markers that can accurately predict disease progression and therapeutic response. Therefore, biomarkers for disease prognosis and response to treatment are urgently needed to help clinicians with objective indications to improve patient management and outcomes. Although many efforts have been made to identify psoriasis/PsA biomarkers none of them has yet been translated into routine clinical practice. In this review we summarise the different classes of possible biomarkers explored in psoriasis and PsA so far and discuss novel strategies for biomarker discovery.

  14. RIG-I antiviral signaling drives interleukin-23 production and psoriasis-like skin disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Huiyuan; Lou, Fangzhou; Yin, Qianqian; Gao, Yuanyuan; Sun, Yang; Bai, Jing; Xu, Zhenyao; Liu, Zhaoyuan; Cai, Wei; Ke, Fang; Zhang, Lingyun; Zhou, Hong; Wang, Hong; Wang, Gang; Chen, Xiang; Zhang, Hongxin; Wang, Zhugang; Ginhoux, Florent; Lu, Chuanjian; Su, Bing; Wang, Honglin

    2017-05-01

    Retinoic acid inducible-gene I (RIG-I) functions as one of the major sensors of RNA viruses. DDX58 , which encodes the RIG-I protein, has been newly identified as a susceptibility gene in psoriasis. Here, we show that the activation of RIG-I by 5'ppp-dsRNA, its synthetic ligand, directly causes the production of IL-23 and triggers psoriasis-like skin disease in mice. Repeated injections of IL-23 to the ears failed to induce IL-23 production and a full psoriasis-like skin phenotype, in either germ-free or RIG-I-deficient mice. RIG-I is also critical for a full development of skin inflammation in imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like mouse model. Furthermore, RIG-I-mediated endogenous IL-23 production was mainly confined to the CD11c + dendritic cells (DCs) via nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB) signaling, and stimulated RIG-I expression in an auto-regulatory feedback loop. Thus, our data suggest that the dysregulation in the antiviral immune responses of hosts through the innate pattern recognition receptors may trigger the skin inflammatory conditions in the pathophysiology of psoriasis. © 2017 The Authors. Published under the terms of the CC BY 4.0 license.

  15. Patient compliance and disease management in the treatment of psoriasis in the Netherlands

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van de Kerkhof, P. C.; de Hoop, D.; de Korte, J.; Cobelens, S. A.; Kuipers, M. V.

    2000-01-01

    Compliance behaviour and disease management are important issues in chronic skin diseases. Psoriasis patients are 'experts by experience' because of many years of treatment. Therefore, it is relevant to gather data from patients on the actual use of antipsoriatic treatments. The following questions

  16. Living with psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bak, Kirsten Tarri

    2004-01-01

    Living with psoriasis is a considerable burden and quality of life in patients is deeply affected, yet compliance with therapy is a major problem. The literature is abundant in quantitative studies stating the incidence of decrease in quality of life and related, measurable terms, and in efforts...... directed at the improvement of therapies. However, it is sparse concerning the experiences of patients. This study aims to promote an understanding of the daily life of patients with psoriasis with particular regard to how they manage the disease, ultimately to improve nursing care to these patients....... A qualitative, collective case study design was applied. The participants were 4 adult patients with a long and complicated psoriasis history. They were interviewed in depth focusing on their experiences related to psoriasis and its treatment. The patients suffered physically from itch and pain. However...

  17. Molecular and Cellular Profiling of Scalp Psoriasis Reveals Differences and Similarities Compared to Skin Psoriasis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruano, Juan; Suárez-Fariñas, Mayte; Shemer, Avner; Oliva, Margeaux

    2016-01-01

    Scalp psoriasis shows a variable clinical spectrum and in many cases poses a great therapeutic challenge. However, it remains unknown whether the immune response of scalp psoriasis differs from understood pathomechanisms of psoriasis in other skin areas. We sought to determine the cellular and molecular phenotype of scalp psoriasis by performing a comparative analysis of scalp and skin using lesional and nonlesional samples from 20 Caucasian subjects with untreated moderate to severe psoriasis and significant scalp involvement and 10 control subjects without psoriasis. Our results suggest that even in the scalp, psoriasis is a disease of the inter-follicular skin. The immune mechanisms that mediate scalp psoriasis were found to be similar to those involved in skin psoriasis. However, the magnitude of dysregulation, number of differentially expressed genes, and enrichment of the psoriatic genomic fingerprint were more prominent in skin lesions. Furthermore, the scalp transcriptome showed increased modulation of several gene-sets, particularly those induced by interferon-gamma, compared with that of skin psoriasis, which was mainly associated with activation of TNFα/L-17/IL-22-induced keratinocyte response genes. We also detected differences in expression of gene-sets involving negative regulation, epigenetic regulation, epidermal differentiation, and dendritic cell or Th1/Th17/Th22-related T-cell processes. PMID:26849645

  18. Alcohol misuse in patients with psoriasis: identification and relationship to disease severity and psychological distress.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    McAleer, M A

    2012-02-01

    BACKGROUND: Moderate to severe psoriasis is associated with increased alcohol intake and excessive mortality from alcohol-related causes. Alcohol biomarkers provide an objective measure of alcohol consumption. Carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) is the single most sensitive and specific alcohol biomarker. OBJECTIVES: To assess alcohol consumption in a cohort of patients with moderate to severe psoriasis using standard alcohol screening questionnaires and biomarkers. We investigated whether there was an association between alcohol intake, anxiety, depression and disease severity. METHODS: Consecutive patients with chronic plaque psoriasis were recruited and completed a range of anonymized assessments. Psoriasis severity, anxiety and depression, and the impact of psoriasis on quality of life were assessed. Alcohol screening questionnaires were administered. Blood specimens were taken and gamma-glutamyltransferase (gammaGT) and CDT were measured. RESULTS: A total of 135 patients completed the study. Using validated questionnaires, between 22% and 32% had difficulties with alcohol. Seven per cent had CDT > 1.6% indicating a heavy alcohol intake. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) questionnaire was superior to other validated questionnaires in detecting alcohol misuse. There were no significant associations between measures of excessive alcohol consumption and disease severity. Excessive alcohol intake as measured by the CAGE questionnaire was associated with increased depression (P = 0.001) but other measures of alcohol excess did not correlate with psychological distress. Men had significantly more difficulties with alcohol than women (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Alcohol misuse is common in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. Screening with the AUDIT questionnaire and CDT may allow the identification of patients who are misusing alcohol and allow appropriate intervention.

  19. Micromechanics and constitutive modeling of connective soft tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fallah, A; Ahmadian, M T; Firozbakhsh, K; Aghdam, M M

    2016-07-01

    In this paper, a micromechanical model for connective soft tissues based on the available histological evidences is developed. The proposed model constituents i.e. collagen fibers and ground matrix are considered as hyperelastic materials. The matrix material is assumed to be isotropic Neo-Hookean while the collagen fibers are considered to be transversely isotropic hyperelastic. In order to take into account the effects of tissue structure in lower scales on the macroscopic behavior of tissue, a strain energy density function (SEDF) is developed for collagen fibers based on tissue hierarchical structure. Macroscopic response and properties of tissue are obtained using the numerical homogenization method with the help of ABAQUS software. The periodic boundary conditions and the proposed constitutive models are implemented into ABAQUS using the DISP and the UMAT subroutines, respectively. The existence of the solution and stable material behavior of proposed constitutive model for collagen fibers are investigated based on the poly-convexity condition. Results of the presented micromechanics model for connective tissues are compared and validated with available experimental data. Effects of geometrical and material parameters variation at microscale on macroscopic mechanical behavior of tissues are investigated. The results show that decrease in collagen content of the connective tissues like the tendon due to diseases leads 20% more stretch than healthy tissue under the same load which can results in connective tissue malfunction and hypermobility in joints. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. The role of lipids in psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anna Baran

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Psoriasis, affecting 2–4% of the world’s population, is a chronic recurrent inflammatory skin disease. Its multifactorial aetiopathogenesis consists of, for example, abnormal epidermal proliferation, immune disturbances, and genetic, psychosomatic, environmental and hormonal factors. Psoriasis is also considered to be a systemic disorder closely associated with cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus, obesity or metabolic syndrome. Lipids have a variety of biological functions. They participate not only in energy storage and expenditure or the formation of cell membranes, but also in inflammatory and metabolic signalling pathways. Disturbances in their homeostasis lead to the development of immunometabolic disorders, including psoriasis. Based on the available literature, this article presents selected molecular and clinical aspects involved in the multidirectional effect of lipids on psoriasis.

  1. Association of Streptococcus with Plaque Type of Psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Akram Hossain

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: Guttate psoriasis has a well-known association with streptococcal throat infections, but the effects of these infections in patients with chronic plaque type of psoriasis remains to be evaluated. In Bangladesh several studies were done on psoriasis but no data about association between streptococcal throat infection and plaque type psoriasis are available so far. Considering the co-morbidities of psoriasis patients, it might be justifiable to find out the events that provoke the initiation or exacerbation of psoriatic disease process. Objective: To observe the association of streptococcus with plaque type of psoriasis. Materials and Methods: This observational study was conducted in the department of Dermatology and Venereology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka. Forty seven patients clinically and histopathologically diagnosed as having plaque psoriasis were selected as cases and patients with skin diseases other than psoriasis were selected as controls. Results: In this study majority of subjects (55% were diagnosed as chronic plaque psoriasis. Among the subjects with guttate flare of chronic plaque psoriasis 64.2% gave a positive history of sore throat. ASO titer was raised (>200 IU/mL in 28 (59.5% patients of chronic plaque psoriasis and 7 (17.9% patients of non-psoriatic respondents. The difference between two groups was significant (p0.05. Conclusion: This study shows that streptococcal throat infections are associated with plaque psoriasis and early treatment of throat infections may be beneficial for plaque type of psoriasis patients.

  2. Endovascular Repair of Thoracoabdominal and Arch Aneurysms in Patients with Connective Tissue Disease Using Branched and Fenestrated Devices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clough, Rachel E; Martin-Gonzalez, Teresa; Van Calster, Katrien; Hertault, Adrien; Spear, Rafaëlle; Azzaoui, Richard; Sobocinski, Jonathan; Haulon, Stéphan

    2017-10-01

    Prophylactic open surgery is the standard practice in patients with connective tissue and thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) and aortic arch disease. Branched and fenestrated devices offer a less invasive alternative but there are concerns regarding the durability of the repair and the effect of the stent graft on the fragile aortic wall. The aim of this study is to evaluate mid-term outcomes of fenestrated and/or branched endografting in patients with connective tissue disease. All patients with connective tissue disease who underwent TAAA or arch aneurysm repair using a fenestrated and/or branched endograft in a single, high-volume center between 2004 and 2015 were included. Ruptured aneurysms and acute aortic dissections were excluded from this study, but not chronic aortic dissections. In total, 427 (403 pararenal and TAAAs, and 24 arch aneurysms) endovascular interventions were performed during the study period. Of these, 17 patients (4%) (16 TAAAs, 1 arch) had connective tissue disease. All patients were classified as unfit for open repair. The mean age was 51 ± 8 years. Thirteen patients with TAAA were treated with a fenestrated, 1 with a branched, and 2 with a combined fenestrated/branch device. A double inner branch device was used to treat the arch aneurysm. The technical success rate was 100% with no incidence of early mortality, spinal cord ischemia, stroke, or further dissection. Postoperative deterioration in renal function was seen in 3 patients (18.8%) and no hemodialysis was required. The mean follow-up was 3.4 years (0.3-7.4). Aneurysm sac shrinkage was seen in 35% of patients (6/17) and the sac diameter remained stable in 65% of patients (11/17). No sac or sealing zone enlargement was observed in any of the patients and there were no conversions to open repair. Reintervention was required in 1 patient at 2 years for bilateral renal artery occlusion (successful fibrinolysis). One type II endoleak (lumbar) is under surveillance and 1 type

  3. Risk of aortic aneurysm in patients with psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    No, D J; Amin, Faisal Mohammad; Duan, L

    2018-01-01

    Psoriasis has been associated with cardiovascular disease and major adverse cardiovascular events. Studies suggests that the overexpression of inflammatory mediators contribute to the shared pathogenesis of psoriasis and atherosclerotic changes. Moreover, the aberrant inflammation in psoriasis ma...

  4. Possible Triggering Effect of Influenza Vaccination on Psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Tahsin Gunes

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Psoriasis is a chronic, recurrent, immune-mediated inflammatory disease and it can be provoked or exacerbated by a variety of different environmental factors, particularly infections and drugs. In addition, a possible association between vaccination and the new onset and/or exacerbation of psoriasis has been reported by a number of different authors. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of influenza vaccination on patients with psoriasis. Here, we report the findings from 43 patients suffering from psoriasis (clinical phenotypes as mixed guttate/plaque lesions, palmoplantar or scalp psoriasis whose diseases had been triggered after influenza vaccination applied in the 2009-2010 season. The short time intervals between vaccination and psoriasis flares in our patients and the lack of other possible triggers suggest that influenza vaccinations may have provocative effects on psoriasis. However, further large and controlled studies need to be carried out to confirm this relationship.

  5. Biologicals in the treatment of psoriasis: The Indian perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ajit B Janagond

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Psoriasis is a common inflammatory skin disorder characterized by itchy erythematous papules and plaques topped with silvery white scales. It has a chronic relapsing course and is associated with significant morbidity and reduction in the quality of life. Therapy of psoriasis is challenging. Topical therapy forms the first line of treatment for stable plaque psoriasis affecting a limited body surface area and in extensive disease systemic agents are indicated. All these drugs have inherent side effects, and none bring prolonged remission of the disease. The other therapeutic modality for psoriasis is phototherapy, but it is delivered through a specialized machine which can be available only at referral centers. Biologics have revolutionized the management of psoriasis as they can bring a remission of disease up to several years. Although limited availability and high cost prohibit their regular usage, Indian dermatologists are rapidly adopting biologics in the treatment of psoriasis.

  6. Reliability of the MDi Psoriasis® Application to Aid Therapeutic Decision-Making in Psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreno-Ramírez, D; Herrerías-Esteban, J M; Ojeda-Vila, T; Carrascosa, J M; Carretero, G; de la Cueva, P; Ferrándiz, C; Galán, M; Rivera, R; Rodríguez-Fernández, L; Ruiz-Villaverde, R; Ferrándiz, L

    2017-09-01

    Therapeutic decisions in psoriasis are influenced by disease factors (e.g., severity or location), comorbidity, and demographic and clinical features. We aimed to assess the reliability of a mobile telephone application (MDi-Psoriasis) designed to help the dermatologist make decisions on how to treat patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. We analyzed interobserver agreement between the advice given by an expert panel and the recommendations of the MDi-Psoriasis application in 10 complex cases of moderate to severe psoriasis. The experts were asked their opinion on which treatments were most appropriate, possible, or inappropriate. Data from the same 10 cases were entered into the MDi-Psoriasis application. Agreement was analyzed in 3 ways: paired interobserver concordance (Cohen's κ), multiple interobserver concordance (Fleiss's κ), and percent agreement between recommendations. The mean percent agreement between the total of 1210 observations was 51.3% (95% CI, 48.5-54.1%). Cohen's κ statistic was 0.29 and Fleiss's κ was 0.28. Mean agreement between pairs of human observers only, excluding the MDi-Psoriasis recommendations, was 50.5% (95% CI, 47.6-53.5%). Paired agreement between the recommendations of the MDi-Psoriasis tool and the majority opinion of the expert panel (Cohen's κ) was 0.44 (68.2% agreement). The MDi-Psoriasis tool can generate recommendations that are comparable to those of experts in psoriasis. Copyright © 2017 AEDV. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  7. Histology-specific therapy for advanced soft tissue sarcoma and benign connective tissue tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silk, Ann W; Schuetze, Scott M

    2012-09-01

    Molecularly targeted agents have shown activity in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) and benign connective tissue tumors over the past ten years, but response rates differ by histologic subtype. The field of molecularly targeted agents in sarcoma is increasingly complex. Often, clinicians must rely on phase II data or even case series due to the rarity of these diseases. In subtypes with a clear role of specific factors in the pathophysiology of disease, such as giant cell tumor of the bone and diffuse-type tenosynovial giant cell tumor, it is reasonable to treat with newer targeted therapies, when available, in place of chemotherapy when systemic treatment is needed to control disease. In diseases without documented implication of a pathway in disease pathogenesis (e.g. soft tissue sarcoma and vascular endothelial growth factor), clear benefit from drug treatment should be established in randomized phase III trials before implementation into routine clinical practice. Histologic subtype will continue to emerge as a critical factor in treatment selection as we learn more about the molecular drivers of tumor growth and survival in different subtypes. Many of the drugs that have been recently developed affect tumor growth more than survival, therefore progression-free survival may be a more clinically relevant intermediate endpoint than objective response rate using Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors (RECIST) in early phase sarcoma trials. Because of the rarity of disease and increasing need for multidisciplinary management, patients with connective tissue tumors should be evaluated at a center with expertise in these diseases. Participation in clinical trials, when available, is highly encouraged.

  8. Clinical characteristics of patients with facial psoriasis in Malaysia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Syed Nong Chek, Sharifah Rosniza; Robinson, Suganthy; Mohd Affandi, Azura; Baharum, Nurakmal

    2016-10-01

    Psoriasis involving the face is visible and can cause considerable emotional distress to patients. Its presence may also confer a poorer prognosis for the patient. This study sought to evaluate the characteristics of facial psoriasis in Malaysia. A cross-sectional study conducted using data from the Malaysian Psoriasis Registry from 2007 to 2011. Specific risk factors, i.e., age, age of onset, gender, duration of disease, obesity group, body surface area, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), family history of psoriasis, nail involvement, psoriatic arthritis, phototherapy, systemic therapy, clinic visit, days of work/school, and hospital admission due to psoriasis in the last 6 months were analyzed. A total of 48.4% of patients had facial psoriasis. Variables significantly associated with facial psoriasis are younger age, younger age of onset of psoriasis of ≤ 40 years, male, severity of psoriasis involving >10% of the body surface area, higher DLQI of >10, nail involvement, and history of hospitalization due to psoriasis. This study found that facial psoriasis is not as rare as previously thought. Ambient ultraviolet light, sebum, and contact with chemicals from facial products may reduce the severity of facial psoriasis, but these factors do not reduce the prevalence of facial psoriasis. The association with younger age, younger age of onset, higher percentage of body surface area involvement, higher DLQI of > 10, nail involvement, and hospitalization due to psoriasis support the notion that facial psoriasis is a marker of severe disease. © 2016 The International Society of Dermatology.

  9. Et liv med psoriasis - et litteratur review

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kjær, Lone; Glasdam, Stinne

    2011-01-01

    Psoriasis is a non-contagious skin disease affecting the patient’s physical, mental and social well-being. But what do we know about living with psoriasis? The aim of this article is to review published research literature dealing with the impact psoriasis has on a patient’s life in general...

  10. Significance of connective tissue diseases features in pulmonary fibrosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vincent Cottin

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Interstitial lung disease (ILD can occur in any of the connective tissue diseases (CTD with varying frequency and severity, and an overall long-term prognosis that is less severe than that of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF. Because ILD may be the presenting manifestation of CTD and/or the dominant manifestation of CTD, clinical extra-thoracic manifestations should be systematically considered in the diagnostic approach of ILD. When present, autoantibodies strongly contribute to the recognition and classification of the CTD. Patients with clinical extrathoracic manifestations of CTD and/or autoantibodies (especially with a high titer and/or the antibody is considered “highly specific” of an autoimmune condition, but who do not fit with established international CTD criteria may be called undifferentiated CTD or “lung-dominant CTD”. Although it remains to be determined which combination of symptoms and serologic tests best identify the subset of patients with clinically relevant CTD features, available evidence suggests that such patients may have distinct clinical and imaging presentation and may portend a distinct clinical course. However, autoantibodies alone when present in IPF patients do not seem to impact prognosis or management. Referral to a rheumatologist and multidisciplinary discussion may contribute to management of patients with undifferentiated CTD.

  11. Targeting IL-17 with ixekizumab in patients with psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dyring Andersen, Beatrice; Skov, Lone; Zachariae, Claus

    2015-01-01

    Psoriasis is a multifactorial chronic inflammatory skin disease of unknown etiology. Knowledge of the pathophysiology of psoriasis has evolved and identified IL-17 as a key pro-inflammatory mediator in psoriasis creating new medical avenues. Several agents targeting IL-17 or its receptor are in c......Psoriasis is a multifactorial chronic inflammatory skin disease of unknown etiology. Knowledge of the pathophysiology of psoriasis has evolved and identified IL-17 as a key pro-inflammatory mediator in psoriasis creating new medical avenues. Several agents targeting IL-17 or its receptor...... are in clinical trials for the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis. This review focuses on the biological rationale and the results of clinical trials with ixekizumab, a humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody. The currently available Phase I to III data indicate that ixekizumab is a well-tolerated promising...

  12. Guttate psoriasis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Psoriasis - guttate; Group A streptococcus - guttate psoriasis; Strep throat - guttate psoriasis ... Guttate psoriasis is a type of psoriasis . Guttate psoriasis is usually seen in people younger than 30, especially in ...

  13. In vitro psoriasis models with focus on reconstructed skin models as promising tools in psoriasis research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Desmet, Eline; Ramadhas, Anesh; Lambert, Jo; Van Gele, Mireille

    2017-06-01

    Psoriasis is a complex chronic immune-mediated inflammatory cutaneous disease associated with the development of inflammatory plaques on the skin. Studies proved that the disease results from a deregulated interplay between skin keratinocytes, immune cells and the environment leading to a persisting inflammatory process modulated by pro-inflammatory cytokines and activation of T cells. However, a major hindrance to study the pathogenesis of psoriasis more in depth and subsequent development of novel therapies is the lack of suitable pre-clinical models mimicking the complex phenotype of this skin disorder. Recent advances in and optimization of three-dimensional skin equivalent models have made them attractive and promising alternatives to the simplistic monolayer cultures, immunological different in vivo models and scarce ex vivo skin explants. Moreover, human skin equivalents are increasing in complexity level to match human biology as closely as possible. Here, we critically review the different types of three-dimensional skin models of psoriasis with relevance to their application potential and advantages over other models. This will guide researchers in choosing the most suitable psoriasis skin model for therapeutic drug testing (including gene therapy via siRNA molecules), or to examine biological features contributing to the pathology of psoriasis. However, the addition of T cells (as recently applied to a de-epidermized dermis-based psoriatic skin model) or other immune cells would make them even more attractive models and broaden their application potential. Eventually, the ultimate goal would be to substitute animal models by three-dimensional psoriatic skin models in the pre-clinical phases of anti-psoriasis candidate drugs. Impact statement The continuous development of novel in vitro models mimicking the psoriasis phenotype is important in the field of psoriasis research, as currently no model exists that completely matches the in vivo psoriasis

  14. Optical coherence tomography: imaging architect for dermal microdialysis in psoriasis

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Connell, M.-L.; O'Connor, W.; Ramsay, B.; Guihen, E.; Ho, W. L.; Leahy, M. J.

    2011-03-01

    Optical coherence tomography (OCT) has been used as part of a ground breaking translational study to shed some light on one of the worlds most prevalent autoimmune diseases; psoriasis. The work successfully integrates the fields of optical imaging, biochemistry and dermatology in conducting a dermal microdialysis (DMD) trial for quantitative histamine assessment amongst a group of psoriasis sufferers. The DMD process involves temporary insertion of microscopic hollow tubes into a layer of skin to measure the levels of histamine and other important biological molecules in psoriasis. For comparison purposes, DMD catheters were implanted into healthy, peri-lesional and lesional skin regions. The catheters' entry and exit points and their precise locations in the epidermal layer of the skin were confirmed using OCT thus obtaining high resolution, wide-field images of the affected skin as well as catheter placement whilst local microdialysis enabled a tissue chemistry profile to be obtained from these three skin regions including histamine, a local immune system activator known to contribute towards itch and inflammation. Together these tools offer a synergistic approach in the clinical assessment of the disease. In addition, OCT delivered a non-invasive and rapid method for analyzing the affected skin architecture.

  15. Evaluation of abdominal fat index by ultrasonography and its relationship with psoriasis and metabolic syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gönül, Müzeyyen; Tatar, İdil; Canpolat, Filiz; Işıl Kurmus, Gökçe; Ergin, Can; Hekimoğlu, Baki

    2017-10-01

    Accumulating evidence indicates that psoriasis is associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome. Psoriasis and obesity share similar inflammatory mediators, and obesity may potentiate some inflammatory cytokines seen in psoriasis. Body fat distribution, particularly visceral adipose tissue (VAT), is an important factor in metabolic syndrome and atherosclerotic diseases. An association has been demonstrated between psoriasis and abdominal VAT measured by computed tomography (CT). To measure abdominal VAT noninvasively by ultrasonography (USG) in patients with psoriasis and investigated its relation to psoriasis and metabolic syndrome. The study population consisted of 41 psoriasis patients and 41 control subjects matched for age, sex, and body mass index. The maximal preperitoneal fat thickness (Pmax) at the anterior surface of the liver and the minimal subcutaneous fat thickness (Smin) of the abdomen were measured by USG. The abdominal fat index (AFI = Pmax/Smin ratio) was calculated and the results were compared between groups. The rate of metabolic syndrome was significantly higher in psoriasis patients ( p = 0.0018). The mean AFI was similar in both groups. AFI was not associated with psoriasis in subjects with metabolic syndrome ( p = 0.495) or with Psoriasis Area and Severity Index ( r = 0.123, p = 0.443). This is the first study to evaluate abdominal VAT by USG. Computed tomography may be more reliable than USG, but its high cost and radiation exposure are major disadvantages. Further studies are required to determine the relationships between psoriasis and VAT.

  16. Psoriasis and Sleep Apnea

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Egeberg, Alexander; Khalid, Usman; Gislason, Gunnar Hilmar

    2015-01-01

    STUDY OBJECTIVES: Psoriasis and sleep apnea are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Although both diseases have been linked with systemic inflammation, studies on their potential bidirectional association are lacking. We investigate the potential association between psoriasis...... and sleep apnea. METHODS: All Danish citizens age 18 y or older between January 1, 1997 and December 31, 2011 (n = 5,522,190) were linked at individual level in nationwide registries. Incidence rates (IRs) per 10,000 person-years were calculated and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) adjusted for age, sex......, socioeconomic status, smoking history, alcohol abuse, medication, and comorbidity were estimated by Poisson regression. RESULTS: There were 53,290, 6,885, 6,348, and 39,908 incident cases of mild psoriasis, severe psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and sleep apnea, respectively. IRRs (95% confidence interval...

  17. Psoriasis and Sleep Apnea

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Egeberg, Alexander; Khalid, Usman; Gislason, Gunnar Hilmar

    2016-01-01

    STUDY OBJECTIVES: Psoriasis and sleep apnea are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Although both diseases have been linked with systemic inflammation, studies on their potential bidirectional association are lacking. We investigate the potential association between psoriasis...... and sleep apnea. METHODS: All Danish citizens age 18 y or older between January 1, 1997 and December 31, 2011 (n = 5,522,190) were linked at individual level in nationwide registries. Incidence rates (IRs) per 10,000 person-years were calculated and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) adjusted for age, sex......, socioeconomic status, smoking history, alcohol abuse, medication, and comorbidity were estimated by Poisson regression. RESULTS: There were 53,290, 6,885, 6,348, and 39,908 incident cases of mild psoriasis, severe psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, and sleep apnea, respectively. IRRs (95% confidence interval...

  18. Psoriasis prediction from genome-wide SNP profiles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fang Xiangzhong

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background With the availability of large-scale genome-wide association study (GWAS data, choosing an optimal set of SNPs for disease susceptibility prediction is a challenging task. This study aimed to use single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs to predict psoriasis from searching GWAS data. Methods Totally we had 2,798 samples and 451,724 SNPs. Process for searching a set of SNPs to predict susceptibility for psoriasis consisted of two steps. The first one was to search top 1,000 SNPs with high accuracy for prediction of psoriasis from GWAS dataset. The second one was to search for an optimal SNP subset for predicting psoriasis. The sequential information bottleneck (sIB method was compared with classical linear discriminant analysis(LDA for classification performance. Results The best test harmonic mean of sensitivity and specificity for predicting psoriasis by sIB was 0.674(95% CI: 0.650-0.698, while only 0.520(95% CI: 0.472-0.524 was reported for predicting disease by LDA. Our results indicate that the new classifier sIB performs better than LDA in the study. Conclusions The fact that a small set of SNPs can predict disease status with average accuracy of 68% makes it possible to use SNP data for psoriasis prediction.

  19. Systemic connective tissue features in women with fibromuscular dysplasia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Connor, Sarah; Kim, Esther Sh; Brinza, Ellen; Moran, Rocio; Fendrikova-Mahlay, Natalia; Wolski, Kathy; Gornik, Heather L

    2015-10-01

    Fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD) is a non-atherosclerotic disease associated with hypertension, headache, dissection, stroke, and aneurysm. The etiology is unknown but hypothesized to involve genetic and environmental components. Previous studies suggest a possible overlap of FMD with other connective tissue diseases that present with dissections and aneurysms. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of connective tissue physical features in FMD. A total of 142 FMD patients were consecutively enrolled at a single referral center (97.9% female, 92.1% of whom had multifocal FMD). Data are reported for 139 female patients. Moderately severe myopia (29.1%), high palate (33.1%), dental crowding (29.7%), and early-onset arthritis (15.6%) were prevalent features. Classic connective features such as hypertelorism, cleft palate, and hypermobility were uncommon. The frequency of systemic connective tissue features was compared between FMD patients with a high vascular risk profile (having had ⩾1 dissection and/or ⩾2 aneurysms) and those with a standard vascular risk profile. A history of spontaneous pneumothorax (5.9% high risk vs 0% standard risk) and atrophic scarring (17.6% high risk vs 6.8% standard risk) were significantly more prevalent in the high risk group, pconnective tissue features such as high palate and pneumothorax were more prominent among FMD patients with a high vascular risk profile. © The Author(s) 2015.

  20. Hypothyroidism in Patients with Psoriasis or Rosacea: A Large Population Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    James, Sara M; Hill, Dane E; Feldman, Steven R

    2016-10-15

    Hypothyroidism is a common disease, and there may be a link between hypothyroidism and inflammatory skin disease. The purpose of this study is to assess whether hypothyroidism is more prevalent in psoriasis or rosacea patients. We utilized a large claims-based database to analyze rates of hypothyroidism in patients with psoriasis and rosacea compared to other patients with skin diseases. Participants were patients between 20-64 years of age with ICD-9 diagnosis codes for psoriasis, rosacea, and hypothyroidism. We found that rates of hypothyroidism in rosacea and psoriasis patients were similar to rates of hypothyroidism in those without rosacea or psoriasis.

  1. Patients with psoriasis have insufficient knowledge of their risk of atherothrombotic disease and metabolic syndrome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skiveren, J; Philipsen, P; Therming, Gitte

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Knowledge is crucial to allow patients to increase their level of self-care. OBJECTIVES: To examine the extent to which patients with moderate to severe psoriasis feel informed about their disease, to investigate their level of knowledge about psoriasis and the associated risk...... to a questionnaire. RESULTS: Patients were well informed about their skin disease, but were less well informed about their risk of atherothrombotic disease/metabolic syndrome (visual analogue scale values of 6.91 and 5.15, respectively). Patients' knowledge of the disease was reflected by 74.2-99.1% correct answers...... (CA). The risk of arthritis elicited 88% CA and of depression 41.7% CA, while the risk of atherothrombotic disease and metabolic syndrome produced only 11.9-15.3% CA. Patients treated with biological drugs had a significantly stronger sense of being more well informed about the risk of disease (P = 0...

  2. HLA-C and guttate psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallon, E; Bunce, M; Savoie, H; Rowe, A; Newson, R; Gotch, F; Bunker, C B

    2000-12-01

    Psoriasis is a heterogeneous disease in its clinical expression. Both genetic and environmental factors are thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of the inflammatory and hyperproliferative components of the typical skin lesions. Predisposing genetic influences include associations with human leucocyte antigens (HLA) of which that with HLA-Cw6 is the strongest. Guttate psoriasis is a specific clinical manifestation of psoriasis frequently associated with group A beta-haemolytic streptococcal throat infection. We set out to determine whether further clinical subdivision of psoriasis is associated with tighter correlation with HLA-C alleles. We determined the HLA-C locus genotype of 29 caucasian patients with guttate psoriasis presenting consecutively with guttate psoriasis associated with a history of a sore throat and/or an antistreptolysin O titre > 200 IU mL-1. Polymerase chain reaction typing using sequence-specific primers was used to detect all known HLA-C alleles. These data were compared with a control population of 604 random caucasian cadaver donors. All patients (100%) with guttate psoriasis carried the Cw*0602 allele compared with 20% of the control population (odds ratio = infinity; 95% confidence limits 25.00-infinity; Pcorrected < 0.0000002). This result is consistent with HLA-Cw*0602 playing a part directly in the pathogenesis of guttate psoriasis.

  3. Is the diet important for psoriasis?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Agnieszka Owczarczyk-Saczonek

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Psoriasis is a systemic disease, associated with the occurrence of metabolic disorders (obesity, diabetes, hyperuricemia, lipid disorders and rapid development of atherosclerosis; therefore diet can be an important adjuvant therapy. A low-calorie diet is an important complement treatment of patients with psoriasis, particularly those with concomitant obesity. There are a lot of studies indicating that obesity is a risk factor for psoriasis and vice versa. Visceral adipose tissue produces numerous proinflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-6, Il-8, Il-17, Il-18, the same ones that participate in development of psoriatic lesions. Important factors in the diet are the essential polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids. They have an anti-inflammatory effect because they inhibit the production of proinflammatory cytokines (I-1b, IL-6, IL-8, TNF-α and adhesion molecules (ICAM-1, VCAM-1. In addition, supplementation of omega-3 and natural antioxidants in the diet may help to reduce "oxidative stress" and systemic inflammation. The use of a gluten-free diet is controversial, but in patients with positive anti gliadin antibodies it seems justified. An essential element of the procedure is to avoid alcohol and all its forms and stimulants that have pro-inflammatory effects. We should advise our patients to avoid grapefruit juice during treatment with cyclosporine and limit the supply of simple sugars, animal fats and alcohol during treatment with retinoids. Dietary recommendations for patients with psoriasis are an important part of a holistic approach to patients who expect comprehensive care, not just the prescription.

  4. Hematopoietic stem cell origin of connective tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogawa, Makio; Larue, Amanda C; Watson, Patricia M; Watson, Dennis K

    2010-07-01

    Connective tissue consists of "connective tissue proper," which is further divided into loose and dense (fibrous) connective tissues and "specialized connective tissues." Specialized connective tissues consist of blood, adipose tissue, cartilage, and bone. In both loose and dense connective tissues, the principal cellular element is fibroblasts. It has been generally believed that all cellular elements of connective tissue, including fibroblasts, adipocytes, chondrocytes, and bone cells, are generated solely by mesenchymal stem cells. Recently, a number of studies, including those from our laboratory based on transplantation of single hematopoietic stem cells, strongly suggested a hematopoietic stem cell origin of these adult mesenchymal tissues. This review summarizes the experimental evidence for this new paradigm and discusses its translational implications. Copyright 2010 ISEH - Society for Hematology and Stem Cells. All rights reserved.

  5. Research prevalence of psoriasis in countries and Ukraine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    А. А. Kotvitska

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. In recent years there was a negative trend growth of dermatological diseases. One of the first places in the practice of dermatology has psoriasis, which today, unfortunately, is not a “disease” but lifelong condition. Human health is the highest value, and arrangement of conditions for the protection of public health should be a priority of any country. The study of medical-demographic characteristics, tendencies of morbidity and prevalence of diseases, including dermatological profile, patterns of changes above parameters and comparing the finding with the world data is an important part of strategic planning line of development of the public health and pharmaceutical sector of the country. The aim of this study was an investigation of the prevalence of psoriasis in the world and in Ukraine, it’s analysis taking into account geographical, racial, gender and age characteristics of patients. Analyses. Content analysis, analytical and statistical methods (analysis of statistical data of the prevalence of psoriasis, analysis of scientific information. Research results. We have analyzed the prevalence of psoriasis in 18 countries and determined that the average rate of the disease is 2.8%. The study found that the highest prevalence of psoriasis observed in countries such as Germany (up 6.5%, the Netherlands (5%, Norway (up 4.8%, France (up 4.7%, Denmark (up 4.2%. Statistical data on the prevalence of psoriasis in Ukraine differ significantly from the average for Europe and countries of the world. According to official statistics from the Ministry of Health of Ukraine prevalence of psoriasis in absolute terms in 2009 was 98,544 patients (0.21% of the population and morbidity – 13,529 persons (0.03% of the population. It should be noted that according to many experts the actual rate of this disease is much higher. According to unofficial sources in Ukraine with psoriasis suffer about 1.5 million of people (> 3% of the

  6. Evaluation of functional impairment in psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gaikwad Rohini

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Psoriasis is a chronic disease, the course of which is punctuated by exacerbations and remissions. The impact of a chronic, relapsing, and disfiguring disease such as psoriasis on occupational, social, and other areas of functioning is substantial and needs attention. Aim: The purpose of this study was to assess the level and nature of functional impairment in psoriasis. Methods: Forty-three consecutive patients attending the dermatology clinic of a rural hospital were studied for psychiatric comorbidity and the level of functioning, using a semistructured questionnaire. Results: Psoriasis affected social functioning of 48% patients, led to decreased work efficiency in 51.1%, and to subjective distress at work in 62.8% of patients. Stress in home environment and interpersonal relationships was reported by 69.8%. Social and occupational functioning worsened with increasing severity of psoriasis after 1-year duration of illness. Patients complaining of pruritis frequently had anxiety disorders. Psychiatric comorbidity was detected in 67.4% cases. Conclusion : Substantial proportion of patients suffered deterioration of functioning, especially with increasing duration of illness. Thus, timely attention by dermatologists is needed in order to limit the disability caused by psoriasis. To achieve this, liaison with psychiatrist would be crucial along with illness education and emotional support.

  7. Trends in Type of Original Psoriasis Publications by Decade, 1960 to 2010.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sako, Eric; Famenini, Shannon; Wu, Jashin J

    2016-01-01

    Research investigating psoriasis has spanned decades, and as our understanding of the disease has evolved, the focus of publications has changed. We sought to characterize the trends in original psoriasis-related research from 1960 to 2010 chronologically by decade. A literature review was performed using the keyword psoriasis in the MEDLINE database. All original psoriasis-related articles published at the beginning of each decade were searched and categorized by study type and topic. Number of articles per topic. A total of 869 original psoriasis-related articles were found. The number of publications increased 18 fold over 5 decades. The immunology and pathogenesis of psoriasis was the most frequently researched topic (36%), and retrospective studies were the most common study type (37%). Recent highly published topics included biologic therapy, genetics, and psoriasis-associated cardiovascular disease. Original psoriasis-related publications have grown substantially since 1960. Basic science research into the immunology and pathogenesis has been and continues to be the mainstay of psoriasis research. Recent research trends suggest the focus has expanded to topics such as psoriasis-associated cardiovascular disease, genetics, and biologic therapy.

  8. How are cancer and connective tissue diseases related to sarcoidosis?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chopra, Amit; Judson, Marc A

    2015-09-01

    Several studies have suggested an association between sarcoidosis and cancer, and between sarcoidosis and connective tissue diseases (CTDs). In this review, we discuss the evidence supporting and refuting these associations. In terms of a cancer risk in sarcoidosis patients, the data are somewhat conflicting but generally show a very small increased risk. The data supporting an association between sarcoidosis and CTD are not as robust as for cancer. However, it appears that scleroderma is the CTD most strongly associated with sarcoidosis. There are several important clinical and research-related implications of the association of sarcoidosis and CTDs. First, rigorous efforts should be made to exclude alternative causes for granulomatous inflammation before establishing a diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Second, the association between sarcoidosis and both cancer and CTDs may yield important insights into the immunopathogenesis of all three diseases. Finally, these data provide insight in answering a common question asked by sarcoidosis patients, 'Am I at an increased risk of developing cancer?' We believe that although there is an increased (relative) risk of cancer in sarcoidosis patients compared with the general population, that increased risk is quite small (low absolute risk).

  9. [Enlightenment from genome-wide association study to genetics of psoriasis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    ZHANG, Xue-jun

    2009-07-01

    Psoriasis is a common autoimmune and hyper proliferative skin disease, characterized by thick, silvery scale patches. Numerous family studies have provided compelling evidence of a genetic predisposition to psoriasis, although the inheritance pattern is unclear. However, few of these studies have achieved consistent results, except for the MHC locus, a problem frequently encountered in the investigation of complex disease. Using high-throughput techniques to genotype hundreds of thousands of single nucleotide polymorphisms explore their relationship with phenotypes, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) are now proven to be a powerful approach for screening the susceptibility genes (loci) of complex disease. Recently, three GWAS on psoriasis published in Nature Genetics have provided us with many novel clues concerning disease pathogenesis, in both immune and non-immune pathways. The MHC locus (HLA-Cw6 and other MHC variance), the major locus involved in the immune reactions of human immune disease, has consistently been shown to be associated with psoriasis, both in previous linkage and present GWAS. IL-12B and IL23R, which are the two non-MHC genes with highly associated evidence with psoriasis in multiple studies performed so far and potent cytokines with complex biological activities, should be of great importance in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Recent clinical trials, in which anti-IL-12p40 antibodies were used for the treatment of psoriasis, have provided further evidence of the role of IL-12/23 in the pathophysiology of psoriasis,and highlighted a new road of treatment for psoriasis. In 2008,we performed the first large GWAS in the Chinese population and identified a novel susceptibility locus within the late cornified envelope (LCE) gene cluster: LCE3A and LCE3D on chromosome 1q21, with conclusive evidence (rs4085613, p(combined)=6.69*10(-30); odds ratio=0.76). Meanwhile, another group also identified a deletion comprising and LCE gene cluster of LCE3B

  10. [Connective tissue and inflammation].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jakab, Lajos

    2014-03-23

    The author summarizes the structure of the connective tissues, the increasing motion of the constituents, which determine the role in establishing the structure and function of that. The structure and function of the connective tissue are related to each other in the resting as well as inflammatory states. It is emphasized that cellular events in the connective tissue are part of the defence of the organism, the localisation of the damage and, if possible, the maintenance of restitutio ad integrum. The organism responds to damage with inflammation, the non specific immune response, as well as specific, adaptive immunity. These processes are located in the connective tissue. Sterile and pathogenic inflammation are relatively similar processes, but inevitable differences are present, too. Sialic acids and glycoproteins containing sialic acids have important roles, and the role of Siglecs is also highlighted. Also, similarities and differences in damages caused by pathogens and sterile agents are briefly summarized. In addition, the roles of adhesion molecules linked to each other, and the whole event of inflammatory processes are presented. When considering practical consequences it is stressed that the structure (building up) of the organism and the defending function of inflammation both have fundamental importance. Inflammation has a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and the unimpaired somato-psychological state of the organism. Thus, inflammation serves as a tool of organism identical with the natural immune response, inseparably connected with the specific, adaptive immune response. The main events of the inflammatory processes take place in the connective tissue.

  11. IL-17 in psoriasis: Implications for therapy and cardiovascular co-morbidities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golden, Jackelyn B.; McCormick, Thomas S.; Ward, Nicole L.

    2013-01-01

    Psoriasis is a prevalent, chronic inflammatory disease of the skin mediated by cross-talk occurring between epidermal keratinocytes, dermal vascular cells and immunocytes, including activated antigen presenting cells (APCs), monocytes/macrophages, and Th1 and Th17 cells. Increased proliferation of keratinocytes and endothelial cells in conjunction with immune cell infiltration leads to the distinct epidermal and vascular hyperplasia that is characteristic of lesional psoriatic skin. Interaction of activated T cells with monocytes/macrophages occurs via the Th17/IL-23 axis and is crucial for maintaining the chronic inflammation. Recent epidemiological evidence has demonstrated that psoriasis patients have an increased risk of developing and dying of cardiovascular disease. Similar pathology between psoriasis and cardiovascular disease, including involvement of key immunologic cell populations together with release of common inflammatory mediators such as IL-17A suggest a mechanistic link between the two diseases. This review will focus on concepts critical to psoriasis pathogenesis, systemic manifestations of psoriasis, the role of IL-17 in psoriasis and cardiovascular disease and the potential role for IL-17 in mediating cardiovascular co-morbidities in psoriasis patients. PMID:23562549

  12. The relationship between duration of psoriasis, vascular inflammation, and cardiovascular events.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Egeberg, Alexander; Skov, Lone; Joshi, Aditya A; Mallbris, Lotus; Gislason, Gunnar H; Wu, Jashin J; Rodante, Justin; Lerman, Joseph B; Ahlman, Mark A; Gelfand, Joel M; Mehta, Nehal N

    2017-10-01

    Psoriasis is associated with risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD) and a major adverse CV event (MACE). Whether psoriasis duration affects risk of vascular inflammation and MACEs has not been well characterized. We utilized two resources to understand the effect of psoriasis duration on vascular disease and CV events: (1) a human imaging study and (2) a population-based study of CVD events. First, patients with psoriasis (N = 190) underwent fludeoxyglucose F 18 positron emission tomography/computed tomography (duration effect reported as a β-coefficient). Second, MACE risk was examined by using nationwide registries (adjusted hazard ratios in patients with psoriasis (n = 87,161) versus the general population (n = 4,234,793). In the human imaging study, patients were young, of low CV risk by traditional risk scores, and had a high prevalence of cardiometabolic diseases. Vascular inflammation by fludeoxyglucose F 18 positron emission tomography/computed tomography was significantly associated with disease duration (β = 0.171, P = .002). In the population-based study, psoriasis duration had strong relationship with MACE risk (1.0% per additional year of psoriasis duration [hazard ratio, 1.010; 95% confidence interval, 1.007-1.013]). These studies utilized observational data. We found detrimental effects of psoriasis duration on vascular inflammation and MACE, suggesting that cumulative duration of exposure to low-grade chronic inflammation may accelerate vascular disease development and MACEs. Providers should consider inquiring about duration of disease to counsel for heightened CVD risk in psoriasis. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Self-management in patients with psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pathak SN

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Swetha Narahari Pathak,1 Pauline L Scott,1 Cameron West,1 Steven R Feldman,1–3 1Center for Dermatology Research, Departments of Dermatology, 2Center for Dermatology Research, Departments of Pathology, 3Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA Abstract: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disorder effecting the skin and joints. Additionally, multiple comorbidities exist, including cardiovascular, metabolic, and psychiatric. The chronic nature of psoriasis is often frustrating for both patients and physicians alike. Many options for treatment exist, though successful disease management rests largely on patients through the application of topical corticosteroids, Vitamin D analogs, and calcineurin inhibitors, amongst others and the administration of systemic medications such as biologics and methotrexate. Phototherapy is another option that also requires active participation from the patient. Many barriers to effective self-management of psoriasis exist. Successful treatment requires the establishment of a strong doctor-patient relationship and patient empowerment in order to maximize adherence to a treatment regimen and improve outcomes. Improving patient adherence to treatment is necessary in effective self-management. Many tools exist to educate and empower patients, including online sources such as the National Psoriasis Foundation and online support group, Talk Psoriasis, amongst others. Effective self management is critical in decreasing the physical burden of psoriasis and mitigating its multiple physical, psychological, and social comorbidities, which include obesity, cardiovascular disease, alcohol dependence, depression, anxiety, and social anxiety. Keywords: psoriasis, adherence, self management, compliance

  14. The diagnosis of MR and CT scan for myofascitis of connective tissue disease: comparison with biopsy examination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu Jianrong; Zhou Yan; Chai Weimin; Yao Qiuying; Li Lei; Li Lan; Li Zhengyang

    2002-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the utility of MRI, CT and biopsy examinations in detecting myofascitis lesions of connective tissue disease. Methods: The study group consisted of 22 patients proven by clinical features and laboratory examination, including 8 cases of dermatomyositis (DM), 12 cases of polymyositis (PM), and 2 cases of eosinophilic fascitis. All patients received CT scan, SE-T 1 WI, SE-T 2 WI, SPIR, and CT guiding biopsy at the thigh region. Results: Biopsy detected muscular diseases in 17 cases and fascitis in 5 cases. MRI detected muscular diseases in 14 and fascitis in 9. CT detected muscular diseases in 5 and fascitis in 9. Myositis, amyotrophy, and fascitis may be alone or united in one case. Myositis (9 cases) appeared as low signal on T 1 WI and high signal on T 2 WI or SPIR. Amyotrophy (9 cases) presented hyperintensity on both T 1 WI and T 2 WI. SPIR was more sensitive in detecting myositis than CT and T 1 WI, P < 0.05. Myositis was more frequent in cases with DM(6/8) than in cases with PM (3/12), P < 0.05. Also, myositis was more frequently encountered in active phase (7/11) than in quiescent phase (2/11). Conclusion: MRI and CT appear to be valuable in quantitatively and qualitatively estimating myofascitis of connective tissue diseases

  15. Psoriasis in children: An insight

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandipan Dhar

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Onset of psoriasis in childhood is quite common. Chronicity, inflammation and hyperproliferation are the cardinal features by which the condition establishes its uniqueness. Clearance of disease may be farfetched in most patients and relapse is frequent. Early recognition and management of psoriasis in children and adolescents is vital in therapy in children.

  16. Treatment goals in psoriasis routine care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radtke, M A; Reich, K; Spehr, C; Augustin, Matthias

    2015-07-01

    The treatment goal algorithm for psoriasis, first originated in 2007, has ever since been adopted into treatment guidelines. It remained unclear how many patients have experienced the use of treatment goals in routine care and how these are perceived. The aim of the pilot study was to get first insight in the use and impact of therapeutic goals in a large cohort of patients with psoriasis in routine care. This study is a multicenter, non-interventional, cross-sectional health care study in n = 213 dermatology centers across Germany. A standardized physician and patient questionnaire was used, including demographics, disease and treatment characteristics. To evaluate patient treatment perception and satisfaction, a questionnaire (PsoSat) addressing 8 specific items was designed. Consistency and validity of the questionnaire were controlled by factor analyses and reliability tests. In total n = 1,883 patients were included for analysis (54.2% male). Mean age was 52 years, mean disease duration 19 years. In total 45.5% (n = 856) stated an improvement of psoriatic symptoms in the last 4 weeks. In patients including treatment goals, the course of psoriasis in the last 4 weeks was rated significantly better and predicted significantly higher patient satisfaction. Patients reporting periodic outcomes measurement of psoriasis treatment, also had significantly better course of disease, higher satisfaction and a lower psoriasis severity. A majority of patients experienced the use of treatment goals in practice. The association of using treatment goals with clinical outcomes and treatment satisfaction was markedly positive. These findings indicate that the use of treatment goals and outcome measurements in fact improve psoriasis management.

  17. A systematic literature review to compare quality of life in psoriasis with other chronic diseases using EQ-5D-derived utility values

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Møller AH

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Anders Holmen Møller,1 Sandra Erntoft,1 Gabrielle R Vinding,2 Gregor BE Jemec21LEO Pharma A/S, Ballerup, Denmark; 2Department of Dermatology, Roskilde Hospital, Health Sciences Faculty, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, DenmarkBackground: Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated dermatological disease associated with substantial economic, clinical, and humanistic burden.Objective: The aim of this study was to understand the disutility of patients with psoriasis vulgaris, using mean baseline EuroQoL five dimensions (EQ-5D index scores reported in the published literature, and to compare this to patients with other chronic diseases.Methods: Two systematic literature searches were conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA guidelines. Searches were conducted in ten databases including Embase, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL. The first search (December 2013 used search terms psoria* AND (EQ5D OR EQ OR EUROQoL. Only publications of original research, which reported baseline EQ-5D scores for mild/moderate/severe psoriasis, were included. The second search (March 2014 used the terms (systematic review AND (EQ5D OR EQ 5D OR EuroQoL. Titles were screened by two independent reviewers. Four independent reviewers reviewed titles and full-length papers. EQ-5D scores for psoriasis patients were qualitatively compared with scores from patients with other chronic diseases identified through the literature search.Results: Of 133 publications on psoriasis, 12 met the inclusion criteria. The mean EQ-5D index scores for psoriasis (all severities ranged from 0.52 (standard deviation: 0.39 to 0.9 (standard deviation: 0.1. Of the 48 results from the second search, six met the inclusion criteria. The reported EQ-5D lower limit for other diseases ranged from 0.20 (Type 2 diabetes mellitus to 0.66 (liver diseases. The highest EQ-5D estimates for other diseases ranged

  18. Nail psoriasis: a questionnaire-based survey

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Klaassen, K.M.G.; Kerkhof, P.C.M. van de; Pasch, M.C.

    2013-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Skin manifestations are the most characteristic finding of psoriasis. However, nail involvement is also a clinical feature of disease although it is often overlooked. The documented prevalence of nail psoriasis varies between 10.0% and 81.1%. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this investigation is

  19. No association of psoriasis with autoimmune thyroiditis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vassilatou, E; Papadavid, E; Papastamatakis, P; Alexakos, D; Koumaki, D; Katsimbri, P; Hadjidakis, D; Dimitriadis, G; Rigopoulos, D

    2017-01-01

    Common autoimmune diseases tend to coexist in the same patients. Few studies have examined the possible association between autoimmune thyroiditis and psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis (PsA), with inconsistent results. To investigate the prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis in psoriatic patients with or without PsA, living in an iodine-sufficient area. We studied prospectively, 114 psoriatic patients with disease duration of 5-38 years, 30 of them with PsA, and 286 age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched subjects without psoriasis or known thyroid disease or autoimmune disease. A detailed medical history was obtained from all participants and clinical examination and laboratory evaluation was performed. Psoriasis severity was assessed with Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). Autoimmune thyroiditis was defined by the presence of positive autoantibodies to thyroid peroxidase and/or thyroglobulin. There was no difference in the prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis between psoriatic patients and controls (20.2% vs. 19.6%). The prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis in male and female psoriatic patients was similar (9.6% and 10.5% respectively), in contrast to the increased, as expected, prevalence in female vs. male controls (14.7% vs. 4.9%, P thyroiditis were similar in psoriatic patients and controls (7.9% and 7.0% respectively). Autoimmune thyroiditis in psoriatic patients was not related with age of psoriasis onset, psoriasis duration, PASI score, PsA and obesity. These data support that psoriatic patients with or without PsA do not have an increased risk for autoimmune thyroiditis. © 2016 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

  20. Low Vitamin D in psoriasis: Reality or myth?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Preethi B Nayak

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Context: Psoriasis is a chronic, systemic disease with the beneficial effect of topical vitamin D3 analogs, known for a long time. Low levels of vitamin D are increasingly found to be associated with the initial development of some autoimmune diseases. There are contradictory reports of low serum levels of vitamin D3 in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Aims: (1 To determine the serum levels of vitamin D, calcium and C-reactive protein (CRP in patients with psoriasis vulgaris, (2 To compare these levels with the serum levels of controls, and (3 To correlate them with the severity of the disease. Subjects and Methods: A hospital-based case–control study with 61 patients of psoriasis and 61 age- and sex-matched controls was undertaken. A detailed history was taken and examination including body mass index, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI was done. Estimations of serum vitamin D, serum calcium, and CRP levels were done. Results: Mean 25(OH vitamin D level was not significantly different between persons with and without psoriasis. Mean vitamin D level in cases was 18.41±9.41 and that in controls was 17.24±13.03 (P=0.63. However, vitamin D level were significantly lower in females than in males in both cases (P=0.02 and controls (P=0.006. There was no significant correlation between the severity of psoriasis and serum levels of vitamin D, serum calcium, and CRP. Conclusions: Serum level of vitamin D did not correlate with the severity of psoriasis in our study.

  1. General measures and quality of life issues in psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rashmi Sarkar

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Psoriasis generally does not affect survival but has significant detrimental effect on quality of life (QOL, which may be comparable to that of ischemic heart disease, diabetes, depression, and cancer. The foremost important thing in the management of psoriasis is counseling of the patient. The clinician needs to be empathetic and spend adequate time with the patient and educating the patient about psoriasis. Clinicians should make it clear to the patient that the primary goal of treatment is control of the disease rather than cure. Eating a balanced and low glycemic diet could be an important adjuvant factor in the prevention and treatment of moderate nonpustular psoriasis. Obese people are more likely to have severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis than people with an average body mass index. Dietary supplementation with oily fish, rich in n-3 fatty acids, in psoriasis had shown mixed results in trials. Promising results have been documented for parenteral application of n-3 fatty acid, but not with oral supplementation. Increased smoking or alcohol abuse increases the risk of developing psoriasis and may influence disease severity, and hence must be avoided. Soaking in warm water with bath oil can be done in extensive psoriasis for hydration and emollient effect, and bland soaps or soap substitutes should be used; antiseptics should be avoided as they may irritate the skin. Relatively small, localized patches of psoriasis may improve with occlusion, i.e., waterproof adhesive dressings. The use of emollients is an internationally accepted standard adjunctive to the treatment of psoriasis. Dermatology Life Quality Index is a psychometrically sound and responsive measure of psoriasis-specific outcomes and most comprehensively captures the impact of clinical signs and symptoms on patient's well-being.

  2. Connective Tissue Disorder-Associated Vasculitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Aman; Dhooria, Aadhaar; Aggarwal, Ashish; Rathi, Manish; Chandran, Vinod

    2016-06-01

    Vasculitides secondary to connective tissue diseases are classified under the category of 'vasculitis associated with systemic disease' in the revised International Chapel Hill Consensus Conference (CHCC) nomenclature. These secondary vasculitides may affect any of the small, medium or large vessels and usually portend a poor prognosis. Any organ system can be involved and the presentation would vary depending upon that involvement. Treatment depends upon the type and severity of presentation. In this review, we describe secondary vasculitis associated with rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, sarcoidosis, relapsing polychondritis, systemic sclerosis, Sjogren's syndrome and idiopathic inflammatory myositis, focusing mainly on recent advances in the past 3 years.

  3. Small cell lung cancer presenting as dermatomyositis: mistaken for single connective tissue disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chao, Guanqun; Fang, Lizheng; Lu, Chongrong; Chen, Zhouwen

    2012-06-01

    Dermatomyositis (DM) is well-known to be associated with several types of malignancy. This case emphasizes the importance of a thorough examination for an underlying cancer, in patients with the symptoms of dermatomyositis. We report the case of a 62-year-old Chinese man who presented with a two-month history of edema of face and neck, together with erythema of the eyelids diagnosed of small cell lung cancer. Initially, it was thought to be single connective tissue disease such as DM. This study highlights the importance of a thorough physical examination when visiting a patient.

  4. Patients' perspectives in the management of psoriasis: the Italian results of the Multinational Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (MAPP) survey.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gisondi, Paolo; Girolomoni, Giampiero

    2017-08-01

    The perspective of patients with psoriasis about medical care treatment goals and strategies is receiving increasing attention. Here, we performed a country-based analysis of the Multinational Assessment of Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis (MAPP) survey, in order to provide specific information on patients' perspective of treatment of psoriasis in Italy. This was a systematic household telephone survey recruiting subjects by random digit dialing. Household members ≥18 years were included if they had ever been diagnosed with psoriasis. About 12,785 households were screened in Italy. 132 patients were ineligible for the analysis, including patients with psoriatic arthritis. 359 patients were surveyed. About half of the patients had very mild disease with less than 1 palm skin involvement, and 38% had 1-10 palm skin disease. It is noteworthy that 48% of patients with widespread disease were not taking any medication. Patients indicated the relief of symptoms, including itching (54.9%), as the main goal for their current therapy, whereas 14.2% reported no specific expectation from their medication. Overall, 70% of patients declared to be satisfied by their therapy, in terms of primary goal reached. Our findings suggest that most psoriasis patients have mild/moderate disease in Italy, and that a portion of patients with severe disease does not receive an adequate treatment.

  5. Lung-dominant connective tissue disease among patients with interstitial lung disease: prevalence, functional stability, and common extrathoracic features

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Antunes Silva Pereira

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics of a cohort of patients with lung-dominant connective tissue disease (LD-CTD. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD, positive antinuclear antibody (ANA results (≥ 1/320, with or without specific autoantibodies, and at least one clinical feature suggestive of connective tissue disease (CTD. RESULTS: Of the 1,998 patients screened, 52 initially met the criteria for a diagnosis of LD-CTD: 37% were male; the mean age at diagnosis was 56 years; and the median follow-up period was 48 months. During follow-up, 8 patients met the criteria for a definitive diagnosis of a CTD. The remaining 44 patients comprised the LD-CTD group, in which the most prevalent extrathoracic features were arthralgia, gastroesophageal reflux disease, and Raynaud's phenomenon. The most prevalent autoantibodies in this group were ANA (89% and anti-SSA (anti-Ro, 27%. The mean baseline and final FVC was 69.5% and 74.0% of the predicted values, respectively (p > 0.05. Nonspecific interstitial pneumonia and usual interstitial pneumonia patterns were found in 45% and 9% of HRCT scans, respectively; 36% of the scans were unclassifiable. A similar prevalence was noted in histological samples. Diffuse esophageal dilatation was identified in 52% of HRCT scans. Nailfold capillaroscopy was performed in 22 patients; 17 showed a scleroderma pattern. CONCLUSIONS: In our LD-CTD group, there was predominance of females and the patients showed mild spirometric abnormalities at diagnosis, with differing underlying ILD patterns that were mostly unclassifiable on HRCT and by histology. We found functional stability on follow-up. Esophageal dilatation on HRCT and scleroderma pattern on nailfold capillaroscopy were frequent findings and might come to serve as diagnostic criteria.

  6. INTERLEUKIN 28 RECEPTOR GENE ALPHA IL28RA AND PSORIASIS: ASSOCIATION WITH DISEASE SEVERITY AND AGE AT ONSET

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. S. Galimova

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Molecular basis still remains unclear for psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory skin disease. It biological features are presented by abnormal differentiation of epidermal keratinocytes, overgrowth and dilation of blood vessels, and leukocyte infiltration of dermal and epidermal skin layers. These events appear to be driven, mainly, by various cytokines and chemokines released by activated T cell populations. The aim of this replication study was to determine, whether the rs4649203 SNP of IL28RA gene is associated with susceptibility to psoriasis. A total of 341 patients with psoriasis and 407 matched healthy controls were enrolled to carry out a case control study. Genotyping was performed using a Real-Time PCR assay. Our preliminary data suggest that the polymorphism located in IL28RA gene, known to be related to inflammatory and immunity processes, showed an association with patients’ age at onset and the disease severity. The results of this study are promising, with respect to development of a personalized approach to psoriasis treatment.

  7. Psoriasis er associeret med type 2-diabetes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gyldenløve, Mette; Knop, Filip Krag; Vilsbøll, Tina

    2013-01-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with a global prevalence of 2-3%. In recent years it has been established that patients with psoriasis carry an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, but the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms remain unclear. The association is most likely due...... to a combination of shared genes, immunoinflammatory mechanisms and a number of diabetes risk factors in patients with psoriasis. The current review summarises the evidence in the field and calls for attention on diabetes risk assessment, preventive measures and treatment in patients with psoriasis....

  8. Alexithymia, Illness Perception and Self-management Competency in Psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marie H. Larsen

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Alexithymia, defined as difficulty in describing or recognizing emotions, has been shown to be connected with psoriasis, but its relationship with self-management of psoriasis has not been explored. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of alexithymia and its relationship with self-management and illness perception in the context of psoriasis. A total of 163 patients participating in 3 weeks of climate heliotherapy (CHT at Gran Canaria were assessed for alexithymia using the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20 at baseline. Self-reported measures for self-management (Health Education Impact Questionnaire; heiQ, and disease severity and illness perception (Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire; BIPQ were assessed twice. Of all patients, 14.1% were characterized as alexithymic and 22.1% scored in the intermediate range. Alexithymic patients scored significantly worse in all heiQ domains, and reported worse illness perception. However, there were no between-group differences in heiQ or BIPQ change from baseline to after CHT. In conclusion, this study shows that alexithymia indicates inferior self-management and reaffirms the associations with illness perception. Further research is required into these relationships.

  9. Beta-defensin-2 protein is a serum biomarker for disease activity in psoriasis and reaches biologically relevant concentrations in lesional skin.

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    Patrick A M Jansen

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Previous studies have extensively documented antimicrobial and chemotactic activities of beta-defensins. Human beta-defensin-2 (hBD-2 is strongly expressed in lesional psoriatic epidermis, and recently we have shown that high beta-defensin genomic copy number is associated with psoriasis susceptibility. It is not known, however, if biologically and pathophysiologically relevant concentrations of hBD-2 protein are present in vivo, which could support an antimicrobial and proinflammatory role of beta-defensins in lesional psoriatic epidermis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We found that systemic levels of hBD-2 showed a weak but significant correlation with beta defensin copy number in healthy controls but not in psoriasis patients with active disease. In psoriasis patients but not in atopic dermatitis patients, we found high systemic hBD-2 levels that strongly correlated with disease activity as assessed by the PASI score. Our findings suggest that systemic levels in psoriasis are largely determined by secretion from involved skin and not by genomic copy number. Modelling of the in vivo epidermal hBD-2 concentration based on the secretion rate in a reconstructed skin model for psoriatic epidermis provides evidence that epidermal hBD-2 levels in vivo are probably well above the concentrations required for in vitro antimicrobial and chemokine-like effects. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Serum hBD-2 appears to be a useful surrogate marker for disease activity in psoriasis. The discrepancy between hBD-2 levels in psoriasis and atopic dermatitis could explain the well known differences in infection rate between these two diseases.

  10. Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura Associated with Mixed Connective Tissue Disease: A Case Report

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    João Tadeu Damian Souto Filho

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP is a multisystemic disorder characterized by microangiopathic hemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia, which may be accompanied by fever, renal, or neurologic abnormalities. Cases are divided into acute idiopathic TTP and secondary TTP. Autoimmune diseases, especially systemic lupus erythematosus, in association with TTP have been described so far in many patients. In contrast, TTP occurring in a patient with mixed connected tissue disease (MCTD is extremely rare and has only been described in nine patients. We describe the case of a 42-year-old female with MCTD who developed thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, fever, and neurological symptoms. The patient had a good clinical evolution with infusion of high volume of fresh frozen plasma, steroid therapy, and support in an intensive care unit. Although the occurrence of TTP is rare in MCTD patients, it is important to recognize TTP as a cause of thrombocytopenia and hemolytic anemia in any patient with autoimmune diseases. Prompt institution of treatment remains the cornerstone of treatment of TTP even if plasma exchange is not available like what frequently happens in developing countries.

  11. Chronic plaque psoriasis | Luba | South African Family Practice

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Chronic plaque psoriasis, the most common form of psoriasis, is a papulosquamous disease defined by erythematous plaques with a silvery scale. The diagnosis usually is clinical, but occasionally a biopsy is necessary. Psoriasis affects 0.6 to 4.8 percent of the U.S. population, and about 30 percent of affected patients have ...

  12. Diminished ovarian reserve in patients with psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Burcu Tuğrul Ayanoğlu

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Psoriasis is a multi-systemic chronic inflammatory skin disease. Previous data suggests that women with some chronic inflammatory diseases have diminished ovarian reserve. This study explores ovarian reserve in patients with psoriasis. Materials and methods: We prospectively analyzed 14 female patients with psoriasis and 35 healthy age and body mass index matched controls. An interview explored demographic characteristics, obstetrical history and menstrual characteristics. Psoriatic area severity index (PASI in patients was assessed. Estrogen, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH, luteinizing hormone (LH, thyroid stimulating hormone and with gynecologic ultrasonography, ovarian volume and antral follicular count (AFC were measured in both study and control groups. These values were analyzed with changes of the PASI in the patient group. Results: Patients with psoriasis had significantly higher levels of FSH and FSH/LH ratio than healthy controls (p = 0.039, p = 0.005 respectively. AFC of psoriasis patients were significantly lower than healthy controls (p = 0.002.There were no significant difference among other hormone levels and ovarian volumes (p > 0.05. The hormone levels, ovarian volume and AFC were not correlated with PASI of the patients. Conclusion: The results of the study suggest that patients with psoriasis may have diminished ovarian reserve. Keywords: Psoriasis, Ovarian reserve, Psoriatic area severity index, Antral follicular count, Follicle-stimulating hormone

  13. STUDY ON PSYCHIATRIC CO - MORBIDITY IN PSORIASIS

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    Shrikant B.

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is relatively common , chronic inflammatory and hyper - proliferative skin disease that affects 1.4% to 2.0% of the population. Presence of itching , chronic recurrent course of disease and incomplete cure may contribute to great deal of psychiatric co - morbidity in these patients. the most persuasive indications of a link between stress and psoriasis comes from patients themselves , with studies illustrating that the majority of patients believe that stress or psychological distress is a factor in the manifestations of their condition . Depression and anxiety are the most common disorders that are associated with psoriasis , but the proportion of patient also having other psychiatric co - morbid diseases which include social phobia , generalize anxiety disorder , panic disorder , psychotic diso rder , etc. Moreover , symptoms of psoriasis , especially pruritus , are related to depression. OBJECTIVES : To evaluate different psychiatric illnesses their prevalence and severity in psoriasis patients. METHODOLOGY : This was cross - sectional observational stu dy comprised of 70 consecutive patients of psoriasis attending the out - patient department of Dermatology. All the patients were subjected to detailed examinations including the elicitation of dermatological and psychiatric profile after getting written con sent for study . Data was collected using self - developed , pre tested , semi structured Pro format by interview method. RESULTS : The profile of psychiatric diagnoses obtained in the present study depressive disorder 31.4% {18.57% depression , 12.85% Depression with anxiety symptoms} , anxiety disorder 25.7% (7.14% GAD , 8.17% panic disorder , 5.71% social phobia , 4.28 specific phobia. Severity of major depressive disorder was determined with HAM - D score 53.8% had mild depression , 30.7% moderate depression and 15. 5% severe depression. Similarly when HAM - A scale was used to determined severity of generalized

  14. Psoriasis Uncovered – Comorbid Conditions with Special Reference to Metabolic Syndrome

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    Belliappa Pemmanda Raju

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Psoriasis is a chronic immune-inflammatory-mediated disease affecting approximately 1-3% of the population worldwide. All around the world, there is growing evidence of the association between psoriasis and comorbidities, especially metabolic syndrome which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Co-morbidities are likely linked to underlying chronic inflammatory nature of psoriasis. Aim: The objectives of our study were to determine the prevalence of diabetes, lipid abnormalities, and cardiovascular risk factors in patients with plaque psoriasis, and also to investigate metabolic syndrome associated with plaque psoriasis. Material and Methods: One hundred and twenty patients with psoriasis vulgaris diagnosed clinically and histopathologically were recruited. A detailed history and examination was recorded for all study subjects, including the age and gender of the patients, extent of psoriasis, duration, and age at onset. Metabolic syndrome was diagnosed in the presence of three or more criteria of abdominal obesity, blood pressure >130/85 mmHg, fasting blood glucose ≥100 mg/dl, hypertriglyceridemia >150 mg/dl, and low HDL cholesterol (<40 mg/dl for males, <50mg/dl for females. Results: Prevalence of various comorbidities was: central obesity (58.3%, hypertension (46.79%, dyslipidaemia (43.3%, diabetes mellitus (26.7%, metabolic syndrome (25%, ischaemic heart disease (5% and stroke (2.4%. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome was more in patients who had longer mean disease duration of psoriasis. Conclusions: The perception of psoriasis being merely ‘skin deep’ has to change among clinicians. Active screening for these cardiovascular comorbidities in all psoriasis patients is highly recommended..

  15. PDTCM: a systems pharmacology platform of traditional Chinese medicine for psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Dongmei; Gu, Jiangyong; Zhu, Wei; Luo, Fang; Chen, Lirong; Xu, Xiaojie; Lu, Chuanjian

    2017-12-01

    Psoriasis is a refractory skin disorder, and usually requires a lifetime control. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is effective and safe for this disease. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of TCM remedies for psoriasis are still not fully understood. TCM contains numerous natural products. Natural products have historically been invaluable as a resource of therapeutic agents. Yet, there is no integrated information about active compounds of TCM for psoriasis. We use systems pharmacology methods to develop the Psoriasis Database of Traditional Chinese Medicine (PDTCM). The database covered a number of psoriasis-related information (formulas, TCM, compounds, target proteins, diseases and biomarkers). With these data information, an online platform was constructed Results: PDTCM comprises 38 empirical therapeutic formulas, 34373 compounds from 1424 medicinal plants, 44 psoriasis-related proteins and 76 biomarkers from 111 related diseases. On this platform, users can screen active compounds for a psoriasis-related target and explore molecular mechanisms of TCM. Accordingly, users can also download the retrieved structures and data information with a defined value set. In addition, it helps to get a better understanding of Chinese prescriptions in disease treatment. With the systems pharmacology-based data, PDTCM would become a valuable resource for TCM in psoriasis-related research. Key messages PDTCM platform comprises a great deal of data on TCM and psoriasis. On this platform, users can retrieve and get needed information with systems pharmacology methods, such as active compounds screening, target prediction and molecular mechanisms exploration. It is a tool for psoriasis-related research on natural drugs systematically.

  16. Heritable Disorders of Connective Tissue

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Home Health Topics English Español Heritable Disorders of Connective Tissue Basics In-Depth Download Download EPUB Download PDF ... they? Points To Remember About Heritable Disorders of Connective Tissue There are more than 200 heritable disorders that ...

  17. Ixekizumab for treatment of psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dyring-Andersen, Beatrice; Skov, Lone; Zachariae, Claus

    2015-01-01

    Psoriasis is a prevalent chronic inflammatory skin disease of unknown etiology. Recent advances in understanding the pathogenesis of psoriasis suggest that IL-17 is a key proinflammatory mediator present in the skin. Several agents targeting IL-17 or its receptor are in clinical trials...... for the treatment of psoriasis. This review focuses on the biological rationale and the results of clinical trials with ixekizumab, a humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody. Ixekizumab binds the IL-17A homodimer, thereby blocking the binding of IL-17A to the IL-17 receptor. The currently available Phase I-III data...

  18. Therapy of psoriasis with retinoid plus PUVA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heidbreder, G.; Christophers, E.

    1979-01-01

    In a group of 40 patients suffering from wide-spread psoriasis oral administration of a retinoid (Ro 10-9359) was followed by PUVA therapy. The clearance rate was increased by 30% as compared to PUVA alone. Except for cheilitis no side effects were seen. Histological analysis in 20 patients before, during and after therapy revealed an intensification of psoriatic tissue changes after retinoid treatment. Loss of corneal layers, massive exoserosis, and neutrophil migration were prominent features. Mitotic counts were not increased by the pretreatment. The increased susceptibility of diseased skin to PUVA as produced by this drug appears to be based on several factors related to the tissue changes revealed by histology. (orig.) [de

  19. Psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Linder, Michael Dennis; Piaserico, Stefano; Augustin, Matthias

    2016-01-01

    and patterns of risk. We argue that concepts from LCR and LCE could be widely applied in dermatology, in general, and, more precisely, in the study of chronic inflammatory skin diseases, e.g. atopic eczema and psoriasis. The life course approach can generally be applied in two different ways. It may be used...

  20. Sarcoidosis in Patients with Psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Khalid, Usman; Gislason, Gunnar Hilmar; Hansen, Peter Riis

    2014-01-01

    PURPOSE: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by a systemic immunological response which is mainly driven by activated T helper (Th) 1 and Th17 lymphocytes. Like psoriasis, sarcoidosis is a chronic inflammatory disorder with Th1/Th17-driven inflammation. Therefore, we...... investigated the risk of sarcoidosis in patients with psoriasis compared to the background population in a nationwide cohort. METHODS: The study included the entire Danish population aged ≥10 years followed from 1st January 1997 until diagnosis of sarcoidosis, death or 31st December 2011. Patients...... with a history of psoriasis and/or sarcoidosis at baseline were excluded. Information on comorbidity and concomitant medication was identified by individual-level linkage of administrative registers. Incidence rates of sarcoidosis were calculated and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) were estimated by multivariable...

  1. Sexy again: the renaissance of neutrophils in psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schön, Michael P; Broekaert, Sigrid M C; Erpenbeck, Luise

    2017-04-01

    Notwithstanding their prominent presence in psoriatic skin, the functional role of neutrophilic granulocytes still remains somewhat enigmatic. Sparked by exciting scientific discoveries regarding neutrophil functions within the last years, the interest in these short-lived cells of the innate immune system has been boosted recently. While it had been known for some time that neutrophils produce and respond to a number of inflammatory mediators, recent research has linked neutrophils with the pathogenic functions of IL-17, possibly in conjunction with the formation of NETs (neutrophil extracellular traps). Antipsoriatic therapies exert their effects, at least in part, through interference with neutrophils. Neutrophils also appear to connect psoriasis with comorbid diseases. However, directly tampering with neutrophil functions is not trivial as evinced by the failure of therapeutic approaches targeting redundantly regulated cellular communication networks. It has also become apparent that neutrophils link important pathogenic functions of the innate and the adaptive immune system and that they are intricately involved in regulatory networks underlying the pathophysiology of psoriasis. In order to advocate intensified research into the role of this interesting cell population, we here highlight some features of neutrophils and put them into perspective with our current view of the pathophysiology of psoriasis. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Morphometric Analysis of Connective Tissue Sheaths of Sural Nerve in Diabetic and Nondiabetic Patients

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    Braca Kundalić

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available One of the most common complications of diabetes mellitus is diabetic neuropathy. It may be provoked by metabolic and/or vascular factors, and depending on duration of disease, various layers of nerve may be affected. Our aim was to investigate influence of diabetes on the epineurial, perineurial, and endoneurial connective tissue sheaths. The study included 15 samples of sural nerve divided into three groups: diabetic group, peripheral vascular disease group, and control group. After morphological analysis, morphometric parameters were determined for each case using ImageJ software. Compared to the control group, the diabetic cases had significantly higher perineurial index (P<0.05 and endoneurial connective tissue percentage (P<0.01. The diabetic group showed significantly higher epineurial area (P<0.01, as well as percentage of endoneurial connective tissue (P<0.01, in relation to the peripheral vascular disease group. It is obvious that hyperglycemia and ischemia present in diabetes lead to substantial changes in connective tissue sheaths of nerve, particularly in peri- and endoneurium. Perineurial thickening and significant endoneurial fibrosis may impair the balance of endoneurial homeostasis and regenerative ability of the nerve fibers. Future investigations should focus on studying the components of extracellular matrix of connective tissue sheaths in diabetic nerves.

  3. Evaluations of Audiovestibular Manifestations in Patients with Psoriasis

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    İsmail Cem Temel

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Sensorineural hearing loss can occur as a complication of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Although psoriasis is also a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by T-cell mediated hyper proliferation of the keratinocytes, the information about the relationship between audiological disorders is limited in the literature and the relationship with vestibular disorders has not been investigated before. In this study, we aimed to investigate the presence of audiovestibular disorders and their relationship with disease parameters. Methods: Sixty-one patients with psoriasis and 61 healthy individuals were included in this prospective cross-sectional study. Those with possible etiologic factors that may lead to hearing and balance disorders were not included in the study. All participants were first performed a full ear, nose and throat examination. Subsequently, full audiological examination (pure audiometry, autoacoustic emission, stapes reflex, detection threshold of speech and discrimination and electronystagmography tests were performed in the audiology laboratory where sound isolation was provided. Psoriasis severity was assessed by psoriasis area and severity index, body surface area and general evaluation of researcher. Results: There were significant differences between patients and controls in terms of audiovestibular symptoms. According to audiograms, predominant bilateral sensorineural hearing loss was detected in high frequency in psoriasis patients. The vestibular abnormalities in patients with psoriasis were found to be more frequent than those in controls, only saccadic test values were observed as statistically significant. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that audiovestibular abnormalities are significantly associated with psoriasis. Therefore, patients with psoriasis should be evaluated for the co-occurrence of hearing loss or vestibular problems which might affect patients’ quality of life.

  4. The management of psoriasis through diet

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Duarte G

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Gleison Duarte,1 Luan Oliveira Barbosa,2 Maria Elisa A Rosa11Dermatology Division, Alergodermoclin, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; 2Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Pública Salvador, Bahia, BrazilAbstract: Diet is an important factor in the management of several dermatological diseases, such as dermatitis herpetiformis, acne vulgaris, gout, phrynoderma, pellagra, psoriasis, and acrodermatitis enteropathica. New concepts have emerged concerning the influence of diet on psoriasis. For example, diet has an adjuvant role in the management of several cardiovascular comorbidities that exhibit a higher-than-expected prevalence in psoriatic patients. Functional foods, such as yellow saffron and fish oil, may exert favorable effects on immune and cardiovascular functions. A gluten-free diet may promote significant clinical and histologic improvement. Folate supplementation may induce clinical improvement of psoriasis, but side effects may also occur. Diets rich in fresh fruits and vegetables are associated with a lower prevalence of psoriasis, and vegetarian diets were associated with clinical improvement. Additionally, many drug-diet interactions (retinoids, methotrexate, cyclosporine must be considered in patients with psoriasis. Therefore, in addition to current nutritional advice given to psoriasis patients, further studies are necessary in the role of diet in psoriasis therapy.Keywords: diet, lifestyle, psoriasis, recommendations, supplementation

  5. Skin cancer in patients with psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Egeberg, A; Thyssen, Jacob Pontoppidan; Gislason, G. H.

    2016-01-01

    Background: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that is commonly treated with ultraviolet phototherapy and systemic immunosuppressant drugs, which may confer a risk of skin cancer. Previous studies on the risk of skin cancer in patients with psoriasis have shown conflicting results....... Objectives: We investigated the risk of new-onset melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), respectively, in a large cohort of patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Methods: Data on all Danish individuals aged ≥18 years between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2012 were linked at individual...... of skin cancer is only modestly increased in patients with psoriasis, clinicians should remain vigilant. © 2016 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology...

  6. Tailor systemic therapy to the patient with severe psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van de Velde, Vanessa; Tidman, Michael J

    2016-02-01

    There is no standard definition regarding the severity of psoriasis, and a number of factors should be considered, including the extent and stability of skin disease, involvement of joints, response to treatment, and impact on quality of life. Erythrodermic psoriasis and pustular psoriasis are severe conditions and the patient may be systemically unwell and febrile. NICE recommends that four key areas should be evaluated and recorded when assessing patients: severity, using the static Physician's Global Assessment (sPGA); disease impact on physical, psychological and social wellbeing using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI); the presence of psoriatic arthritis; and comorbidities. Ideally, patients should be assessed annually for psoriatic arthritis: the Psoriasis Epidemiology Screening Tool is a validated tool to screen for psoriatic arthritis in primary and secondary care. Patients with severe psoriasis should undergo cardiovascular risk assessment at presentation and every five years, or more frequently if indicated. Referral to secondary care should be made for patients with any type of psoriasis with poor response to topical therapy (after 2 or 3 months according to SIGN) and for extensive psoriasis. Cases where the psoriasis is having a significant physical or psychological impact on an individual's quality of life warrant early referral, as do those where the diagnosis is uncertain. Patients with generalised pustular psoriasis or erythroderma should be referred urgently for same-day specialist input. Patients with acute guttate psoriasis who may require phototherapy should also be referred. Children and adolescents with any type of psoriasis should be referred to a specialist at initial presentation.

  7. Treatment Patterns, Treatment Satisfaction, Severity of Disease Problems, and Quality of Life in Patients with Psoriasis in Three Nordic Countries

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ragnarson Tennvall, Gunnel; Hjortsberg, Catharina; Bjarnason, Anton

    2012-01-01

    Biological drugs are expensive, but can reduce symptoms and increase quality of life for patients with psoriasis. The aim of this study was to examine quality of life, disease severity and treatment satisfaction in Danish, Finnish and Swedish patients with psoriasis. Based on 12 months' data from...

  8. Very low-calorie ketogenic diet may allow restoring response to systemic therapy in relapsing plaque psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castaldo, Giuseppe; Galdo, Giovanna; Rotondi Aufiero, Felice; Cereda, Emanuele

    2016-01-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic disease associated with overweight/obesity and related cardiometabolic complications. The link between these diseases is likely the inflammatory background associated with adipose tissue, particularly the visceral one. Accordingly, previous studies have demonstrated that in the long-term weight loss may improve the response to systemic therapies. We report a case report of a woman in her 40s suffering from relapsing moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis and obesity-related metabolic syndrome, in whom adequate response to ongoing treatment with biological therapy (adalimumab) was restored after only 4 weeks of very low-calorie, carbohydrate-free (ketogenic), protein-based diet. Accordingly, through rapid and consistent weight loss, very low calorie ketogenic diet may allow restoring a quick response to systemic therapy in a patient suffering from relapsing psoriasis. This intervention should be considered in overweight/obese patients before the rearrangement of systemic therapy. Nonetheless, studies are required to evaluate whether very low calorie ketogenic diets should be preferred to common low-calorie diets to improve the response to systemic therapy at least in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Copyright © 2015 Asia Oceania Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. The Immunogenetics of Psoriasis and Implications for Drug Repositioning

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    Xuan Xu

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Psoriasis is a genetically-regulated, T lymphocyte-mediated autoimmune skin disease that causes systemic damage, seriously affecting patient quality of life and survival. Psoriasis treatments, which aim to control the disease’s development, are greatly limited because its etiology and pathogenesis have not yet been fully elucidated. A large number of studies have demonstrated that immunogenetic elements are the most important factors responsible for psoriasis susceptibility. This paper delineates the immunogenetic mechanisms of psoriasis and provides useful information with regards to performing drug repositioning for the treatment of psoriasis.

  10. Pharmacological undertreatment of coronary risk factors in patients with psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ahlehoff, Ole; Skov, Lone; Gislason, Gunnar Hilmar

    2012-01-01

    Patients with psoriasis have increased prevalence of coronary risk factors and limited recent results have suggested that these risk factors are undertreated in patients with psoriasis. This may contribute to the increased risk of cardiovascular diseases observed in patients with psoriasis....

  11. PAMs ameliorates the imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like skin disease in mice by inhibition of translocation of NF-κB and production of inflammatory cytokines.

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    Rongkun Dou

    Full Text Available Psoriasis is a chronic and persistent inflammatory skin disease seriously affecting the quality of human life. In this study, we reported an ancient formula of Chinese folk medicine, the natural plant antimicrobial solution (PAMs for its anti-inflammatory effects and proposed the primary mechanisms on inhibiting the inflammatory response in TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced HaCaT cells and imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like skin disease mouse model. Two main functional components of hydroxysafflor Yellow A and allantoin in PAMs were quantified by HPLC to be 94.2±2.2 and 262.9±12.5 μg/mL respectively. PAMs could significantly reduce the gene expression and inflammatory cytokines production of Macrophage-Derived Chemokine (MDC, IL-8 and IL-6 in TNF-α/IFN-γ-induced HaCaT cells. PAMs also significantly ameliorates the psoriatic-like symptoms in a mouse model with the evaluation scores for both the single (scales, thickness, erythema and cumulative features were in the order of blank control < Dexamethasone < PAMs < 50% ethanol < model groups. The results were further confirmed by hematoxylin-eosin staining, RT-qPCR and immunohistochemistry. The down-regulated gene expression of IL-8, TNF-α, ICAM-1 and IL-23 in mouse tissues was consistent with the results from those of the HaCaT cells. The inhibition of psoriasis-like skin inflammation by PAMs was correlated with the inactivation of the translocation of P65 protein into cellular nucleus, indicating the inhibition of the inflammatory NF-κB signaling pathway. Taken together, these findings suggest that PAMs may be a promising drug candidate for the treatment of inflammatory skin disorders, such as psoriasis.

  12. Non-myogenic Contribution to Muscle Development and Homeostasis: The Role of Connective Tissues.

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    Nassari, Sonya; Duprez, Delphine; Fournier-Thibault, Claire

    2017-01-01

    Skeletal muscles belong to the musculoskeletal system, which is composed of bone, tendon, ligament and irregular connective tissue, and closely associated with motor nerves and blood vessels. The intrinsic molecular signals regulating myogenesis have been extensively investigated. However, muscle development, homeostasis and regeneration require interactions with surrounding tissues and the cellular and molecular aspects of this dialogue have not been completely elucidated. During development and adult life, myogenic cells are closely associated with the different types of connective tissue. Connective tissues are defined as specialized (bone and cartilage), dense regular (tendon and ligament) and dense irregular connective tissue. The role of connective tissue in muscle morphogenesis has been investigated, thanks to the identification of transcription factors that characterize the different types of connective tissues. Here, we review the development of the various connective tissues in the context of the musculoskeletal system and highlight their important role in delivering information necessary for correct muscle morphogenesis, from the early step of myoblast differentiation to the late stage of muscle maturation. Interactions between muscle and connective tissue are also critical in the adult during muscle regeneration, as impairment of the regenerative potential after injury or in neuromuscular diseases results in the progressive replacement of the muscle mass by fibrotic tissue. We conclude that bi-directional communication between muscle and connective tissue is critical for a correct assembly of the musculoskeletal system during development as well as to maintain its homeostasis in the adult.

  13. PASI and PQOL-12 score in psoriasis : Is there any correlation?

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    Vikas Shankar

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Psoriasis, a common papulo-squamous disorder of the skin, is universal in occurrence and may interfere with the quality of life adversely. Whether extent of the disease has any bearing upon the patients′ psychology has not much been studied in this part of the world. Aims: The objective of this hospital-based cross-sectional study was to assess the disease severity objectively using Psoriasis area and severity index (PASI score and the quality of life by Psoriasis quality-of-life questionnaire-12 (PQOL-12 and to draw correlation between them, if any. Materials and Methods PASI score denotes an objective method of scoring severity of psoriasis, reflecting not only the body surface area but also erythema, induration and scaling. The PQOL-12 represents a 12-item self-administered, disease-specific psychometric instrument created to specifically assess quality-of-life issues that are more important with psoriasis patients. PASI and PQOL-12 score were calculated in each patient for objectively assessing their disease severity and quality of life. Results: In total, 34 psoriasis patients (16 males, 18 females, of age ranging from 8 to 55 years, were studied. Maximum and minimum PASI scores were 0.8 and 32.8, respectively, whereas maximum and minimum PQOL-12 scores were 4 and 120, respectively. PASI and PQOL-12 values showed minimal positive correlation (r = +0.422. Conclusion: Disease severity of psoriasis had no direct reflection upon their quality of life. Limited psoriasis on visible area may also have greater impact on mental health.

  14. Improving outcomes in patients with psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tidman, Michael J

    2013-01-01

    Psoriasis is a heterogeneous inflammatory disorder that targets the skin and joints. It affects 1.3-2% of the population. The diagnosis of plaque psoriasis is usually straightforward, a helpful diagnostic clue is the tendency for silver scales to appear after gentle scratching of a lesion. Stress, streptococcal infection and drugs including beta-blockers, antimalarials and lithium may precipitate or exacerbate psoriasis. Psoriasis, especially when severe, predisposes to metabolic syndrome, and patients with psoriasis are at increased risk of ischaemic heart disease, hypertension, stroke, type 2 diabetes and hyperlipidaemia. Additionally, psoriasis sufferers appear at increased risk of uveitis, inflammatory boweldisease, lymphoma, non-melanoma skin cancer, COPD and venous thromboembolism. Psoriasis should be assessed on the basis of: severity, impact on physical, psychological and social wellbeing, symptoms of arthritis and the presence of comorbidities. Poor response to topical therapy may be as much to do with lack of compliance as with lack of efficacy. The number of treatments each day should be kept to a minimum, and patients should be reviewed after four weeks when initiating or changing topical therapy to improve adherence to treatment and assess response. The majority of patients with psoriasis can be managed in primary care, although specialist care may be necessary at some point in up to 60% of cases. Patients with erythrodermic or generalised pustular psoriasis should be referred for a same day dermatological opinion, and if psoriatic arthritis is suspected, early referral for a rheumatological opinion is recommended.

  15. Therapy of psoriasis with narrowband ultraviolet-B light influences plasma concentrations of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 in patients

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    Głażewska EK

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Edyta Katarzyna Głażewska,1 Marek Niczyporuk,1 Sławomir Ławicki,2 Maciej Szmitkowski,2 Monika Zajkowska,2 Grażyna Ewa Będkowska,3 Andrzej Przylipiak1 1Department of Esthetic Medicine, 2Department of Biochemical Diagnostics, 3Department of Haematological Diagnostics, Medical University, Białystok, Poland Background: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs, which show a significant ability to cleave the components of extracellular matrix, and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs, which slow down the activity of those enzymes, may be implicated in the pathogenesis and spread of psoriatic disease. This study aims to analyze plasma levels of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 in plaque psoriasis patients before and after the course of narrowband ultraviolet-B (NBUVB therapy with respect to disease advancement. Patients and methods: A total of 49 patients suffering from plaque psoriasis and 40 healthy volunteers were enrolled into the study. Plasma levels of MMP-2 and TIMP-2 were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, while Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI was used to define the disease advancement. Results: The results showed increased plasma levels of MMP-2 and TIMP-2, but this change was significant only in case of MMP-2 in total psoriatic group compared to healthy subjects. Moreover, there was an increase in the concentrations of chosen factors with an increase in the severity of the disease. The NBUVB therapy causes a decline in the concentration of the analyzed enzyme and its inhibitor, although this change was statistically significant in the total psoriatic group only in case of MMP-2. There was also a positive correlation between MMP-2, TIMP-2, and PASI score value. Conclusion: Our study highlights a possible important role of MMP-2 in the activity of psoriasis and clearance of disease symptoms. Moreover, plasma MMP-2 seems to be a valuable psoriasis biomarker. Keywords: gelatinase A, matrix metalloproteinases, tissue inhibitor of

  16. Clinical applicability of quantitative nailfold capillaroscopy in differential diagnosis of connective tissue diseases with Raynaud's phenomenon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Po-Chang; Huang, Min-Nung; Kuo, Yu-Min; Hsieh, Song-Chou; Yu, Chia-Li

    2013-08-01

    Nailfold capillaroscopy is a useful tool to distinguish primary from secondary Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) by examining the morphology of nailfold capillaries but its role in disease diagnosis is not clearly established. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the roles of quantitative nailfold capillaroscopy in differential diagnosis of connective tissue diseases (CTDs) with RP. The data between the year 2005 and 2009 were retrieved from the nailfold capillaroscopic database of National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH). Only the data from the patients with RP were analyzed. The criteria for interpretation of capillaroscopic findings were predefined. The final diagnoses of the patients were based on the American College of Rheumatology classification criteria for individual diseases, independent of nailfold capillaroscopic findings. The sensitivity and the specificity of each capillaroscopic pattern to the diseases were determined. The data from a total of 67 patients were qualified for the current study. We found the sensitivity and specificity of scleroderma pattern for systemic sclerosis (SSc) were 89.47% and 80%, and the specificity of the early, active, and late scleroderma patterns for SSc reached 87.5%, 97.5%, and 95%, respectively. The sensitivity/specificity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) pattern for SLE and polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM) pattern for PM/DM were 33.33%/95.45% and 60%/96.3%, respectively. The sensitivity/specificity of mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) pattern for MCTD were 20%/100%. The nailfold capillaroscopic (NC) patterns may be useful in the differential diagnosis of CTDs with RP. The NC patterns for SSc and PM/DM are both sensitive and specific to the diseases, while the SLE and MCTD patterns exhibit high specificity but relatively low sensitivity. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  17. IL23R in the Swedish, Finnish, Hungarian and Italian populations: association with IBD and psoriasis, and linkage to celiac disease

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    Vatta Serena

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Association of the interleukin-23 receptor (IL23R with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD has been confirmed in several populations. IL23R also associates with psoriasis, suggesting that the gene may be an important candidate for many chronic inflammatory diseases. Methods We studied association of single-nucleotide variants in IL23R with IBD in Swedish patients, in both Crohn's disease (CD and ulcerative colitis (UC subsets. The same genetic variants were also studied in Finnish patients with psoriasis or celiac disease, and in Hungarian and Italian patients with celiac disease. Results Association of IL23R with IBD was replicated in our Swedish patients, and linkage and association of the IL23R region with psoriasis was found in the Finnish population. The IL23R region was also linked to celiac disease in Finnish families, but no association of IL23R variants with celiac disease was found in the Finnish, Hungarian or Italian samples. Conclusion Our study is the first to demonstrate association of IL23R with CD and UC in Swedish patients with IBD. It is also the first study to report linkage and association of the IL23R region with psoriasis in the Finnish population. Importantly, this is the first report of linkage of the IL23R region to celiac disease, a chronic inflammatory condition in which IL23R has not been previously implicated.

  18. Spontaneous coronary artery dissection and its association with heritable connective tissue disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henkin, Stanislav; Negrotto, Sara M; Tweet, Marysia S; Kirmani, Salman; Deyle, David R; Gulati, Rajiv; Olson, Timothy M; Hayes, Sharonne N

    2016-06-01

    Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is an under-recognised but important cause of myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death. We sought to determine the role of medical and molecular genetic screening for connective tissue disorders in patients with SCAD. We performed a single-centre retrospective descriptive analysis of patients with spontaneous coronary artery disease who had undergone medical genetics evaluation 1984-2014 (n=116). The presence or absence of traits suggestive of heritable connective tissue disease was extracted. Genetic testing for connective tissue disorders and/or aortopathies, if performed, is also reported. Of the 116 patients (mean age 44.2 years, 94.8% women and 41.4% with non-coronary fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD)), 59 patients underwent genetic testing, of whom 3 (5.1%) received a diagnosis of connective tissue disorder: a 50-year-old man with Marfan syndrome; a 43-year-old woman with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and FMD; and a 45-year-old woman with vascular Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. An additional 12 patients (20.3%) had variants of unknown significance, none of which was thought to be a definite disease-causing mutation based on in silico analyses. Only a minority of patients with SCAD who undergo genetic evaluation have a likely pathogenic mutation identified on gene panel testing. Even fewer exhibit clinical features of connective tissue disorder. These findings underscore the need for further studies to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of SCAD. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

  19. The relationship between duration of psoriasis, vascular inflammation, and cardiovascular events

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Egeberg, Alexander; Skov, Lone; Joshi, Aditya A.

    2017-01-01

    of psoriasis duration [hazard ratio, 1.010; 95% confidence interval, 1.007-1.013]). Limitations These studies utilized observational data. Conclusion We found detrimental effects of psoriasis duration on vascular inflammation and MACE, suggesting that cumulative duration of exposure to low-grade chronic......Background Psoriasis is associated with risk of cardiovascular (CV) disease (CVD) and a major adverse CV event (MACE). Whether psoriasis duration affects risk of vascular inflammation and MACEs has not been well characterized. Objectives We utilized two resources to understand the effect...... of psoriasis duration on vascular disease and CV events: (1) a human imaging study and (2) a population-based study of CVD events. Methods First, patients with psoriasis (N = 190) underwent fludeoxyglucose F 18 positron emission tomography/computed tomography (duration effect reported as a β...

  20. Vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors: investigational therapies for the treatment of psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weidemann, Anja K; Crawshaw, Ania A; Byrne, Emily; Young, Helen S

    2013-09-26

    Psoriasis is a common inflammatory autoimmune condition in which environmental factors and genetic predisposition contribute to the development of disease in susceptible individuals. Angiogenesis is known to be a key pathogenic feature of psoriasis. Local and systemic elevation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A has been demonstrated in the skin and plasma of patients with psoriasis and is known to correlate with improvement following some traditional psoriasis treatments. A number of VEGF inhibitors are licensed for the treatment of malignancies and eye disease and isolated case reports suggest that some individuals with psoriasis may improve when exposed to these agents. The small number of cases and lack of unified reporting measures makes it difficult to draw generalizations and underline the heterogeneity of psoriasis as a disease entity. Though not yet licensed for the treatment of psoriasis in humans, experimental data supports the potential of VEGF inhibitors to influence relevant aspects of human cell biology (such as endothelial cell differentiation) and to improve animal models of skin disease. Given the multi-factorial nature of psoriasis it is unlikely that VEGF inhibitors will be effective in all patients, however they have the potential to be a valuable addition to the therapeutic arsenal in selected cases. Current VEGF inhibitors in clinical use are associated with a number of potentially serious side effects including hypertension, left ventricular dysfunction, and gastrointestinal perforation. Such risks require careful consideration in psoriasis populations particularly in light of growing concerns linking psoriasis to increased cardiovascular risk.

  1. Serum irisin levels in patients with psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baran, Anna; Myśliwiec, Hanna; Kiluk, Paulina; Świderska, Magdalena; Flisiak, Iwona

    2017-06-01

    Irisin has been proposed to regulate metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes or metabolic syndrome which are common comorbidities in psoriasis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the serum irisin level in psoriasis and elucidate possible associations with disease activity, inflammatory or metabolic parameters and topical treatment. Thirty-seven individuals with active plaque-type psoriasis and 15 healthy controls were enrolled. Blood samples were collected before and after two weeks of therapy. Serum irisin concentrations were examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results were correlated with psoriasis area and severity index (PASI), body mass index (BMI), inflammatory and biochemical markers, lipid profile and effectiveness of topical treatment. Irisin serum levels were insignificantly increased in psoriatic patients in comparison to the controls (p = 0.38). No significant correlations between investigated adipokine and several indicators of metabolic disorders, nor BMI (p = 0.37) or PASI (p = 0.5) were found. Significant positive correlations with C-reactive protein (CRP) (0.009), lipocalin-2 (p = 0.02), age (p = 0.02) and disease duration (p = 0.008) were noted. After topical treatment, serum irisin level did not significantly change (p = 0.31), despite clinical improvement. Irisin might be a marker of inflammation in psoriatic patients, but may not be a reliable indicator of metabolic conditions, severity of psoriasis nor efficacy of antipsoriatic treatment.

  2. Cardiovascular risk factors in subjects with psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Peter; Thyssen, Jacob P; Zachariae, Claus

    2013-01-01

    Background Epidemiological data have established an association between cardiovascular disease and psoriasis. Only one general population study has so far compared prevalences of cardiovascular risk factors among subjects with psoriasis and control subjects. We aimed to determine the prevalence...... of cardiovascular risk factors in subjects with and without psoriasis in the general population. Methods During 2006-2008, a cross-sectional study was performed in the general population in Copenhagen, Denmark. A total of 3471 subjects participated in a general health examination that included assessment of current...... between subjects with and without psoriasis with regard to traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Conclusions Our results contrast with the hitherto-reported increased prevalence of metabolic syndrome in subjects with psoriasis in the general US population. However, our results agree with those of other...

  3. Environmental Risk Factors in Psoriasis: The Point of View of the Nutritionist

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    Luigi Barrea

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Psoriasis is a common, chronic, immune-mediated skin disease with systemic pro-inflammatory activation, where both environmental and genetic factors contribute to its pathogenesis. Among the risk factors for psoriasis, evidence is accumulating that nutrition plays a major role, per se, in psoriasis pathogenesis. In particular, body weight, nutrition, and diet may exacerbate the clinical manifestations, or even trigger the disease. Understanding the epidemiological relationship between obesity and psoriasis is also important for delineating the risk profile for the obesity-related comorbidities commonly found among psoriatic patients. Moreover, obesity can affect both drug’s pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Additionally, the overall beneficial effects on the obesity-associated comorbidities, clinical recommendations to reduce weight and to adopt a healthy lifestyle could improve the psoriasis severity, particularly in those patients with moderate to severe disease, thus exerting additional therapeutic effects in the conventional treatment in obese patients with psoriasis. Education regarding modifiable environmental factors is essential in the treatment of this disease and represents one of the primary interventions that can affect the prognosis of patients with psoriasis. The goal is to make psoriatic patients and health care providers aware of beneficial dietary interventions. The aim of this review is to assess the relevance of the environmental factors as modifiable risk factors in psoriasis pathogenesis, with particular regard to the involvement of obesity and nutrition in the management of psoriasis, providing also specific nutrition recommendations.

  4. The sensitivity of patch test in patients with psoriasis

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    Yavuz Yeşilova

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Allergic diseases play an important role in the natural course of psoriasis. Atopic sensitization and con-tact dermatitis are common in patients with psoriasis. Since the symptoms are prolonged in patients who are resistant to therapy and exposure to itchy and external factors are common among these patients, the effects of contact aller-gens on triggering psoriasis are investigated. Contact allergens have an important role in activation and remission of psoriasis. We aimed to investigate contact sensitization rates in patients with psoriasis in the study.Material and Methods: Contact sensitization was investigated with the application of European standard series in twenty patients with psoriasis, twenty patients with contact dermatitis, and twenty healthy persons. Results: Among the whole study cases, positivity rate of patch test against one allergen at least was 25%. rate of patch test was 25% in patients with psoriasis, 35% in patients with contact dermatitis, and 15% in healthy persons. There were no significant differences between the groups according to sensitization to one or more allergens (p>0.05. There were no significant difference in clinical subgroup of psoriatic patients according to contact sensitiza-tion (p>0.05. The allergens in patients with psoriasis on patch test were as the followings: phenyldiamine, potassium dichromat, nickel, and cobalt.Conclusion: We think that the patch test has a major role in the diagnosis and elimination of allergens in patients with the chronic and resistant diseases and palmoplantar and flexural psoriasis.

  5. Management of psoriasis with nutraceuticals: An update.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raut, Gauravi; Wairkar, Sarika

    2018-05-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic skin disorder that speeds up the life cycle of skin cells, typically on the surface of the skin. Additional skin cells form thick scales and red fixes which are awfully itchy and sometimes painful. Although there are many therapeutic systems available to get symptomatic relief, unfortunately replete cure for psoriasis is not yet reported. Moreover, poor treatment outcomes as well as high toxicity profile of drugs makes these therapies more inconvenient to treat psoriasis. In search of alternative and complementary therapy for this disease, the focus has been shifted to nutraceuticals, few of them were reported since ages. It includes vitamins, herbal extracts, phytochemicals and dietary supplements. In this review, the attempt has been made to highlight key nutraceuticals for better management of psoriasis. Supplementation of appropriate nutraceutical may improve the quality of patient's life and have positive impact on overall state of disease. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. The decrease in silicon concentration of the connective tissues with age in rats is a marker of connective tissue turnover.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jugdaohsingh, Ravin; Watson, Abigail I E; Pedro, Liliana D; Powell, Jonathan J

    2015-06-01

    Silicon may be important for bone and connective tissue health. Higher concentrations of silicon are suggested to be associated with bone and the connective tissues, compared with the non-connective soft tissues. Moreover, in connective tissues it has been suggested that silicon levels may decrease with age based upon analyses of human aorta. These claims, however, have not been tested under controlled conditions. Here connective and non-connective tissues were collected and analysed for silicon levels from female Sprague-Dawley rats of different ages (namely, 3, 5, 8, 12, 26 and 43 weeks; n=8-10 per age group), all maintained on the same feed source and drinking water, and kept in the same environment from weaning to adulthood. Tissues (696 samples) were digested in nitric acid and analysed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry for total silicon content. Fasting serum samples were also collected, diluted and analysed for silicon. Higher concentrations of silicon (up to 50-fold) were found associated with bone and the connective tissues compared with the non-connective tissues. Although total silicon content increased with age in all tissues, the highest connective tissue silicon concentrations (up to 9.98 μg/g wet weight) were found in young weanling rats, decreasing thereafter with age (by 2-6 fold). Fasting serum silicon concentrations reflected the pattern of connective tissue silicon concentrations and, both measures, when compared to collagen data from a prior experiment in Sprague-Dawley rats, mirrored type I collagen turnover with age. Our findings confirm the link between silicon and connective tissues and would imply that young growing rats have proportionally higher requirements for dietary silicon than mature adults, for bone and connective tissue development, although this was not formally investigated here. However, estimation of total body silicon content suggested that actual Si requirements may be substantially lower than

  7. The decrease in silicon concentration of the connective tissues with age in rats is a marker of connective tissue turnover☆

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jugdaohsingh, Ravin; Watson, Abigail I.E.; Pedro, Liliana D.; Powell, Jonathan J.

    2015-01-01

    Silicon may be important for bone and connective tissue health. Higher concentrations of silicon are suggested to be associated with bone and the connective tissues, compared with the non-connective soft tissues. Moreover, in connective tissues it has been suggested that silicon levels may decrease with age based upon analyses of human aorta. These claims, however, have not been tested under controlled conditions. Here connective and non-connective tissues were collected and analysed for silicon levels from female Sprague–Dawley rats of different ages (namely, 3, 5, 8, 12, 26 and 43 weeks; n = 8–10 per age group), all maintained on the same feed source and drinking water, and kept in the same environment from weaning to adulthood. Tissues (696 samples) were digested in nitric acid and analysed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry for total silicon content. Fasting serum samples were also collected, diluted and analysed for silicon. Higher concentrations of silicon (up to 50-fold) were found associated with bone and the connective tissues compared with the non-connective tissues. Although total silicon content increased with age in all tissues, the highest connective tissue silicon concentrations (up to 9.98 μg/g wet weight) were found in young weanling rats, decreasing thereafter with age (by 2–6 fold). Fasting serum silicon concentrations reflected the pattern of connective tissue silicon concentrations and, both measures, when compared to collagen data from a prior experiment in Sprague–Dawley rats, mirrored type I collagen turnover with age. Our findings confirm the link between silicon and connective tissues and would imply that young growing rats have proportionally higher requirements for dietary silicon than mature adults, for bone and connective tissue development, although this was not formally investigated here. However, estimation of total body silicon content suggested that actual Si requirements may be substantially

  8. Nailfold Capillaroscopy Within and Beyond the Scope of Connective Tissue Diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lambova, Sevdalina Nikolova; Muller-Ladner, Ulf

    2018-04-20

    Nailfold capillaroscopy is a noninvasive instrumental method for morphological analysis of the nutritive capillaries in the nailfold area. In rheumatology, it is a method of choice among instrumental modalities for differential diagnosis between primary and secondary Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) in systemic rheumatic diseases. RP is a common diagnostic problem in rheumatology. Defining the proper diagnosis is a prerequisite for administration of the appropriate treatment. Thus, nailfold capillaroscopic examination is of crucial importance for the every-day practice of the rheumatologists and is currently gaining increasing attention. The most specific capillaroscopic changes are observed in Systemic Sclerosis (SSc). Due to the high prevalence of the capillaroscopic changes in this clinical entity and their early appearance, they could be used for early and very early diagnosis of the disease. More recently, "scleroderma" type capillaroscopic changes have been defined as diagnostic criterion in the new EULAR/ACR classification criteria for SSc together with the presence of scleroderma-related autoantibodies, RP, telangiectasia and other clinical signs. Capillaroscopic changes in other connective tissue diseases and in different rheumatic-like conditions like those in diabetes mellitus (e.g., diabetic stiff-hand syndrome) and paraneoplastic syndromes associated with microvascular pathology should be interpreted properly in order to obtain precise diagnosis in the shortest possible differential diagnostic process. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  9. Vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors: investigational therapies for the treatment of psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weidemann AK

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Anja K Weidemann,1 Ania A Crawshaw,2 Emily Byrne,3 Helen S Young1 1The Dermatology Centre, Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK; 2Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, UK; 3University Hospital of South Manchester, Manchester, UK Abstract: Psoriasis is a common inflammatory autoimmune condition in which environmental factors and genetic predisposition contribute to the development of disease in susceptible individuals. Angiogenesis is known to be a key pathogenic feature of psoriasis. Local and systemic elevation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A has been demonstrated in the skin and plasma of patients with psoriasis and is known to correlate with improvement following some traditional psoriasis treatments. A number of VEGF inhibitors are licensed for the treatment of malignancies and eye disease and isolated case reports suggest that some individuals with psoriasis may improve when exposed to these agents. The small number of cases and lack of unified reporting measures makes it difficult to draw generalizations and underline the heterogeneity of psoriasis as a disease entity. Though not yet licensed for the treatment of psoriasis in humans, experimental data supports the potential of VEGF inhibitors to influence relevant aspects of human cell biology (such as endothelial cell differentiation and to improve animal models of skin disease. Given the multi-factorial nature of psoriasis it is unlikely that VEGF inhibitors will be effective in all patients, however they have the potential to be a valuable addition to the therapeutic arsenal in selected cases. Current VEGF inhibitors in clinical use are associated with a number of potentially serious side effects including hypertension, left ventricular dysfunction, and gastrointestinal perforation. Such risks require careful consideration in psoriasis populations particularly in light of growing concerns linking psoriasis to increased

  10. Disease burden and patient reported outcomes among patients with moderate to severe psoriasis: an ethnography study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Narayanan S

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Siva Narayanan,1 Victoria Guyatt,2 Alessandra Franceschetti,3 Emily L Hautamaki1 1Ipsos Healthcare, Columbia, MD, USA; 2Ipsos Ethnography Centre of Excellence (ECE, London, UK; 3Ipsos Healthcare, London, UK Objectives: To assess the impact of psoriasis on health-related quality of life (HRQoL.Methods: An ethnographic study of patients with moderate to severe psoriasis was conducted in the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK, Brazil, and Canada to explore patients' views on treatment and the impact of psoriasis on HRQoL. Anthropologists and ethnographers spent a minimum of 5.5 hours with each consented patient and filmed their behaviors in everyday situations. Visual data and notes were analyzed to identify HRQoL-related themes.Results: The study included 50 adult patients. Patients described their appearance with disgust and self-loathing. Frustration was expressed due to a perceived lack of control of their lives. Prior to initiation of biologic treatment, daily rituals absorbed a good part of their day, including applying creams, checking one's appearance, and covering the body. Due to a lack of cultural discourse and patient's difficulty in articulating the impact of psoriasis, partners and family did not know how to react nor did they realize the full extent of the problem, and many patients experienced perceived social discrimination due to psoriasis, leaving them with feelings of isolation. Patients established on biologic treatment noticed a significant physical improvement and regained confidence, but psychosocial impacts, including social isolation, remained.Conclusion: This ethnographic study vividly depicted the unarticulated and emotional impact of psoriasis on the everyday lives of patients and presents an effective method of assessing HRQoL in chronic diseases.Keywords: psoriasis, health-related quality of life, ethnography, patient reported outcomes, conceptual model

  11. Guidelines of care for the management of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis Section 3. Guidelines of care for the management and treatment of psoriasis with topical therapies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Menter, A.; Korman, N.J.; Elmets, C.A.; Feldman, S.R.; Gelfand, J.M.; Gordon, K.B.; Gottlieb, A.; Koo, J.Y.M.; Lebwohl, M.; Lim, H.W.; Van Voorhees, A.S.; Beutner, K.R.; Bhushan, R. [University of Texas South West Medical Center Dallas, Dallas, TX (United States)

    2009-04-15

    Psoriasis is a common, chronic, inflammatory, multi-system disease with predominantly skin and joint manifestations affecting approximately 2% of the Population. In this third of 6 sections of the guidelines of care for psoriasis, we discuss the use of topical medications for the treatment of psoriasis. The majority of patients with psoriasis have limited disease (<5% body surface area involvement) and can be treated with topical agents, which generally provide a high efficacy-to-safety ratio. Topical agents may also be used adjunctively for patients with more extensive psoriasis undergoing therapy with either ultraviolet light, systemic or biologic medications. However, the use of topical agents as monotherapy in the setting of extensive disease or in the setting of limited, but recalcitrant, disease is not routinely recommended. Treatment should be tailored to meet individual patients' needs. We will discuss the efficacy and safety of as well as offer recommendations for the use of topical corticosteroids, vitamin D analogues, tazarotene, tacrolimus, pimecrolimus, emollients, salicylic acid, anthralin, coal tar, as well as combination therapy.

  12. Psoriasis and cardiometabolic traits: modest association but distinct genetic architectures

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koch, Manja; Baurecht, Hansjörg; Ried, Janina S.; Rodriguez, Elke; Schlesinger, Sabrina; Volks, Natalie; Gieger, Christian; Rückert, Ina-Maria; Heinrich, Luise; Willenborg, Christina; Smith, Catherine; Peters, Annette; Thorand, Barbara; Koenig, Wolfgang; Lamina, Claudia; Jansen, Henning; Kronenberg, Florian; Seissler, Jochen; Thiery, Joachim; Rathmann, Wolfgang; Schunkert, Heribert; Erdmann, Jeanette; Barker, Jonathan; Nair, Rajan P; Tsoi, Lam C; Elder, James T; Mrowietz, Ulrich; Weichenthal, Michael; Mucha, Sören; Schreiber, Stefan; Franke, Andre; Schmitt, Jochen; Lieb, Wolfgang; Weidinger, Stephan

    2015-01-01

    Psoriasis has been linked to cardiometabolic diseases, but epidemiological findings are inconsistent. We investigated the association between psoriasis and cardiometabolic outcomes in a German cross-sectional study (n=4.185) and a prospective cohort of German Health Insurance beneficiaries (n=1.811.098). A potential genetic overlap was explored using genome-wide data from >22.000 coronary artery disease (CAD) and >4.000 psoriasis cases, and with a dense genotyping study of cardiometabolic risk loci on 927 psoriasis cases and 3.717 controls. Controlling for major confounders, in the cross-sectional analysis psoriasis was significantly associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D, adjusted odd’s ratio OR=2.36; 95% confidence interval CI=1.26–4.41) and myocardial infarction (MI, OR=2.26, 95% CI=1.03–4.96). In the longitudinal study, psoriasis slightly increased the risk for incident T2D (adjusted relative risk RR=1.11; 95%CI=1.08–1.14) and MI (RR=1.14; 95%CI=1.06–1.22), with highest risk increments in systemically treated psoriasis, which accounted for 11 and 17 excess cases of T2D and MI per 10,000 person-years. Except for weak signals from within the MHC, there was no evidence for genetic risk loci shared between psoriasis and cardiometabolic traits. Our findings suggest that psoriasis, in particular severe psoriasis, increases risk for T2D and MI, and that the genetic architecture of psoriasis and cardiometabolic traits is largely distinct. PMID:25599394

  13. Introducing Stereology as a Tool to Assess the Severity of Psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kamp, Søren; Stenderup, Karin; Rosada, Cecilia

    2008-01-01

    to histological specimens in order to obtain three-dimensional properties from two-dimensional tissue samples. The psoriasis xenograft model used in this trial is accepted as a leading animal model for psoriasis. Psoriatic skin from psoriatic patients was grafted onto severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice...

  14. Palmoplantar psoriasis is associated with greater impairment of health-related quality of life compared to moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chung, Jina; Duffin, Kristina Callis; Takeshita, Junko; Shin, Daniel B.; Krueger, Gerald G.; Robertson, Andrew D.; Troxel, Andrea B.; Van Voorhees, Abby S.; Edson-Heredia, Emily; Gelfand, Joel M.

    2014-01-01

    Background The impact of palmoplantar psoriasis on health-related quality of life (QoL) is largely unknown. Objective To compare clinical characteristics and patient-reported outcomes between patients with palmoplantar psoriasis and moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of patients with plaque psoriasis (N=1,153) and palmoplantar psoriasis (N=66) currently receiving systemic or light treatment for psoriasis. Results Patients with palmoplantar psoriasis were more likely to report Dermatology Life Quality Index scores that correspond to at least a moderate impact on QoL (odds ratio [OR] 2.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.20-3.61); problems with mobility (OR 1.98; 95% CI, 1.10-3.58), self-care (OR 3.12; 95% CI, 1.24-7.86), and usual activities (OR 2.47; 95% CI, 1.44-4.22) on the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions questionnaire; and heavy topical prescription use of at least twice daily in the preceding week (OR 2.81; 95% CI, 1.63-4.85) than those with plaque psoriasis. Limitations Our assessment tools may not account for all dimensions of health-related QoL affected by palmoplantar disease, and these results may not be generalizable to patients with milder forms of psoriasis. Conclusion Patients with palmoplantar psoriasis suffer from greater health-related QoL impairment and are more likely to report heavy use of topical prescriptions than those with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. PMID:24894455

  15. Metabolic Changes and Serum Ghrelin Level in Patients with Psoriasis

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    Haydar Ucak

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. Serum ghrelin levels may be related to metabolic and clinical changes in patients with psoriasis. Objective. This study was performed to determine the possible effects of serum ghrelin in patients with psoriasis. Methods. The study population consisted of 25 patients with plaque psoriasis. The patients were questioned with regard to age, gender, age of onset, duration of disease, height, weight, and body mass index (BMI. In addition, fasting blood sugar, triglyceride, cholesterol levels, insulin, and ghrelin levels were measured. Results. The mean serum ghrelin level was 45.41 ± 22.41 in the psoriasis group and 29.92 ± 14.65 in the healthy control group. Serum ghrelin level was significantly higher in the psoriasis group compared with the controls (P=0.01. The mean ghrelin level in patients with a lower PASI score was significantly higher than in those with a higher PASI score (P=0.02. Conclusion. The present study was performed to determine the effects of ghrelin in psoriasis patients. We found a negative correlation between severity of psoriasis and ghrelin level. Larger and especially experimental studies focusing on correlation of immune system-ghrelin levels and severity of psoriasis may be valuable to clarify the etiopathogenesis of the disease.

  16. Investigation of Relationship Between Parvovirus B19 Infection and Psoriasis

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    Mehmet Yıldırım

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Background and Design: Psoriasis is a common, chronic, relapsing skin disease, characterized by the formation of typical scaly papules or plaques. The three factors well-recognized as triggering the onset, causing new lesions or inducing a flare in the disease are: stress, skin injury and infection. Various microorganisms are associated with provocation and/or exacerbation of psoriasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between parvovirus B19 (PVB19 and psoriasis/psoriasis area severity index (PASI. Material and Method: Sixty patients with psoriasis (36 men, 24 women and 40 healthy volunteers (22 men, 18 women were included in our study. PVB19 DNA was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Results: PVB19 DNA was detected in 27 of 60 subjects in the patient group (45% and in 9 of 40 controls (22.5% (p0.05. The relationship between the viral load and the subtypes of psoriasis was not statistically significant (p>0.05.Conclusion: According to the results of this study, it was concluded that a relationship may be present between psoriasis and PVB 19 infection.

  17. Associations between STAT Gene Polymorphisms and Psoriasis in Northeastern China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Jing; Li, Yuzhen; Sun, Donglin

    2017-01-01

    Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease with genetic and environmental factors. Based on the roles of STATs (signaling transducers and activators of transcription) in autoimmune diseases, it is assumed STAT gene polymorphisms are associated with psoriasis. To study the association between STAT gene polymorphisms and psoriasis in the northeastern Chinese population. Eight single-nucleotide polymorphisms were genotyped: rs2293152, rs3816769, rs4796793, and rs744166 in STAT3, rs7574865 and rs3024866 in STAT4, and rs324011 and rs3024974 in STAT6, using SNaPshot methods. The genotype, allele, and haplotype frequencies were compared between 400 psoriasis patients and 398 healthy individuals in northeastern China. rs744166GG in STAT3 and rs7574865TT in STAT4 had higher frequencies in the case than the control group, suggesting these 2 genotypes increase the susceptibility to psoriasis (p < 0.05). Three haplotypes (H3, H6, and H7) were found to be associated with psoriasis in the study (p < 0.05). These results indicate a role of STAT genes in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  18. Serum YKL-40 as a potential biomarker of inflammation in psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baran, Anna; Myśliwiec, Hanna; Szterling-Jaworowska, Malgorzata; Kiluk, Paulina; Świderska, Magdalena; Flisiak, Iwona

    2018-02-01

    YKL-40 is an inflammatory glycoprotein associated with atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes or metabolic syndrome which are common comorbidities in psoriasis. The aim of the study was to assess serum YKL-40 level in psoriasis and elucidate possible associations with disease activity, inflammatory or metabolic parameters and treatment. A total of 37 individuals with active plaque-type psoriasis and 15 healthy controls were enrolled. Blood samples were collected before and after 2 weeks of therapy. Serum YKL-40 concentrations were evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The results were correlated with Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), body mass index (BMI), inflammatory and biochemical markers, lipid profile and topical therapy. Median YKL-40 serum levels were significantly increased in psoriatic patients in comparison to the controls (p psoriasis and inflammation in psoriatic patients, but not a reliable indicator of metabolic conditions, severity of psoriasis nor efficacy of the treatment.

  19. Two-years therapy with bosentan of pulmonary arterial hypertension related to connective tissue diseases

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    M. Rizzo

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH is a rare but severe complication of connective tissue diseases (CTD, with a negative impact on patients survival. Bosentan, a receptor antagonist of endothelin, has been proved effective for the treatment of PAH. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects and the safety of bosentan administered for 2 years in a group of patients with PAH related to CTD. Methods: Twelve patients with PAH related to systemic sclerosis (8 cases, SLE (2 cases, mixed connective tissue disease (1 case and polymyositis (1 case attending the Rheumatology Unit of Padova University were treated with bosentan for two years. Distance walked in 6 minutes, right ventricular systolic pressure and mean pulmonary artery pressure estimated by doppler echocardiography were evaluated at baseline and after 6, 12, 18 and 24 months of treatment. Safety was assessed by laboratory tests performed every two months. Results: During bosentan treatment, a significant decrease of right ventricular systolic pressure was observed after 6, 12, 18 and 24 months in comparison to baseline, whereas pulmonary artery mean pressure remained unchanged. Distance walked in 6 minutes slightly increased after 6 and 12 months, but significantly decreased after 18 and 24 months, mostly because complications of CTD which compromised the ability to walk arose in 4 patients. Adverse events related to bosentan were observed in 2 cases. Conclusions: Bosentan has been demonstrated effective in reducing pulmonary arterial pressure in a two-year period of treatment. Exercise capacity improved only in the first year of therapy and worsened thereafter, suggesting the opportunity of a combination therapy for a long-term treatment of PAH related to CTD.

  20. Epidemiology and treatment of psoriasis: a Chinese perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pan R

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Ran Pan, Jianzhong Zhang Department of Dermatology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, People's Republic of China Background: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that has a negative impact on quality of life. Prevalence and management of psoriasis varies among different ethnic groups. Objectives: To evaluate the epidemiology and treatment of psoriasis from a Chinese perspective. Methods: A systematic search was performed on PubMed and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure using the following MeSH terms: "psoriasis" and ("prevalence" or "epidemiology" and "risk factor" and ("management" or "treatment". The search included all citations from 1975 to 2013. Data were sorted by prevalence, age of onset, sex distribution, type, severity, risk factors, and management and treatment. Severity of psoriasis was classified as mild, moderate, or severe. The studies cited in this review involved Chinese subjects. Results: The prevalence of psoriasis in the People's Republic of China ranged from 0.11% to 0.47%. Genetic and environmental factors played an important role in initiation and exacerbation of psoriasis. Results showed that psoriasis can occur at any age but is more common in young and middle-aged individuals and occurs more often in men and earlier in women. Psoriasis vulgaris accounted for 82.6%–97.1% of psoriasis patients. More than 90% of patients with psoriasis were classified as mild or moderately severe. Risk factors are numerous. Management and treatment was based on classification level. Conclusion: The prevalence of psoriasis in Chinese patients is lower than that in Caucasians. A cold and dry climate, bacterial infection, diet, and stress are important risk factors for developing psoriasis. There are a variety of management and treatment options available. As such, Chinese patients with psoriasis can receive effective, safe, and individualized treatment. Keywords: psoriasis, epidemiology, risk factors

  1. Increased Incidence of Critical Illness in Psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marrie, Ruth Ann; Bernstein, Charles N; Peschken, Christine A; Hitchon, Carol A; Chen, Hui; Garland, Allan

    Psoriasis is associated with an increased risk of comorbid disease. Despite the recognition of increased morbidity in psoriasis, the effects on health care utilisation remain incompletely understood. Little is known about the risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission in persons with psoriasis. To compare the incidence of ICU admission and post-ICU mortality rates in a psoriasis population compared with a matched population without psoriasis. Using population-based administrative data from Manitoba, Canada, we identified 40 930 prevalent cases of psoriasis and an age-, sex-, and geographically matched cohort from the general population (n = 150 210). We compared the incidence of ICU admission between populations using incidence rates and Cox regression models adjusted for age, sex, socioeconomic status, and comorbidity and compared mortality after ICU admission. Among incident psoriasis cases (n = 30 150), the cumulative 10-year incidence of ICU admission was 5.6% (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.3%-5.8%), 21% higher than in the matched cohort (incidence rate ratio, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.15-1.27). In the prevalent psoriasis cohort, crude mortality in the ICU was 11.5% (95% CI, 9.9%-13.0%), 32% higher than observed in the matched population admitted to the ICU (8.7%; 95% CI, 8.3%-9.1%). Mortality rates after ICU admission remained elevated at all time points in the psoriasis cohort compared with the matched cohort. Psoriasis is associated with an increased risk for ICU admission and with an increased risk of mortality post-ICU admission.

  2. Alveolar ridge augmentation by connective tissue grafting using a pouch method and modified connective tissue technique: A prospective study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agarwal, Ashish; Gupta, Narinder Dev

    2015-01-01

    Localized alveolar ridge defect may create physiological and pathological problems. Developments in surgical techniques have made it simpler to change the configuration of a ridge to create a more aesthetic and more easily cleansable shape. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of alveolar ridge augmentation using a subepithelial connective tissue graft in pouch and modified connective tissue graft technique. In this randomized, double blind, parallel and prospective study, 40 non-smoker individuals with 40 class III alveolar ridge defects in maxillary anterior were randomly divided in two groups. Group I received modified connective tissue graft, while group II were treated with subepithelial connective tissue graft in pouch technique. The defect size was measured in its horizontal and vertical dimension by utilizing a periodontal probe in a stone cast at base line, after 3 months, and 6 months post surgically. Analysis of variance and Bonferroni post-hoc test were used for statistical analysis. A two-tailed P connective tissue graft proposed significantly more improvement as compare to connective tissue graft in pouch.

  3. Genetic polymorphisms associated with psoriasis and development of psoriatic arthritis in patients with psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loft, Nikolai Dyrberg; Skov, Lone; Rasmussen, Mads Kirchheiner; Gniadecki, Robert; Dam, Tomas Norman; Brandslund, Ivan; Hoffmann, Hans Jürgen; Andersen, Malene Rohr; Dessau, Ram Benny; Bergmann, Ann Christina; Andersen, Niels Møller; Abildtoft, Mikkel Kramme; Andersen, Paal Skytt; Hetland, Merete Lund; Glintborg, Bente; Bank, Steffen; Vogel, Ulla; Andersen, Vibeke

    2018-01-01

    Psoriasis (PsO) is a chronic inflammatory disease with predominantly cutaneous manifestations. Approximately one third of patients with PsO develop psoriatic arthritis (PsA), whereas the remaining proportion of patients has isolated cutaneous psoriasis (PsC). These two phenotypes share common immunology, but with different heredity that might in part be explained by genetic variables. Using a candidate gene approach, we studied 53 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 37 genes that regulate inflammation. In total, we assessed 480 patients with PsO from DERMBIO, of whom 151 had PsC for 10 years or more (PsC10), 459 patients with PsA from DANBIO, and 795 healthy controls. Using logistic regression analysis, crude and adjusted for age and gender, we assessed associations between genetic variants and PsO, PsC10, and PsA, as well as associations between genetic variants and development of PsA in PsO. Eleven polymorphisms in 10 genes were nominally associated with PsO and/or PsC and/or PsA (P psoriasis, two SNPs in the IL12B and TNF genes were associated with susceptibility of psoriasis. None of the SNPs were specifically associated with isolated cutaneous psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis.

  4. Psoriasis in those planning a family, pregnant or breast-feeding. The Australasian Psoriasis Collaboration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rademaker, Marius; Agnew, Karen; Andrews, Megan; Armour, Katherine; Baker, Chris; Foley, Peter; Frew, John; Gebauer, Kurt; Gupta, Monisha; Kennedy, Debra; Marshman, Gillian; Sullivan, John

    2017-05-23

    The Australasian Psoriasis Collaboration has reviewed the evidence for managing moderate to severe psoriasis in those who are pregnant or are breast-feeding, or planning a family. The severity of the psoriasis, associated comorbidities and specific anti-psoriasis treatment, along with other exposures, can have a deleterious effect on pregnancy outcomes. Psoriasis itself increases the risk of preterm and low birthweight babies, along with spontaneous and induced abortions, but no specific birth defects have been otherwise demonstrated. The baseline risk for a live born baby to have a major birth defect is 3%, and significant neuro-developmental problem is 5%. In Australia, pregnant women with psoriasis are more likely to be overweight or obese, depressed, or smoke in their first trimester, and are also less likely to take prenatal vitamins or supplements. Preconception counselling to improve maternal, pregnancy and baby health is therefore strongly encouraged. The topical and systemic therapies commonly used in psoriasis are each discussed separately, with regards to pregnancy exposure, breast-feeding and effects on male fertility and mutagenicity. The systemic therapies included are acitretin, adalimumab, apremilast, certolizumab, ciclosporin, etanercept, infliximab, ixekizumab, methotrexate, NBUVB, prednisone, PUVA, secukinumab and ustekinumab. The topical therapies include dithranol (anthralin), calcipotriol, coal tar, corticosteroids (weak, potent and super-potent), moisturisers, salicylic acid, tacrolimus, and tazarotene. As a general recommendation, effective drugs that have been widely used for years are preferable to newer alternatives with less foetal safety data. It is equally important to evaluate the risks of not treating, as severe untreated disease may negatively impact both mother and the foetus. © 2017 The Australasian College of Dermatologists.

  5. [Interrelationship between lower limb varicosity, the grade of connective tissue dysplasia and atrial fibrillation in patients with coronary artery disease].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forster, O V; Tsarev, O A; Shvarts, Iu G

    2006-01-01

    To determine interrelationship between lower limb varicosity, the clinical grade of non-differentiated dysplasia of the connective tissue and atrial fibrillation in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Altogether 156 coronary patients were examined. Persistent atrial fibrillation was present in 58 and chronic in 38 patients. The reference group comprised 60 patients without evident rhythm disorders in persons suffering from CAD. Markers of connective tissue dysplasia () were revealed on the part of the skeleton, joints skin and visceral organs. Lower limb varicosity was recorded as well. The number of the stigmas in the study groups was different. So, in the patient group without rhythm disorders, the mean number of the stigmas was equal to 3, which is a variant of normal. In the groups with persistent and constant AF, this indicator was equal to 4.7 and 5.2 respectively (patrial fibrilation there is a direct close correlation between the signs of connective tissue dysplasia and lower limb varicosity. In patients with persistent AF lower limb varicosity occurs more frequently than in CAD patients with normal rhythm.

  6. Köebner phenomenon induced by cupping therapy in a psoriasis patient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Rui-Xing; Hui, Yun; Li, Cheng-Rang

    2013-06-15

    Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory and refractory disease. The koebner phenomenon, which can be induced by trauma, is common in psoriasis patients. Herein, we report a patient with psoriasis who was treated by cupping therapy and subsequently developed the koebner phenomenon (KP) at the cupped sites. To our knowledge, it is the first report about cupping therapy leading to KP in a psoriasis patient.

  7. Epidemiology and treatment of psoriasis: a Brazilian perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duarte, Gleison V; Porto-Silva, Larissa; de Oliveira, Maria de Fátima Paim

    2015-01-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated systemic disease that is influenced by genetic and environmental factors, is associated with comorbidities, and has a negative impact on the quality of life of affected individuals. The prevalence of psoriasis varies among different ethnic groups, but this topic has not been studied in Brazil to date. In this review, we evaluate the epidemiology and treatment of psoriasis from a Brazilian perspective. We focused on studies that involved Brazilian subjects. The prevalence of psoriasis in Brazil is estimated to be 2.5%, but no population study has been performed previously. Environmental factors, such as tropical climate, in association with genetic factors, such as miscegenation, may exert a beneficial impact on the course and frequency of psoriasis in Brazil. A number of studies have advanced our understanding of the cardiovascular, ophthalmic, and oral comorbidities that are associated with psoriasis. Concerns about biological therapy, such as endemic leprosy, human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV), and tuberculosis infections, are discussed. The nonavailability of treatment options for psoriasis in the public health system contradicts the Brazilian Society of Dermatology guidelines, stimulating the judicialization of access to medicines in psoriasis care.

  8. New insight into the pathogenesis of nail psoriasis and overview of treatment strategies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ventura A

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Alessandra Ventura,1 Mauro Mazzeo,1 Roberta Gaziano,2 Marco Galluzzo,1 Luca Bianchi,1 Elena Campione1 1Department of Dermatology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy; 2Department of Experimental Medicine and Surgery, Rome, Italy Abstract: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting up to 3% of the general population. The prevalence of nail involvement in psoriasis patients varies between 15% and 79%. While the nails represent a small portion of the body surface area, psoriasis in these areas can have a disproportionate influence on a patient’s physical and psychosocial activities. Differential diagnosis between an onychomycosis and a psoriatic nail could be challenging; nevertheless, coexistence of onychomycosis and nail psoriasis also occurs and both are common disorders in the general population. Nail psoriasis can be difficult to treat. Treatment of nail psoriasis should consider the body surface area of skin disease, psoriatic arthritis, severity of nail disease, and the impairment in the quality of life. All patients should be tested for onychomycosis before starting a therapy. This recommendation is underlined by the fact that nail psoriasis is mostly treated by immunosuppressive drugs, like steroids, methotrexate, or biologics, which may aggravate mycotic nail infections. Conventional systemic therapy, such as use of steroids, cyclosporine, methotrexate, and retinoid in the long term, can cause organ toxicities. Currently, use of apremilast and tofacitinib favors an early healing of nail psoriasis because they act directly on the pathogenic targets, distressing the inflammatory signals associated with the initiation and maintenance of the disease activity, and as with several conventional synthetic disease modifying antirheumatic drugs, they are characterized by the convenience of oral administration. The number of treatment options has increased considerably in recent years; however, given the heterogeneity of

  9. Nail psoriasis as a severity indicator: results from the PsoReal study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radtke, Marc A; Langenbruch, Anna K; Schäfer, Ines; Herberger, Katharina; Reich, Kristian; Augustin, Matthias

    2011-07-01

    Although nail psoriasis affects a substantial proportion of psoriasis patients and causes significant psychologic distress, few epidemiologic data characterizing patients with nail involvement are available. The aim of this research was to elucidate differences between patients with nail psoriasis and those without any nail involvement, taking quality indicators of health care from the patient's perspective into account. In total, 2449 patient members of the Deutscher Psoriasis Bund, the largest patient organization for psoriasis in Germany, were interviewed in this nationwide, noninterventional, cross-sectional study. Patients with nail psoriasis were compared with patients without any nail involvement with regard to gender, age, disease duration, affected body surface area, health-related quality of life (Dermatology Life Quality Index [DLQI] ED-5D), patient-defined treatment benefit, amount of inpatient treatments, disease duration, and numbers of work days lost. Data from 2449 patients with psoriasis were analyzed. Overall, 44.8% (1078) of patients were female, mean age was 57.0 ± 11.7 years, and 72.8% had nail involvement and showed higher values for affected body surface area than those without nail involvement (8.3% versus 5.6%, respectively; P < 0.004). Health-related quality of life was significantly lower in patients with nail psoriasis (DLQI 7.2 versus 5.3; ED-5D 60.1 versus 67.3), who had more days off work (9.8 versus 3.3). Nail involvement is an important symptom of psoriasis and is associated with greater disease severity and quality of life impairment. Accordingly, management of psoriasis should include a special focus on nail involvement.

  10. Reasons for Treatment Changes in Patients With Moderate to Severe Psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Kathryn L; Feldman, Steven R

    2015-01-01

    Psoriasis treatment involves multiple treatment arms. Treatment choice depends on many factors and may change, due to the chronicity of psoriasis. The purpose of our study is to explore reasons for treatment changes in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. Ten charts of patients with moderate to severe psoriasis were reviewed. The medication changes and reasons for change were extracted. A "treatment change" was defined as switching between medication classes, adding or removing a medication class, or switching medications within the oral or biologic medication class. Seventy-seven treatment changes were identified. On average, 1 treatment change occurred per year of follow-up. The most common reason for treatment change was inadequate disease control. Inadequate disease control with current therapy is the most common reason a physician changes treatment for moderate to severe psoriasis. More efficacious treatments or ways to improve efficacy may help improve the long-term outcomes of psoriasis. © The Author(s) 2015.

  11. [The psychological and social support in patients with psoriasis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makara-Studzińska, Marta; Ziemecki, Piotr; Ziemecka, Anna; Partyka, Iwona

    2013-09-01

    The meaning of non medical forms of support in the treatment of psoriasis is discussed in the paper. Related with psoriasis negative self image and feeling of stigmatization cause various mental disorders. Stress, depression, mental condition affect the appearance of psoriasis. Because of numerous studies and identify the factors and relationships important for psoriasis, patients can take the appropriate psychological and social support. Relaxation techniques, cognitive-behavioral therapy and support groups have a positive effect on the treatment of psoriasis. They reduce the level of stress in the patient, learn emotional control, adequate self-esteem, which leads to the acceptance of the disease and improve the quality of life of the patient.

  12. Psoriasis (For Parents)

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Staying Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Psoriasis KidsHealth / For Parents / Psoriasis What's in this article? ... treatment doesn't work, another probably will. About Psoriasis Psoriasis (suh-RYE-uh-sus) is a non- ...

  13. Mixed connective tissue disease: The King Faisal Specialist Hospital experience

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Rayes, H.; Al-Sheikh, A.; Al-Dalaan, A.; Al-Saleh, S.

    2002-01-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the clinical presentation, complications and serological analysis of mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC), and to determine the long-term clinical and immunologic outcomes. This was a retrospective study with prospective follow-up of 18 patients with MCTD who were followed at KFSHRC between 1982 and 1999. The age at onset of the disease ranged from 6 to 44 years, with mean age of 17.9 years. The female to male ratio was 2.5:1 and the mean follow-up time was 5 years. The most frequent presenting symptoms were arthralgia in all patients, Raynaud's phenomenon in 16 patients (88%) and swollen hands in 11 patients (61%). Arthritis was seen in 12 patients in (67%) and definite myositis in 10 patients (58%). The most common skin rashes encountered included lupus-like rash in 8 patients (44%) and cutaneous vasculitis in 5 patients (28%). Pulmonary hypertension occurred in 4 patients (22%). Other clinical manifestations encountered were esophageal hypomotility in 10 patients (56%), myocarditis in 2 patients (11%) and proteinurea in 2 patients (11%), while various neurological manifestations were present in 7 patients (39%). All patients exhibited higher titer of ANA and anti-nRNP antibodies. Five of the 18 patients (28%) had marked reduction in the anti-nRNP during remission. Following treatment, features of inflammation as well as Raynaud's phenomenon and esophageal hypomotility diminished, while pulmonary hypertension persisted. A favorable outcome was observed in 12 patients (67%), 3 patients (17%) had continued active disease, while 3 patients (17%) died, with death related to pulmonary hypertension occurring in 2 patients (11%). The studied patients demonstrated the typical clinical and serological findings of MCTD, which support the correlation between anti-nRNP antibody specificities and MCTD. Autoantibody reactivity against nRNP polypeptides tends to regress during

  14. Longitudinal analysis of quality of life in patients with undifferentiated connective tissue diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iudici M

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Michele Iudici, Rosaria Irace, Antonella Riccardi, Giovanna Cuomo, Serena Vettori, Gabriele Valentini Rheumatology Section, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy Introduction/objectives: To prospectively assess the quality of life (QoL of patients affected by undifferentiated connective tissue diseases (UCTDs and to identify factors associated with changes over time.Patients and methods: A total of 46 consecutive UCTD patients completed the Short-Form 36 (SF-36 questionnaire at presentation and then yearly. At each 6-month visit, all patients underwent a detailed history taking and a laboratory and physical assessment, in order to follow the evolution of the disease over time and to assess the the co-existence of fibromyalgia.Results: At presentation, scores lower than the average of the general population were detected in 34 (74% and 41 (89% patients in the physical and mental domains, respectively. No difference between patients with and without Raynaud’s phenomenon was detected. Fibromyalgia was the only independent variable associated with an impaired physical component summary score (p = 0.0009. No patient feature was found to be associated with the basal mental component summary score. During 24 months of follow-up, a significant improvement (ie, a change ≥5 from baseline in physical component summary and mental component summary scores was observed in 14 (33.3% and 20 (43.4% patients, respectively. Patients who significantly improved in the physical domain more frequently had a history of glucocorticoids intake (p < 0.001, while those who improved in the mental component more frequently had a history of either glucocorticoids (p = 0.043 or immunosuppressors (p = 0.037 intake during follow-up.Conclusion: UCTD patients perceive a worse QoL, regardless of Raynaud’s phenomenon Fibromyalgia is one of the major contributors of physical QoL, whereas no factor influencing

  15. Comorbidity profiles of psoriasis in Taiwan: A latent class analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Chen-Yi; Hu, Hsiao-Yun; Li, Chung-Pin; Chou, Yiing-Jeng; Chang, Yun-Ting

    2018-01-01

    Psoriasis is associated with many comorbidities. An understanding of these comorbidity patterns can help foster better care of patients with psoriasis. To identify the heterogeneity of psoriasis comorbidities using latent class analysis (LCA). LCA was used to empirically identify psoriasis comorbidity patterns in a nationwide sample of 110,729 incident cases of psoriasis (2002-2012) from the National Health Insurance database in Taiwan. The mean age of incident psoriasis was 46.1 years. Hypertension (28.8%), dyslipidemia (18.9%), and chronic liver disease/cirrhosis/hepatitis (18.1%) were the top three comorbidities in patients with psoriasis. LCA identified four distinct comorbidity classes among these patients, including 9.9% of patients in the "multi-comorbidity" class, 17.9% in the "metabolic syndrome" class, 11.3% in the "hypertension and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)" class, and 60.9% in the "relatively healthy" class. Psoriatic arthritis was evenly distributed among each class. Relative to membership in the "relative healthy" class, an increase of one year of age had a higher probability of membership in the "multi-comorbidity" (odds ratio [OR], 1.25), "metabolic syndrome" (OR, 1.11), or "hypertension and COPD" (OR, 1.34) classes. Relative to membership in the "relative healthy" class, compared to women, men had a higher probability of membership in the "multi-comorbidity" (OR, 1.39), "metabolic syndrome" (OR, 1.77), or "hypertension and COPD" (OR, 1.22) classes. We observed four distinct classes of psoriasis comorbidities, including the "multi-comorbidity", "metabolic syndrome", "hypertension and COPD", and "relatively healthy" classes, as well as the clustering of liver diseases with metabolic syndrome and clustering of COPD with hypertension.

  16. Coincident systemic lupus erythematosus and psoriasis vulgaris: a case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Y; Da, G; Yu, Y; Han, J; Li, H

    2015-12-01

    Psoriasis vulgaris is an autoimmune chronic inflammatory skin disease, but its association with other typical autoimmune disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus has only occasionally been reported. We presented a 25-year-old female who developed systemic lupus erythematosus associated with psoriasis vulgaris. Her conditions were in good control after she got administration of prednisolone (5 mg/day) and Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook (20 mg/day). It is necessary to integrate past history and physical examination to diagnose coincident SLE and psoriasis, and combined treatment with prednisolone and Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook proves effective.

  17. A clinical review of phototherapy for psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ping; Wu, Mei X

    2018-01-01

    Psoriasis is an autoimmune inflammatory skin disease. In the past several decades, phototherapy has been widely used to treat stable psoriatic lesions, including trunk, scalp, arms and legs, and partial nail psoriasis. A variety of light/lasers with different mechanisms of action have been developed for psoriasis including ultraviolet B (UVB), psoralen ultraviolet A (PUVA), pulsed dye laser (PDL), photodynamic therapy (PDT), intense pulsed light (IPL), light-emitting diodes (LED), and so on. Because light/laser each has specific therapeutic and adverse effects, it is important to adequately choose the sources and parameters in management of psoriasis with different pathogenic sites, severities, and duration of the disorder. This review aims at providing most updated clinic information to physicians about how to select light/laser sources and individual therapeutic regimens. To date, UV light is primarily for stable plaque psoriasis and PDL for topical psoriatic lesions with small area, both of which are safe and effective. On the other hand, PUVA has better curative effects than UVB for managing refractory psoriasis plaques, if its side effects can be better controlled. PDL provides optimal outcomes on nail psoriasis compared with other lasers. Although the trails of low-level light/laser therapy (LLLT) are still small, the near infrared (NIR) and visible red light with low energy show promise for treating psoriasis due to its strong penetration and encouraging photobiomodulation. IPL is rarely reported for psoriasis treatment, but PDT-IPL has been found to offer a moderate effect on nail psoriasis. In brief, various phototherapies have been used either in different combinations or as monotherapy. The modality has become a mainstay in the treatment of mild-to-moderate psoriasis without systemic adverse events in today's clinical practice.

  18. Biologics in pediatric psoriasis - efficacy and safety.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dogra, Sunil; Mahajan, Rahul

    2018-01-01

    Childhood psoriasis is a special situation that is a management challenge for the treating dermatologist. As is the situation with traditional systemic agents, which are commonly used in managing severe psoriasis in children, the biologics are being increasingly used in the recalcitrant disease despite limited data on long term safety. Areas covered: We performed an extensive literature search to collect evidence-based data on the use of biologics in pediatric psoriasis. The relevant literature published from 2000 to September 2017 was obtained from PubMed, using the MeSH words 'biologics', 'biologic response modifiers' and 'treatment of pediatric/childhood psoriasis'. All clinical trials, randomized double-blind or single-blind controlled trials, open-label studies, retrospective studies, reviews, case reports and letters concerning the use of biologics in pediatric psoriasis were screened. Articles covering the use of biologics in pediatric psoriasis were screened and reference lists in the selected articles were scrutinized to identify other relevant articles that had not been found in the initial search. Articles without relevant information about biologics in general (e.g. its mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics and adverse effects) and its use in psoriasis in particular were excluded. We screened 427 articles and finally selected 41 relevant articles. Expert opinion: The available literature on the use of biologics such as anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α agents, and anti-IL-12/23 agents like ustekinumab suggests that these are effective and safe in managing severe pediatric psoriasis although there is an urgent need to generate more safety data. Dermatologists must be careful about the potential adverse effects of the biologics before administering them to children with psoriasis. It is likely that with rapidly evolving scenario of biologics in psoriasis, these will prove to be very useful molecules particularly in managing severe and recalcitrant

  19. T lymphocytes in the lesional skin and the levels of peripheral blood cytokines in patients with psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    İbrahim Kökçam

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available In the current study, it was aimed to investigate the roles of tissue cellular immunity and serum levels of cytokines in the patients with plaque psoriasis treated with calcipotriol-betamethasone dipropionate.Materials and methods: The study included 20 patients with psoriasis. Peripheral blood and biopsy samples were collected from lesional and normal skins before and after treatment. The results were compared with each other.Results: Immunohistochemical examination revealed significant elevations of CD4+, CD8+ and CD25+ T lymphocytes in the lesional tissues when compared to that in the healthy tissues and post treatment tissue (p0.05. The levels of IL–4, IL–10, TNF-α, IFN-γ and TGF-β1 in serum were not significantly different between before and after treatment periods (p>0.05.Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that there were infiltration of CD4+ and CD8+ cell in the lesional skin and CD8+ T-lymphocytes were the dominant cell types. The improvement of the lesions and significant decreases in CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells in accordance with the treatment strongly support the hypothesis that Th lymphocytes may have prominent roles in the immunopathogenesis of the disease. However, our findings showed that sufficient T-cells still remains in the tissue, which is consistent with the chronic characteristic of the disease, and the topical treatment could not be able to prevent the activation of the disease.

  20. Generalized Pustular Psoriasis in Association with Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Hypopharynx

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milicic Vesna

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Pustular psoriasis is an uncommon form of psoriasis consisting of widespread pustules on an erythematous background. Very rarely pustular psoriasis represent a paraneoplastic dermatosis. In this report we describe a case of generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP associated with advanced, inoperable, metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the hypopharynx. We suggest that physicians should be alert for the worsening of existing psoriasis or formation of novel psoriasiform eruptions and should undertake clinical evaluation of possible neoplastic disease.

  1. Critical role of environmental factors in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Jinrong; Luo, Shuaihantian; Huang, Yumeng; Lu, Qianjin

    2017-08-01

    Psoriasis is a common cutaneous disease with multifactorial etiology including genetic and non-genetic factors, such as drugs, smoking, drinking, diet, infection and mental stress. Now, the role of the interaction between environmental factors and genetics are considered to be a main factor in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. However, it is a challenge to explore the mechanisms how the environmental factors break the body balance to affect the onset and development of psoriasis. In this article, we review the pathogenesis of psoriasis and summarize numerous clinical data to reveal the association between environmental factors and psoriasis. In addition, we focus on the mechanisms of environmental risk factors impact on psoriasis and provide a series of potential treatments against environmental risk factors. © 2017 Japanese Dermatological Association.

  2. Vitamin D and its role in psoriasis: An overview of the dermatologist and nutritionist.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrea, Luigi; Savanelli, Maria Cristina; Di Somma, Carolina; Napolitano, Maddalena; Megna, Matteo; Colao, Annamaria; Savastano, Silvia

    2017-06-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease. Psoriasis lesions are characterized by hyper-proliferation of epidermal keratinocytes associated with inflammatory cellular infiltrate in both dermis and epidermis. The epidermis is the natural source of vitamin D synthesis by sunlight action. Recently, a role for vitamin D in the pathogenesis of different skin diseases, including psoriasis, has been reported. Indeed, significant associations between low vitamin D status and psoriasis have been systematically observed. Due to its role in proliferation and maturation of keratinocytes, vitamin D has become an important local therapeutic option in the treatment of psoriasis. To date, the successful treatment based on adequate dietary intake of vitamin D or oral vitamin D supplementation in psoriasis represent an unmet clinical need and the evidence of its beneficial effects remains still controversial. This information is important either for Dermatologists and Nutritionists to increases the knowledge on the possible bi-directional relationships between low vitamin D status and psoriasis and on the potential usefulness of vitamin D in psoriasis with the aim not only to reduce its clinical severity, but also for delineating the risk profile for co-morbidities cardiac risk factors that may result from psoriasis. In the current review, we analyzed the possible bi-directional links between psoriatic disease and vitamin D.

  3. Increased risk of migraine in patients with psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Egeberg, A.; Mallbris, L.; Gislason, G. H.

    2015-01-01

    Background: Psoriasis and migraine are common conditions with potential overlap of pathophysiological mechanisms. Both these diseases have been associated with increased cardiovascular risk but little is known about their interplay. Objective: We sought to investigate the link between psoriasis...... and adjusted incidence rate ratios were estimated by Poisson regression models. Results: The study comprised a total of 5,379,859 individuals, including 53,006 and 6831 patients with mild and severe psoriasis, respectively, and 6243 patients with psoriatic arthritis. Fully adjusted incidence rate ratios...... for migraine were 1.37 (95% confidence interval 1.30-1.45), 1.55 (95% confidence interval 1.29-1.86), and 1.92 (95% confidence interval 1.65-2.22) for mild psoriasis, severe psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis, respectively. Stratification for sex revealed increased risk of migraine in both male and female...

  4. Quality of life and work productivity impairment among psoriasis patients: findings from the National Psoriasis Foundation survey data 2003-2011.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armstrong, April W; Schupp, Clayton; Wu, Julie; Bebo, Bruce

    2012-01-01

    To ascertain impairment in quality of life and work productivity among patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. From 2003 through 2011, the National Psoriasis Foundation collected survey data from patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis via email and telephone correspondences. Survey data were collected from psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis patients in the general community in the U.S. Quality of life focusing on emotional impact (anger, frustration, helplessness, etc.) and physical impact (pain, pruritus, physical irritation, etc.); employment status. The surveys were performed through random sampling of participants from a database of over 75,000 patients. From 2003 to 2011, 5,604 patients completed the surveys. Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis affected overall emotional wellbeing in 88% of patients, and they interfered with enjoyment of life in 82%. Most patients reported experiencing anger (89%), frustration (89%), helplessness (87%), embarrassment (87%), and self-consciousness (89%). Many patients also actively concealed physical manifestations of their diseases (83%), and experienced pain (83%) and pruritus (93%) regularly. Of note, 12% of patients were unemployed, and 11% worked part-time. Among unemployed patients, 92% cited psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis as the sole reasons for not working. Among working patients, 49% missed work days regularly due to psoriasis. Compared to patients with mild psoriasis, patients with severe psoriasis have 1.8 times greater odds to be unemployed after adjusting for age and gender (Adjusted OR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.4-2.3). Patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis continue to experience significant impairment of quality of life and work productivity.

  5. Body Image, Self-esteem, and Quality of Life in Patients with Psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nazik, Hulya; Nazik, Selcuk; Gul, Feride C

    2017-01-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin that may affect the visible areas of body. Hence, the quality of life, self-esteem, and body image can be affected in psoriasis patients. We aimed in the present study to assess the effects of psoriasis on the quality of life, self-esteem, and body image. The study included 92 patients with psoriasis, along with 98 control participants. The sociodemographic characteristics of the patients were assessed, their Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) scores were calculated to determine the clinical severity of the psoriasis, and the values were recorded. In addition, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Body Image Scale, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale results were evaluated. When the control and psoriasis groups were evaluated regarding the DLQI, self-esteem, and body image, quality of life was found to be more negatively affected in the psoriasis group than the controls, which was statistically significant ( P self-esteem ( P self-esteem ( P self-esteem ( r = 0.448), however, it was negatively correlated with the body image ( r = -0.423). Psoriasis may negatively affect quality of life, self-esteem, and body image, and may also cause psychosocial problems. An assessment of new approaches on this issue may contribute to developments in the treatment of and rehabilitation from this disease.

  6. The impact of obesity on psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dorota Krasowska

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Many psoriatic patients, especially those suffering from severe forms of the disease, are obese and present other features of metabolic syndrome. It is likely due to proinflammatory activity of hormones and cytokines, called adipokines, which are produced by excess of fat tissue. Obese psoriatic patients usually have more severe skin lesions. They also respond poorly to systemic antipsoriatic therapies. Furthermore, this group of patients has a higher frequency of cardiovascular events and metabolic complications as well as psychological disturbances, such as depression, low self-esteem and anxiety disorders. Dietary counseling and lifestyle modification aimed at weight loss should be an integral part of therapeutic management in obese patients with psoriasis.

  7. TREATMENT OF PSORIASIS WITH HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V. A. Molochkov

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Psoriasis is a disease with growing incidence predominantly affecting young and middle-aged patients. It is characterized by frequent exacerbations, insufficient efficacy of the routine therapy and common adverse effects. Thus, use of alternative therapies is of great importance. Aim: To assess efficacy and safety of homeopathic medicine Loma Lux Psoriasis in patients with different forms of psoriasis. Materials and methods: 45 patients with progressive (n=17 and stable (n=28 psoriasis and mean PASI (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index value 17.3 (5–30 were treated with homeopathic medicine Loma Lux Psoriasis in combination with topical medicines: salicylic Vaseline 2%, tar and naphthalane preparations, ointments with fluocinolone acetonide and mometasone, betametasone/salicylic acid combinations. Diet was also recommended. Results: After 12 weeks, significant improvement (PASI decrease 75–100% was demonstrated in 40%  of the patients including completely absent skin desquamation, resorption of psoriatic papules and patches with residual hyper- or depigmentation. 57.8% of the patient had moderate improvement (PASI decrease 25–75%. In one patient with only slight improvement (PASI decrease less than 25% treatment was prolonged for 4  weeks and significant improvement was achieved. Therapy was well tolerated in all patients. No side effects or treatment-related complications were reported. Clinical recover was associated with marked tendency to improvement of blood biochemistry and immunology: elevation of immunoregulatory index up to 1.6 and T-helpers content up to 44.3%. Conclusion: Homeopathic medicine Loma Lux Psoriasis is characterized by good efficacy and safety profile and may be recommended as addon to comprehensive treatment of stable and progressing psoriasis.

  8. Prevalence and comorbidities in adults with psoriasis compared to atopic eczema.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Radtke, M A; Schäfer, I; Glaeske, G; Jacobi, A; Augustin, M

    2017-01-01

    Most data suggesting an association between psoriasis and cardiovascular disease (CVD) have come from specialized populations at either low or high risk of CVD. Atopic dermatitis (AD) has been associated with a number of modifiable risk factors, particularly obesity. There has been a recent controversy on the suggestion that associations with comorbidities in psoriasis may be due to overreporting or biased by disease severity and therefore not necessarily representative of the general psoriasis population. To evaluate the prevalence of AD and psoriasis and to compare the prevalence rates of comorbidities based on a large sample of health insurance data. Data were collected from a database of non-selected individuals from a German statutory health insurance organization that covers all geographic regions. Individuals identified by International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 codes applied to all outpatient and inpatient visits in the year 2009. Comorbidities were evaluated by ICD-10 diagnoses. The database consisted of 1 642 852 members of a German statutory health insurance. Of 1 349 671 data sets analyzed, 37 456 patients ≥18 years were diagnosed with psoriasis (prevalence 2.78%), and 48 140 patients ≥18 years of age were diagnosed with AD, equivalent to a prevalence of 3.67%. Patients with psoriasis showed increased rates of comorbidities in all age groups. Comorbidities related to the metabolic syndrome including arterial hypertension [prevalence ratio (PR), 1.94; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.90-1.98], hyperlipidaemia (PR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.73-1.81), obesity (PR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.69-1.79) and diabetes mellitus (PR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.83-1.94) were significantly more common among patients with psoriasis compared to AD. Diseases forming part of the metabolic syndrome showed significant lower prevalence rates in patients with AD than in patients with psoriasis. Within the limitations of secondary healthcare data, our study disproves the suggestion that

  9. Management of moderate to severe psoriasis in patients with metabolic comorbidities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paolo eGisondi

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting 2-3% of worldwide population. The extent of skin involvement is variable, ranging from a few localised plaques to generalised involvement. Moderate to severe psoriasis (>10% of body surface area is frequently associated with psoriatic arthritis and metabolic diseases, like abdominal obesity, diabetes, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome and chronic kidney disease. A common genetic background as well as several acquired risk factors links psoriasis to comorbidities. From a clinical prespective, the understanding of the patients in the context of these comorbidities is very important to ensure that treatment is tailored to meet the individual patient needs. Indeed, some pharmacological treatments may negatively affect cardio-metabolic comorbidities, and have important interactions with drugs that are commonly used to treat them. Non-pharmacological intervention such as diet, smoking cessation and physical exercise could both improve the response to treatments for psoriasis and reduce the cardiovascular risk.

  10. Long term efficacy and safety of etanercept in the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kivelevitch D

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Dario Kivelevitch, Bobbak Mansouri, Alan Menter Department of Dermatology, Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA Abstract: Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory disease affecting both the skin and joints. Approximately 20% of patients suffer a moderate to severe form of skin disease and up to 30% have joint involvement. Standard therapies for psoriasis include topical medications, phototherapy, and both oral systemic and biological therapies whereas therapies for psoriatic arthritis include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs followed by disease modifying antirheumatic drugs and/or tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α inhibitors and interleukin-12/23p40 inhibitors. Treatment of both diseases is typically driven by disease severity. In the past decade, major advances in the understanding of the immunopathogenesis of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis have led to the development of numerous biological therapies, which have revolutionized the treatment for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Anti-TNF-α agents are currently considered as first line biological therapies for the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Currently approved anti-TNF-α agents include etanercept, adalimumab, and infliximab for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis as well as golimumab and certolizumab for psoriatic arthritis. In this article, we aim to evaluate the long term safety and efficacy of etanercept in psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Keywords: psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis, etanercept, biological therapy, tumor necrosis factor, safety

  11. Lipidomics profiling reveals the role of glycerophospholipid metabolism in psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zeng, Chunwei; Wen, Bo; Hou, Guixue; Lei, Li; Mei, Zhanlong; Jia, Xuekun; Chen, Xiaomin; Zhu, Wu; Li, Jie; Kuang, Yehong; Zeng, Weiqi; Su, Juan; Liu, Siqi; Peng, Cong; Chen, Xiang

    2017-10-01

    Psoriasis is a common and chronic inflammatory skin disease that is complicated by gene-environment interactions. Although genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses have been performed to investigate the pathogenesis of psoriasis, the role of metabolites in psoriasis, particularly of lipids, remains unclear. Lipids not only comprise the bulk of the cellular membrane bilayers but also regulate a variety of biological processes such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, immunity, angiogenesis, and inflammation. In this study, an untargeted lipidomics approach was used to study the lipid profiles in psoriasis and to identify lipid metabolite signatures for psoriasis through ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry. Plasma samples from 90 participants (45 healthy and 45 psoriasis patients) were collected and analyzed. Statistical analysis was applied to find different metabolites between the disease and healthy groups. In addition, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to validate differentially expressed lipids in psoriatic patient plasma. Finally, we identified differential expression of several lipids including lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), lysophosphatidylcholine (LysoPC), phosphatidylinositol (PI), phosphatidylcholine (PC), and phosphatidic acid (PA); among these metabolites, LPA, LysoPC, and PA were significantly increased, while PC and PI were down-regulated in psoriasis patients. We found that elements of glycerophospholipid metabolism such as LPA, LysoPC, PA, PI, and PC were significantly altered in the plasma of psoriatic patients; this study characterizes the circulating lipids in psoriatic patients and provides novel insight into the role of lipids in psoriasis. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

  12. Histological properties of intramuscular connective tissues in native ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The conventional histological study revealed that except the endomysium which was similar in both muscles, the other intramuscular connective tissues' layers varied between leg and breast muscles and were affected by sex. All the connective tissue fibers were observed in all the intramuscular connective tissues of both ...

  13. Rituximab versus cyclophosphamide for the treatment of connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (RECITAL): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saunders, Peter; Tsipouri, Vicky; Keir, Gregory J; Ashby, Deborah; Flather, Marcus D; Parfrey, Helen; Babalis, Daphne; Renzoni, Elisabetta A; Denton, Christopher P; Wells, Athol U; Maher, Toby M

    2017-06-15

    Interstitial lung disease (ILD) frequently complicates systemic autoimmune disorders resulting in considerable morbidity and mortality. The connective tissue diseases (CTDs) most frequently resulting in ILD include: systemic sclerosis, idiopathic inflammatory myositis (including dermatomyositis, polymyositis and anti-synthetase syndrome) and mixed connective tissue disease. Despite the development, over the last two decades, of a range of biological therapies which have resulted in significant improvements in the treatment of the systemic manifestations of CTD, the management of CTD-associated ILD has changed little. At present there are no approved therapies for CTD-ILD. Following trials in scleroderma-ILD, cyclophosphamide is the accepted standard of care for individuals with severe or progressive CTD-related ILD. Observational studies have suggested that the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, rituximab, is an effective rescue therapy in the treatment of refractory CTD-ILD. However, before now, there have been no randomised controlled trials assessing the efficacy of rituximab in this treatment population. RECITAL is a UK, multicentre, prospective, randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, controlled trial funded by the Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation Programme of the Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health Research. The trial will compare rituximab 1 g given intravenously, twice at an interval of 2 weeks, with intravenously administered cyclophosphamide given monthly at a dose of 600 mg/m 2 body surface area in individuals with ILD due to systemic sclerosis, idiopathic inflammatory myositis (including anti-synthetase syndrome) or mixed connective tissue disease. A total of 116 individuals will be randomised 1:1 to each of the two treatment arms, with stratification based on underlying CTD, and will be followed for a total of 48 weeks from first dose. The primary endpoint for the study will be change in forced vital capacity (FVC) at 24

  14. Relapsing polychondritis associated with psoriasis vulgaris successfully treated with adalimumab: A case report with published work review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsuo, Haruka; Asahina, Akihiko; Fukuda, Takeshi; Umezawa, Yoshinori; Nakagawa, Hidemi

    2017-07-01

    Relapsing polychondritis (RP) is a rare autoimmune-mediated disease characterized by inflammation involving cartilaginous tissues. We report here a case of RP in a 38-year-old Japanese man with 13-year duration of psoriasis vulgaris treated with topical steroids and vitamin D 3 . The patient presented with tender swelling and erythema of both auricles, and the antibody to type II collagen was detected. The biopsy specimen revealed a dense mixed cell infiltration over the auricular cartilage. We reviewed eight cases with the association of RP and psoriasis, and in all cases the clinical course of psoriasis did not correlate with that of RP. The severity of RP was mild in the majority of cases, and our case was unique in that the patient had no joint symptoms. Adalimumab treatment was effective for both RP and psoriasis. Fat-suppressed contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging was beneficial, not only to demonstrate subclinical inflammation in the nasal septum, but also to subjectively assess the improvement of RP. © 2017 Japanese Dermatological Association.

  15. Beliefs about health, illness and acceptance of the limitations of chronic somatic disease inpeople with psoriasis

    OpenAIRE

    Joanna Miniszewska; Marta Adamska

    2014-01-01

    Introduction: Occurrence of a chronic disease means for an affected person significant changes in life and the disease itself can be seen in various categories. Assessment of the disease often affects its acceptance, which in turn affects the choice of coping strategies in dealing with it. Beliefs about psoriasis, a chronic skin disease that causes numerous psychosocial consequences, may influence its acceptance. Aim of the study: To determine the relationship between the way the ...

  16. Psoriasis and cardiovascular events

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Raaby, Line; Ahlehoff, Ole; de Thurah, Annette

    2017-01-01

    So far, systematic reviews have suggested an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in psoriatic patients, though some results have been conflicting. The aim of this study was to update the current level of evidence through a systematic search in MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Central...... Register databases. In total, 13 high-quality observational studies estimating the incidence of CVD were included. Patients with mild psoriasis had an increased risk of stroke [Hazard ratio (HR) = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.0-1.19] and myocardial infarction (MI) (HR = 1.20, 95% CI: 1.06-1.35), but not cardiovascular...... death. The risks of both stroke (HR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.20-1.60), MI (HR = 1.70, 95% CI: 1.18-2.43) and cardiovascular death (HR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.13-1.67) were increased in patients with severe psoriasis. In conclusion, this updated meta-analysis confirmed that patients with psoriasis have an increased...

  17. Sleep disturbance in psoriasis - a case-controlled study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jensen, P; Zachariae, C; Skov, L; Zachariae, R

    2018-04-28

    Sleep is essential for daytime functioning and health. Given the physical symptoms of psoriasis, a higher prevalence of sleep disorders could be expected. So far, the studies examining sleep disturbance in psoriasis have been of less-than-optimal methodological quality and with mixed results. We aimed to: 1) examine the prevalence of sleep disturbance in patients with plaque psoriasis compared to controls, 2) evaluate associations with health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and 3) examine possible disease-related predictors of disturbed sleep. We used a cross-sectional, case-controlled design. Participants included 179 consecutively recruited patients with plaque psoriasis and 105 controls. Measures included psoriasis severity (Psoriasis Area and Severity index [PASI]); HRQoL (Dermatology Life Quality Index [DLQI]); insomnia severity (Insomnia Severity Index [ISI]); sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI]); stress (Perceived Stress Scale [PSS]); Itch (Itch Severity Scale [ISS]); and depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory [BDI]). Analyses included group comparisons and regression analyses to identify predictors of sleep disturbance. Twenty-five per cent of patients with psoriasis reported clinical insomnia (ISI > 15), compared with 10.5% of controls. In all, 53.9% of patients with psoriasis were poor sleepers (PSQI > 5), compared with 21.9% of controls. Itch was statistically significantly associated with all sleep-related outcomes. A higher proportion of patients with psoriasis suffer from poor sleep than controls from the general population. Itch was the main predictor of impaired sleep. Improved control of psoriasis with decreased itch may improve sleep disturbance in psoriasis. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  18. Pulmonary MR imaging with ultra-short TEs: Utility for disease severity assessment of connective tissue disease patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohno, Yoshiharu; Nishio, Mizuho; Koyama, Hisanobu; Takenaka, Daisuke; Takahashi, Masaya; Yoshikawa, Takeshi; Matsumoto, Sumiaki; Obara, Makoto; Cauteren, Marc van; Sugimura, Kazuro

    2013-01-01

    Purpose: To evaluate the utility of pulmonary magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with ultra-short echo times (UTEs) at a 3.0 T MR system for pulmonary functional loss and disease severity assessments of connective tissue disease (CTD) patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). Materials and methods: This prospective study was approved by the institutional review board, and written informed consent was obtained from 18 CTD patients (eight men and ten women) and eight normal subjects with suspected chest disease (three men and five women). All subjects underwent thin-section MDCT, pulmonary MR imaging with UTEs, pulmonary function test and serum KL-6. Regional T2* maps were generated from each MR data set, and mean T2* values were determined from ROI measurements. From each thin-section MDCT data set, CT-based disease severity was evaluated with a visual scoring system. Mean T2* values for normal and CTD subjects were statistically compared by using Student's t-test. To assess capability for pulmonary functional loss and disease severity assessments, mean T2* values were statistically correlated with pulmonary functional parameters, serum KL-6 and CT-based disease severity. Results: Mean T2* values for normal and CTD subjects were significantly different (p = 0.0019) and showed significant correlations with %VC, %DL CO , serum KL-6 and CT-based disease severity of CTD patients (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Pulmonary MR imaging with UTEs is useful for pulmonary functional loss and disease severity assessments of CTD patients with ILD

  19. Pulmonary MR imaging with ultra-short TEs: Utility for disease severity assessment of connective tissue disease patients

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ohno, Yoshiharu, E-mail: yosirad@kobe-u.ac.jp [Advanced Biomedical Imaging Research Center, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Hyogo (Japan); Division of Functional and Diagnostic Imaging Research, Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Hyogo (Japan); Nishio, Mizuho [Division of Functional and Diagnostic Imaging Research, Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Hyogo (Japan); Koyama, Hisanobu [Division of Radiology, Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Hyogo (Japan); Takenaka, Daisuke [Division of Radiology, Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Hyogo (Japan); Department of Radiology, Hyogo Cancer Center, Akashi, Hyogo (Japan); Takahashi, Masaya [Advanced Imaging Research Center, Department of Radiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Houston, TX (United States); Yoshikawa, Takeshi; Matsumoto, Sumiaki [Advanced Biomedical Imaging Research Center, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Hyogo (Japan); Division of Functional and Diagnostic Imaging Research, Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Hyogo (Japan); Obara, Makoto; Cauteren, Marc van [Philips Electronics Japan, Tokyo (Japan); Sugimura, Kazuro [Division of Radiology, Department of Radiology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Hyogo (Japan)

    2013-08-15

    Purpose: To evaluate the utility of pulmonary magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with ultra-short echo times (UTEs) at a 3.0 T MR system for pulmonary functional loss and disease severity assessments of connective tissue disease (CTD) patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD). Materials and methods: This prospective study was approved by the institutional review board, and written informed consent was obtained from 18 CTD patients (eight men and ten women) and eight normal subjects with suspected chest disease (three men and five women). All subjects underwent thin-section MDCT, pulmonary MR imaging with UTEs, pulmonary function test and serum KL-6. Regional T2* maps were generated from each MR data set, and mean T2* values were determined from ROI measurements. From each thin-section MDCT data set, CT-based disease severity was evaluated with a visual scoring system. Mean T2* values for normal and CTD subjects were statistically compared by using Student's t-test. To assess capability for pulmonary functional loss and disease severity assessments, mean T2* values were statistically correlated with pulmonary functional parameters, serum KL-6 and CT-based disease severity. Results: Mean T2* values for normal and CTD subjects were significantly different (p = 0.0019) and showed significant correlations with %VC, %DL{sub CO}, serum KL-6 and CT-based disease severity of CTD patients (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Pulmonary MR imaging with UTEs is useful for pulmonary functional loss and disease severity assessments of CTD patients with ILD.

  20. Connective tissue activation. XVII

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weiss, J.J.; Donakowski, C.; Anderson, B.; Meyers, S.; Castor, C.W.

    1980-01-01

    The platelet-derived connective tissue activating peptide (CTAP-III) has been shown to be an important factor stimulating the metabolism and proliferation of human connective tissue cell strains, including synovial tissue cells. The quantities of CTAP-III affecting the cellular changes and the amounts in various biologic fluids and tissues are small. The objectives of this study were to develop a radioimmunoassay (RIA) for CTAP-III and to ascertain the specificities of the anti-CTAP-III sera reagents. The antisera were shown not to cross-react with a number of polypeptide hormones. However, two other platelet proteins β-thromboglobulin and low affinity platelet factor-4, competed equally as well as CTAP-III for anti-CTAP-III antibodies in the RIA system. Thus, the three platelet proteins are similar or identical with respect to those portions of the molecules constituting the reactive antigenic determinants. The levels of material in normal human platelet-free plasma that inhibited anti-CTAP-III- 125 I-CTAP-III complex formation were determined to be 34+-13 (S.D.) ng/ml. (Auth.)

  1. Internalized stigma in psoriasis: A multicenter study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alpsoy, Erkan; Polat, Mualla; FettahlıoGlu-Karaman, Bilge; Karadag, Ayse Serap; Kartal-Durmazlar, Pelin; YalCın, Basak; Emre, Selma; Didar-Balcı, Didem; Bilgic-Temel, Asli; Arca, Ercan; Koca, Rafet; Gunduz, Kamer; Borlu, Murat; Ergun, Tulin; Dogruk-Kacar, Seval; Cordan-Yazici, Ayca; Dursun, Pınar; BilgiC, Ozlem; Gunes-Bilgili, Serap; Sendur, Neslihan; Baysal, Ozge; Halil-Yavuz, Ibrahim; Yagcioglu, Gizem; Yilmaz, Ertan; Kavuzlu, Ufuk; Senol, Yesim

    2017-08-01

    Internalized stigma is the adoption of negative attitudes and stereotypes of the society regarding a person's illness. It causes decreased self-esteem and life-satisfaction, increased depression and suicidality, and difficulty in coping with the illness. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the internalized stigma state of psoriatic patients and to identify the factors influencing internalized stigma. The secondary aim was to identify the correlation of internalized stigma with quality of life and perceived health status. This multicentre, cross-sectional study comprised 1485 patients. There was a significant positive correlation between mean values of Psoriasis Internalized Stigma Scale (PISS) and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index, Body Surface Area, Dermatological Life Quality Index and General Health Questionnaire-12 (P psoriasis (P = 0.016), family history of psoriasis (P = 0.0034), being illiterate (P psoriasis. Involvement of scalp, face, hand, genitalia and finger nails as well as arthropathic and inverse psoriasis were also related to significantly higher PISS scores (P = 0.001). Our findings imply that psoriatic patients experience high levels of internalized stigma which are associated with psoriasis severity, involvement of visible body parts, genital area, folds or joints, poorer quality of life, negative perceptions of general health and psychological illnesses. Therefore, internalized stigma may be one of the major factors responsible from psychosocial burden of the disease. © 2017 Japanese Dermatological Association.

  2. Prokineticin 2 Plays a Pivotal Role in Psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoqin He

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Psoriasis is histologically characterized by keratinocytes (KC hyperproliferation, inflammation, and increased angiogenesis, but the pathological factor responsible for these symptoms is unknown. Here, a neuroendocrine peptide (prokineticin 2, PK2, is highly expressed in human and mouse psoriatic skins but no significant change in other autoimmune diseases, suggesting that PK2 is a psoriasis-specific factor. Bacterial products significantly up-regulated PK2, implying that infection induces PK2 over-expression. PK2 promoted KC and macrophage to produce interleukin-1 (IL-1, the central player of inflammation and psoriasis, which acts on adjacent fibroblast to induce inflammatory cascades and KC hyperproliferation. IL-1 feeds back on macrophages to induce PK2 production to perpetuate PK2-IL-1 positive feedback loop. PK2 also promoted angiogenesis, another psoriatic symptom. In mouse models, PK2 over-expression aggravated psoriasis while its knock-down inhibited pathological development. The results indicate that PK2 over-production perpetuates psoriatic symptoms by creating PK-2-IL-1 vicious loop. PK2 is a central player in psoriasis and a promising psoriasis-specific target.

  3. Genetics of Psoriasis and Pharmacogenetics of Biological Drugs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rocío Prieto-Pérez

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin. The causes of psoriasis are unknown, although family and twin studies have shown genetic factors to play a key role in its development. The many genes associated with psoriasis and the immune response include TNFα, IL23, and IL12. Advances in knowledge of the pathogenesis of psoriasis have enabled the development of new drugs that target cytokines (e.g., etanercept, adalimumab, and infliximab, which target TNFα, and ustekinumab, which targets the p40 subunit of IL23 and IL12. These drugs have improved the safety and efficacy of treatment in comparison with previous therapies. However, not all patients respond equally to treatment, possibly owing to interindividual genetic variability. In this review, we describe the genes associated with psoriasis and the immune response, the biological drugs used to treat chronic severe plaque psoriasis, new drugs in phase II and III trials, and current knowledge on the implications of pharmacogenomics in predicting response to these treatments.

  4. The 'psoriatic march': a concept of how severe psoriasis may drive cardiovascular comorbidity.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Boehncke, Wolf-Henning

    2011-04-01

    There is increasing awareness that psoriasis is more than \\'skin deep\\'. Several recent reviews focussed on biomarkers indicating the systemic dimension of psoriasis and the aspect of comorbidity psoriasis shares with other chronic inflammatory diseases, such as Crohn\\'s disease and rheumatoid arthritis. Of emerging significance is the relationship to cardiovascular disease, as this contributes substantially to the patients\\' increased mortality. In this viewpoint, we examine currently available evidence favouring the concept of a causal link between psoriasis and cardiovascular disease: systemic inflammation may cause insulin resistance, which in turn triggers endothelial cell dysfunction, leading to atherosclerosis and finally myocardial infarction or stroke. While this \\'psoriatic march\\' is not yet formally proven, it raises clinically and academically relevant questions, and gains support by recent observations of numerous investigators.

  5. Epidemiology and treatment of psoriasis: a Brazilian perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Duarte GV

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Gleison V Duarte,1 Larissa Porto-Silva,2 Maria de Fátima Paim de Oliveira1 1Dermatology Department, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, 2Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Pública, Salvador, BA, Brazil Abstract: Psoriasis is a chronic immune-mediated systemic disease that is influenced by genetic and environmental factors, is associated with comorbidities, and has a negative impact on the quality of life of affected individuals. The prevalence of psoriasis varies among different ethnic groups, but this topic has not been studied in Brazil to date. In this review, we evaluate the epidemiology and treatment of psoriasis from a Brazilian perspective. We focused on studies that involved Brazilian subjects. The prevalence of psoriasis in Brazil is estimated to be 2.5%, but no population study has been performed previously. Environmental factors, such as tropical climate, in association with genetic factors, such as miscegenation, may exert a beneficial impact on the course and frequency of psoriasis in Brazil. A number of studies have advanced our understanding of the cardiovascular, ophthalmic, and oral comorbidities that are associated with psoriasis. Concerns about biological therapy, such as endemic leprosy, human T-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV, and tuberculosis infections, are discussed. The nonavailability of treatment options for psoriasis in the public health system contradicts the Brazilian Society of Dermatology guidelines, stimulating the judicialization of access to medicines in psoriasis care. Keywords: psoriasis, epidemiology, comorbidities, health services accessibility, health care disparities, insurance, health care costs

  6. Pathogenesis and immunotherapy in cutaneous psoriasis: what can rheumatologists learn?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alexander, Helen; Nestle, Frank O

    2017-01-01

    This review presents our current understanding of the pathogenesis and treatment of psoriasis with a particular focus on recent areas of research and emerging concepts. Psoriasis arises in genetically predisposed individuals who have an abnormal innate and adaptive immune response to environmental factors. Recent studies have identified novel genetic, epigenetic and immunological factors that play a role in the disease pathogenesis. There is emerging evidence for the role of the skin microbiome in psoriasis. Studies have shown reduced diversity and altered composition of the skin microbiota in psoriasis. Recent advances in our understanding of the complex immunopathogenesis of psoriasis have led to the identification of crucial cytokines and cell signalling pathways that are targeted by a range of immunotherapies.

  7. Dermatological comorbidity in psoriasis: results from a large-scale cohort of employees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zander, N; Schäfer, I; Radtke, M; Jacobi, A; Heigel, H; Augustin, M

    2017-07-01

    The field of dermatological comorbidity in psoriasis is only passively explored with contradictory results. Objective of this study was to further investigate the complex field of psoriasis and associated skin diseases by identifying skin comorbidity patterns in an extensive cohort of employees in Germany. Retrospective analysis of data deriving from occupational skin cancer screenings was conducted. From 2001 to 2014 German employees between 16 and 70 years from different branches underwent single whole-body screenings by trained dermatologists in their companies. All dermatological findings and need for treatment were documented. Point prevalence rates and their 95% confidence intervals were computed. Logistic regression analysis was performed to calculate odds ratios (OR) of single dermatological diseases to occur together with psoriasis controlled for age and sex. Data from 138,930 persons (56.5% male, mean age 43.2) were evaluated. Psoriasis point prevalence was 2.0%. Of those 20.6% had unmet treatment needs of their disease. Onychomycosis was the most frequent dermatological comorbidity with a prevalence of 7.8%. Regression analysis found rosacea (OR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.13-1.72) and telangiectasia (OR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.10-1.41) to be significantly associated with psoriasis. 17.2% of psoriasis patients had at least one further finding requiring treatment. The highest treatment needs were found for onychomycosis (3.4%), tinea pedis (3.1%), and verruca plantaris (1.0%). It can be concluded that persons with psoriasis are at increased risk to suffer from comorbid skin diseases, which should be considered in treatment regimens. Particular attention should be paid to fungal diseases of the feet.

  8. Innate immunity in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Sweeney, Cheryl M

    2011-12-01

    Psoriasis is a common, immune-mediated inflammatory skin disorder. T helper(h)1 and Th17 lymphocytes contribute to the pathogenesis of psoriasis through the release of inflammatory cytokines that promote further recruitment of immune cells, keratinocyte proliferation and sustained inflammation. The innate immune system is the first line of defence against infection and plays a crucial role in the initiation of the adaptive immune response. The presence of innate immune cells and their products in psoriatic skin plaques suggests a role for innate immunity in this disease. In addition, the innate immune system can direct the development of pathogenic Th cells in psoriasis. In this article, we will summarise the role of the innate immune system in psoriasis with particular emphasis on the role of cytokines, signalling pathways and cells of the innate immune system.

  9. MicroRNAs as regulatory elements in psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liu Yuan

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Psoriasis is a chronic, autoimmune, and complex genetic disorder that affects 23% of the European population. The symptoms of Psoriatic skin are inflammation, raised and scaly lesions. microRNA, which is short, nonprotein-coding, regulatory RNAs, plays critical roles in psoriasis. microRNA participates in nearly all biological processes, such as cell differentiation, development and metabolism. Recent researches reveal that multitudinous novel microRNAs have been identified in skin. Some of these substantial novel microRNAs play as a class of posttranscriptional gene regulator in skin disease, such as psoriasis. In order to insight into microRNAs biological functions and verify microRNAs biomarker, we review diverse references about characterization, profiling and subtype of microRNAs. Here we will share our opinions about how and which microRNAs are as regulatory in psoriasis.

  10. Poliosis overlying psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sevgi Akarsu

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Poliosis is the term used to describe a localized area of hypopigmented or depigmented hairs. It is believed that this condition is a result of the destruction of follicular melanocytes by an inflammatory or autoimmune mechanism. Poliosis can occur in several hereditary syndromes or is acquired after inflammation, irradiation or infection and some medications. Additionally, it has also been reported that it can overlie some benign and malignant lesions, including some nevi, melanoma and neurofibroma. On the other hand, there has been no prior data of an association between psoriasis, which is a T-cell-mediated autoimmune inflammatory disease, and poliosis in the literature. Here, we describe an 11-year-old female with poliosis of the scalp overlying a plaque of psoriasis.

  11. Management of Psoriasis in Children: a Narrative Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zohreh Hajheydari

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Psoriasis is an inherited chronic inflammatory papulosquamous disorder with a variable clinical spectrum affecting about 0.5% to 2% of children and adolescence. In spite of all performed researches around the world for seeking better treatments with fewer adverse effects to control the disease, there is still no cure for psoriasis. Treatment of psoriasis in children is very conservative and many therapies used for adults may not be appropriate for children due to possible long-term or delayed adverse effects. A wide range of therapeutic options are existed including; topical therapy, phototherapy, chemotherapy, systemic therapies and biologic therapies. Here in, because of the lack of data in this specific field of dermatology, we decided to review the current therapies of childhood psoriasis.

  12. CELLULAR CONTROL OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE MATRIX TENSION†

    OpenAIRE

    Langevin, Helene M.; Nedergaard, Maiken; Howe, Alan

    2013-01-01

    The biomechanical behavior of connective tissue in response to stretching is generally attributed to the molecular composition and organization of its extracellular matrix. It also is becoming apparent that fibroblasts play an active role in regulating connective tissue tension. In response to static stretching of the tissue, fibroblasts expand within minutes by actively remodeling their cytoskeleton. This dynamic change in fibroblast shape contributes to the drop in tissue tension that occur...

  13. Management of guttate psoriasis in patients with associated streptococcal infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karabudak Abuaf O

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Özlem Karabudak Abuaf, Bilal DoganDepartment of Dermatology, GATA Haydarpasa Teaching Hospital, Istanbul, TurkeyAbstract: Psoriasis is a T cell-mediated inflammatory skin disease. It can be provoked or exacerbated by environmental factors, particularly medications and infections. Guttate psoriasis is a distinctive acute form of psoriasis that generally occurs in children and young adults. The association between guttate psoriasis and Streptococcus pyogenes is well established in medical literature; however, the exact mechanism can only be theorized. Treatment guidelines are not established, and it is unclear how necessary antibiotics are for acute state guttate psoriasis. Many dermatologists have recommended using antibiotic therapy or tonsillectomy, especially for patients with recurrent streptococcal infections. This paper briefly summarizes the possible mechanisms of pathogenesis and the recent research results on this topic and examines under what conditions a curative treatment of streptococcal infection by tonsillectomy or antibiotic treatment may benefit psoriasis patients.Keywords: guttate, psoriasis, treatment, Streptococcus pyogenes

  14. Erectile dysfunction in patients with psoriasis: potential impact of the metabolic syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tasliyurt, T; Bilir, Y; Sahin, S; Seckin, H Y; Kaya, S U; Sivgin, H; Demir, A K; Erdemir, F

    2014-01-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that affects up to 5.5% of world population and is associated with erectile dysfunction (ED). Aim of the present study was to investigate impact of metabolic syndrome (MetS) on association between psoriasis and ED as well as to improve our understanding of this association via studying other possible causes of ED such as psychological factors and disease effects. The patient group included 37 male psoriasis patients and control group 28 healthy men. Severity of psoriasis was determined using Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), and ED was evaluated using International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) Scale. Psychiatric state of the patients were determined using Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). MetS was diagnosed using the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. MetS, ED prevalence and BDI score were significantly higher in psoriasis patient group (p = 0.032, p = 0.018 and p old age and smoking (but not MetS) were found to be independent predictors of ED. ED, MetS and depression frequencies were significantly higher in psoriasis patient group. In addition, psoriasis severity and ED parameters were closely associated. Depression, old age and smoking were found to be independent risk factors for ED.

  15. HEREDITARY CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISORDERS: NOMENCLATURE AND DIAGNOSTIC ALGORITHM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. V. Klemenov

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Hereditary connective tissue disorders (HCTDs are a genetically and clinically diverse group of diseases, which encompasses common congenital disorders of fibrous connective tissue structures. Out of the whole variety of the clinical manifestations of NCTDs, only differentiated monogenic syndromes with the agreed guidelines for their diagnosis have been long the focus of the medical community’s attention. Many unclassified forms of the pathology (dysplasia phenotypes have been disregarded while assessing a person’s prognosis and defining treatment policy. With no clear definition of NCTDs or their approved diagnostic algorithm, it is difficult to study their real prevalence in the population, to compare literature data, and to constructively discuss various scientific and practical aspects of this disease. Efforts to systematize individual clinical types of NCTD and to formulate their diagnostic criteria are set forth in the All-Russian Research Society Expert Committee national guidelines approved in 2009 and revised in 2012. The paper gives current views on the nomenclature of NCTDs, considers diagnostic criteria for both classified monogenic syndromes (Marfan's syndrome, Ehlers–Danlos' syndrome, MASS phenotype, primary mitral valve prolapse, joint hypermobility syndrome and unclassified dysplasia phenotypes (MASS-like phenotype, marfanoid appearance, Ehlers–Danlos-like phenotype, benign joint hypermobility syndrome, unclassified phenotype. The above abnormalities are presented as a continuous list drawn up in the decreasing order of the degree of their clinical manifestations and prognostic value (the phenotypic continuum described by M.J. Glesby and R.E. Pyentz: from monogenic syndromes through dysplasia phenotypes to an unclassified phenotype. Emphasis is laid on the clinical NCTD identification difficulties associated with the lack of specificity of external and visceral markers of connective tissue asthenia and with the certain

  16. Nail psoriasis as a severity indicator: results from the PsoReal study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I Schäfer

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Marc A Radtke1, Anna K Langenbruch1, I Schäfer1, Katharina Herberger1, Kristian Reich2, Matthias Augustin11Institute for Health Services Research in Dermatology and Nursing, University Medical Center of Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg; 2Dermatologikum Hamburg, GermanyBackground: Although nail psoriasis affects a substantial proportion of psoriasis patients and causes significant psychologic distress, few epidemiologic data characterizing patients with nail involvement are available. The aim of this research was to elucidate differences between patients with nail psoriasis and those without any nail involvement, taking quality indicators of health care from the patient's perspective into account.Methods: In total, 2449 patient members of the Deutscher Psoriasis Bund, the largest patient organization for psoriasis in Germany, were interviewed in this nationwide, noninterventional, cross-sectional study. Patients with nail psoriasis were compared with patients without any nail involvement with regard to gender, age, disease duration, affected body surface area, health-related quality of life (Dermatology Life Quality Index [DLQI] ED-5D, patient-defined treatment benefit, amount of inpatient treatments, disease duration, and numbers of work days lost.Results: Data from 2449 patients with psoriasis were analyzed. Overall, 44.8% (1078 of patients were female, mean age was 57.0 ± 11.7 years, and 72.8% had nail involvement and showed higher values for affected body surface area than those without nail involvement (8.3% versus 5.6%, respectively; P < 0.004. Health-related quality of life was significantly lower in patients with nail psoriasis (DLQI 7.2 versus 5.3; ED-5D 60.1 versus 67.3, who had more days off work (9.8 versus 3.3.Conclusion: Nail involvement is an important symptom of psoriasis and is associated with greater disease severity and quality of life impairment. Accordingly, management of psoriasis should include a special focus on nail

  17. CELLULAR CONTROL OF CONNECTIVE TISSUE MATRIX TENSION†

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langevin, Helene M.; Nedergaard, Maiken; Howe, Alan

    2013-01-01

    The biomechanical behavior of connective tissue in response to stretching is generally attributed to the molecular composition and organization of its extracellular matrix. It also is becoming apparent that fibroblasts play an active role in regulating connective tissue tension. In response to static stretching of the tissue, fibroblasts expand within minutes by actively remodeling their cytoskeleton. This dynamic change in fibroblast shape contributes to the drop in tissue tension that occurs during viscoelastic relaxation. We propose that this response of fibroblasts plays a role in regulating extracellular fluid flow into the tissue, and protects against swelling when the matrix is stretched. This article reviews the evidence supporting possible mechanisms underlying this response including autocrine purinergic signaling. We also discuss fibroblast regulation of connective tissue tension with respect to lymphatic flow, immune function and cancer. PMID:23444198

  18. Cellular control of connective tissue matrix tension.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langevin, Helene M; Nedergaard, Maiken; Howe, Alan K

    2013-08-01

    The biomechanical behavior of connective tissue in response to stretching is generally attributed to the molecular composition and organization of its extracellular matrix. It also is becoming apparent that fibroblasts play an active role in regulating connective tissue tension. In response to static stretching of the tissue, fibroblasts expand within minutes by actively remodeling their cytoskeleton. This dynamic change in fibroblast shape contributes to the drop in tissue tension that occurs during viscoelastic relaxation. We propose that this response of fibroblasts plays a role in regulating extracellular fluid flow into the tissue, and protects against swelling when the matrix is stretched. This article reviews the evidence supporting possible mechanisms underlying this response including autocrine purinergic signaling. We also discuss fibroblast regulation of connective tissue tension with respect to lymphatic flow, immune function, and cancer. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  19. Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome and Insulin Resistance in Patients with Psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yeliz Bilir

    2014-03-01

    Conclusion: The incidences of MetS and IR were found to be higher in patients with psoriasis compared to control group. Especially there was a strong association between severe psoriasis and IR risk. Therefore, psoriasis needs to be considered as not only a skin disorder, but also a metabolic and cardiovascular disease. [J Contemp Med 2014; 4(1.000: 1-5

  20. Abnormalities in lung volumes and airflow in children with newly diagnosed connective tissue disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peradzyńska, Joanna; Krenke, Katarzyna; Szylling, Anna; Kołodziejczyk, Beata; Gazda, Agnieszka; Rutkowska-Sak, Lidia; Kulus, Marek

    2016-01-01

    Connective tissue diseases (CTDs) of childhood are rare inflammatory disorders, involving various organs and tissues including respiratory system. Pulmonary involvement in patients with CTDs is uncommon but may cause functional impairment. Data on prevalence and type of lung function abnormalities in children with CTDs are scarce. Thus, the aim of this study was to asses pulmonary functional status in children with newly diagnosed CTD and follow the results after two years of the disease course. There were 98 children (mean age: 13 ± 3; 76 girls), treated in Department of Pediatric Rheumatology, Institute of Rheumatology, Warsaw and 80 aged-matched, healthy controls (mean age 12.7 ± 2.4; 50 girls) included into the study. Study procedures included medical history, physical examination, chest radiograph and PFT (spirometry and whole body-plethysmography). Then, the assessment of PFT was performed after 24 months. FEV₁, FEV₁/FVC and MEF50 were significantly lower in CTD as compared to control group, there was no difference in FVC and TLC. The proportion of patients with abnormal lung function was significantly higher in the study group, 41 (42%) vs 9 (11%). 24-months observation didn't reveal progression in lung function impairment. Lung function impairment is relatively common in children with CTDs. Although restrictive ventilatory pattern is considered typical feature of lung involvement in CTDs, airflow limitation could also be an initial abnormality.

  1. Molecular and Genetic Basis of Hereditary Connective-Tissue Diseases Accompanied by Frequent Fractures

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. T. Yakhyaeva

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Frequent bone fractures in infancy require the elimination of a large number (> 100 of genetic disorders. The modern diagnostic method of hereditary diseases characterized by debilitating course is a new generation sequencing. The article presents the results of molecular-genetic study conducted in 18 patients with clinical symptoms of connective tissue disorders. 10 (56% patients had mutations in the genes encoding type I collagen chains, leading to the development of osteogenesis imperfecta, 5 (28% — mutations in IV and V type collagen genes that are responsible for the development of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. 3 (17% patients had mutations in the gene encoding fibrillin-1 protein, deficiency of which is manifested by Marfan syndrome. However, the correlation between patient's phenotype and discovered mutations in the investigated gene is established not in all cases.

  2. Meta-analysis of psoriasis, cardiovascular disease, and associated risk factors

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Miller, Iben Marie; Ellervik, Christina; Yazdanyar, Shiva

    2013-01-01

    .2-1.9), peripheral vascular disease (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.2-1.8), atherosclerosis (OR 1.1; 95% CI 1.1-1.2), diabetes (OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.5-2.5), hypertension (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.6-2.0), dyslipidemia (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.4-1.7), obesity by body mass index (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.4-2.2), obesity by abdominal fat (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1...... significant associations, with the exception of dyslipidemia. LIMITATIONS: The heterogeneity of the studies makes clinical interpretation challenging. CONCLUSIONS: In aggregate, psoriasis was associated with ischemic heart disease and cardiovascular risk factors. The association was only significant...... for hospital-based studies, except for dyslipidemia, which was also significant in population-based studies....

  3. Homocysteine status and cardiovascular risk factors in patients with psoriasis: a case-control study.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Tobin, A-M

    2012-02-01

    BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a hyperproliferative, cutaneous disorder with the potential to lower levels of folate. This may result in raised levels of homocysteine, an independent risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVE: A study was conducted to compare levels of red-cell folate (RCF) and homocysteine in patients with psoriasis and in healthy controls. Levels of homocysteine were also examined in the context of other major cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS: In total, 20 patients with psoriasis and 20 controls had their RCF, homo-cysteine and other conventional cardiovascular risk factors assessed. RESULTS: Patients with psoriasis had a trend towards lower levels of RCF. Significantly raised levels of homocysteine were found in patients with psoriasis compared with controls (P = 0.007). There was no correlation between homocysteine levels, RCF levels or disease activity as measured by the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index. Patients with psoriasis had higher body mass index (P < 0.004) and higher systolic blood pressure (P < 0.001) than controls. This may contribute to the excess cardiovascular mortality observed in patients with psoriasis.

  4. Radiation therapy and Koebner effect in cancer patients with psoriasis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vexler, A.; Ben-Yosef, R.; Soyfer, V.

    2003-01-01

    Radiation therapy (XRT) may initiate skin side effects that occur more often in patients with skin disorders. One of such diseases is psoriasis - a common disorder in the western communities. In the past Grenz rays and superficial XRT were used to treat psoriatic patients and were reported to initiate the Koebner effect, which is an exacerbation of the underlying disease following a skin trauma. Recently, several case reports revealed a similar response in cancer patients receiving megavoltage XRT. Hence, one may assume that irradiation should be re-considered or re-modified in order to spare the involved skin. To report our experience in radiotherapy of cancer patients with psoriasis. Six patients with prostate adenocarcinoma (3), breast cancer (2) and soft tissue sarcoma (1) suffering from psoriasis were referred for radiotherapy as a part of their anti-cancer treatment. In all patients the irradiation fields included the psoriatic lesions. The irradiation was delivered using linear accelerators operated through 6-8 MV photon and 8 MeV electron beams. The total XRT dose varied from 50 to 70 Gy and the daily fraction was 1.8-2.0 Gy. A close monitoring during and after completion of irradiation was carried out and standard skin care was advised. No change in the irradiated psoriatic lesions as well as in the surrounding area was observed in all patients during the irradiation. Subsequent follow up (up to 24 months) revealed no new skin lesions and no worsening of existing plaques. Megavoltage XRT in a conventional daily fraction has no effect on psoriatic skin lesions

  5. Patient-relevant treatment goals in psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blome, Christine; Gosau, Ramona; Radtke, Marc A; Reich, Kristian; Rustenbach, Stephan J; Spehr, Christina; Thaçi, Diamant; Augustin, Matthias

    2016-03-01

    Patient-oriented care requires therapeutic decisions to agree with the patients' treatment needs and goals. This study addressed the following questions: What is important to psoriasis patients starting systemic treatment? How stable are these preferences within the first year of treatment? Are treatment goals associated with age, gender, or treatment success? The importance of treatment goals was assessed for patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis in the German Psoriasis Registry (PsoBest) at baseline (onset of a systemic treatment; n = 3066) and at a 1-year follow-up (n = 1444) using the Patient Benefit Index (PBI). Treatment success was measured with PBI global score and Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI). Patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis pursued a wide range of different goals. The most general treatment goals were rated most relevant, including skin healing and quick skin improvement (94.8/94.5 % "quite" or "very" important), confidence in the therapy (93.0 %), control over the disease (92.3 %), and a clear diagnosis and therapy (89.6 %). Further important goals related to not being in fear of the disease getting worse (84.8 %), reduction in itching (83.9 %), burning (70.6 %), and pain (60.6 %) as well as attaining a normal everyday life (78.4 %) and low treatment burden (64.2-77.9 %). Goals were mostly not associated with sex and gender. Goal importance slightly increased with treatment success. In a substantial proportion of patients (30.3-54.7 %) goal importance changed within 1 year after onset of systemic treatment. We conclude that treatment goal importance should be assessed in clinical practice on a regular basis.

  6. Psoriasis and risk of heart failure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Khalid, Usman; Ahlehoff, Ole; Gislason, Gunnar Hilmar

    2014-01-01

    AIMS: Psoriasis is a common inflammatory disease that is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, including myocardial infarction. Heart failure (HF) is independently associated with several cardiovascular risk factors and is a major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality...

  7. Frequency, and magnitude of anxiety and depression in patients with psoriasis vulgaris

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nasreen, S.; Ahmed, I.; Effendi, S.

    2008-01-01

    To determine the frequency of anxiety and depression in patients with psoriasis. All patients presenting with psoriasis vulgaris above the age of 15 years, of either gender, fulfilling the selection criteria were included in the study. Clinical diagnosis was confirmed by biopsy and histopathology. Documentation of disease severity as mild, moderate and severe was done, using Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI). Patients were asked to fill AKUADS for their psychiatric assessment and scoring was done on this basis. Patients scoring equal to or above 19 were labeled as having anxiety or depression. There were 56 males (62%) and 33 females (38%), aged 20 to 65 years in the study. Out of those, 52 (58%) were married; while 37 (42%) were unmarried. The minimum duration of illness was 6 months and maximum 15 years. Thirty-four patients (38%) were suffering from mild disease, 31 (35%) from moderate and the remaining 24 (27%) from severe psoriasis. Twenty-four (27%) were on topical therapy while the other 65 (73%) were receiving systemic as well as topical therapy. Joint involvement was seen in 25 patients (28%) and nail changes in 31 (35%). Psychiatric illness was positive in 34 patients (38%, p<0.05) i.e. 20 males (59%) and 14 females (41%). Twenty-six patients (76%) were married (p<0.05). Anxiety and depression was seen irrespective of the disease duration. The mean AKUADS scores in accordance with disease severity were mild psoriasis 20, moderate psoriasis 22 and severe psoriasis 25. Twenty-one patients (62%, p=0.05) with joint involvement and another 23 (68%, p<0.05) with nail involvement had a score above 19. Thirty-one patients (91%) were receiving systemic as well as local therapy, while 3 patients (9%) were on topical treatment (p<0.05). There is an association of psoriasis vulgaris with anxiety and depression. The magnitude of this anxiety and depression can be influenced by variables of disease and life. (author)

  8. Clinic characteristics of psoriasis in China: a nationwide survey in over 12000 patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Kun; Wang, Gang; Jin, Hongzhong; Xu, Jinhua; Zhu, Xuejun; Zheng, Min; Gu, Heng

    2017-07-11

    Psoriasis is a worldwide chronic inflammatory disease, involving both skin and joints. In order to characterize psoriasis in Han Chinese population, we conducted this nationwide prospective and hospital based survey, in which 56 hospitals with departments of dermatology participated, located in 33 cities across China. A total of 12,031 outpatients with psoriasis were registered during 2009 to 2010, which the data was collected by standard questionnaires. The main data acquisition included demographics, family history, disease status and other comorbidities. Physical and dermatological examination, including body surface area (BSA) and psoriasis area severity index (PASI) were applied to evaluate the disease severity. Descriptive statistics, 2 tailed t-test and chi-square test were used appropriately for the statistical analysis. From the study, we found that the male and female ratio of the patients was 1.49:1. Mean age of onset was 30.2 ± 14.5 years for males and 27.1 ± 15.6 years for females (P psoriasis and the majority was psoriasis vulgaris (96.5%). Among 12,031 patients, 23.1% had a family history of psoriasis,16.1% had comorbidities, and 29.9% had nail changes. The most important aggravation factor was season change (60.2%), followed by psychological stress (34.5%), and there significant differences between genders on trigger factors. In conclusion, this study characterizing psoriasis in Han Chinese population, could be used as basic data for future study.

  9. Quality of Life and Work Productivity Impairment among Psoriasis Patients: Findings from the National Psoriasis Foundation Survey Data 2003–2011

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armstrong, April W.; Schupp, Clayton; Wu, Julie; Bebo, Bruce

    2012-01-01

    Objective To ascertain impairment in quality of life and work productivity among patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Design From 2003 through 2011, the National Psoriasis Foundation collected survey data from patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis via email and telephone correspondences. Setting Survey data were collected from psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis patients in the general community in the U.S. Main Outcome Measures Quality of life focusing on emotional impact (anger, frustration, helplessness, etc.) and physical impact (pain, pruritus, physical irritation, etc.); employment status. Patients The surveys were performed through random sampling of participants from a database of over 75,000 patients. Results From 2003 to 2011, 5,604 patients completed the surveys. Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis affected overall emotional wellbeing in 88% of patients, and they interfered with enjoyment of life in 82%. Most patients reported experiencing anger (89%), frustration (89%), helplessness (87%), embarrassment (87%), and self-consciousness (89%). Many patients also actively concealed physical manifestations of their diseases (83%), and experienced pain (83%) and pruritus (93%) regularly. Of note, 12% of patients were unemployed, and 11% worked part-time. Among unemployed patients, 92% cited psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis as the sole reasons for not working. Among working patients, 49% missed work days regularly due to psoriasis. Compared to patients with mild psoriasis, patients with severe psoriasis have 1.8 times greater odds to be unemployed after adjusting for age and gender (Adjusted OR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.4–2.3). Conclusion Patients with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis continue to experience significant impairment of quality of life and work productivity. PMID:23285231

  10. Psoriasis pathogenesis and the development of novel targeted immune therapies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hawkes, Jason E; Chan, Tom C; Krueger, James G

    2017-09-01

    Psoriasis is caused by a complex interplay between the immune system, psoriasis-associated susceptibility loci, autoantigens, and multiple environmental factors. Over the last 2 decades, research has unequivocally shown that psoriasis represents a bona fide T cell-mediated disease primarily driven by pathogenic T cells that produce high levels of IL-17 in response to IL-23. The discovery of the central role for the IL-23/type 17 T-cell axis in the development of psoriasis has led to a major paradigm shift in the pathogenic model for this condition. The activation and upregulation of IL-17 in prepsoriatic skin produces a "feed forward" inflammatory response in keratinocytes that is self-amplifying and drives the development of mature psoriatic plaques by inducing epidermal hyperplasia, epidermal cell proliferation, and recruitment of leukocyte subsets into the skin. Clinical trial data for mAbs against IL-17 signaling (secukinumab, ixekizumab, and brodalumab) and newer IL-23p19 antagonists (tildrakizumab, guselkumab, and risankizumab) underscore the central role of these cytokines as predominant drivers of psoriatic disease. Currently, we are witnessing a translational revolution in the treatment and management of psoriasis. Emerging bispecific antibodies offer the potential for even better disease control, whereas small-molecule drugs offer future alternatives to the use of biologics and less costly long-term disease management. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Body image, self-esteem, and quality of life in patients with psoriasis

    OpenAIRE

    Hulya Nazik; Selcuk Nazik; Feride C Gul

    2017-01-01

    Background: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin that may affect the visible areas of body. Hence, the quality of life, self-esteem, and body image can be affected in psoriasis patients. Objectives: We aimed in the present study to assess the effects of psoriasis on the quality of life, self-esteem, and body image. Materials and Methods: The study included 92 patients with psoriasis, along with 98 control participants. The sociodemographic characteristics of the patient...

  12. Mean platelet volume, neutrophil to lyphocyte ratio and platelet to lymphocyte ratio in psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mehmet Ünal

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Background and Design: It has been demonstrated that ratio of neutrophil and platelet count systemic inflammation and is associated with prognosis of many cardiovascular diseases, malignates and chronic inflammatory diseases.As far as it is known, there are no studies investigating neutrophil/lymphocyeratio(NLR, platelet/lymphocyte ratio(PLR and mean platelet volume(MPV values together within the context of psoriasis, a chronic and systemic inflammatory disease. Materials and Methods: 320 patients followed up in our polyclinic with psoriasis vulgaris and 200 healthy persons were evaluated in the study. Results: Leukocyte, neutrophil, platelet, MPV, NLR and PLR values in patients with psoriasis were significantly higher, and lymphocyte count, on the other hand, was significantly lower than those of the control group. No significant difference was found between MPV, NLR and PLR values of patients with or without a family history, nail and joint involvement. Conclusions: These parameters may be made use of as cheap and easily applicable methods in predicting which psoriasis patients are under the risk of cardiovascular disease. PLR is a better inflammation marker than MPV and NLR in patients with psoriasis. We did not observe a significant relationship between MPV, NLR and PLR values and such disease characteristics as severity of disease, joint involvement, nail involvement and duration of disease in patients with psoriasis. So, we believe that there is little information on the extent to which MPV,NLR and PLR might be useful regarding these characteristics.

  13. Family history predicts major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in young adults with psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Egeberg, Alexander; Bruun, Louise E; Mallbris, Lotus

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Patients with psoriasis may have increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular (CV) events (MACE), and a family history of CV disease (CVD) is an independent risk factor for MACE. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the risk of first-time MACE in patients with psoriasis with or without a fami....... The findings call for increased focus on a family history of CVD in CV risk assessment of patients with psoriasis.......BACKGROUND: Patients with psoriasis may have increased risk of major adverse cardiovascular (CV) events (MACE), and a family history of CV disease (CVD) is an independent risk factor for MACE. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the risk of first-time MACE in patients with psoriasis with or without a family...... history of CVD. METHODS: Between January 1, 1997, and December 31, 2011, we identified 2,722,375 individuals, including 25,774 and 4504 patients with mild and severe psoriasis, through administrative registers. Incidence rate ratios were estimated by Poisson regression. RESULTS: Mean baseline age was 26...

  14. Palmoplantar Psoriasis and Palmoplantar Pustulosis: Current Treatment and Future Prospects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raposo, Inês; Torres, Tiago

    2016-08-01

    Palmoplantar psoriasis and palmoplantar pustulosis are chronic skin diseases with a large impact on patient quality of life. They are frequently refractory to treatment, being generally described as a therapeutic challenge. This article aims to review the definitions of palmoplantar psoriasis and palmoplantar pustulosis, highlighting the similarities and differences in terms of epidemiology, clinical presentation, genetics, histopathology, and pathogenesis, as well as treatment options for both entities. Classical management of mild to moderate palmoplantar pustulosis and palmoplantar psoriasis relies on use of potent topical corticosteroids, phototherapy, and/or acitretin. Nevertheless, these drugs have proven to be insufficient in long-term control of extensive disease. Biologic therapy-namely, anti-interleukin-17 agents and phosphodiesterase type 4 inhibitors-has recently shown promising results in the treatment of palmoplantar psoriasis. Knowledge of the pathophysiologic pathways of both entities is of utmost importance and may, in the future, allow development of molecularly targeted therapeutics.

  15. Severe manifestation of psoriasis in a HIV infected patient: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alper Gunduz

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV epidemic in Turkey reveals a slow progression and at the end of November 2015, the total official number was reported to be 11,109 cases. Approximately 90% of HIV patients develop some type of skin disease. Especially patients with psoriasis and HIV infection often present with more severe and treatment-refractory cutaneous disease. Herein, we describe a case of a patient with previously known psoriasis worsened by HIV infection. A 37-year-old housewife was admitted to our clinic with previously known psoriasis worsened during the last two years with conversion to erythrodermic psoriasis which was not controlled even by PUVA, methotrexate and systemic cyclosporine. The patient had positive HIV antibody test. HIV RNA viral load was 120.000 copy/ml and CD4 count 88/ mm3 . She also had oral candidiasis and Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia. The patient received antiretroviral treatment including tenofovir/emtricitabine and lopinavir/ritonavir. Symptoms resolved gradually within one month with almost complete impovement of her erythrodermic psoriasis. . Four years later the patient was still on tenofovir/emtricitabine and lopinavir/ritonavir without concomitant spesific psoriasis treatment. Psoriasis manifestations can be severe in AIDS patients. Clinicians face diagnostic and therapeutic difficulties when psoriasis coexists with HIV infection. The HIV test should be considered in patients affected by severe erythrodermic psoriasis and resistant to conventional and biological treatments. [Dis Mol Med 2015; 3(4.000: 43-45

  16. Gene expression profiling in psoriatic scalp hair follicles: clobetasol propionate shampoo 0.05% normalizes psoriasis disease markers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aubert, J; Reiniche, P; Fogel, P; Poulin, Y; Lui, H; Lynde, C; Shapiro, J; Villemagne, H; Soto, P; Voegel, J J

    2010-11-01

    Clobetasol propionate shampoo is effective and safe in treatment of scalp psoriasis (SP). Gene expression profiling of psoriatic skin biopsies led to the identification of numerous disease-related genes. However, it remained unknown whether the gene expression profile of hair follicles of SP patients was also affected. To determine whether psoriasis-related genes are differentially regulated in the hair follicles of SP patients and whether the modulation of these genes can be correlated with clinical severity scores. A single arm, open study was conducted in three centres. SP patients received daily treatment with clobetasol propionate shampoo. At Baseline, Weeks 2 and 4, investigators assessed clinical severity parameters and collected scalp hair follicles in anagen phase. Total RNA extracted from hair follicles was used to determine the expression level of 44 genes, which were reported previously to be upregulated in the skin of psoriasis patients. RNA of good quality and sufficient quantity was obtained from hair follicles of psoriasis patients and healthy volunteers (HV). The expression level of 10 inflammation-related genes was significantly increased in psoriatic hair follicles. The patient's exploratory transcriptomic score, defined as the mean fold modulation of these 10 genes compared with HV, correlated with clinical severity scores. Clobetasol propionate shampoo was effective in decreasing both the exploratory transcriptomics and the clinical severity scores. Hair follicles of SP patients are affected by the inflammatory process. The change in the expression level of inflammation-related genes correlates with the severity of the disease. © 2010 Galderma R&D. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology © 2010 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

  17. Cytoskeletal remodeling of connective tissue fibroblasts in response to static stretch is dependent on matrix material properties

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abbott, Rosalyn D; Koptiuch, Cathryn; Iatridis, James C; Howe, Alan K; Badger, Gary J; Langevin, Helene M

    2012-01-01

    In areolar “loose” connective tissue, fibroblasts remodel their cytoskeleton within minutes in response to static stretch resulting in increased cell body cross-sectional area that relaxes the tissue to a lower state of resting tension. It remains unknown whether the loosely arranged collagen matrix, characteristic of areolar connective tissue, is required for this cytoskeletal response to occur. The purpose of this study was to evaluate cytoskeletal remodeling of fibroblasts in and dissociated from areolar and dense connective tissue in response to 2 hours of static stretch in both native tissue and collagen gels of varying crosslinking. Rheometric testing indicated that the areolar connective tissue had a lower dynamic modulus and was more viscous than the dense connective tissue. In response to stretch, cells within the more compliant areolar connective tissue adopted a large “sheet-like” morphology that was in contrast to the smaller dendritic morphology in the dense connective tissue. By adjusting the in vitro collagen crosslinking, and the resulting dynamic modulus, it was demonstrated that cells dissociated from dense connective tissue are capable of responding when seeded into a compliant matrix, while cells dissociated from areolar connective tissue can lose their ability to respond when their matrix becomes stiffer. This set of experiments indicated stretch-induced fibroblast expansion was dependent on the distinct matrix material properties of areolar connective tissues as opposed to the cells’ tissue of origin. These results also suggest that disease and pathological processes with increased crosslinks, such as diabetes and fibrosis, could impair fibroblast responsiveness in connective tissues. PMID:22552950

  18. Core beliefs and psychological distress in patients with psoriasis and atopic eczema attending secondary care: the role of schemas in chronic skin disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mizara, A; Papadopoulos, L; McBride, S R

    2012-05-01

    The role of ingrained cognitive and emotional patterns (schemas) in patients with psoriasis and eczema has not previously been investigated. High levels of psychiatric morbidity and psychological distress observed in these populations suggest the presence of maladaptive schemas and therefore a possible target for future successful psychological intervention. To investigate the presence of early maladaptive schemas (EMS) in patients with psoriasis and eczema and to explore their links with psychological distress. A sample of 185 adults (psoriasis n = 55, atopic eczema n = 54, chronic disease control n = 23, normal control n = 53) completed validated, self-administered questionnaires. Differences were found between dermatology patients and control groups. Patients with psoriasis differed on seven EMS from the normal control group: emotional deprivation (P = 0·011), social isolation (P emotional inhibition (P = 0·002). They differed from the chronic disease group on vulnerability to harm (P = 0·002) only. Patients with eczema differed from the normal control group on eight EMS: emotional deprivation (P eczema. Treatment protocols may benefit by targeting schemas. Further studies are needed to investigate the benefits of schema-focused therapy in patients with skin disease. © 2012 The Authors. BJD © 2012 British Association of Dermatologists.

  19. Pustular psoriasis of pregnancy (impetigo herpetiformis)--case report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kondo, Rogerio Nabor; Araújo, Fernanda Mendes; Pereira, Allamanda Moura; Lopes, Vivian Cristina Holanda; Martins, Ligia Márcia Mario

    2013-01-01

    Impetigo herpetiformis is a rare dermatosis of pregnancy with typical onset during the last trimester of pregnancy and rapid resolution in the postpartum period. Clinically and histologically, it is consistent with pustular psoriasis. This similarity has led some authors to name the disease "the pustular psoriasis of pregnancy". We report the case of a patient who developed impetigo herpetiformis in two successive pregnancies.

  20. Rheumatoid Arthritis | Ally | South African Family Practice

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Immune-mediated inflammatory disorders include a clinically diverse group of conditions sharing similar pathogenic mechanisms. Conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, spondyloarthropathy, inflammatory bowel disease and connective tissue diseases are characterised by immune dysregulation and chronic ...

  1. Methotrexate treatment provokes apoptosis of proliferating keratinocyte in psoriasis patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elango, Tamilselvi; Thirupathi, Anand; Subramanian, Swapna; Ethiraj, Purushoth; Dayalan, Haripriya; Gnanaraj, Pushpa

    2017-08-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by hyper proliferation of keratinocytes. Recent data show that the epidermis thickening in psoriasis may be related to imbalance of homeostasis caused by abnormal apoptotic process. Maintenance of keratinocyte apoptotic process is very important in psoriasis. Methotrexate (MTX) has been used for many years to restore the normal skin in psoriasis condition. However, the exact mechanism of MTX in psoriasis condition is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine the role of MTX on keratinocyte apoptosis pathway in psoriasis patients. A total of 58 psoriasis vulgaris patients were recruited for this study. Nonlesional skin biopsies served as control. Skin biopsies of psoriatic patients were collected and analyzed for cytosolic, mitochondria and total cytochrome c by ELISA. Expression of caspase-9, NFκBp65, pAkt1 by western blot, real-time PCR and immunohistochemical analysis of c-FLIP protein was analyzed in nonlesional and lesional skin biopsies before (day 0) and after (at the end of 6 and 12 weeks) MTX treatment. After MTX treatment, a significant increase in cytochrome c was observed when compared with before MTX treatment in psoriasis patients (p psoriasis by controlling the acanthosis.

  2. Value of bone scintigraphy in psoriasis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakayama, Chikashi; Nakata, Hajime; Kimoto, Tatsuya; Nakayama, Takashi; Yokomizo, Yu

    1982-01-01

    We performed bone scintigraphy on 16 cases of psoriasis to evaluate its possible value in this disease and obtained the following results: 1) Bone scintigraph was abnormal in 15 of 16 cases and the frequent association of arthritis in psoriasis was confirmed. 2) Abnormal uptake on bone scintigraph was noted in various joints including peripheral joints of extremities, sternoclavicular joint, shoulder and rib. Abnormality of sacroiliac joint or ankle was less frequent than previously reported. 3) Findings of bone scintigraph were not necessarily related with clinical symptoms or laboratory data. Abnormal uptake was also noted in many joints whose X-ray examinations were negative. Bone scintigraphy thus seems to be useful in early detection of arthritis and to become an initial therapeutic indicator of arthritis in psoriasis. (author)

  3. Clinical improvement in psoriasis with specific targeting of interleukin-23

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kopp, Tamara; Riedl, Elisabeth; Bangert, Christine

    2015-01-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder that affects approximately 2-3% of the population worldwide and has severe effects on patients' physical and psychological well-being. The discovery that psoriasis is an immune-mediated disease has led to more targeted, effective therapies; recent...

  4. Alveolar ridge augmentation by connective tissue grafting using a pouch method and modified connective tissue technique: A prospective study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ashish Agarwal

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Localized alveolar ridge defect may create physiological and pathological problems. Developments in surgical techniques have made it simpler to change the configuration of a ridge to create a more aesthetic and more easily cleansable shape. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of alveolar ridge augmentation using a subepithelial connective tissue graft in pouch and modified connective tissue graft technique. Materials and Methods: In this randomized, double blind, parallel and prospective study, 40 non-smoker individuals with 40 class III alveolar ridge defects in maxillary anterior were randomly divided in two groups. Group I received modified connective tissue graft, while group II were treated with subepithelial connective tissue graft in pouch technique. The defect size was measured in its horizontal and vertical dimension by utilizing a periodontal probe in a stone cast at base line, after 3 months, and 6 months post surgically. Analysis of variance and Bonferroni post-hoc test were used for statistical analysis. A two-tailed P < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: Mean values in horizontal width after 6 months were 4.70 ± 0.87 mm, and 4.05 ± 0.89 mm for group I and II, respectively. Regarding vertical heights, obtained mean values were 4.75 ± 0.97 mm and 3.70 ± 0.92 mm for group I and group II, respectively. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, connective tissue graft proposed significantly more improvement as compare to connective tissue graft in pouch.

  5. Overview of the radiology of connective tissue disorders in children

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hanlon, R.; King, S.

    2000-01-01

    This review article describes the imaging finding of the connective tissue disorders in children. The radiological features of the following conditions are described; the spondyloarthropathics, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), dermatomyositis, scleroderma, the vasculitides, Kawasaki disease, synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, osteitis (SAPHO), and focal myositis. The features on several integrated imaging techniques are described

  6. Overview of the radiology of connective tissue disorders in children

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hanlon, R.; King, S

    2000-02-01

    This review article describes the imaging finding of the connective tissue disorders in children. The radiological features of the following conditions are described; the spondyloarthropathics, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), dermatomyositis, scleroderma, the vasculitides, Kawasaki disease, synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, osteitis (SAPHO), and focal myositis. The features on several integrated imaging techniques are described.

  7. Severe and acute complications of biologics in psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oussedik, Elias; Patel, Nupur U; Cash, Devin R; Gupta, Angela S; Feldman, Steven R

    2017-12-01

    Biologic therapies have revolutionized the approach to immune-mediated diseases such as psoriasis. Due to their favorable safety profiles and excellent efficacy, biologic agents are considered the gold standard for moderate-to-severe psoriasis. The aim of this paper is to saliently review the severe and acute complications of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved biologic agents for psoriasis. Reviewed agents include tumor necrosis factor alpha inhibitors (etanercept, infliximab, and adalimumab), interleukin 12/23 inhibitors (ustekinumab), and interleukin 17 (IL-17) inhibitors (secukinumab and ixekizumab). While malignancies, serious infections, and major adverse cardiovascular events have been reported, their association with biologic therapy are not hypothesized as causal. However, IL-17 inhibitors appear to cause exacerbations and new cases of inflammatory bowel disease. While more long-term studies are warranted in understanding the biologic's long-term side effect profile, short-term studies have confirmed that the biologics are some of the safest treatment options for psoriasis. Nevertheless, certain populations yield higher risk to acute complications with the biologics than others - physicians must use their judgement and vigilance when monitoring and treating patients undergoing therapy with biological agents.

  8. Anti-Nuclear antibodies: Current concepts and future direction for diagnosing connective tissue disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K Gautam

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Identification of antinuclear antibodies has been used for the diagnosis of connective tissue diseases for more than fifty years. Indirect immunofluorescence on human epithelial (HEp-2 cells is considered the gold standard screening method for the detection of antinuclear autoantibodies. As the demand of ANA testing increased, the need for automation and standardization has also come forth. A high level of false positive and false negative cases is seen in various populations making it difficult to take clinical decisions. Newer technologies were introduced for the antibody detection to ensure high sensitivity and specificity. This article intends to provide an overview of the concepts on ANA testing, the different diagnostic methods available, the various patterns and clinical utility, the clinical guidelines to be followed, the drawbacks and what lies ahead in the future of ANA testing.Journal of Pathology of Nepal (2015 Vol. 5, 766-773

  9. Apoptosis and clinical severity in patients with psoriasis and HCV infection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sami A Gabr

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: It has been proposed that hepatitis C virus (HCV antigens are involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and may contribute to severity of the disease. Increased expression of the apoptosis-regulating proteins p53 and tTG and decreased levels of bcl-2 in the keratinocytes of the skin of psoriatic patients have been reported. Aim: This study aims to identify the serum levels of apoptosis-regulating proteins in patients with psoriasis and without HCV infection and to study the relation between clinical severity of psoriasis and the presence of HCV infection. Materials and Methods: Disease severity was assessed by psoriasis area severity index score (PASI of 90 patients with psoriasis grouped as mild (n = 30, moderate (n = 30 and severe (n = 30; 20 healthy individuals were used as controls. All groups were subjected for complete history taking, clinical examination, and tests for liver function and HCV infection. The serum levels of apoptosis related proteins: p53, tTG and bcl-2 were estimated by enzyme linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA. Results: There was a statistically significant (P < 0.001 correlation between clinical severity of psoriasis and presence of HCV antibodies and HCV-mRNA. In addition, significantly (P < 0.001 raised serum p53 and tTG, and reduced bcl-2 were observed among HCV-positive patients as compared to HCV-negative patients and control patients. Conclusion: These results conclude that clinical severity of psoriasis is affected by the presence of HCV antibodies and overexpression of apoptotic related proteins. In addition, altered serum levels of apoptosis-regulating proteins could be useful prognostic markers and therapeutic targets of psoriatic disease.

  10. Prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Chinese psoriasis patients: A hospital-based cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gui, Xin-Yu; Yu, Xiao-Ling; Jin, Hong-Zhong; Zuo, Ya-Gang; Wu, Chao

    2018-01-01

    Psoriasis, a chronic autoimmune skin disorder, is believed to contribute to cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndrome. Psoriasis's association with the components of metabolic syndrome has been reported previously. However, large-scale cross-sectional studies about psoriasis and metabolic syndrome are rare in China. We assessed the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Chinese psoriasis patients and controls. A total of 859 psoriasis patients and 1,718 controls were recruited in an age- and sex-matched cross-sectional study. Metabolic syndrome occurred in 14.3% of the psoriasis patients as opposed to 10.0% of the control participants (P = 0.001). Psoriasis patients had a higher prevalence of overweight/obesity, hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia when compared with controls. Meanwhile, psoriasis patients with metabolic syndrome were older, and had an older age of onset and a longer disease duration when compared with those without metabolic syndrome. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is higher in the Chinese psoriatic population, which can favor cardiovascular events. The present study strengthens the value of treating psoriasis patients not only dealing with the skin lesions, and we suggest appropriate screening and relevant health education be carried out in the treatment of psoriasis patients. © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Diabetes Investigation published by Asian Association for the Study of Diabetes (AASD) and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  11. Rethinking costs of psoriasis: 10% of patients account for nearly 40% of healthcare expenditures among enrollees with psoriasis in a U.S. health plan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armstrong, April W; Zhao, Yang; Herrera, Vivian; Li, Yunfeng; Bancroft, Tim; Hull, Michael; Altan, Aylin

    2017-11-01

    To examine characteristics, healthcare utilization and costs among patients with psoriasis who have high medical costs. This is a retrospective study of patients with psoriasis with continuous enrollment from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2013 in a large US health plan. Total paid 2012 healthcare costs excluding biologics (to identify costliest not due to biologic costs) were used to create cohorts representing the top 10% (T10) and bottom 90% (B90) of expenditures. Demographics, comorbidities, prescriptions, all-cause and psoriasis-related healthcare utilization and costs were compared between cohorts. Logistic regression identified demographic and clinical characteristics associated with the 2012 T10 cohort status. 18,653 patients (mean age 48 years; 49% female) were included. Patients in the T10 group accounted for 26% (2011), 39% (2012) and 26% (2013) of all-cause costs including biologics and 13% (2011), 18% (2012) and 11% (2013) of psoriasis-related costs. Mean 2012 total costs were $58,030 for T10 vs. $10,295 for B90 (all-cause) and $10,475 vs. $5301 (psoriasis-related). T10 patients in 2012 filled more prescriptions and were more likely to use corticosteroids (57% vs. 31%); however, biologic use and costs were similar (any use: 23% vs. 24%; prescriptions: 1.5 vs. 1.7, biologic costs: $4959 vs. $5095). Compared with B90 patients, T10 patients were more likely to have hospitalizations (all-cause: 45% vs. 3%; psoriasis-related: 14% vs. 1%) and ER visits (all-cause: 53% vs. 21%; psoriasis-related: 3% vs. 1%), and more likely to have renal disease (odds ratio (OR) = 2.05), depression (OR =1.96), cardiovascular disease (OR =1.88), psoriatic arthritis (OR =1.57) and diabetes (OR =1.50) (all p psoriasis-related biologic treatment utilization and costs. The T10 patients had significantly more inpatient and emergency utilization, and comorbid medical conditions.

  12. Psoriasis sparing the polio-affected limb: Is it merely the koebner phenomenon?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B C Ravikumar

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Psoriasis being a common skin condition, atypical forms and unusual localizations of this disease are quite frequently seen. However, psoriasis sparing a polio-affected limb is extremely rare. We report a case of an adult male, who presented with psoriasis distributed all over the body but with almost complete sparing of the polio-affected left lower limb.

  13. Oxidative stress and CCN1 protein in human skin connective tissue aging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhaoping Qin

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Reactive oxygen species (ROS is an important pathogenic factor involved in human aging. Human skin is a primary target of oxidative stress from ROS generated from both extrinsic and intrinsic sources, like ultraviolet irradiation (UV and endogenous oxidative metabolism. Oxidative stress causes the alterations of collagen-rich extracellular matrix (ECM, the hallmark of skin connective tissue aging. Age-related alteration of dermal collagenous ECM impairs skin structural integrity and creates a tissue microenvironment that promotes age-related skin diseases, such as poor wound healing and skin cancer. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of oxidative stress and CCN1 protein (first member of CCN family proteins, a critical mediator of oxidative stress-induced skin connective tissue aging.

  14. Roentgenological semiotics of joint involvement in psoriasis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spuzyak, M.I.

    1986-01-01

    The paper is concerned with the results of an X-ray study of the osteoarticular system of 103 patients with arthropathic psoriasis. Four types of disease: psoriatic polyarthritis, psoriatic polyarthrosis, psoriatic arthropathy and a mixed or combined form (the combination of inflammatory and degenerative-dystrophic changes) - were defined on the basis of X-ray findings. Roentgenological semiotics of these forms of arthropathic psoriasis with the frequency of the involvement of some joints and elements of differential radiodiagnosis was proposed

  15. Erectile Dysfunction in Male Adults With Atopic Dermatitis and Psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Egeberg, Alexander; Hansen, Peter R; Gislason, Gunnar H

    2017-01-01

    INTRODUCTION: Patients with psoriasis have increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but data on atopic dermatitis (AD) are less clear-cut. However, it is well-established that erectile dysfunction (ED) can serve as a risk marker for coronary disease. AIM: To investigate the incidence, prevalence...... population for men with AD. Egeberg A, Hansen PR, Gislason GH, et al. Erectile Dysfunction in Male Adults With Atopic Dermatitis and Psoriasis. J Sex Med 2017;14:380-386....

  16. Multiple Autoimmune Syndromes Associated with Psoriasis: A Rare Clinical Presentation

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    Sadia Masood

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Autoimmune diseases are known to have association with each other but it is very rare to see multiple autoimmune diseases in one patient. The combination of at least three autoimmune diseases in the same patient is referred to as multiple autoimmune syndrome. The case we are reporting features multiple autoimmune syndrome with five different conditions. The patient had type 1 diabetes mellitus, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, systemic lupus erythematosus, vitiligo, and psoriasis. Psoriasis has rarely been reported previously under the spectrum of autoimmune syndrome. Although the relationship of autoimmune conditions with each other has been explored in the past, this case adds yet another dimension to the unique evolution of autoimmune pathologies. The patient presented with a combination of five autoimmune diseases, which makes it consistent type three multiple autoimmune syndromes with the addition of psoriasis. The current case is unique in this aspect that the combination of these five autoimmune disorders has never been reported in the past.

  17. Impact of active and stable psoriasis on health-related quality of life: the PSO-LIFE study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daudén, E; Herrera, E; Puig, L; Sánchez-Carazo, J L; Toribio, J; Perulero, N

    2013-10-01

    The aim of this study was to assess the impact of psoriasis on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) using different questionnaires. Prospective observational study of patients with plaque psoriasis of at least 6 months' duration stratified by active and stable disease. The patients were evaluated at baseline, 7 days, and 12 weeks. At the 3 visits, the investigators recorded sociodemographic and clinical data and the patients completed the following HRQOL questionnaires: the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), the Psoriasis Disability Index (PDI), and psoriasis quality of life questionnaire (PSO-LIFE). In total, 304 patients (182 with active psoriasis and 122 with stable psoriasis) were evaluated. The mean (SD) age was 45.3 (14.5) years, and 56.3% of the group were men. At baseline, the mean (SD) psoriasis and area severity index (PASI) score was 17.0 (7.4) in patients with active disease and 5.6 (5.3) in those with stable disease; a reduction was seen in PASI scores during the evaluation period (P<.01). The mean (SD) score on the PSO-LIFE questionnaire increased significantly from 57.4 (20.4) to 72.2 (19.6) in patients with active psoriasis and from 76.4 (20.6) to 82.3 (18.3) in those with stable disease (P<0.01 in both groups). The difference in standardized mean scores between the 2 groups was 0.79 for the DLQI, 0.62 for the PDI, and 0.85 for the PSO-LIFE questionnaire. The impact of psoriasis on HRQOL as assessed by the PSO-LIFE questionnaire was greater in patients with lesions in visible areas than in those with less visible lesions (P<.01). Changes in PSO-LIFE and PASI scores were moderately and significantly correlated (r=-0.4). The impact of psoriasis on HRQOL is higher in patients with active disease. The PSO-LIFE questionnaire showed a greater tendency to discriminate between active and stable psoriasis than either the DLQI or the PDI. PSO-LIFE scores correlated significantly with lesion site and disease severity as measured by PASI. Copyright

  18. Serum fatty acid profile in psoriasis and its comorbidity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Myśliwiec, Hanna; Baran, Anna; Harasim-Symbor, Ewa; Myśliwiec, Piotr; Milewska, Anna Justyna; Chabowski, Adrian; Flisiak, Iwona

    2017-07-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that is accompanied by metabolic disturbances and cardio-metabolic disorders. Fatty acids (FAs) might be a link between psoriasis and its comorbidity. The aim of the study was to evaluate serum concentrations of FAs and to investigate their association with the disease activity, markers of inflammation and possible involvement in psoriatic comorbidity: obesity, type 2 diabetes and hypertension. We measured 14 total serum fatty acids content and composition by gas-liquid chromatography and flame-ionization detector after direct in situ transesterification in 85 patients with exacerbated plaque psoriasis and in 32 healthy controls. FAs were grouped according to their biologic properties to saturated FA (SFA), unsaturated FA (UFA), monounsaturated FA (MUFA), n-3 polyunsaturated FA (n-3 PUFA) and n-6 PUFA. Generally, patients characteristic included: Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), Body Mass Index, inflammatory and biochemical markers, lipid profile and presence of psoriatic comorbidity. We have observed highly abnormal FAs pattern in psoriatic patients both with and without obesity compared to the control group. We have demonstrated association of PASI with low levels of circulating DHA, n-3 PUFA (p = 0.044 and p = 0.048, respectively) and high percent of MUFA (p = 0.024) in the non-obese psoriatic group. The SFA/UFA ratio increased with the duration of the disease (p = 0.03) in all psoriatic patients. These findings indicate abnormal FAs profile in psoriasis which may reflect metabolic disturbances and might play a role in the psoriatic comorbidity.

  19. Cardiovascular comorbidities of pediatric psoriasis among hospitalized children in the United States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwa, Lauren; Kwa, Michael C; Silverberg, Jonathan I

    2017-12-01

    Psoriasis has been shown to be associated with cardiovascular disease in adults. Little is known about cardiovascular risk in pediatric psoriasis. To determine if there is an association between pediatric psoriasis and cardiovascular comorbidities. Data were analyzed from the 2002-2012 Nationwide Inpatient Sample, which included 4,884,448 hospitalized children aged 0-17 years. Bivariate and multivariate survey logistic regression models were created to calculate the odds of psoriasis on cardiovascular comorbidities. In multivariate survey logistic regression models adjusting for age, sex, and race/ethnicity, pediatric psoriasis was significantly associated with 5 of 10 cardiovascular comorbidities (adjusted odds ratio [95% confidence interval]), including obesity (3.15 [2.46-4.05]), hypertension (2.63 [1.93-3.59]), diabetes (2.90 [1.90-4.42]), arrhythmia (1.39 [1.02-1.88]), and valvular heart disease (1.90 [1.07-3.37]). The highest odds of cardiovascular risk factors occurred in blacks and Hispanics and children ages 0-9 years, but there were no sex differences. The study was limited to hospitalized children. We were unable to assess the impact of psoriasis treatment or family history on cardiovascular risk. Pediatric psoriasis is associated with higher odds of multiple cardiovascular comorbidities among hospitalized patients. Strategies for mitigating excess cardiovascular risk in pediatric psoriasis need to be determined. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Juvenile generalized pustular psoriasis is a chronic recalcitrant disease: an analysis of 27 patients seen in a tertiary hospital in Johor, Malaysia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lau, Bi-Wen; Lim, Dee-Zhen; Capon, Francesca; Barker, Jonathan N; Choon, Siew-Eng

    2017-04-01

    Limited information exists regarding juvenile generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP). We aim to determine the clinical profile and outcome of Malaysians with juvenile GPP. Review of hospital case notes on patients with juvenile GPP. Twenty-seven patients with juvenile GPP were identified. Female to male ratio was 1.4:1. The median age at onset of GPP was 6.5 years. Ten patients had prior psoriasis with a median pre-pustular duration of 2.7 years. Onset of GPP was earlier in patients without prior psoriasis (5.1 years vs. 12.0 years, P = 0.002). Precipitating factors identified included stress, upper respiratory tract infection, systemic steroid use, vaccination, and pregnancy. A positive family history of psoriasis and GPP was present in six and one patient(s), respectively. Twenty-one patients had acute, five annular, and one localized variant of GPP. Arthritis was present in 22.2%. Fever, leukocytosis, and transaminitis were mainly seen in patients with acute GPP at 80.9, 72.2, and 11.1%, respectively. Among 20 patients screened, eight carry IL36RN variants and one has CARD14 mutation. IL36RN-positive patients have more severe disease characterized by early onset, low prevalence of prior plaque psoriasis, high prevalence of systemic inflammation, and need for continuous long-term systemic therapy. Acitretin and cyclosporine were effective in aborting acute GPP in 100% of 16 and 66.7% of six patients treated, respectively. However, relapses were common. Only three of the 17 patients whose initial acute GPP was controlled with systemic agents were successfully weaned off treatment. Juvenile GPP is a chronic recalcitrant disease. IL36RN-positive patients have more severe disease. © 2017 The International Society of Dermatology.

  1. Genome-Wide Expression Profiling of Five Mouse Models Identifies Similarities and Differences with Human Psoriasis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swindell, William R.; Johnston, Andrew; Carbajal, Steve; Han, Gangwen; Wohn, Christian; Lu, Jun; Xing, Xianying; Nair, Rajan P.; Voorhees, John J.; Elder, James T.; Wang, Xiao-Jing; Sano, Shigetoshi; Prens, Errol P.; DiGiovanni, John; Pittelkow, Mark R.; Ward, Nicole L.; Gudjonsson, Johann E.

    2011-01-01

    Development of a suitable mouse model would facilitate the investigation of pathomechanisms underlying human psoriasis and would also assist in development of therapeutic treatments. However, while many psoriasis mouse models have been proposed, no single model recapitulates all features of the human disease, and standardized validation criteria for psoriasis mouse models have not been widely applied. In this study, whole-genome transcriptional profiling is used to compare gene expression patterns manifested by human psoriatic skin lesions with those that occur in five psoriasis mouse models (K5-Tie2, imiquimod, K14-AREG, K5-Stat3C and K5-TGFbeta1). While the cutaneous gene expression profiles associated with each mouse phenotype exhibited statistically significant similarity to the expression profile of psoriasis in humans, each model displayed distinctive sets of similarities and differences in comparison to human psoriasis. For all five models, correspondence to the human disease was strong with respect to genes involved in epidermal development and keratinization. Immune and inflammation-associated gene expression, in contrast, was more variable between models as compared to the human disease. These findings support the value of all five models as research tools, each with identifiable areas of convergence to and divergence from the human disease. Additionally, the approach used in this paper provides an objective and quantitative method for evaluation of proposed mouse models of psoriasis, which can be strategically applied in future studies to score strengths of mouse phenotypes relative to specific aspects of human psoriasis. PMID:21483750

  2. Microgravity Stress: Bone and Connective Tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bloomfield, Susan A; Martinez, Daniel A; Boudreaux, Ramon D; Mantri, Anita V

    2016-03-15

    The major alterations in bone and the dense connective tissues in humans and animals exposed to microgravity illustrate the dependency of these tissues' function on normal gravitational loading. Whether these alterations depend solely on the reduced mechanical loading of zero g or are compounded by fluid shifts, altered tissue blood flow, radiation exposure, and altered nutritional status is not yet well defined. Changes in the dense connective tissues and intervertebral disks are generally smaller in magnitude but occur more rapidly than those in mineralized bone with transitions to 0 g and during recovery once back to the loading provided by 1 g conditions. However, joint injuries are projected to occur much more often than the more catastrophic bone fracture during exploration class missions, so protecting the integrity of both tissues is important. This review focuses on the research performed over the last 20 years in humans and animals exposed to actual spaceflight, as well as on knowledge gained from pertinent ground-based models such as bed rest in humans and hindlimb unloading in rodents. Significant progress has been made in our understanding of the mechanisms for alterations in bone and connective tissues with exposure to microgravity, but intriguing questions remain to be solved, particularly with reference to biomedical risks associated with prolonged exploration missions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

  3. Psoriasis: an eye opener – a cross-sectional study in a Tertiary Care Hospital of South India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hari Kishan Kumar Yadalla

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Psoriasis is a multi-system chronic inflammatory skin disease targeting 2% to 3% of the general population. It is a prototype of immune dysregulation mediated by TH1 proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IFN-gamma, IL-6, and IL-12 with far reaching systemic effects. There is growing and emerging evidence that psoriasis patients have a higher prevalence of associated comorbid diseases, with severe skin disease portends a serious risk for development of these comorbidities and are found to have a higher association of extracutaneous disease manifestations. Aim: To look for eye involvement in psoriasis patients and to evaluate the risk and prognostic factors of disease association. Material and Methods: 200 Patients with psoriasis were screened for any eye involvement after few unusual case presentations with eye complications during the period from September 2013 - August 2014. Results: First case was a post cataract sudden loss of vision secondary to development of uveitis in a female patient aged 52 years, with past history of psoriasis with minimal skin lesions and no arthritis. Another 5 cases of psoriasis with eye involvement were detected during the screening employed in a series of 200 psoriasis cases. Conclusion: The present report highlights the importance of psoriasis and eye involvement, need for collaboration between dermatologists and ophthalmologists for thorough examination and evaluation prior to any surgical intervention and also further long term follow-up studies are warranted for confirmation of this causal relationship.

  4. Comparison of immunofluorescence investigations and a new anti-DNA-antibody radioimmunoassay for the diagnosis of connective tissue diseases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Neumeier, D.; Vogt, W.; Knedel, M.

    1976-01-01

    The procedure of determining the anti-DNA antibody activity is simplified by high-molecular double strand DNA labelled with 125 I. Cases of suspected connective tissue disease should first be examined by immunofluorescence microscopy, since this method can detect a wider spectrum of diseases with similar symptoms. For a differential diagnosis of SLE, the anti-DNA antibody activity is then investigated by a radioimmunoassay. When assessing the antibody activity, the following criteria should be kept in mind: - Findings of less than 10 units/ml serum do not indicate pathological changes, - Higher antibody activities up to 35 units/ml serum may occur in SLE patients but are also possible in other ANA positive diseases with similar symptoms, - Activities over 35 units/ml serum are nearly always a sign of SLE. (orig./GSE) [de

  5. Comparison of immunofluorescence investigations and a new anti-DNA-antibody radioimmunoassay for the diagnosis of connective tissue diseases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Neumeier, D; Vogt, W; Knedel, M

    1976-01-01

    The procedure of determining the anti-DNA antibody activity is simplified by high-molecular double strand DNA labelled with /sup 125/I. Cases of suspected connective tissue disease should first be examined by immunofluorescence microscopy, since this method can detect a wider spectrum of diseases with similar symptoms. For a differential diagnosis of SLE, the anti-DNA antibody activity is then investigated by a radioimmunoassay. When assessing the antibody activity, the following criteria should be kept in mind: - Findings of less than 10 units/ml serum do not indicate pathological changes, - Higher antibody activities up to 35 units/ml serum may occur in SLE patients but are also possible in other ANA positive diseases with similar symptoms, - Activities over 35 units/ml serum are nearly always a sign of SLE.

  6. Detection of Connective Tissue Disorders from 3D Aortic MR Images Using Independent Component Analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Michael Sass; Zhao, Fei; Zhang, Honghai

    2006-01-01

    A computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) method is reported that allows the objective identification of subjects with connective tissue disorders from 3D aortic MR images using segmentation and independent component analysis (ICA). The first step to extend the model to 4D (3D + time) has also been taken....... ICA is an effective tool for connective tissue disease detection in the presence of sparse data using prior knowledge to order the components, and the components can be inspected visually. 3D+time MR image data sets acquired from 31 normal and connective tissue disorder subjects at end-diastole (R......-wave peak) and at 45\\$\\backslash\\$% of the R-R interval were used to evaluate the performance of our method. The automated 3D segmentation result produced accurate aortic surfaces covering the aorta. The CAD method distinguished between normal and connective tissue disorder subjects with a classification...

  7. Methodical aspects of radionuclide study of locomotor system in patients with systemic diseases of connective tissue with single photon emission computed tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Potsibyina, V.V.; Oderyij, Je.A.

    1998-01-01

    The original technique was used to examine 427 patients aged 18-64 with systemic diseases of locomotor system connective tissue and 65 controls. In addition to clinical studies, radionuclide signs of locomotor system lesions was investigated with NUCLETRON APEX SP-6 CT unit using labeled with Tc-99m and osteotropic radiopharmaceuticals

  8. The role of IL 23 in the treatment of psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Puig, Lluís

    2017-06-01

    The IL-23/IL-17 axis is currently considered to be crucial in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Human IL-23 is primarily produced by antigen-presenting cells and induces and maintains differentiation of Th17 cells and Th22 cells, a primary cellular source of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-17 and IL-22, which mediate the epidermal hyperplasia, keratinocyte immune activation and tissue inflammation inherent in psoriasis. Agents that target the p40 subunit common to both IL-12 and IL-23 have shown robust clinical activity, but selectivity for IL-23p19 could offer advantages in efficacy and safety with respect to anti-p40 blockade. Areas covered: Relevant references regarding the role of the IL-23/IL-17 pathway in the pathogenesis of psoriasis/psoriatic arthritis and clinical trials with IL-23p40 and IL-23p19 blocking agents were obtained through a literature search in MEDLINE/Pubmed for articles published until November 2016. Moreover, ongoing registered clinical trials (RCTs) of moderate-to-severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis were searched through clinicaltrials.gov website, and a manual search was made for pertinent communications at the 2016 American Academy of Dermatology and European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology meetings. Expert commentary: There are potential advantages in selective blockade of the IL23-specific p19 subunit with respect to distal blockade of IL-17A or its receptor. Acting upstream in the IL-23/IL-17 cytokine pathway is likely to reduce the expression of multiple pro-inflammatory cytokines acting on keratinocytes -including IL-17F, IL-21 and IL-22-, in addition to IL-17A. On the other hand, safety data thus far suggest that these drugs might be devoid of some adverse effects of IL-17A blockade that seem to be class related, such as mucocutaneous Candida infections or triggering or worsening of inflammatory bowel disease. Specific IL-23p19 blockade with high-affinity monoclonal antibodies seems to be able to induce long

  9. Highlighting Interleukin-36 Signalling in Plaque Psoriasis and Pustular Psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furue, Kazuhisa; Yamamura, Kazuhiko; Tsuji, Gaku; Mitoma, Chikage; Uchi, Hiroshi; Nakahara, Takeshi; Kido-Nakahara, Makiko; Kadono, Takafumi; Furue, Masutaka

    2018-01-12

    Plaque psoriasis and pustular psoriasis are overlapping, but distinct, disorders. The therapeutic response to biologics supports the pivotal role of the tumour necrosis alpha (TNF-?)/ interleukin (IL)-23/IL-17/IL-22 axis in the pathogenesis of these disorders. Recently, functional activation of the IL-36 receptor (IL-36R) was discovered to be another driving force in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. This was first highlighted by the discovery that a loss-of-function mutation of the IL-36R antagonist (IL-36Ra) causes pustular psoriasis. Although the TNF-?/IL-23/IL-17/IL-22 axis and the functional activation of IL-36R are fundamentally involved in plaque psoriasis and pustular psoriasis, respectively, the 2 pathways are closely related and mutually reinforced, resulting in full-blown clinical manifestations. This review summarizes current topics on how IL-36 agonists (IL-36?, IL-36?, IL-36?) signal IL-36R, the pathological expression of IL-36 agonists and IL-36Ra in plaque and pustular psoriatic lesions, and the cross-talk between the TNF-?/IL-23/IL-17/IL-22 axis and the functional activation of IL-36R in the epidermal milieu.

  10. Surfactant protein D in atopic dermatitis and psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hohwy, Thomas; Otkjaer, Kristian; Madsen, Jens

    2006-01-01

    was examined using immunohistochemistry on skin biopsies from patients with the two major dermatologic diseases, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. SP-D was located in the stratum basale of all biopsies with similar intense staining in both diseased and normal skin. Differences were detected in stratum spinosum......, no substantial up-regulation of SP-D mRNA was detected in lesional psoriatic skin, and a comparison of serum levels of SP-D between patients with atopic dermatitis or psoriasis and a group of age matched healthy controls did not show significant differences. In conclusion SP-D was significantly more abundant...

  11. Addiction: an underestimated problem in psoriasis health care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zink, A; Herrmann, M; Fischer, T; Lauffer, F; Garzorz-Stark, N; Böhner, A; Spinner, C D; Biedermann, T; Eyerich, K

    2017-08-01

    Psoriasis is a disease of enormous socio-economic impact. Despite approval of numerous highly efficient and costly therapies, a minor proportion of severely affected patients actually receives sufficient treatment. To investigate whether addictions are associated with psoriasis and to develop evidence-based recommendations for dermatologists in their daily clinical practice in order to improve medical assessment of psoriasis and patients' quality of life. Psoriasis patients at the University Department of Dermatology were asked to fill out a paper-based self-reported anonymous questionnaire with 92 questions of validated screening tests for the six most common addictions in Germany (alcohol, nicotine, drugs and illegal drugs, gambling, food). Body weight and height as well as current Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) were documented as well. Between October 2015 and February 2016, 102 patients (65 males, 37 females; mean age 49.7 years (SD 13.4), range 18-83 years) participated in the study. Fifty-seven of the 102 patients showed addictive behaviour. Of these, 23.8% were high-risk drinkers, 41% regular smokers, 11% at risk of drug abuse, 4.1% at risk of food dependency and 19% compulsive gamblers. Compared with the general population, these results are significantly higher for alcohol abuse (P < 0.005), nicotine (P < 0.001) and gambling (P < 0.001). Body mass index was significantly higher in the study population (P < 0.001). Addictions and gambling are more prevalent in patients with psoriasis compared with the general population. Respective screening measures are recommended in daily practice for doctors treating psoriasis patients, and PeakPASI is suggested as a score to document patients' lifetime highest PASI. Parallel to new drug approvals and even more detailed insights into the pathomechanism of psoriasis, public health strategies and interdisciplinary approaches are essential for a general sustained psoriasis treatment. © 2017 European Academy of

  12. Effect of a family history of psoriasis and age on comorbidities and quality of life in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis: Results from the ARIZONA study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    López-Estebaranz, Jose Luis; Sánchez-Carazo, Jose Luis; Sulleiro, Sara

    2016-04-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease whose clinical characteristics vary from patient to patient. We aimed to analyze how comorbidities and quality of life (QoL, as per the Dermatology Life Quality Index [DLQI]) may be affected by a family history of psoriasis and by age. The ARIZONA study was a multicenter, cross-sectional study in 1022 adult patients diagnosed with moderate to severe psoriasis at least 6 months prior to inclusion. The severity of psoriasis and the proportion of patients with comorbidities were not affected by the presence of a family history. The regression analysis revealed that the presence of a family history of psoriasis was associated with the effect on the patient's QoL (P = 0.002), regardless of disease severity. The mean DLQI total score varied significantly across age groups (5.1 ± 5.3 for the 18-30-year group, 5.7 ± 6.5 for the 31-60-year group and 3.8 ± 5.1 for the >60-year group; P = 0.001). In conclusion, the presence of a family history of psoriasis appears to disrupt QoL in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis, but it hardly affected the prevalence of comorbid conditions. The effect of age on QoL was particularly noticeable in younger patients, highlighting its negative impact. As expected, older patients appeared to be burdened with a higher number of comorbidities than their younger counterparts. © 2015 Japanese Dermatological Association.

  13. Pharmacotherapeutic approaches for treating psoriasis in difficult-to-treat areas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kivelevitch, Dario; Frieder, Jillian; Watson, Ian; Paek, So Yeon; Menter, M Alan

    2018-04-01

    Despite great therapeutic advancements in psoriasis, four notable difficult-to-treat areas including the scalp, nails, intertriginous (including genitals), and palmoplantar regions, pose a challenge to both physicians and patients. Localized disease of these specific body regions inflicts a significant burden on patients' quality of life and requires an adequate selection of treatments. Areas covered: This manuscript discusses appropriate therapies and important treatment considerations for these difficult-to-treat areas based on the available clinical data from the literature. Expert opinion: Clinical trials assessing therapies for the difficult-to-treat areas have been inadequate. With the first biological clinical trial for genital psoriasis pending publication, it is with hope that other biological agents will be evaluated for region-specific psoriasis. A greater understanding of the genetic and immunologic aspects of regional psoriasis, as well as identification of unique biomarkers, will further guide management decisions. For example, the recent discovery of the IL-36 receptor gene for generalized pustular psoriasis may prove valuable for other forms of psoriasis. Ultimately, identification of the most beneficial treatments for each psoriasis subtype and difficult-to-treat area will provide patients with maximal quality of life.

  14. Ectopic mineralization disorders of the extracellular matrix of connective tissue: molecular genetics and pathomechanisms of aberrant calcification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Qiaoli; Jiang, Qiujie; Uitto, Jouni

    2014-01-01

    Ectopic mineralization of connective tissues is a complex process leading to deposition of calcium phosphate complexes in the extracellular matrix, particularly affecting the skin and the arterial blood vessels and common in age-associated disorders. A number of initiating and contributing metabolic and environmental factors are linked to aberrant mineralization in these diseases, making the identification of precise pathomechanistic pathways exceedingly difficult. However, there has been significant recent progress in understanding the ectopic mineralization processes through study of heritable single-gene disorders, which have allowed identification of discrete pathways and contributing factors leading to aberrant connective tissue mineralization. These studies have provided support for the concept of an intricate mineralization/anti-mineralization network present in peripheral connective tissues, providing a perspective to development of pharmacologic approaches to limit the phenotypic consequences of ectopic mineralization. This overview summarizes the current knowledge of ectopic heritable mineralization disorders, with accompanying animal models, focusing on pseudoxanthoma elasticum and generalized arterial calcification of infancy, two autosomal recessive diseases manifesting with extensive connective tissue mineralization in the skin and the cardiovascular system. © 2013.

  15. Pectus excavatum and heritable disorders of the connective tissue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesca Tocchioni

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Pectus excavatum, the most frequent congenital chest wall deformity, may be rarely observed as a sole deformity or as a sign of an underlying connective tissue disorder. To date, only few studies have described correlations between this deformity and heritable connective tissue disorders such as Marfan, Ehlers-Danlos, Poland, MASS (Mitral valve prolapse, not progressive Aortic enlargement, Skeletal and Skin alterations phenotype among others. When concurring with connective tissue disorder, cardiopulmonary and vascular involvement may be associated to the thoracic defect. Ruling out the concomitance of pectus excavatum and connective tissue disorders, therefore, may have a direct implication both on surgical outcome and long term prognosis. In this review we focused on biological bases of connective tissue disorders which may be relevant to the pathogenesis of pectus excavatum, portraying surgical and clinical implication of their concurrence.

  16. JAK Inhibitors: Treatment Efficacy and Safety Profile in Patients with Psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leeyen Hsu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Janus kinase (JAK pathways are key mediators in the immunopathogenesis of psoriasis. Psoriasis treatment has evolved with the advent of targeted therapies, which inhibit specific components of the psoriasis proinflammatory cascade. JAK inhibitors have been studied in early phase trials for psoriasis patients, and the data are promising for these agents as potential treatment options. Tofacitinib, an oral or topically administered JAK1 and JAK3 inhibitor, and ruxolitinib, a topical JAK1 and JAK2 inhibitor, have been most extensively studied in psoriasis, and both improved clinical symptoms of psoriasis. Additional JAK1 or JAK3 inhibitors are being studied in clinical trials. In phase III trials for rheumatoid arthritis, tofacitinib was efficacious in patients with inadequate responses to tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, methotrexate monotherapy, or disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. The results of phase III trials are pending for these therapies in psoriasis, and these agents may represent important alternatives for patients with inadequate responses to currently available agents. Further investigations with long-term clinical trials are necessary to verify their utility in psoriasis treatment and assess their safety in this patient population.

  17. Objective assessment of psoriasis erythema for PASI scoring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmad Fadzil, M H; Ihtatho, Dani; Mohd Affandi, Azura; Hussein, S H

    2009-01-01

    Skin colour is vital information in dermatological diagnosis as it reflects the pathological condition beneath the skin. It is commonly used to indicate the extent of diseases such as psoriasis, which is indicated by the appearance of red plaques. Although there is no cure for psoriasis, there are many treatment modalities to help control the disease. To evaluate treatment efficacy, the current gold standard method, PASI (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index), is used to determine severity of psoriasis lesion. Erythema (redness) is one parameter in PASI and this condition is assessed visually, thus leading to subjective and inconsistent results. Current methods or instruments that assess erythema have limitations, such as being able to measure erythema well for low pigmented skin (fair skin) but not for highly pigmented skin (dark skin) or vice versa. In this work, we proposed an objective assessment of psoriasis erythema for PASI scoring for different (low to highly pigmented) skin types. The colour of psoriasis lesions are initially obtained by using a chromameter giving the values L*, a*, and b* of CIELAB colour space. The L* value is used to classify skin into three categories: low, medium and highly pigmented skin. The lightness difference (DeltaL*), hue difference (Deltah(ab)), chroma (DeltaC*(ab)) between lesions and the surrounding normal skin are calculated and analysed. It is found that the erythema score of a lesion can be distinguished by their Deltah(ab) value within a particular skin type group. References of lesion with different scores are obtained from the selected lesions by two dermatologists. Results based on 38 lesions from 22 patients with various level of skin pigmentation show that PASI erythema score for different skin types i.e. low (fair skin) to highly pigmented (dark skin) skin types can be determined objectively and consistent with dermatology scoring.

  18. Current and Under Development Treatment Modalities of Psoriasis: A Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albaghdadi, Abdullah

    2017-01-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic and complex autoimmune inflammatory skin disease that affects over 125 million people worldwide. It can exhibit at any age, in spite of the fact that children are less normally influenced than adults. It is characterized by distinct erythematous plaques shielded with conspicuous silvery scales that shows up in different areas of the skin. Knowledge of pathophysiology, especially the pathogenesis of psoriasis, has significantly progressed in the recent decade. Advancement in molecular knowledge leads to better understanding of the disease, thus influencing the development of efficient treatment modalities. However, even with the availability of various options of treatment most of the efficient treatment modalities are costly. Expenses of health care bring about major financial weight to the patients as well as to health care systems. Thus, it was important to review the available current treatment options and those which are under development, in terms of efficacy, safety and cost to assist in selecting the most appropriate treatment for psoriasis patients. Literatures were searched by using key words psoriasis, topical treatment, systemic treatment, biologics and phototherapies, on Embase, Medline, Jstor, Cochrane and Merck Index databases. Life-style choices such as smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity and stress are recognised as risk factors and triggers associated with psoriasis. Psoriasis poses psycho-social and economic burden on affected patients that sometimes leads to depression, reduced social interaction and suicidal tendencies in patients. Depending on the type, severity and extent of the disease, comorbidities, patient preference, efficacy and safety profile, numerous treatment modalities and therapeutic agents are available such as topical, systemic, biologic and phototherapeutic treatments. However, it was found that among all the current available treatments for psoriasis, biologic agents and phototherapeutic modalities are

  19. New treatments for psoriasis: which biologic is best?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nelson, Andrew A; Pearce, Daniel J; Fleischer, Alan B; Balkrishnan, Rajesh; Feldman, Steven R

    2006-01-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic, debilitating disease affecting not only the skin, but also having a significant impact on a patient's quality of life. The treatment of severe psoriasis is quite challenging due to the chronic, relapsing nature of the disease and the difficulties inherent in treatment planning. Though the biologics are perhaps the most promising of available psoriasis treatments, the decision to institute a given therapy may be fraught with complexity for the clinician. Patients now hear of these promising new treatments for psoriasis via print, television and radio advertising; they frequently come to their physician asking if they are eligible for any of these agents and, if so, 'which biologic is best?'. This paper attempts to determine the ideal biologic agent based upon several parameters: FDA- and EU-approved indications, therapeutic efficacy, impact on quality of life, cost-effectiveness, and safety profile. Certainly the physician is central to medical decision-making, though ultimately patient preference may play the largest role in determining the 'best' biologic agent. There is no single ideal biologic for all patients and a physician's job is to educate patients on the relative advantages and disadvantages of each agent. Through informed discussion, the clinician can help each individual patient decide which biologic agent is ideal for them.

  20. Significance of clinicopathological correlation in psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gopal Ambadasrao Pandit

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Context: Psoriasis affects about 1.5% to 3% of world′s population. Other papulosquamous dermatoses are Pityriasis rosea, Lichen planus, Seborrheic dermatitis, Pityriasis rubra pilaris and Parapsoriasis. Drug eruptions, tinea corporis, and secondary syphilis may also have papulosquamous morphology. Because all papulosquamous disorders are characterized by scaling papules, clinical confusion may result during their diagnosis. Separation of each of these becomes important because the treatment and prognosis for each tends to be disease-specific. Aim: To study the pattern of clinical and histopathological features of psoriasis of the skin with clinicopathological correlation. Material and methods: The present study of 42 cases of psoriasis of the skin was carried out in the Department of Pathology of a tertiary care centre from December 2009 to October 2011. In this study, the patients which were clinically diagnosed as psoriasis of skin, before starting the treatment and attending the outdoor skin department were selected. Histopathological findings were interpreted in light of clinical details. Results: Out of 42 cases of psoriasis 24 (57.14% were males, 18 (42.86% were females with male to female ratio of 1.33:1. Mean age was 34.45 years. Maximum number of cases 22 (52.38% were encountered in 3rd and 4th decade of life. Histopathological findings: parakeratosis, acanthosis, suprapapillary thinning, Munro microabscesses and hypogranulosis were noted in most of the cases. Conclusion: Histopathology serves as a diagnostic tool and rules out other lesions which mimic psoriasis. The most accurate diagnosis is the one that most closely correlates with clinical outcome and helps to direct the most appropriate clinical intervention.

  1. Facing the dilemma of patient-centred psoriasis care

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Khoury, L. R.; Skov, L.; Møller, T.

    2017-01-01

    Background: Caregivers must be aware of patients’ current needs by providing care responsive to patients’ values and preferences and by identifying what approach improves and encourages patients to participate in their treatment and disease management. Patients with psoriasis healthcare needs...... perhaps change as medical knowledge improves, new drugs emerge and the healthcare system improves its efficiency as a result of constant structural development. Objectives: To explore the unmet needs and health perceptions of people with psoriasis, regarding interaction with clinicians and the structure...... inherent to consultations in a hospital outpatient dermatological clinic. Methods: A qualitative investigation with data generated from semi-structured interviews. Transcriptions were subsequently analysed using the template analysis method. Results: Sixteen patients with psoriasis were interviewed...

  2. Gastric bypass surgery: Improving psoriasis through a GLP-1-dependent mechanism?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Faurschou, Annesofie; Zachariae, Claus; Skov, Lone

    2011-01-01

    surgery. This most likely contributes importantly to the acute remission of type 2 diabetes, which is often induced by gastric bypass operations. The hormone is not hypersecreted after the purely restrictive bariatric procedure gastric banding and no case reports exist on improvement in psoriasis......, both a direct anti-inflammatory effect of GLP-1 as well as an indirect effect through weight loss could contribute to improvement in psoriasis. A potential involvement of GLP-1 in the remission of psoriasis observed after bariatric surgery offers exciting possibilities for research and eventually...... bypass surgery in patients with psoriasis may result in complete remission of the disease. A substantial weight loss is achieved in the months following surgery, which is likely to reduce psoriasis symptoms and risk of comorbidities. Interestingly, however, it has been described that improvement...

  3. Body disfigurement and self-concept: an existential-phenomenological study of men and women with psoriasis

    OpenAIRE

    2008-01-01

    D.Litt. et Phil. This study explored the impact of psoriasis on the self-concept (a multifaceted, hierarchical construct of self with both cognitive and emotional components) (Hattie & Marsh, 1996), of men and women who live with this cutaneous disease. Psoriasis is a common (frequently occurring), chronic inflammatory dermatological disease that can severely affect the sufferer's quality of life. While the underlying cause is unknown, the immediate cause of psoriasis is the rate of growth...

  4. Involvement of Connective Tissue Growth Factor in Human and Experimental Hypertensive Nephrosclerosis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ito, Yasuhiko; Aten, Jan; Nguyen, Tri Q.; Joles, Jaap A.; Matsuo, Seiichi; Weening, Jan J.; Goldschmeding, Roel

    2011-01-01

    Background/Aims: Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF; CCN2) has been implicated as a marker and mediator of fibrosis in human and experimental renal disease. Methods: We performed a comparative analysis of CTGF expression in hypertensive patients with and without nephrosclerosis, and in

  5. Characteristics of psoriasis in Greece: an epidemiological study of a population in a sunny Mediterranean climate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rigopoulos, Dimitris; Gregoriou, Stamatis; Katrinaki, Aimilia; Korfitis, Chrysovalantis; Larios, Giorgos; Stamou, Christos; Mourellou, Olympia; Petridis, Athanasios; Rallis, Efstathios; Sotiriadis, Dimitris; Katsambas, Andreas D; Antoniou, Christina

    2010-01-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with important socioeconomic consequences. Data on psoriasis prevalence in Greece is scarce and circumstantially reported. The aim of this study was the recording of psoriatic patients' demographic data, clinical characteristics of the disease, and exacerbating factors. Seven hundred and eighty four patients were enrolled in 6 centres (4 in Athens and 2 in Thessaloniki) in a multicenter epidemiologic prospective study. The mean age of patients was 43.2 (standard deviation, SD 17.44) years (median 42 years), while the men: women ratio was 1.8:1. Additionally, 35% of patients reported a positive family history of psoriasis. The mean age of patients at the first episode of psoriasis was 31.3 (SD 16.39) years (median 28 years). Psoriasis vulgaris was the most common form of psoriasis in the population participating in this study. Flares of psoriasis occurred 2.6 times per year on average. The patients considered stress as the main cause for psoriasis exacerbation. Most frequent target points of psoriasis included elbows, legs, scalp and knees. The most common symptoms reported were scaling, and itching. On average, patients visited dermatologists 2.4 times per year for issues related to psoriasis. This study provides epidemiological information regarding psoriasis in Greece. Results of this survey could assist in delineation of patient profiles, and improve communication between doctors and patients.

  6. Secukinumab treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in routine clinical care: real-life data of prior and concomitant use of psoriasis treatments from the PROSPECT study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Körber, A; Thaçi, D; von Kiedrowski, R; Bachhuber, T; Melzer, N; Kasparek, T; Kraehn-Senftleben, G; Amon, U; Augustin, M

    2018-03-01

    Secukinumab, a fully human anti-interleukin-17A monoclonal antibody, has demonstrated efficacy and safety in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis. However, as per study protocols, transition periods from prior psoriasis treatments of a defined minimal length were required and use of concomitant psoriasis medication was prohibited. There is therefore a lack of data on the effect of shorter transition periods and concomitant psoriasis treatment with other pharmacologically active substances on the effectiveness and safety of secukinumab in routine clinical practice. The PROSPECT study was designed to assess prior and concomitant use of psoriasis treatments in subjects receiving secukinumab and the duration of transition periods from prior treatments to secukinumab. Here, we report the baseline characteristics and the duration of transition period in an interim analysis of the first 805 subjects. PROSPECT is an ongoing 24-week, single-cohort, non-interventional study. Subjects with moderate to severe psoriasis with a decision to receive secukinumab were included. The majority of subjects were male (491/796, 61.7%), with a mean age of 47.7 years (SD 13.7). The baseline Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) was available for 92.4% (744/805) of subjects, and mean baseline PASI was 17.5 (SD 13.1); 93.4% (752/805) of subjects had signs of high disease severity. Use of concomitant treatment increased with the number of signs. Within the last 12 months prior to inclusion, 10%, 40%, and 28% of subjects had received topical, conventional systemic, or biologic treatments as their last prior psoriasis therapy, respectively, and 22% of subjects had not received any psoriasis therapy. Discontinuation of prior treatment due to adverse events was high in subjects with conventional systemic treatment (93/413, 22.5%) compared to biologic treatment (5/210, 2.4%). The median duration of the transition period was 14.0, 30.5, and 38.0 days for prior topical, conventional systemic

  7. Drug-induced psoriasis: clinical perspectives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Balak DMW

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Deepak MW Balak, Enes Hajdarbegovic Department of Dermatology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands Abstract: Exposure to certain drugs can elicit an induction or exacerbation of psoriasis. Although well-conducted systematic studies on drug-related psoriasis are mostly lacking, traditionally strong associations have been documented for beta-blockers, lithium, antimalarial drugs such as (hydroxychloroquine, interferons, imiquimod, and terbinafine. More recently, new associations have been reported for monoclonal antibody- and small-molecule-based targeted therapies used for oncological and immunological indications, such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha antagonists and anti-programmed cell death protein 1 immune checkpoint inhibitors. Recognizing potential drug-related psoriasis is of clinical relevance to allow an optimal management of psoriasis. However, in clinical practice, identifying medication-related exacerbations and induction of psoriasis can be challenging. The clinical and histopathological features of drug-provoked psoriasis may differ little from that of “classical” nondrug-related forms of psoriasis. In addition, the latency period between start of the medication and onset of psoriasis can be significantly long for some drugs. Assessment of the Naranjo adverse drug reaction probability scale could be used as a practical tool to better differentiate drug-related psoriasis. The first step in the management of drug-related psoriasis is cessation and replacement of the offending drug when deemed clinically possible. However, the induced psoriasis skin lesions may persist after treatment withdrawal. Additional skin-directed treatment options for drug-related psoriasis follows the conventional psoriasis treatment guidelines and includes topical steroids and vitamin D analogs, ultraviolet phototherapy, systemic treatments, such as acitretin, methotrexate, and fumaric acid esters, and biological treatments

  8. Lupus erythematosus and localized scleroderma coexistent at the same sites: a rare presentation of overlap syndrome of connective-tissue diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pascucci, Anabella; Lynch, Peter J; Fazel, Nasim

    2016-05-01

    Overlap syndromes are known to occur with connective-tissue diseases (CTDs). Rarely, the overlap occurs at the same tissue site. We report the case of a patient with clinical and histopathologic findings consistent with the presence of discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) and localized scleroderma within the same lesions. Based on our case and other reported cases in the literature, the following features are common in patients with an overlap of lupus erythematosus (LE) and localized scleroderma: predilection for young women, photodistributed lesions, DLE, linear morphology clinically, and positivity along the dermoepidermal junction on direct immunofluorescence. Most patients showed good response to antimalarials, topical steroids, or systemic steroids.

  9. Connective tissue fibroblasts and Tcf4 regulate myogenesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mathew, Sam J.; Hansen, Jody M.; Merrell, Allyson J.; Murphy, Malea M.; Lawson, Jennifer A.; Hutcheson, David A.; Hansen, Mark S.; Angus-Hill, Melinda; Kardon, Gabrielle

    2011-01-01

    Muscle and its connective tissue are intimately linked in the embryo and in the adult, suggesting that interactions between these tissues are crucial for their development. However, the study of muscle connective tissue has been hindered by the lack of molecular markers and genetic reagents to label connective tissue fibroblasts. Here, we show that the transcription factor Tcf4 (transcription factor 7-like 2; Tcf7l2) is strongly expressed in connective tissue fibroblasts and that Tcf4GFPCre mice allow genetic manipulation of these fibroblasts. Using this new reagent, we find that connective tissue fibroblasts critically regulate two aspects of myogenesis: muscle fiber type development and maturation. Fibroblasts promote (via Tcf4-dependent signals) slow myogenesis by stimulating the expression of slow myosin heavy chain. Also, fibroblasts promote the switch from fetal to adult muscle by repressing (via Tcf4-dependent signals) the expression of developmental embryonic myosin and promoting (via a Tcf4-independent mechanism) the formation of large multinucleate myofibers. In addition, our analysis of Tcf4 function unexpectedly reveals a novel mechanism of intrinsic regulation of muscle fiber type development. Unlike other intrinsic regulators of fiber type, low levels of Tcf4 in myogenic cells promote both slow and fast myogenesis, thereby promoting overall maturation of muscle fiber type. Thus, we have identified novel extrinsic and intrinsic mechanisms regulating myogenesis. Most significantly, our data demonstrate for the first time that connective tissue is important not only for adult muscle structure and function, but is a vital component of the niche within which muscle progenitors reside and is a critical regulator of myogenesis. PMID:21177349

  10. The Coexistence of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Psoriasis: Is It Possible?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hendra Gunawan

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE is a chronic autoimmune disease with various clinical disorders and frequent exacerbations. Psoriasis vulgaris is a common skin disorder which affect 1-3% of general populations. The pathophysiology regarding the coexistence of these diseases is not fully understood. Therapeutic challenges arise since the treatment one of these diseases may aggravate the other. We reported two cases of SLE with psoriasis vulgaris with clinical manifestations as recurrent erythroderma with photosensitivity. Improvement in clinical condition was observed after treating the patients with methylprednisolone combined with methotrexate. The coexistence SLE and psoriasis are considered very rare. The presence of this overlap syndrome may precede one another or occur simultaneously and is closely related with the presence of anti-Ro/SSA. Thus, it raises new challenge regarding its relationships, diagnosis, therapeutic, and management.

  11. Challenges of biological therapy in patients with pustular psoriasis coexisting with psoriatic arthritis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joanna Narbutt

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available Introduction . Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting approximately 2–3% of the general population. It is a condition with immunological and genetic background, coexisting with psoriatic arthritis in about 25% of cases. Biologic drugs have brought a significant improvement in managing the disease, however they are not approved for the treatment of pustular psoriasis. An increasing number of reports indicate the efficacy of biological drugs in pustular psoriasis. In some patients there are factors responsible for a worse clinical response to biologic therapy. Objective . Presentation of therapeutic difficulties identified in a patient with pustular psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Case report . We report a case of a 48-year-old man with generalized pustular psoriasis coexisting with psoriatic arthritis in whom therapy with multiple biologic drugs (adalimumab, infliximab, golimumab, ustekinumab has failed to bring a satisfactory improvement. Conclusions . Further studies are needed to verify the efficacy and pos­sibly approve biological drugs for the treatment of pustular psoriasis. Also, attempts should be made to identify predictors of poorer response to treatment in order to individualize therapy and prevent the loss of efficacy of biologic drugs during prolonged use.

  12. Tenascin-C is not a useful marker for disease activity in psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latijnhouwers, M A; Bergers, M; Kuijpers, A L; van der Vleuten, C J; Dijkman, H; van de Kerkhof, P C; Schalkwijk, J

    1998-09-01

    Tenascin-C is an extracellular matrix glycoprotein that is markedly upregulated in the dermis of psoriatic skin. In this study, we have addressed the question whether the presence of tenascin-C in the lesion or in serum is a marker for disease activity. Immunohistochemical staining of tenascin-C before and after treatment with different topical and systemic medication showed that tenascin-C remained abundant after clinical remission of lesions, indicating that downregulation of tenascin-C to normal values is a slow process. By using a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to measure levels of serum tenascin-C in psoriatic patients and unaffected individuals, we found that tenascin-C levels in most patients were within the normal range. Moreover, tenascin-C values did not correlate with disease activity. We conclude that tenascin-C is not useful as a marker for disease activity in psoriasis.

  13. [CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CONGENITAL HEART DISEASES ASSOCIATED WITH CONNECTIVE TISSUE DISPLASIA AT CHILDREN LIVING IN EAST REGION OF KAZAKHSTAN].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madiyeva, M; Rymbayeva, T

    2017-11-01

    The frequency of the combination of congenital heart defects (CHD) and connective tissue dysplasia remains poorly understood. And connective tissue dysplasia enhance severity the clinical of CHD. The aim of the study was to conduct a clinical and laboratory analysis of combinations of congenital heart defects and connective tissue dysplasia in children of Semey and to determine the risk for the development of these pathologies. The object of the study is the children of Semey (East Kazakhstan) aged 1-14 with congenital heart defects (CHD), with connective tissue dysplasia, healthy children and their mothers. Definition complex clinical and laboratory studies in children with CHD and connective tissue dysplasia, and their mothers. In children with CHD, the frequency of external and visceral signs of dysplasia was high. In 88.1% of cases in children with CHD was diagnosed 2-3 degrees of dysplasia. Was found difference in the microelement composition of blood serum and of hemostasis in children with CHD were expressed by hypofibrinogenemia, hypocalcemia, hypomagnesemia. Excess of the frequency of signs of dysplasia in mothers over the control group to consider dysplasia as a factor that influences the clinical of CHD.

  14. A smartphone application for psoriasis segmentation and classification (Conference Presentation)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasefi, Fartash; MacKinnon, Nicholas B.; Horita, Timothy; Shi, Kevin; Khan Munia, Tamanna Tabassum; Tavakolian, Kouhyar; Alhashim, Minhal; Fazel-Rezai, Reza

    2017-02-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease affecting approximately 125 million people worldwide. Currently, dermatologists monitor changes of psoriasis by clinical evaluation or by measuring psoriasis severity scores over time which lead to Subjective management of this condition. The goal of this paper is to develop a reliable assessment system to quantitatively assess the changes of erythema and intensity of scaling of psoriatic lesions. A smartphone deployable mobile application is presented that uses the smartphone camera and cloud-based image processing to analyze physiological characteristics of psoriasis lesions, identify the type and stage of the scaling and erythema. The application targets to automatically evaluate Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) by measuring the severity and extent of psoriasis. The mobile application performs the following core functions: 1) it captures text information from user input to create a profile in a HIPAA compliant database. 2) It captures an image of the skin with psoriasis as well as image-related information entered by the user. 3) The application color correct the image based on environmental lighting condition using calibration process including calibration procedure by capturing Macbeth ColorChecker image. 4) The color-corrected image will be transmitted to a cloud-based engine for image processing. In cloud, first, the algorithm removes the non-skin background to ensure the psoriasis segmentation is only applied to the skin regions. Then, the psoriasis segmentation algorithm estimates the erythema and scaling boundary regions of lesion. We analyzed 10 images of psoriasis images captured by cellphone, determined PASI score for each subject during our pilot study, and correlated it with changes in severity scores given by dermatologists. The success of this work allows smartphone application for psoriasis severity assessment in a long-term treatment.

  15. Emerging treatments in the management of psoriasis: biological targeting with ustekinumab

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marina Papoutsaki

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Marina Papoutsaki, Antonio Costanzo, Sergio ChimentiDepartment of Dermatology, University of Rome, “Tor vergata”, Rome, ItalyAbstract: Psoriasis is a chronic, genetically determined, immune-mediated, inflammatory skin disease affecting approximately 2% to 3% of Caucasian population. Given the well-established role of the immuno-mediated inflammation in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, in the past few years several key steps in the pathogenesis of this disease have been elucidated and the increased knowledge led to the development of specific drugs, commonly defined as “biologics” targeting one or more of these steps. At present an anti-CD11a antibody (efalizumab, an anti-LFA3/CD2 receptor (alefacept and 3 antitumor necrosis factor alpha agents (adalimumab, etanercept, infliximab are now commercially available for the treatment of both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Recent studies have demonstrated that interleukins (IL 12 and 23 play an important role in the pathophysiology of psoriasis. In fact members of the IL-12 family of cytokines have the potential to act as the next major cytokine(s in pathogenesis and the treatment of psoriasis. Ustekinumab (CNTO 1275, Centocor Inc, Malvern, PA, USA is a human monoclonal antibody that binds to the shared p40 protein subunit of human interleukins 12 and 23 with high affinity and specificity, thereby preventing interaction with their surface IL-12Rβ1 receptor. Different clinical studies have been conducted to date. In particular a phase II study and two phase III studies, PHOENIX 1 together with PHOENIX 2, show very encouraging results. This review reports on the latest progress made in the clinical use of biologic drugs for psoriasis focusing on the new human IL-12/23 monoclonal antibody, ustekinumab, for psoriasis.Keywords: psoriasis, ustekinumab, interleukin-12/23 monoclonal antibody

  16. Body image, self-esteem, and quality of life in patients with psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hulya Nazik

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the skin that may affect the visible areas of body. Hence, the quality of life, self-esteem, and body image can be affected in psoriasis patients. Objectives: We aimed in the present study to assess the effects of psoriasis on the quality of life, self-esteem, and body image. Materials and Methods: The study included 92 patients with psoriasis, along with 98 control participants. The sociodemographic characteristics of the patients were assessed, their Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI scores were calculated to determine the clinical severity of the psoriasis, and the values were recorded. In addition, Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI, Body Image Scale, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale results were evaluated. Results: When the control and psoriasis groups were evaluated regarding the DLQI, self-esteem, and body image, quality of life was found to be more negatively affected in the psoriasis group than the controls, which was statistically significant (P < 0.001, and self-esteem (P < 0.001 and body image (P < 0.001 were found to be significantly lower. Educational status significantly affected self-esteem (P < 0.001 and body image (P = 0.021, however, quality of life was not significantly affected by this parameter (P = 0.345. PASI was positively correlated with the quality of life (r = 0.703 and self-esteem (r = 0.448, however, it was negatively correlated with the body image (r = −0.423. Conclusions: Psoriasis may negatively affect quality of life, self-esteem, and body image, and may also cause psychosocial problems. An assessment of new approaches on this issue may contribute to developments in the treatment of and rehabilitation from this disease.

  17. Teaching empathy to undergraduate medical students using a temporary tattoo simulating psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Latham, Lesley; MacDonald, Aimee; Kimball, Alexa B; Langley, Richard G

    2012-07-01

    Psoriasis has a profound negative effect on quality of life that is often underappreciated by health care professionals and the public. We sought to assess the perception of the burden of psoriasis relative to other medical conditions in first-year medical students, and to determine if wearing a temporary tattoo simulating psoriasis during a teaching exercise would change their perceptions. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing their perception of the impact of psoriasis and other common medical conditions (visual analog scale). Participants then wore a temporary tattoo of a psoriatic lesion for 24 hours and completed the same questionnaire after this exercise. Of 91 students approached, 61 completed the study. At baseline, psoriasis (mean = 23.6) and eczema (mean = 23.3) were perceived as having the lowest physical burden of diseases queried (P mental impact of psoriasis was scored comparably with arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes (mean = 45.1-56.7), but lower than cancer (mean = 82.2) and depression (mean = 93.8). After the exercise, the perception of the impact of eczema (physical: mean = 37.3, P mental: mean = 66.6, P = .0005) and psoriasis (physical: mean = 37.8, P = .0014; mental: mean = 68.6, P = .0293) was significantly increased. The exercise did not simulate the chronic nature of psoriasis or the scaling and pruritic characteristics of psoriatic lesions. The survey instrument used to assess empathy has not been previously validated and statistical analysis was limited by small sample size and the absence of a control group. Temporary tattoos are a novel and effective method of teaching medical students about the psychological burden of psoriasis. Copyright © 2011 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Psoriasis y dermatomicosis Psoriasis ad dermatomycosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria E. Vargas

    1994-01-01

    onicomycosis that was not associated with age, sex, occupation or psoriasis therapy; 4 men suffered from E. floccosum infection and in one woman T. tonsurans was found in interdigitallesions of the feet. Statistically significant association was found between dermatophytic infection and the use of systemic steroids (p = 0.021 . Dermatophyte growth was not obtained from the psoriatic plaque and histological changes typical of the disease were not seen In the mycotic lesion. In conclusion: the frequency of dermatomycosis is low in psoriasis patients; the skin infected with fungi is free from psoriatic changes and the risk of acquiring dermatophytic mycosis Increases about 30 times In patients receiving systemic steroids.

  19. Brief Report: Interleukin-17A-Dependent Asymmetric Stem Cell Divisions Are Increased in Human Psoriasis: A Mechanism Underlying Benign Hyperproliferation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charruyer, Alexandra; Fong, Stephen; Vitcov, Giselle G; Sklar, Samuel; Tabernik, Leah; Taneja, Monica; Caputo, Melinda; Soeung, Catherine; Yue, Lili; Uchida, Yoshi; Arron, Sarah T; Horton, Karen M; Foster, Robert D; Sano, Shigetoshi; North, Jeffrey P; Ghadially, Ruby

    2017-08-01

    The balance between asymmetric and symmetric stem cell (SC) divisions is key to tissue homeostasis, and dysregulation of this balance has been shown in cancers. We hypothesized that the balance between asymmetric cell divisions (ACDs) and symmetric cell divisions (SCDs) would be dysregulated in the benign hyperproliferation of psoriasis. We found that, while SCDs were increased in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (human and murine), ACDs were increased in the benign hyperproliferation of psoriasis (human and murine). Furthermore, while sonic hedgehog (linked to human cancer) and pifithrinα (p53 inhibitor) promoted SCDs, interleukin (IL)-1α and amphiregulin (associated with benign epidermal hyperproliferation) promoted ACDs. While there was dysregulation of the ACD:SCD ratio, no change in SC frequency was detected in epidermis from psoriasis patients, or in human keratinocytes treated with IL-1α or amphiregulin. We investigated the mechanism whereby immune alterations of psoriasis result in ACDs. IL17 inhibitors are effective new therapies for psoriasis. We found that IL17A increased ACDs in human keratinocytes. Additionally, studies in the imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like mouse model revealed that ACDs in psoriasis are IL17A-dependent. In summary, our studies suggest an association between benign hyperproliferation and increased ACDs. This work begins to elucidate the mechanisms by which immune alteration can induce keratinocyte hyperproliferation. Altogether, this work affirms that a finely tuned balance of ACDs and SCDs is important and that manipulating this balance may constitute an effective treatment strategy for hyperproliferative diseases. Stem Cells 2017;35:2001-2007. © 2017 AlphaMed Press.

  20. Viscoelastic properties of bovine orbital connective tissue and fat: constitutive models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoo, Lawrence; Gupta, Vijay; Lee, Choongyeop; Kavehpore, Pirouz; Demer, Joseph L

    2011-12-01

    Reported mechanical properties of orbital connective tissue and fat have been too sparse to model strain-stress relationships underlying biomechanical interactions in strabismus. We performed rheological tests to develop a multi-mode upper convected Maxwell (UCM) model of these tissues under shear loading. From 20 fresh bovine orbits, 30 samples of connective tissue were taken from rectus pulley regions and 30 samples of fatty tissues from the posterior orbit. Additional samples were defatted to determine connective tissue weight proportion, which was verified histologically. Mechanical testing in shear employed a triborheometer to perform: strain sweeps at 0.5-2.0 Hz; shear stress relaxation with 1% strain; viscometry at 0.01-0.5 s(-1) strain rate; and shear oscillation at 1% strain. Average connective tissue weight proportion was 98% for predominantly connective tissue and 76% for fatty tissue. Connective tissue specimens reached a long-term relaxation modulus of 668 Pa after 1,500 s, while corresponding values for fatty tissue specimens were 290 Pa and 1,100 s. Shear stress magnitude for connective tissue exceeded that of fatty tissue by five-fold. Based on these data, we developed a multi-mode UCM model with variable viscosities and time constants, and a damped hyperelastic response that accurately described measured properties of both connective and fatty tissues. Model parameters differed significantly between the two tissues. Viscoelastic properties of predominantly connective orbital tissues under shear loading differ markedly from properties of orbital fat, but both are accurately reflected using UCM models. These viscoelastic models will facilitate realistic global modeling of EOM behavior in binocular alignment and strabismus.

  1. The Prevalence of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Related Metabolic Comorbidities Was Associated with Age at Onset of Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xin Xu

    Full Text Available Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD has been found to be highly prevalent in psoriatic patients. Adult onset psoriasis could be divided into either early or late onset psoriasis. The associations between NAFLD and related metabolic comorbidities and age at onset of psoriasis have not yet been investigated. Our study was to evaluate the associations between prevalence of NAFLD and related metabolic conditions and early, late, and childhood onset psoriasis. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Data on clinical characteristics of NAFLD and related metabolic diseases (diabetes, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperuricemia, and metabolic syndrome were collected. The prevalence of NAFLD in 439 patients (mean: 51±14 years, range: 18-85 years was 55.8%. NAFLD was frequently identified in early onset patients (74.2%, and this diagnosis was particularly common in patients currently younger than 40 (85.3%. Diabetes was the least prevalent component of metabolic syndrome in early onset patients with metabolic syndrome but the most often found component in late onset ones. Patients with childhood onset psoriasis had the lowest frequencies of all metabolic comorbidities except hyperuricemia among the three groups. In the multivariate analyses, early onset was independently and positively associated with NAFLD, hypertriglyceridemia and hyperuricemia and independently and negatively associated with diabetes among early and late onset patients. The results suggested prevalence of NAFLD and related metabolic comorbidities was associated with age at onset of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Early onset of psoriasis was independently associated with greater odds of NAFLD, hypertriglyceridemia, hyperuricemia and smaller odds of diabetes compared to late onset. Early onset patients have metabolic syndrome mainly related to lipid disorders and abnormal glucose metabolism was not often involved.

  2. Secukinumab shows significant efficacy in two patients with difficult-to-treat areas of psoriasis: a Greek experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Platsidaki, Eftychia; Kostopoulos, Nikolaos; Marnelakis, Ioannis; Panagakis, Pantelis

    2018-03-15

    Psoriasis is one of the most frequently occurring chronic inflammatory skin diseases. There are some specialized regions of the body that are considered difficult to treat. Secukinumab is a human monoclonal immunoglobulin G antibody that blocks the interleukin 17A ligand and has been shown to be highly efficacious in treating moderate-to-severe psoriasis. We studied two Greek patients, one with scalp psoriasis and the other with palmoplantar psoriasis, both resistant to treatment. Patients were treated with secukinumab and efficacy and safety were recorded. The patient with severe, refractory palmoplantar psoriasis achieved complete clearance at the end of the 4-week treatment period with secukinumab. The patient with moderate to severe, chronic scalp psoriasis was successfully treated with secukinumab, obtaining complete clearance of symptoms and remission of disease after approximately 16 weeks. In both cases clinical response was maintained through week 52. Secukinumab has been shown to be highly efficacious in the treatment of psoriasis of specific anatomical sites with an acceptable safety profile.

  3. Eosinophils are rare in biopsy specimens of psoriasis vulgaris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosa, Gabriela; Fernandez, Anthony P; Schneider, Sarah; Billings, Steven D

    2017-12-01

    Histological features of lesional biopsies can be helpful in distinguishing psoriasis subtypes from disease mimickers. However, occasionally, classic histological features are not sufficient for distinction, and additional clues would be useful. There is a common belief that the presence of eosinophils in skin biopsies argues against psoriasis, but actual literature is scant. Skin biopsies with a diagnosis of psoriasis from 2013 to 2016 were reviewed. For inclusion, both histological and clinical features were required to be consistent with psoriasis. For biopsies meeting inclusion criteria, a detailed evaluation for typical histological parameters of psoriasis, as well as presence of dermal eosinophils, was performed. Of 85 cases meeting inclusion criteria, all had either individual or grouped intracorneal neutrophils and dilated papillary blood vessels. Diminished or complete loss of the granular cell layer was seen in 83 cases (98%), and parakeratosis was seen in 84 cases (99%). Alternatively, dermal eosinophils were seen in only 15 cases (18%). Of cases with eosinophils, none had more than 3 eosinophils upon examination of the entire dermis. Active treatment did not appear to impact presence/absence or numbers of eosinophils. Eosinophils are uncommon in psoriasis biopsies, and when present, they are found in small numbers. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  4. Psoriasis and New-onset Depression

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Peter; Ahlehoff, Ole; Egeberg, Alexander

    2016-01-01

    Psoriasis is associated with an increased risk of depression, but results are inconsistent. This study examined the risk of new-onset depression in patients with psoriasis in a nationwide Danish cohort including some 5 million people in the period 2001-2011. A total of 35,001 patients with mild...... psoriasis and 7,510 with severe psoriasis were identified. Incidence rates per 1,000 person-years and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were calculated. Incidence rates for depression were 20.0 (95% confidence interval 19.9-20.0), 23.9 (23.1-24.7) and 31.6 (29.5-33.8) for the reference population, mild......, the risk of new-onset depression in psoriasis is mediated primarily by comorbidities, except in younger individuals with severe psoriasis, in whom psoriasis itself may be a risk factor....

  5. Prevalence of schizophrenia in patients with psoriasis: a nationwide study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hung-Pin Tu

    2017-03-01

    Conclusion: Schizophrenia is more prevalent in patients with psoriasis. Although the exact mechanisms remain to be clarified, the finding that psoriatic patients with comorbid cerebrovascular disease or chronic pulmonary disease have higher odds for schizophrenia may imply psoriatic patients with those comorbidities are likely to have higher inflammatory burden, which would contribute to the development of schizophrenia if a disruption of the blood–brain barrier is present. Further investigations are indicated to validate the hypothesis explaining the association between known comorbidies of psoriasis and schizophrenia.

  6. MR imaging features of foot involvement in patients with psoriasis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Erdem, C. Zuhal [Department of Radiology, Zonguldak Karaelmas University, School of Medicine, Zonguldak (Turkey)], E-mail: sunarerdem@yahoo.com; Tekin, Nilgun Solak [Department of Dermatology, Zonguldak Karaelmas University, School of Medicine, Zonguldak (Turkey); Sarikaya, Selda [Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation, Zonguldak Karaelmas University, School of Medicine, Zonguldak (Turkey); Erdem, L. Oktay; Gulec, Sezen [Department of Radiology, Zonguldak Karaelmas University, School of Medicine, Zonguldak (Turkey)

    2008-09-15

    Objective: To determine alterations of the soft tissues, tendons, cartilage, joint spaces, and bones of the foot using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in patients with psoriasis. Materials and methods: Clinical and MR examination of the foot was performed in 26 consecutive patients (52 ft) with psoriasis. As a control group, 10 healthy volunteers (20 ft) were also studied. Joint effusion/synovitis, retrocalcaneal bursitis, retroachilles bursitis, Achilles tendonitis, soft-tissue edema, para-articular enthesophytes, bone marrow edema, sinus tarsi syndrome, enthesopathy at the Achilles attachment and at the plantar fascia attachment, plantar fasciitis, tenosynovitis, subchondral cysts, and bone erosions, joint space narrowing, subchondral signal changes, osteolysis, luxation, and sub-luxation were examined. Results: Clinical signs and symptoms (pain and swelling) due to foot involvement were present in none of the patients while frequency of involvement was 92% (24/26) by MR imaging. The most common MR imaging findings were Achilles tendonitis (acute and peritendinitis) (57%), retrocalcaneal bursitis (50%), joint effusion/synovitis (46%), soft-tissue edema (46%), and para-articular enthesophytes (38%). The most commonly involved anatomical region was the hindfoot (73%). Conclusion: Our data showed that the incidence of foot involvement was very high in asymptomatic patients with psoriasis on MR imaging. Further MR studies are needed to confirm these data. We conclude that MR imaging may be of importance especially in early diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory changes in the foot.

  7. MR imaging features of foot involvement in patients with psoriasis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Erdem, C. Zuhal; Tekin, Nilgun Solak; Sarikaya, Selda; Erdem, L. Oktay; Gulec, Sezen

    2008-01-01

    Objective: To determine alterations of the soft tissues, tendons, cartilage, joint spaces, and bones of the foot using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in patients with psoriasis. Materials and methods: Clinical and MR examination of the foot was performed in 26 consecutive patients (52 ft) with psoriasis. As a control group, 10 healthy volunteers (20 ft) were also studied. Joint effusion/synovitis, retrocalcaneal bursitis, retroachilles bursitis, Achilles tendonitis, soft-tissue edema, para-articular enthesophytes, bone marrow edema, sinus tarsi syndrome, enthesopathy at the Achilles attachment and at the plantar fascia attachment, plantar fasciitis, tenosynovitis, subchondral cysts, and bone erosions, joint space narrowing, subchondral signal changes, osteolysis, luxation, and sub-luxation were examined. Results: Clinical signs and symptoms (pain and swelling) due to foot involvement were present in none of the patients while frequency of involvement was 92% (24/26) by MR imaging. The most common MR imaging findings were Achilles tendonitis (acute and peritendinitis) (57%), retrocalcaneal bursitis (50%), joint effusion/synovitis (46%), soft-tissue edema (46%), and para-articular enthesophytes (38%). The most commonly involved anatomical region was the hindfoot (73%). Conclusion: Our data showed that the incidence of foot involvement was very high in asymptomatic patients with psoriasis on MR imaging. Further MR studies are needed to confirm these data. We conclude that MR imaging may be of importance especially in early diagnosis and treatment of inflammatory changes in the foot

  8. Real-world burden of comorbidities in US patients with psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shah, Kamal; Mellars, Lillian; Changolkar, Arun; Feldman, Steven R

    2017-08-01

    Understanding background comorbidity rates in psoriasis can provide perspective for adverse events associated with new therapies. We sought to assess the extent of comorbidities in psoriasis patients by use of the Truven Health Analytics MarketScan database. MarketScan, comprising commercial claims representative of a large US-insured population, had 1.22 million patients with ≥1 claim with a psoriasis diagnosis between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2014. Patients ≥18 years of age who had ≥2 health claims in any diagnosis field for psoriasis (International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification 696.1) with a psoriasis diagnosis (index) date between July 1, 2008, and June 30, 2014, were included to allow follow-up observation time. Prevalence and incidence of 24 comorbidities were assessed in 469,097 psoriasis patients; the most common comorbidities were hyperlipidemia (45.64% and 30.83%, respectively), hypertension (42.19% and 24.19%), depression (17.91% and 12.68%), type 2 diabetes mellitus (17.45% and 8.44%), and obesity (14.38% and 11.57%). A limitation of the study was that only a certain insured population was represented. Comorbidity rates align with those described in the literature and support the concept that psoriasis patients have high rates of cardiometabolic comorbidities. This analysis highlights the potential utility of very large insurance databases for determining comorbidity prevalence in psoriasis, which may aid health care providers in managing psoriasis. Copyright © 2017 American Academy of Dermatology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Progress in psoriasis therapy via novel drug delivery systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nitha Vincent

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Psoriasis is a lifelong condition which is caused by the negative signals produced by immune system, which leads to hyper proliferation and other inflammatory reactions on the skin. In this case, keratinocytes which are the outermost layer of skin possess shortened life cycle and results in the alteration of desquamation process where the cytokines will come out through lesions of affected patients and as a result, scaling marks appears on the skin. These conditions may negatively affect the patient’s quality of life and lead to psychosocial stress. Psoriasis can be categorized as mild, moderate and severe conditions. Mild psoriasis leads to the formation of rashes, and when it becomes moderate, the skin turns into scaly. In severe conditions, red patches may be present on skin surface and becomes itchy. Topical therapy continues to be one of the pillars for psoriasis management. Drug molecules with target effect on the skin tissues and other inflammations should be selected for the treatment of psoriasis. Most of the existing drugs lead to systemic intoxication and dryness when applied in higher dose. Different scientific approaches for topical delivery are being explored by researches including emollient, modified gelling system, transdermal delivery, spray, nanogels, hydrogels, micro/nano emulsion, liposomes, nano capsules etc. These topical dosage forms are evaluated for various physico chemical properties such as drug content, viscosity, pH, extrudability, spreadability, toxicity, irritancy, permeability and drug release mechanism. This review paper focus attention to the impact of these formulation approaches on various anti-psoriasis drugs for their successful treatment.

  10. Skin-targeted inhibition of PPAR β/δ by selective antagonists to treat PPAR β/δ-mediated psoriasis-like skin disease in vivo.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katrin Hack

    Full Text Available We have previously shown that peroxisome proliferator activating receptor ß/δ (PPAR β/δ is overexpressed in psoriasis. PPAR β/δ is not present in adult epidermis of mice. Targeted expression of PPAR β/δ and activation by a selective synthetic agonist is sufficient to induce an inflammatory skin disease resembling psoriasis. Several signalling pathways dysregulated in psoriasis are replicated in this model, suggesting that PPAR β/δ activation contributes to psoriasis pathogenesis. Thus, inhibition of PPAR β/δ might harbour therapeutical potential. Since PPAR β/δ has pleiotropic functions in metabolism, skin-targeted inhibition offer the potential of reducing systemic adverse effects. Here, we report that three selective PPAR β/δ antagonists, GSK0660, compound 3 h, and GSK3787 can be formulated for topical application to the skin and that their skin concentration can be accurately quantified using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC/mass spectrometry. These antagonists show efficacy in our transgenic mouse model in reducing psoriasis-like changes triggered by activation of PPAR β/δ. PPAR β/δ antagonists GSK0660 and compound 3 do not exhibit systemic drug accumulation after prolonged application to the skin, nor do they induce inflammatory or irritant changes. Significantly, the irreversible PPAR β/δ antagonist (GSK3787 retains efficacy when applied topically only three times per week which could be of practical clinical usefulness. Our data suggest that topical inhibition of PPAR β/δ to treat psoriasis may warrant further exploration.

  11. Identification of a novel proinflammatory human skin-homing Vγ9Vδ2 T cell subset with a potential role in psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laggner, Ute; Di Meglio, Paola; Perera, Gayathri K; Hundhausen, Christian; Lacy, Katie E; Ali, Niwa; Smith, Catherine H; Hayday, Adrian C; Nickoloff, Brian J; Nestle, Frank O

    2011-09-01

    γδ T cells mediate rapid tissue responses in murine skin and participate in cutaneous immune regulation including protection against cancer. The role of human γδ cells in cutaneous homeostasis and pathology is characterized poorly. In this study, we show in vivo evidence that human blood contains a distinct subset of proinflammatory cutaneous lymphocyte Ag and CCR6-positive Vγ9Vδ2 T cells, which is rapidly recruited into perturbed human skin. Vγ9Vδ2 T cells produced an array of proinflammatory mediators including IL-17A and activated keratinocytes in a TNF-α- and IFN-γ-dependent manner. Examination of the common inflammatory skin disease psoriasis revealed a striking reduction of circulating Vγ9Vδ2 T cells in psoriasis patients compared with healthy controls and atopic dermatitis patients. Decreased numbers of circulating Vγ9Vδ2 T cells normalized after successful treatment with psoriasis-targeted therapy. Taken together with the increased presence of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells in psoriatic skin, these data indicate redistribution of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells from the blood to the skin compartment in psoriasis. In summary, we report a novel human proinflammatory γδ T cell involved in skin immune surveillance with immediate response characteristics and with potential clinical relevance in inflammatory skin disease.

  12. [Protein-energy malnutrition in patients with connective tissue dysplasia].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lialiukova, E A

    2013-01-01

    In the conditions of the specialized Center of a dysplasia of a connecting tissue the assessment of an protein--energy malnutrition at 121 patients with signs of a dysplasia of a connecting tissue is carried out. High frequency of an oligotrophy at patients with a dysplasia of a connecting tissue is registered. The I degree of a gipotorofiya is taped at 26.21% of the patients, II degree--at 18.44%, the III degree--at 3.88% of patients.

  13. Hypericin-mediated selective photomodification of connective tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hovhannisyan, V.; Guo, H. W.; Chen, Y. F.; Hovhannisyan, A.; Ghukasyan, V.; Dong, C. Y.

    2014-01-01

    Controllable modification of biological molecules and supramolecular components of connective tissue are important for biophysical and biomedical applications. Through the use of second harmonic generation imaging, two-photon fluorescence microscopy, and spectrofluorimetry, we found that hypericin, a natural pigment, induces photosensitized destruction of collagen fibers but does not affect elastic fibers and lipids in chicken tendon, skin, and blood vessels. We demonstrated the dynamics and efficiency of collagen photomodification and investigated mechanisms of this processes. Our results suggest that hypericin–mediated photoprocesses in biological tissues may be useful in biomedical applications that require selective modification of connective tissues

  14. Hypericin-mediated selective photomodification of connective tissues

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hovhannisyan, V., E-mail: hovv@phys.ntu.edu.tw; Guo, H. W.; Chen, Y. F., E-mail: yfchen@phys.ntu.edu.tw [Department of Physics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Hovhannisyan, A. [Multimedia and Programming, European Regional Education Academy, Yerevan 0037 (Armenia); Ghukasyan, V. [Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514 (United States); Dong, C. Y., E-mail: cydong@phys.ntu.edu.tw [Department of Physics, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Center for Quantum Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China)

    2014-12-29

    Controllable modification of biological molecules and supramolecular components of connective tissue are important for biophysical and biomedical applications. Through the use of second harmonic generation imaging, two-photon fluorescence microscopy, and spectrofluorimetry, we found that hypericin, a natural pigment, induces photosensitized destruction of collagen fibers but does not affect elastic fibers and lipids in chicken tendon, skin, and blood vessels. We demonstrated the dynamics and efficiency of collagen photomodification and investigated mechanisms of this processes. Our results suggest that hypericin–mediated photoprocesses in biological tissues may be useful in biomedical applications that require selective modification of connective tissues.

  15. Risk of connective tissue disease and related disorders among women with breast implants: a nation-wide retrospective cohort study in Sweden.

    OpenAIRE

    Nyrén, O.; Yin, L.; Josefsson, S.; McLaughlin, J. K.; Blot, W. J.; Engqvist, M.; Hakelius, L.; Boice, J. D.; Adami, H. O.

    1998-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To examine the relation between connective tissue disease and related conditions and breast implants. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study of all women in the Swedish national inpatient registry who underwent breast augmentation surgery with artificial implants during 1964-93, compared with women who underwent breast reduction surgery during the same period. SETTING: Sweden. SUBJECTS: 7442 women with implants for cosmetic reasons or for reconstruction after breast cancer surgery and ...

  16. Increased expression of Th17 cytokines in patients with psoriasis ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that is thought to be mediated by a new distinct type of T helper cell, called Th17 cells that play an essential pathogenic role in psoriasis. In this study, we measured serum levels of IL-17A and IL-23P19 in 43 psoriatic patients and 30 healthy control using nested real time ...

  17. Erythemal and therapeutic response of psoriasis to PUVA using high-dose UVA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Speight, E.L.; Farr, P.M.

    1994-01-01

    In PUVA treatment of psoriasis, clinical observation suggests that uninvolved skin is more susceptible to PUVA erythema than lesions of psoriasis. If this is the case, then the efficacy of PUVA treatment might be increased by using localized high-dose UVA restricted to lesional skin. We have therefore studied the erythemal and therapeutic response of psoriasis to PUVA using high-dose UVA and, for comparison, the erythemal response to UVB. This study demonstrates that psoriasis may clear rapidly, without burning, using high-dose UVA. Availability of a suitable irradiation apparatus would allow rapid and effective PUVA treatment to be used for localized, resistant disease. (author)

  18. Psychiatric morbidity and quality of life in skin diseases: A comparison of alopecia areata and psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sagar B Karia

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Alopecia areata (AA and psoriasis are associated with various psychiatric comorbidities. Both greatly affect the quality of life (QOL of patients and psychiatric comorbidities can further worsen it. Thus there is need to recognise psychiatric comorbidities and treat them in these patients. Aims: To determine the psychiatric morbidity and the QOL in these patients to study the factors affecting them. Methodology: 50 patients each of psoriasis and AA were included. 50 people accompanying these patients served as control group. They were diagnosed for psychiatric disorders by clinical interview. Scales used were severity of alopecia tool for AA, psoriasis area and severity index for psoriasis, WHO-QOL scale, Hamilton Rating Scale for anxiety and depression. Results: 22% and 38% patients in AA and psoriasis group respectively suffered from psychiatric disorder, depression was present in 18% and 24% of patients and 4% and 12% had anxiety disorders in respective groups. The control group had only 6% of psychiatric comorbidities. QOL scores had negative correlation with Hamilton-A, Hamilton-D and severity of psoriasis scores and they were statistically significant but not with severity of AA. Conclusion: Thus AA and psoriasis patients had more prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities and it had bearing on their QOL.

  19. Economic burden of comorbidities in psoriasis patients in the United States: results from a retrospective U.S. database.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feldman, Steven R; Tian, Haijun; Gilloteau, Isabelle; Mollon, Patrick; Shu, Meng

    2017-05-08

    Psoriasis is a multifactorial, inflammatory, skin disease associated with various comorbidities. The cost of those comorbidities is not well characterized. The present study assesses the incremental burden of comorbidities on healthcare resource utilization, direct costs and indirect costs associated with short-term disabilities among patients with psoriasis in the United States. A retrospective, U.S. cohort analysis was conducted using a large claims database. Adult psoriasis patients with at least two diagnoses of psoriasis during the years 2010 and 2011 (one psoriasis diagnosis had to happen in the year 2010) and with continuous enrollment of medical and pharmacy benefits in the years 2010 and 2011 were included. Psoriasis patients were categorized and compared according to the presence or absence of pre-selected comorbidities in the year 2010. Adjusted annual direct (costs associated with outpatient, emergency room, and inpatient claims, and outpatient pharmacy claims) and indirect costs (short-term disabilities) was assessed in patients with and without comorbidities using a regression analysis, controlling for age, gender, and psoriasis severity in year 2010. In total, 56,406 patients (mean [SD]) age, 51.6 [14.6] years) were included in the analysis. The most prevalent comorbidities were hypertension (34.3%), hyperlipidemia (33.5%), cardiovascular disease (17.7%), diabetes (14.2%), and psoriatic arthritis (9.9%). Psoriasis patients with comorbidities used more healthcare resources than those without comorbidities. The incidence rate ratio (IRR) (95% CI) for patients with cardiovascular disease was 1.5 (1.4 - 1.5) for outpatient visits, 2.6 (2.4 - 2.8) for hospitalizations, and 2.3 (2.2 - 2.5) for ER visits, showing higher IRRs across all three types of resource use. The mean annual adjusted direct cost differences (i.e., incremental adjusted costs) in psoriasis patients with and without comorbidities were $9914.3, $8386.5, and $8275.1 for

  20. Current challenges and emerging drug delivery strategies for the treatment of psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffman, Melissa B; Hill, Dane; Feldman, Steven R

    2016-10-01

    Psoriasis is a common skin disorder associated with physical, social, psychological and financial burden. Over the past two decades, advances in our understanding of pathogenesis and increased appreciation for the multifaceted burden of psoriasis has led to new treatment development and better patient outcomes. Yet, surveys demonstrate that many psoriasis patients are either undertreated or are dissatisfied with treatment. There are many barriers that need be overcome to optimize patient outcomes and satisfaction. This review covers the current challenges associated with each major psoriasis treatment strategy (topical, phototherapy, oral medications and biologics). It also reviews the challenges associated with the psychosocial aspects of the disease and how they affect treatment outcomes. Patient adherence, inconvenience, high costs, and drug toxicities are all discussed. Then, we review the emerging drug delivery strategies in topical, oral, and biologic therapy. By outlining current treatment challenges and emerging drug delivery strategies, we hope to highlight the deficits in psoriasis treatment and strategies for how to overcome them. Regardless of disease severity, clinicians should use a patient-centered approach. In all cases, we need to balance patients' psychosocial needs, treatment costs, convenience, and effectiveness with patients' preferences in order to optimize treatment outcomes.

  1. Influence of psoriasis on work.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mattila, Kalle; Leino, Mauri; Mustonen, Anssi; Koulu, Leena; Tuominen, Risto

    2013-04-01

    Previous research indicates that psoriasis has an impact on early retirement, sick leave days and reduced work performance. To evaluate the disadvantages at work caused by psoriasis. The sample was based on patients visiting the dermatology outpatient clinic in Turku University Hospital. 262 returned a mailed questionnaire. The subjects were asked how many hours they were on a sick leave (absenteeism) and working while sick (presenteeism) due to psoriasis and other health reasons. Of the retired, 17.0% felt they were retired due to psoriasis. Those in the active work force reported on average 4.5 hours absenteeism and 8.3 hours of presenteeism due to psoriasis during the last 4 weeks. Psoriasis caused 27.0% of the total absenteeism and 39.0% of presenteeism. More than a quarter (28.9%) had been forced to modify their work due to psoriasis, most frequently to make the work less irritating for the skin. Psoriasis has a negative effect on patients' work in many ways, causing early retirement from work, sick leave days, change of occupation and work modifications.

  2. Current and potential immune therapies and vaccines in the management of psoriasis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaffenberger, Benjamin H; Lee, Grace L; Tyler, Kelly; Chan, Derek V; Jarjour, Wael; Ariza, Maria E; Williams, Marshall V; Wong, Henry K

    2014-01-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic, immune skin disease associated with significant morbidity. Development of psoriasis is influenced by numerous genes, one allele is HLA-CW*0602. Other genes and single nucleotide polymorphisms affect immunologic pathways and antimicrobial peptide synthesis. Dendritic cells initiate psoriasis by activating T-cells toward a Th1 and Th17 response, with increased cytokines including TNF-α, IL-6, -12, -17, -22, and -23. IL-22 appears to promote keratinocyte dedifferentiation and increased antimicrobial peptide synthesis while TNF-α and IL-17 induce leukocyte localization within the psoriatic plaque. These recent insights identifying key cytokine pathways have led to the development of inhibitors with significant efficacy in the treatment of psoriasis. While a strategy for vaccine modulation of the immune response in psoriasis is in progress, with new technology they may provide a cost-effective long-term treatment that may induce tolerance or targeted self-inhibition for patients with autoimmune disorders, such as psoriasis. PMID:24492530

  3. National Psoriasis Foundation

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... 723-9166 | Submit a Question | Learn More National Psoriasis Foundation provides you with the help you need to best manage your psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis, while promoting research to find ...

  4. Obesity and dyslipidemia in patients with psoriasis treated at a dermatologic clinic in Manaus*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, Mônica; Fonseca, Hannah Monteiro; Jalkh, Alex Panizza; Gomes, Gabriela Piraice; Cavalcante, Andrea de Souza

    2013-01-01

    BACKGROUND Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease of multifactorial etiology, with participation of genetic, autoimmune and environmental factors. Recent studies have demonstrated the role of inflammatory cells and mediators in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, which is now defined as a systemic and autoimmune inflammatory disease that may be associated with other diseases of inflammatory nature. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the occurrence of obesity and dyslipidemia in patients with psoriasis treated at a dermatology clinic in Manaus. METHODS We performed a prospective descriptive study to assess the prevalence of obesity and dyslipidemia in patients with psoriasis. Besides the recommended dermatological care, a physical examination was performed to measure weight, height and waist circumference. RESULTS We included 72 patients, 44 (61.1%) female and 28 (38.9%) male, with a mean age of 51.0 years ± 15.9 years. As for body mass index (BMI), 16 (22.2%) were overweight and 20 (27.8%) were obese. In the analysis of waist circumference in relation to gender, we found that 79.5% of women surveyed had central obesity, a percentage statistically higher than that observed among men (42.9%) at the 5% level of significance (p = 0.001). Regarding the diagnosis of dyslipidemia, 29 (65.9%) females and 22 (78.6%) males showed alterations in lipid profile. CONCLUSIONS The occurrence of dyslipidemia and obesity in patients with psoriasis can affect life quality and expectancy, increasing the risk of systemic and metabolic diseases, which makes periodic investigation of these comorbidities in patients with psoriasis mandatory. PMID:24474099

  5. Cutaneous blood flow in psoriasis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klemp, P.; Staberg, B.

    1983-01-01

    The disappearance rate of 133 Xe was studied in 20 patients with psoriasis vulgaris, using an epicutaneous labeling technique in involved skin lesions or normal-appearing skin of the proximal extensor site of the forearm. Control experiments were performed in 10 normal subjects. Calculations of the cutaneous blood flow (CBF) in psoriatic skin lesions were performed using a tissue-to-blood partition coefficient for 133 Xe, lambda c,pso, of 1.2 ml/100 g/min. lambda c,pso was estimated after the relative content of water, lipids, and proteins had been analyzed in psoriatic skin biopsies of 6 patients with untreated psoriasis. The mean relative content of water was markedly reduced to 23.5 +/- 1.5% (SEM), and lipids and proteins were markedly increased to 2.5 +/- 0.7% and 74.0 +/- 2.2, respectively, compared to previously published data for normal skin (water 72.5%, lipids 1%, proteins 26.5%). Mean CBF in untreated psoriatic skin was 63.5 +/- 9.0 ml/100 g/min. This was significantly higher than the mean CBF in 10 normal subjects, 6.3 +/- 0.5 ml/100 g/min (p much less than 0.0001). Mean CBF in normal-appearing skin in patients with psoriasis was 11.0 +/- 1.3 ml/100 g/min. This was significantly higher than CBF in normal subjects (p less than 0.0002)

  6. Soft tissue engineering with micronized-gingival connective tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noda, Sawako; Sumita, Yoshinori; Ohba, Seigo; Yamamoto, Hideyuki; Asahina, Izumi

    2018-01-01

    The free gingival graft (FGG) and connective tissue graft (CTG) are currently considered to be the gold standards for keratinized gingival tissue reconstruction and augmentation. However, these procedures have some disadvantages in harvesting large grafts, such as donor-site morbidity as well as insufficient gingival width and thickness at the recipient site post-treatment. To solve these problems, we focused on an alternative strategy using micronized tissue transplantation (micro-graft). In this study, we first investigated whether transplantation of micronized gingival connective tissues (MGCTs) promotes skin wound healing. MGCTs (≤100 µm) were obtained by mincing a small piece (8 mm 3 ) of porcine keratinized gingiva using the RIGENERA system. The MGCTs were then transplanted to a full skin defect (5 mm in diameter) on the dorsal surface of immunodeficient mice after seeding to an atelocollagen matrix. Transplantations of atelocollagen matrixes with and without micronized dermis were employed as experimental controls. The results indicated that MGCTs markedly promote the vascularization and epithelialization of the defect area 14 days after transplantation compared to the experimental controls. After 21 days, complete wound closure with low contraction was obtained only in the MGCT grafts. Tracking analysis of transplanted MGCTs revealed that some mesenchymal cells derived from MGCTs can survive during healing and may function to assist in wound healing. We propose here that micro-grafting with MGCTs represents an alternative strategy for keratinized tissue reconstruction that is characterized by low morbidity and ready availability. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Recombinant human protein - new palette of drugs for the treatment of psoriasis

    OpenAIRE

    Kristl, Jernej

    2015-01-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic, inflammatory disease, which is estimated to affect 2,5% of the worldćs population. Clinically it is characterized by thickened, silvery white, scaly plaques, that can produce considerable discomfort and pain in patients. For the treatment of psoriasis are currently mainly used corticosteroids, vitamin D analogs, ultraviolet A radiation and retinoids, allof which are nonspecific and unable to block the outbreak of disease. Advances in recombinant DNA technology and incr...

  8. Skeletal muscle connective tissue

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brüggemann, Dagmar Adeline

    in the structure of fibrous collagen and myofibers at high-resolution. The results demonstrate that the collagen composition in the extra cellular matrix of Gadus morhua fish muscle is much more complex than previously anticipated, as it contains type III, IV, V  and VI collagen in addition to type I. The vascular....... Consequently, functional structures, ensuring "tissue maintenance" must form a major role of connective tissue, in addition that is to the force transmitting structures one typically finds in muscle. Vascular structures have also been shown to change their mechanical properties with age and it has been shown...

  9. Efficacy of Methotrexate in patients with plaque type psoriasis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haider, Sabiqa; Wahid, Zarnaz; Najam-us-Saher; Riaz, Farzana

    2014-01-01

    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 consent. Oral methotrexate in a dose of 7.5 mg/week was given for 8 weeks. The data collected included demographic profile (age and gender), duration of disease, site of involvement, size of plaque, severity of plaque measured by Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score before starting the treatment and at the end of treatment. Efficacy was labeled with a PASI score of ≤5 at the end of 8 weeks. Results: Out of 73 patients there were 45 (61.6%) males and 28 (38.4%) females. The mean ±SD age was 40.0±12.6 years. The mean baseline PASI score showed clear and comparable improvement from a mean ± SD PASI score of 14.8±4.2 to 4.9±4.3.Twenty nine (40%) patients had an almost complete remission during the 8 weeks of treatment. Partial remission was achieved in 44 (60%) patients. The clearance time for psoriasis ranged from 5-7 weeks (mean 6±0.89 weeks). Conclusion: Treatment with methotrexate for chronic plaque psoriasis brings satisfactory disease control and improved quality of life. PMID:25225524

  10. Serum peptides as putative modulators of inflammation in psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsuura, Tetsuhiko; Sato, Masaaki; Nagai, Kouhei; Sato, Toshiyuki; Arito, Mitsumi; Omoteyama, Kazuki; Suematsu, Naoya; Okamoto, Kazuki; Kato, Tomohiro; Soma, Yoshinao; Kurokawa, Manae S

    2017-07-01

    Psoriasis is a refractory inflammatory disease, however, its pathophysiology is still not fully understood. We tried to identify novel serum peptides associated with the pathophysiology of psoriasis. Serum peptides from 24 patients with psoriasis vulgaris (PV), 10 patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), 14 patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), and 23 healthy control (HC) subjects were analyzed by mass spectrometry. The effects of some peptides on the secretion of humoral factors from dermal cells were investigated by cytokine arrays and ELISAs. A total of 93 peptides were detected. 24, 20, 23, and 2 peptides showed at least 1.2-fold difference in ion intensity between the psoriasis (PV+PsA) and HC groups, between the PV+PsA and AD groups, between the PV and PsA groups, and between patients with severe-to-moderate PV (n=6) and those with mild PV (n=18), respectively (ppsoriasis, regulating the secretion of inflammatory chemokines and an antimicrobial protein. The modulation of serum peptides may be a potential therapeutic strategy for psoriasis. Copyright © 2017 Japanese Society for Investigative Dermatology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. The association between etanercept serum concentration and psoriasis severity is highly age-dependent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Detrez, Iris; Van Steen, Kristel; Segaert, Siegfried; Gils, Ann

    2017-06-01

    The association between etanercept serum concentration and psoriasis disease severity is poorly investigated, and currently etanercept serum concentration monitoring that is aiming to optimize the psoriasis treatment lacks evidence. In this prospective study, we investigated the relation between etanercept exposure and disease severity via measuring etanercept concentrations at five consecutive time points in 56 psoriasis patients. Disease severity assessments included the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), body surface area (BSA) and Physician Global Assessment (PGA), and etanercept and anti-etanercept antibody concentrations were determined every 3 months for a period of 1 year. The present study demonstrated that the association between etanercept concentration and psoriasis severity is age-dependent: when patients were stratified into three groups, patients in the youngest age group (-50 years) showed a lower PASI at a higher etanercept concentration (β = -0.26), whereas patients in the oldest age group (+59 years) showed the opposite trend (β =0.22). Similar age effects were observed in the relation of etanercept concentration with BSA ( P =0.02) and PGA ( P =0.02). The influence of age and length of time in therapy on the etanercept concentration-disease severity relation was unaffected by body mass index (BMI) or any other possible confounder. Incidence of anti-etanercept antibodies was low (2%). The age-dependent relation between etanercept serum concentrations is both unexpected and intriguing and needs further investigation. © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.

  12. Identification of a novel pro-inflammatory human skin-homing Vγ9Vδ2 T cell subset with a potential role in psoriasis

    Science.gov (United States)

    LAGGNER, Ute; DI MEGLIO, Paola; PERERA, Gayathri K.; HUNDHAUSEN, Christian; LACY, Katie E.; ALI, Niwa; SMITH, Catherine H.; HAYDAY, Adrian C.; NICKOLOFF, Brian J.; NESTLE, Frank O.

    2011-01-01

    γδ T cells mediate rapid tissue responses in murine skin and participate in cutaneous immune regulation including protection against cancer. The role of human γδ cells in cutaneous homeostasis and pathology is poorly characterized. In this study we show in vivo evidence that human blood contains a distinct subset of pro-inflammatory cutaneous lymphocyte antigen (CLA) and C-C chemokine receptor (CCR) 6 positive Vγ9Vδ2 T cells, which is rapidly recruited into perturbed human skin. Vγ9Vδ2 T cells produced an array of pro-inflammatory mediators including IL-17A and activated keratinocytes in a TNF-α and IFN-γ dependent manner. Examination of the common inflammatory skin disease psoriasis revealed a striking reduction of circulating Vγ9Vδ2 T cells in psoriasis patients compared to healthy controls and atopic dermatitis patients. Decreased numbers of circulating Vγ9Vδ2 T cells normalized after successful treatment with psoriasis-targeted therapy. Together with the increased presence of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells in psoriatic skin, this data indicates redistribution of Vγ9Vδ2 T cells from the blood to the skin compartment in psoriasis. In summary, we report a novel human pro-inflammatory γδ T cell involved in skin immune surveillance with immediate response characteristics and with potential clinical relevance in inflammatory skin disease. PMID:21813772

  13. Biologisk behandling af psoriasis og psoriasisartritis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kragballe, Knud; Deleuran, Bent

    2008-01-01

    Psoriasis is an immune-mediated inflammatory skin disease which may be associated with psoriatic arthritis. Biological therapy is indicated in patients who do not respond to, or are intolerant to, or have contraindication against traditional therapy. TNFalpha antagonists are used for both skin...

  14. Self-management in daily life with psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Gitte Susanne; Maindal, Helle Terkildsen; Lomborg, Kirsten

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this integrative review is to identify and discuss patient needs for education to support self-management in daily life with psoriasis. As psoriasis increasingly gains recognition as a serious chronic autoimmune skin disease with long-term impairment on the life course, and not mainly...... a cosmetic problem, nurses are highly challenged to develop efficient education to support patient self-management. The paper includes five stages: (1) problem identification, (2) literature search, (3) data evaluation, (4) data analysis and synthesis, and (5) presentation, based on theoretic scaffolding...... around the concept "need." Nineteen of 164 original papers within nursing, medicine and psychology, and reflecting patient perspective were included. To capture the patients' cultural understanding of the implications of the disease and care, we developed an interlevel model indicating that self...

  15. Investigating the potential of Oxymatrine as a psoriasis therapy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Qian; Zhou, Hui; Yang, Yinxue; Chi, Mingwei; Xie, Nan; Zhang, Hong; Deng, Xingwang; Leavesley, David; Shi, Huijuan; Xie, Yan

    2017-06-01

    Psoriasis vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, stubbornly intractable, with substantial consequences for patient physical and mental welfare. Approaches currently available to treat psoriasis are not satisfactory due to undesirable side-effects or expense. Psoriasis is characterized by hyperproliferation and inflammation. Oxymatrine, an active component extracted from Sophora flavescens, has been demonstrated to possess anti-proliferation, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumorigenic, immune regulation and pro-apoptotic properties. This investigation presents a detailed retrospective review examining the effect of Oxymatrine on psoriasis and investigates the mechanisms underlying patient responses to Oxymatrine. We confirm that Oxymatrine administration significantly reduced the Psoriasis Area Severity Index score, with high efficacy compared to the control group. In addition, we have found that Oxymatrine significantly inhibits the viability, proliferation and differentiation of human keratinocyte in vitro. Immunohistochemical analysis indicates Oxymatrine significantly suppresses the expression of Pan-Cytokeratin, p63 and keratin 10. The results indicate that the suppression of p63 expression may lead to the anti-proliferation effect of Oxymatrine on human skin keratinocytes. Oxymatrine does not affect the formation of basement membrane, which is very important to maintain the normal function of human skin keratinocytes. In summary, Oxymatrine offers an effective, economical, and safe treatment for patients presenting with intractable psoriasis vulgaris. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Pediatric psoriasis: Should we be concerned with comorbidity? Cross-sectional study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kelati, Awatef; Baybay, Hanane; Najdi, Adil; Zinoune, Safae; Mernissi, Fatima Z

    2017-08-01

    Similarly to psoriasis in adults, recent research has linked psoriasis to several comorbidities in children. The aim of this study was therefore to describe comorbidities associated with pediatric psoriasis, to investigate their relationship with psoriasis characteristics and severity, and to perform a review of the literature. A cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of Moroccan children with psoriasis, in 2014-2016. A total of 64 pediatric psoriasis patients had metabolic comorbidities in association with psoriasis; 20 children had non-metabolic comorbidities; and 76 children had no comorbidity. The metabolic comorbidities were as follows: abdominal obesity, 40% (n = 64); overweight, 12.5% (n = 20); metabolic syndrome, 3.7% (n = 6); and dyslipidemia, 3.1% (n = 5); the non-metabolic comorbidities were atopy, 4.3% (n = 7); epilepsy, 3.1% (n = 5); celiac disease, 1.8% (n = 3); vitiligo, 1.8% (n = 3); alopecia ariata, 0.6% (n = 1); and valvular cardiopathy, 0.6% (n = 1). No cases of diabetes mellitus, obesity, or high blood pressure were recorded. Significant factors associated with metabolic comorbidity were extended psoriasis vulgaris >10% (P = 0.01; OR, 2.19), severe psoriasis especially pustular and erythroderma (P = 0.018; OR, 2), nail involvement (P = 0.016; OR, 1.5), face involvement (P = 0.01; OR, 1,59), resistance to topical treatment (P = 0.003; OR, 2.5) and alteration of quality of life (P = 0.02; OR, 1,7). There was no significant risk factor associated with non-metabolic comorbidity. Given the frequent association of pediatric psoriasis with many disorders, these comorbidities should be investigated and identified so that they can be taken into account in the management of psoriasis in order to avoid treatment failure. Regular follow up should be carried out in patients at risk of metabolic comorbidity. © 2017 Japan Pediatric Society.

  17. Automated Detection of Connective Tissue by Tissue Counter Analysis and Classification and Regression Trees

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Josef Smolle

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of the CART (Classification and Regression Tree procedure for the recognition of microscopic structures in tissue counter analysis. Methods: Digital microscopic images of H&E stained slides of normal human skin and of primary malignant melanoma were overlayed with regularly distributed square measuring masks (elements and grey value, texture and colour features within each mask were recorded. In the learning set, elements were interactively labeled as representing either connective tissue of the reticular dermis, other tissue components or background. Subsequently, CART models were based on these data sets. Results: Implementation of the CART classification rules into the image analysis program showed that in an independent test set 94.1% of elements classified as connective tissue of the reticular dermis were correctly labeled. Automated measurements of the total amount of tissue and of the amount of connective tissue within a slide showed high reproducibility (r=0.97 and r=0.94, respectively; p < 0.001. Conclusions: CART procedure in tissue counter analysis yields simple and reproducible classification rules for tissue elements.

  18. MiR-155 promotes cell proliferation and inhibits apoptosis by PTEN signaling pathway in the psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Longjiang; Leng, Hong; Shi, Xin; Ji, Jiang; Fu, Jinxiang; Leng, Hong

    2017-06-01

    MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have been demonstrated to contribute to malignant progression in psoriasis development. The purposes of the study was to evaluated the effects of miRNA-155 on cell proliferation, migration and apoptosis in psoriasis development via PTEN singaling pathway and identify its direct target protein. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed to examine the level of miR-155 in psoriasis cells, miR-155 was downregulated in a psoriasis cell line Hacat by transfected with small interfering RNA (siRNA), respectively. Cell survival was detected by the MTT assay and colony formation assay. Cell migration and invasion were measured via wound-healing assayand transwell assay. In addition, cell cycle and apoptosis about psoriasis cells was measured by flow cytometry. In this study, qRT-PCR assay showed that the expressions of miR-155 mRNA in psoriasis tissues were significantly higher than that in normal tissues. The assays about cell growth and proliferation showed that miR-155 knockdown led to a significant decrease in cell proliferation which was determined by MTT assay and colony formation assay compared to those of Lv-NC cells. Flow cytometry analysis showed that depletion of miR-155 could cause cell cycle change and the number of apoptotic cells was significantly increased in Lv-miR155 cells compared with control cells. In addition, the expression of several apoptosis-related factors were dramatically changed, such as PTEN, PIP 3 , AKT, p-AKT, Bax and Bcl-2. Our findings indicate that down-regulation of miR-155 significantly inhibits proliferation, migration, invasion and promotes apoptosis through PTEN singaling pathway in psoriasis cells. miR-155 might function as an oncogene miRNA in the progress of psoriasis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  19. Case Report - Osteomalacia associated with cutaneous psoriasis as ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... diet, and full recovery with calcium and vitamin D replacement. Coeliac disease is frequently misdiagnosed leading to major complications such as osteolamacia. In the other hand, osteomalacia can still be the presenting feature of undiagnosed celiac disease. Association between osteomalacia and cutaneous psoriasis ...

  20. Connective Tissue Reflex Massage for Type 2 Diabetic Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease: Randomized Controlled Trial

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castro-Sánchez, Adelaida María; Moreno-Lorenzo, Carmen; Matarán-Peñarrocha, Guillermo A.; Feriche-Fernández-Castanys, Belen; Granados-Gámez, Genoveva; Quesada-Rubio, José Manuel

    2011-01-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of connective tissue massage to improve blood circulation and intermittent claudication symptoms in type 2 diabetic patients. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial was undertaken. Ninety-eight type 2 diabetes patients with stage I or II-a peripheral arterial disease (PAD) (Leriche-Fontaine classification) were randomly assigned to a massage group or to a placebo group treated using disconnected magnetotherapy equipment. Peripheral arterial circulation was determined by measuring differential segmental arterial pressure, heart rate, skin temperature, oxygen saturation and skin blood flow. Measurements were taken before and at 30 min, 6 months and 1 year after the 15-week treatment. After the 15-week program, the groups differed (P < .05) in differential segmental arterial pressure in right lower limb (lower one-third of thigh, upper and lower one-third of leg) and left lower limb (lower one-third of thigh and upper and lower one-third of leg). A significant difference (P < .05) was also observed in skin blood flow in digits 1 and 4 of right foot and digits 2, 4 and 5 of left foot. ANOVA results were significant (P < .05) for right and left foot oxygen saturation but not for heart rate and temperature. At 6 months and 1 year, the groups differed in differential segmental arterial pressure in upper third of left and right legs. Connective tissue massage improves blood circulation in the lower limbs of type 2 diabetic patients at stage I or II-a and may be useful to slow the progression of PAD. PMID:19933770

  1. Connective Tissue Reflex Massage for Type 2 Diabetic Patients with Peripheral Arterial Disease: Randomized Controlled Trial

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adelaida María Castro-Sánchez

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of connective tissue massage to improve blood circulation and intermittent claudication symptoms in type 2 diabetic patients. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial was undertaken. Ninety-eight type 2 diabetes patients with stage I or II-a peripheral arterial disease (PAD (Leriche-Fontaine classification were randomly assigned to a massage group or to a placebo group treated using disconnected magnetotherapy equipment. Peripheral arterial circulation was determined by measuring differential segmental arterial pressure, heart rate, skin temperature, oxygen saturation and skin blood flow. Measurements were taken before and at 30 min, 6 months and 1 year after the 15-week treatment. After the 15-week program, the groups differed (P<.05 in differential segmental arterial pressure in right lower limb (lower one-third of thigh, upper and lower one-third of leg and left lower limb (lower one-third of thigh and upper and lower one-third of leg. A significant difference (P<.05 was also observed in skin blood flow in digits 1 and 4 of right foot and digits 2, 4 and 5 of left foot. ANOVA results were significant (P<.05 for right and left foot oxygen saturation but not for heart rate and temperature. At 6 months and 1 year, the groups differed in differential segmental arterial pressure in upper third of left and right legs. Connective tissue massage improves blood circulation in the lower limbs of type 2 diabetic patients at stage I or II-a and may be useful to slow the progression of PAD.

  2. Tear film and ocular surface assessment in psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aragona, Emanuela; Rania, Laura; Postorino, Elisa Imelde; Interdonato, Alberto; Giuffrida, Roberta; Cannavò, Serafinella Patrizia; Puzzolo, Domenico; Aragona, Pasquale

    2018-03-01

    Psoriasis is a skin disease with also systemic involvement: its impact on the eye is not well established and often clinically underestimated. Aim of this study was to investigate the presence of ocular discomfort symptoms and of ocular surface changes in a population of patients with psoriasis. For this cross-sectional, comparative study, 66 patients with psoriasis were subdivided according to the presence of arthritis and to the use of biological therapy. All patients underwent clinical evaluation with the following tests: Ocular Surface Disease Index Questionnaire, Tearscope examination, meibometry, tear film breakup time, corneal and conjunctival fluorescein staining, Schirmer I test, corneal aesthesiometry, meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) assessment and conjunctival impression cytology. 28 healthy subjects were also enrolled and treated with the same clinical tests. A statistical analysis of the results was performed. Patients with psoriasis showed a significant deterioration of the ocular surface tests, if compared with healthy subjects, demonstrated by tear film lipid layer alteration, tear film instability, corneal and conjunctival epithelial suffering and mild squamous metaplasia at impression cytology. No differences were found in ocular surface test results of the psoriatic group when patients were divided according to the presence of arthritis, whereas the anti-inflammatory treatment with biological drugs demonstrated a significant improvement of corneal stain and MGD. Our findings suggest that the ocular surface involvement in patients with psoriasis indicates the need of periodic ophthalmological examinations to diagnose the condition and allow a proper treatment, so contributing to the amelioration of patients' quality of life. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  3. Educational and motivational support service: a pilot study for mobile-phone-based interventions in patients with psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Balato, N; Megna, M; Di Costanzo, L; Balato, A; Ayala, F

    2013-01-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic disease which requires long-term therapy. Therefore, adherence to therapy and patient motivation are key points in controlling the disease. Mobile-phone-based interventions, and in particular text messages (TM), have already been used effectively to motivate patients and improve treatment adherence in many different chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and asthma. To evaluate the use of TM in improving treatment adherence and several patient outcomes such as quality of life, disease severity, patient-perceived disease severity and the patient-physician relationship. Daily TM, providing reminders and educational tools, were sent for 12 weeks to a group of 20 patients with psoriasis. At the beginning and end of the study the following assessments were performed: Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI), Self-Administered Psoriasis Area Severity Index (SAPASI), body surface area (BSA), Physician Global Assessment (PGA), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), evaluation of patient-physician relationship and adherence to therapy. A matched control group of 20 patients with psoriasis was used for comparison of the same outcomes. Both patient groups had similar scores for PASI, SAPASI, BSA, PGA and DLQI at baseline. However, after 12 weeks the intervention group reported a significantly better improvement of disease severity as well as quality of life, showing lower values of PASI, SAPASI, BSA, PGA and DLQI with respect to the control group (Ptool for the long-term management of patients with psoriasis, leading to an increased compliance to therapy, positive changes in self-care behaviours and better patient-physician relationship allowing improved clinical outcomes and better control of the disease. © 2012 The Authors. BJD © 2012 British Association of Dermatologists.

  4. Therapeutic efficacy of guided tissue regeneration and connective tissue autotransplants with periosteum in the management of gingival recession

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jovičić Bojan

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Background/Aim. Gingival recession progression in clinical practice as an ethiological factor of periodontal diseases, and symptoms of the disease have caused the development of various surgical procedures and techniques of the reconstruction of periodontal defects. The aim of this study was to verify efficacy of surgical procedures that include connective tissue autotransplants with periosteum and guided tissue regeneration for the treatment of gingival recession. Methods. The study included 20 teet with gingival recession, Müller class II and III. Ten teeth with gingival recession were treated with resorptive membrane and coronary guided surgical flap (GTR group. On the contralateral side 10 teeth with gingival recession were treated with connective tissue autotransplants with periosteum in combination with coronary guided surgical flap (TVT group. We measured the degree of epithelial attachment (DEA, width of subgingival curettage (WGC and vertical deepness of recession (VDR. For statistical significance we used Student's ttest. Results. The study revealed statistical significance in reducing VDR by both used treatments. Root deepness in GTR and TVT group was 63.5%, and 90%, respectively. With both surgical techniques we achieved coronary dislocation of the epithelial attachment, larger zone of gingival curettage, and better oral hygiene. Conclusion. Current surgical techniques are effective in the regeneration of deep periodontal spaces and the treatment of gingival recession. Significantly better results were achieved with the used coronary guided surgical flap than with guided tissue regeneration.

  5. [Connective tissue dysplasia in patients with celiac desease as a problem of violation of adaptation reserve islands of the body].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tkachenko, E; Oreshko, L S; Soloveva, E A; Shabanova, A A; Zhuravleva, M S

    2015-01-01

    Clinically significant dysplasia of connective tissue in patients with celiac disease is often responsible for various visceral disorders. Different disturbances of motor and evacuation functions are often determined in this patients (gastroesophageal reflux, duodenogastral reflux, spastic and hyperkinetic dyskinesia). The clinical course of the celiac disease, associated with connective tissue dysplasia, is characterized by asthenovegetative syndrome, reduced tolerance to physical activity, general weakness, fatigue and emotional instability. These data should be considered in choosing a treatment.

  6. Interpretación del mecanismo fisiopatogénico de la psoriasis Interpretation about physiopathogenic mechanism of psoriasis

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    RL Panzeri

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available La psoriasis es una enfermedad de base inmuno-genética, que se acompaña de enigmas en el compromiso genético, la compleja red bioquímica de interleuquinas participantes, la interacción de las moléculas de adhesión, el rol definitivo de las células involucradas: célula de Langerhans, linfocitos, queratinocitos, mastocitos y neutrófilos, en el sistema de señalización intercelular, el condicionamiento biológico del paciente vulnerable y en el rol dominante del stress, como factor desencadenante a través de la liberación de neuropéptidos. Todos estos enigmas se irán develando en el devenir del avance de los constantes estudios, que se realizan sobre esta dinámica enfermedad.The physiopathogenic mechanism of psoriasis continues representing a challenge for dermatologists, immunologists and molecular biologists; trying to discover the biochemical primary alteration and the set of immunological events on that they put in march for her clinical expression. Up to the present it is of unknown reason. It is defines as an inflammatory chronic disease that compromises dominant the skin, being characterized by papules and erythematic-scaly plates. The genetic factor is indispensable in order that the individual falls ill with psoriasis, but not sufficiently. A fault must exist in his immune system, without which the disease would not express either. An intrinsic aberration exists in the skin of the vulnerable patients. The genetic determinism, the deregulation and activation of the immune system with the subsequent waterfall of inflammatory half-full events for cytokines would be the base to interpret and to understand the development of the psoriasis.

  7. Effect of an educational and psychological intervention on knowledge and quality of life among patients with psoriasis

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    Padmavathi Nagarajan

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Psoriasis is one of the most common skin disorders with a prevalence rate of 0.1%–3%. Chronic nature, frequent relapses, absence of permanent cure, and the cosmetic disfigurement of psoriasis have a negative impact on quality of life (QoL by causing psychological stress. Patients with psoriasis often have unambiguous ideas about the causes, controllability, consequences, and expected time-course of their disease. Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the effectiveness of a video-assisted teaching program regarding psoriasis on the level of knowledge and relaxation therapy on QoL among patients with psoriasis. Materials and Methods: Experimental design was adapted. One hundred and four participants diagnosed with psoriasis were randomly allocated either to an experimental or to a control group. Fifty-two participants were included in each group by simple random sampling. A video-assisted teaching program on psoriasis and relaxation exercises was taught to the participants over a period of 3 months. The tools used were: Psoriasis Knowledge Assessment Questionnaire, modified psoriasis disability index, and modified psoriasis life stress inventory. Results: In the experimental group, the knowledge score was increased significantly from 9 ± 2.2 at baseline to 23.6 ± 1.5 after the intervention. The disability score was decreased from 15.6 to 9.9 and the stress score related to the illness was decreased from 22.8 to 16.9 after the intervention. Conclusion: Educational intervention about disease process and relaxation exercises was effective in improving the knowledge and QoL of patients with psoriasis.

  8. Malaysian Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Psoriasis Vulgaris: Summary of recommendations for management in primary healthcare setting

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    Choon Siew Eng

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Psoriasis is a genetically determined, systemic immune-mediated chronic inflammatory disease that affects primarily the skin and joints. It has been estimated to affect 1-3% of the general population worldwide. There are several distinctive clinical sub-types of psoriasis. Psoriasis vulgaris (Figure 1, the most common type, is seen in 89% of the 6895 patients registered in the Malaysian Psoriasis Registry.1 Psoriatic arthritis is present in 15%. Patients with psoriasis, particularly those with severe disease, are more prone to depression, metabolic syndrome or the individual component of metabolic syndromes namely obesity, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, and hypertension.2-6 Young adults with severe psoriasis have a 3-fold increased risk of developing myocardial infarction (MI and a reduction of 3-4 years in life expectancy.3,4,7 There is also increasing evidence that controlling chronic inflammation of psoriasis with systemic agents or biologics reduces cardiovascular co-morbidity.3,7-10

  9. EPIDEMIOLOGY AND SURVIVAL OF PATIENTS WITH MALIGNANT TUMORS OF CONNECTIVE AND SOFT TISSUE

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    V. M. Merabishvili

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Malignant tumors of connective and soft tissue are met relatively rare, although in general in Russia each year more than 1.500 new cases are registered. On five administrative territories of Russia during a year there are recorded less than 5 new cases of malignant tumors of connective and soft tissue (Yamal-Nenets A.R. – 4; Tuva Republic – 0, Magadan Region – 3; Chukotka A.R. – 0; Jewish A.R. – 4. More seldom data on these patients’ survival are published. Purpose of study. To estimate dynamics of incidence of malignant tumors of connective and soft tissue on the basis of public reporting, to calculate the index accuracy and observed and relative survival rates by histological forms, including sarcomas. Material and methods. To perform a detailed study there were selected, for two periods of observation, respectively 1054 patients (1995–2001 and 919 patients (2002–2008. Estimation of survival was carried out using software, which had been developed together with Ltd. «Novel» (Director – T.L.Tsvetkova, Ph.D.. results of study. The most typical incidence rate for of malignant tumors of connective and soft tissue (S47, 49 that are presented by  cancer registries of different countries is from 1.5 to 2.5 0/   in men and 1.5–2.0 0/   in women. Dynamics  of morbidity of the Russian population, Moscow and St. Petersburg indicates that the level of standardized  incidence rates is in the range of 2.0 0/   in men and within 1.5 0/   in women. The mortality rate in 2013  was respectively for men and women in Russia in total 1.7 0/   and 1.13 0/   , in Moscow – 1.42 0/   and  1.24 0/   , in St. Petersburg – 1.88 0/   and 1.26 0/   . The index accuracy for both sexes in Russia is 0.88,  in Moscow – 1.2; in St. Petersburg – 1.4. This index should be used for the site of these diseases with high fatality. According to official data a one-year lethality of patients with tumors of connective and soft

  10. Genetic Variations of Cytokines and Cytokine Receptors in Psoriasis Patients from China

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    Xiao-Lan Li

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory and hyperproliferative skin disease affected by both genetic and environmental factors. The aim of the present study was to investigate polymorphisms in a candidate gene family of interleukin (IL in unrelated Chinese patients with psoriasis and control subjects without psoriasis. In this case-control study, 200 unrelated Chinese psoriasis patients and 298 age- and sex-matched control subjects were enrolled. Genomic DNA was prepared from peripheral blood obtained from all psoriasis patients and control subjects. We genotyped seven single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs in candidate genes of six ILs: IL4, IL10, IL12B, IL13, IL15, and IL23R, which have been shown in the literature to be associated with psoriasis in other ethnic groups. Among the seven SNPs in the six IL genes studied, only the rs3212227 in the IL12B gene was found to be associated with psoriasis at genotypic level in the studied population. The C/C genotype in the IL12B gene is a protective factor of psoriasis (P = 0.0218; OR = 0.51; 95% CI: 0.27–0.96 in Chinese. Furthermore, the studied Chinese population has extremely low minor allele frequency for IL23R. Together, the data reveal unique genetic patterns in Chinese that may be in part responsible for the lower risk for psoriasis in this population.

  11. Intestinal Microbiota Influences Non-intestinal Related Autoimmune Diseases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Opazo, Maria C.; Ortega-Rocha, Elizabeth M.; Coronado-Arrázola, Irenice; Bonifaz, Laura C.; Boudin, Helene; Neunlist, Michel; Bueno, Susan M.; Kalergis, Alexis M.; Riedel, Claudia A.

    2018-01-01

    The human body is colonized by millions of microorganisms named microbiota that interact with our tissues in a cooperative and non-pathogenic manner. These microorganisms are present in the skin, gut, nasal, oral cavities, and genital tract. In fact, it has been described that the microbiota contributes to balancing the immune system to maintain host homeostasis. The gut is a vital organ where microbiota can influence and determine the function of cells of the immune system and contributes to preserve the wellbeing of the individual. Several articles have emphasized the connection between intestinal autoimmune diseases, such as Crohn's disease with dysbiosis or an imbalance in the microbiota composition in the gut. However, little is known about the role of the microbiota in autoimmune pathologies affecting other tissues than the intestine. This article focuses on what is known about the role that gut microbiota can play in the pathogenesis of non-intestinal autoimmune diseases, such as Grave's diseases, multiple sclerosis, type-1 diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, schizophrenia, and autism spectrum disorders. Furthermore, we discuss as to how metabolites derived from bacteria could be used as potential therapies for non-intestinal autoimmune diseases. PMID:29593681

  12. Intestinal Microbiota Influences Non-intestinal Related Autoimmune Diseases

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    Maria C. Opazo

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The human body is colonized by millions of microorganisms named microbiota that interact with our tissues in a cooperative and non-pathogenic manner. These microorganisms are present in the skin, gut, nasal, oral cavities, and genital tract. In fact, it has been described that the microbiota contributes to balancing the immune system to maintain host homeostasis. The gut is a vital organ where microbiota can influence and determine the function of cells of the immune system and contributes to preserve the wellbeing of the individual. Several articles have emphasized the connection between intestinal autoimmune diseases, such as Crohn's disease with dysbiosis or an imbalance in the microbiota composition in the gut. However, little is known about the role of the microbiota in autoimmune pathologies affecting other tissues than the intestine. This article focuses on what is known about the role that gut microbiota can play in the pathogenesis of non-intestinal autoimmune diseases, such as Grave's diseases, multiple sclerosis, type-1 diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus, psoriasis, schizophrenia, and autism spectrum disorders. Furthermore, we discuss as to how metabolites derived from bacteria could be used as potential therapies for non-intestinal autoimmune diseases.

  13. Psoriasis and wound healing outcomes: A retrospective cohort study examining wound complications and antibiotic use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Paulina M; Parsi, Kory K; Schupp, Clayton W; Armstrong, April W

    2017-11-15

    Little is known about wound healing in psoriasis. We performed a cohort study examining differences in wound healing complications between patients with and without psoriasis. Psoriasis patients with traumatic wounds were matched 1:3 to non-psoriasis patients with traumatic wounds based on age, gender, and body mass index (BMI). We examined theincidence of wound complications including infection, necrosis, and hematoma as well as incident antibiotic use within three months following diagnosis of a traumatic wound. The study included 164 patients with traumatic wounds, comprised of 41 patients with psoriasis matched to 123 patients without psoriasis. No statistically significant differences were detected in the incidence of overall wound complications between wound patients with psoriasis and wound patients without psoriasis (14.6% versus. 13.0%, HR 1.18, CI 0.39-3.56). After adjustment for diabetes, peripheral vascular disease, and smoking, no statistically significant differences were detected in the incidence of overall wound complications between patients with and without psoriasis (HR 1.11, CI 0.34-3.58). Specifically, the adjusted rates of antibiotic use were not significantly different between those with and without psoriasis (HR 0.65, CI 0.29-1.46). The incidence of wound complications following traumatic wounds of the skin was found to be similar between patients with and without psoriasis.

  14. Expression and clinical significance of connective tissue growth factor in thyroid carcinomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Guimin; Zhang, Wei; Meng, Wei; Liu, Jia; Wang, Peisong; Lin, Shan; Xu, Liyan; Li, Enmin; Chen, Guang

    2013-08-01

    To examine expression of the connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) gene in human thyroid cancer and establish whether a correlation exists between the presence of CTGF protein and clinicopathological parameters of the disease. CTGF protein expression was investigated retrospectively by immunohistochemical analysis of CTGF protein levels in thyroid tumour tissue. Associations between immunohistochemical score and several clinicopathological parameters were examined. In total, 131 thyroid tissue specimens were included. High levels of CTGF protein were observed in papillary thyroid carcinoma tissue; benign thyroid tumour tissue scored negatively for CTGF protein. In papillary thyroid carcinoma, there was a significant relationship between high CTGF protein levels and Union for International Cancer Control disease stage III-IV, and presence of lymph node metastasis. In papillary thyroid carcinomas, CTGF protein levels were not significantly associated with sex or age. These findings suggest that the CTGF protein level is increased in papillary thyroid carcinoma cells compared with benign thyroid tumours. CTGF expression might play a role in the development of malignant tumours in the thyroid.

  15. IL-22 is required for Th17 cell-mediated pathology in a mouse model of psoriasis-like skin inflammation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Hak-Ling; Liang, Spencer; Li, Jing; Napierata, Lee; Brown, Tom; Benoit, Stephen; Senices, Mayra; Gill, Davinder; Dunussi-Joannopoulos, Kyriaki; Collins, Mary; Nickerson-Nutter, Cheryl; Fouser, Lynette A; Young, Deborah A

    2008-02-01

    Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease resulting from the dysregulated interplay between keratinocytes and infiltrating immune cells. We report on a psoriasis-like disease model, which is induced by the transfer of CD4(+)CD45RB(hi)CD25(-) cells to pathogen-free scid/scid mice. Psoriasis-like lesions had elevated levels of antimicrobial peptide and proinflammatory cytokine mRNA. Also, similar to psoriasis, disease progression in this model was dependent on the p40 common to IL-12 and IL-23. To investigate the role of IL-22, a Th17 cytokine, in disease progression, mice were treated with IL-22-neutralizing antibodies. Neutralization of IL-22 prevented the development of disease, reducing acanthosis (thickening of the skin), inflammatory infiltrates, and expression of Th17 cytokines. Direct administration of IL-22 into the skin of normal mice induced both antimicrobial peptide and proinflammatory cytokine gene expression. Our data suggest that IL-22, which acts on keratinocytes and other nonhematopoietic cells, is required for development of the autoreactive Th17 cell-dependent disease in this model of skin inflammation. We propose that IL-22 antagonism might be a promising therapy for the treatment of human psoriasis.

  16. Prognosis of complicated clinical course of varicose veins of lower extremities on the basis of analysis of phenotypic characteristics of connective tissue dysplasia

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    Tsarev О.А.

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Aim: to identify the phenotypic characteristics of indeterminate connective tissue dysplasia, which help to predict the progression of varicose veins of lower extremities and disease recurrence after surgery. Material and Methods. The long-term results of surgical treatment of 60 patients with varicose veins of lower extremities in a 5-year period after phlebectomy were analyzed. The phenotypic characteristics of indeterminate connective tissue dysplasia were researched. 24 patients had recurrence of varicose veins of lower extremities associated with disease progression; 36 patients did not have recurrence of varicose veins of lower extremities. Results. All the patients demonstrated the signs of indeterminate connective tissue dysplasia, whereas their frequency was different. There were specified nine phenotypic characteristics of indeterminate connective tissue dysplasia, which were significantly more frequent for patients with recurrence of varicose vein disease of lower extremities: 1 postural abnormality, 2 flat foot, 3 skin pallor, 4 hyperextension of skin, 5 positive "wrist test", 6 positive "pollex test", 7 diastasis recti abdominis, 8 myopia, 9 hematomas which form quickly. Conclusion. The determined sum of phenotypic characters of indeterminate connective tissue dysplasia allows to predict progression of varicose vein disease of lower extremities, and offers new opportunities for improving the results of surgical treatment via developing special therapeutic measures aimed at improving lifestyle and dysplasia treatment.

  17. Living with psoriasis: An insight into factors associated with quality of life

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    Milutinović Jelena D.

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Patients with psoriasis show physical discomfort, stigma, loss of productivity, low self-esteem, and are often limited in everyday activities, social contacts and at work. Objective: The aim of this study was to reveal factors which may influence quality of life in patients with psoriasis, using qualitative research methodology. Methods: This study used grounded theory approach, which consist mainly of conducting interviews and collecting observational data. The subjects were patients who suffer from psoriasis. Results: After making interviews which were audio taped, they were transcribed and analysed in detail, revealing semantic units and combining them in seven categories and themes. Advertizing perfect skin through media, promoting it as a social ideal, ignorance and lack of understanding by others and unacceptance of own condition are main factors that significantly affect quality of life in patients suffering from psoriasis. Conclusion: Individual approach to every patient is necessary prerequisite for adequate treatment and building realistic expectation sac cording to severity of the disease. Relatively small changes in lifestyle and attitude towards the disease may significantly improve quality of life.

  18. Lung cancer in connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease: clinical features and impact on outcomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watanabe, Satoshi; Saeki, Keigo; Waseda, Yuko; Murata, Akari; Takato, Hazuki; Ichikawa, Yukari; Yasui, Masahide; Kimura, Hideharu; Hamaguchi, Yasuhito; Matsushita, Takashi; Yamada, Kazunori; Kawano, Mitsuhiro; Furuichi, Kengo; Wada, Takashi; Kasahara, Kazuo

    2018-02-01

    Lung cancer (LC) adversely impacts survival in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. However, little is known about LC in patients with connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung disease (CTD-ILD). The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of and risk factors for LC in CTD-ILD, and the clinical characteristics and survival of CTD-ILD patients with LC. We conducted a single-center, retrospective review of patients with CTD-ILD from 2003 to 2016. Patients with pathologically diagnosed LC were identified. The prevalence, risk factors, and clinical features of LC and the impact of LC on CTD-ILD patient outcomes were observed. Of 266 patients with CTD-ILD, 24 (9.0%) had LC. CTD-ILD with LC was more likely in patients who were older, male, and smokers; had rheumatoid arthritis, a usual interstitial pneumonia pattern, emphysema on chest computed tomography scan, and lower diffusing capacity of the lung carbon monoxide (DLco)% predicted; and were not receiving immunosuppressive therapy. Multivariate analysis indicated that the presence of emphysema [odds ratio (OR), 8.473; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.241-32.033] and nonuse of immunosuppressive therapy (OR, 8.111; 95% CI, 2.457-26.775) were independent risk factors for LC. CTD-ILD patients with LC had significantly worse survival than patients without LC (10-year survival rate: 28.5% vs. 81.8%, P<0.001). LC is associated with the presence of emphysema and nonuse of immunosuppressive therapy, and contributes to increased mortality in patients with CTD-ILD.

  19. Investigation of The Effects of Connective Tissue Mobilisation on ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Background: Connective Tissue Massage (CTM) or Manipulation is a bodywork technique which lies at the interface between alternative approaches. The autonomic balancing responses to CTM can be useful in the treatment of anxiety. Aim: This study was planned to investigate the effects of connective tissue mobilization ...

  20. Interplay of Itch and Psyche in Psoriasis: An Update.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reich, Adam; Mędrek, Karolina; Szepietowski, Jacek C

    2016-08-23

    Itch or pruritus is defined as an unpleasant subjective sensation leading to the need or to the idea of scratching. A number of studies have shown that pruritus is often responsible for marked morbidity, quality of life impairment, and even for increased mortality. Patients suffering from chronic pruritus had also decreased self-esteem, suffer from anxiety or depression and have problems to cope with negative feelings. Several studies documented that itching is a very prevalent symptom of psoriasis affecting more than 70% of individuals and for many patient it is the most bothersome symptom of the disease. While assessing various aspects of itch in psoriatic patients it was found that individuals with pruritus had a significantly lower health-related QoL; patients with pruritus, moreover, were more depressed than those without itching. In conclusion, pruritus is closely related to decreased psychosocial well-being of patients with chronic pruritic skin diseases, including psoriasis. It is important to underscore that itch may interfere with various aspects of patient functioning, emotions and social status and should therefore be adequately addressed while treating patients with psoriasis.

  1. Mortality in patients with psoriasis. A retrospective cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masson, Walter; Rossi, Emiliano; Galimberti, María Laura; Krauss, Juan; Navarro Estrada, José; Galimberti, Ricardo; Cagide, Arturo

    2017-06-07

    The immune and inflammatory pathways involved in psoriasis could favor the development of atherosclerosis, consequently increasing mortality. The objectives of this study were: 1) to assess the mortality of a population with psoriasis compared to a control group, and 2) to assess the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors. A retrospective cohort was analyzed from a secondary database (electronic medical record). All patients with a diagnosis of psoriasis at 1-01-2010 were included in the study and compared to a control group of the same health system, selected randomly (1:1). Subjects with a history of cardiovascular disease were excluded from the study. A survival analysis was performed considering death from any cause as an event. Follow-up was extended until 30-06-2015. We included 1,481 subjects with psoriasis and 1,500 controls. Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors was higher in the group with psoriasis. The average follow-up time was 4.6±1.7 years. Mortality was higher in psoriasis patients compared to controls (15.1 vs. 9.6 events per 1,000 person-year, PPsoriasis was seen to be significantly associated with increased mortality rates compared to the control group in the univariate analysis (HR 1.58, 95% CI 1.16-2.15, P=.004) and after adjusting for cardiovascular risk factors (HR 1.48, 95% CI 1.08-2.3, P=.014). In this population, patients with psoriasis showed a higher prevalence for the onset of cardiovascular risk factors as well as higher mortality rates during follow-up. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  2. Pyrophosphate scintigraphy and other non-invasive methods in the detection of cardiac involvement in some systemic connective tissue diseases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duska, F.; Bradna, P.; Pospisil, M.; Kubicek, J.; Vizda, J.; Kafka, P.; Palicka, V.; Mazurova, Y.

    1987-02-01

    Thirteen patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, 8 patients with polymyositis, and 6 patients with spondylitis ankylopoetica (Bechterew's disease) underwent clinical cardiologic examination and scintigraphy of the myocardium (/sup 99m/Tc-pyrophosphate), ECG, echocardiography, polygraphy, and their blood pressure was taken. The aim of the study was to ascertain how such a combination of non-invasive examinations can help in recognizing a cardiac involvement. In systemic lupus erythematosus cases one or more positive findings were revealed in 9 patients (69%), in 4 patients all examinations were negative (31%). Four patients (50%) with polymyosits had positive findings. In patients with spondylitis ankylopoetica positive findings occurred in 2 cases (33%). The study has shown that a combination of non-invasive cardiologic methods increases the probability of detecting cardiac involvement in systemic connective tissue diseases.

  3. Pyrophosphate scintigraphy and other non-invasive methods in the detection of cardiac involvement in some systemic connective tissue diseases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Duska, F; Bradna, P; Pospisil, M; Kubicek, J; Vizda, J; Kafka, P; Palicka, V; Mazurova, Y

    1987-02-01

    Thirteen patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, 8 patients with polymyositis, and 6 patients with spondylitis ankylopoetica (Bechterew's disease) underwent clinical cardiologic examination and scintigraphy of the myocardium (/sup 99m/Tc-pyrophosphate), ECG, echocardiography, polygraphy, and their blood pressure was taken. The aim of the study was to ascertain how such a combination of non-invasive examinations can help in recognizing a cardiac involvement. In systemic lupus erythematosus cases one or more positive findings were revealed in 9 patients (69%), in 4 patients all examinations were negative (31%). Four patients (50%) with polymyosits had positive findings. In patients with spondylitis ankylopoetica positive findings occurred in 2 cases (33%). The study has shown that a combination of non-invasive cardiologic methods increases the probability of detecting cardiac involvement in systemic connective tissue diseases.

  4. Pathogenesis and treatment of psoriasis: exploiting pathophysiological pathways for precision medicine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alwan, Wisam; Nestle, Frank O

    2015-01-01

    Psoriasis is a common, chronic inflammatory skin disease associated with multi-system manifestations including arthritis and obesity. Our knowledge of the aetiology of the condition, including the key genomic, immune and environmental factors, has led to the development of targeted, precision therapies that alleviate patient morbidity. This article reviews the key pathophysiological pathways and therapeutic targets and highlights future areas of interest in psoriasis research.

  5. Psoriasis Doesn't Slow Down Texan Brian LaFoy | NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... willing to do. I'm one of the lucky ones." Find Out More National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) MedlinePlus-Psoriasis Clinical Trials Search Psoriasis Spring 2017 Issue: Volume 12 Number 1 Page 22 MedlinePlus Subscribe Magazine Information Contact ...

  6. Psoriasis lesions are associated with specific types of emotions. Emotional profile in psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martín-Brufau, Ramón; Romero-Brufau, Santiago; Martín-Gorgojo, Alejandro; Brufau Redondo, Carmen; Corbalan, Javier; Ulnik, Jorge

    2015-01-01

    At present there is still controversy about the relationship between emotional stress and psoriasis lesions. Most of the published literature does not include the broad spectrum of emotional response. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between skin lesions and emotional state in a large sample of patients with psoriasis. 823 psoriasis patients were recruited (mean age 45.9 years, 55.7% female) and answered two online questionnaires: lesion severity and current extension were evaluated using a self-administered psoriasis severity index (SAPASI); emotional state was assessed using the positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS). Second order factors were calculated and correlated with the SAPASI. We found positive associations between the extent and severity of skin lesions and the negative and submissive emotions, a negative correlation with dominance emotions and no association with positive emotions. Our data supports the relationship between emotions and skin lesions. It also allows for discrimination of the associations between psoriasis lesions and the specific type of emotions.

  7. Familial association of pseudohypoparathyroidism and psoriasis: case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renan Magalhães Montenegro Junior

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available CONTEXT: The association between psoriasis and hypoparathyroidism has been reported by several authors, and it has been suggested that abnormalities in calcium homeostasis may be involved in the development or exacerbation of psoriasis. However, so far there have only been two reports of pseudohypoparathyroidism associated with psoriasis. OBJECTIVE: To describe the familial occurrence of this association for the first time. CASE REPORTS: Two siblings with psoriasis associated with pseudohypoparathyroidism were presented. The first patient was a 24-year-old white male with disseminated erythrodermic pustular psoriasis that began 2 months before admission. He had had a history of mental retardation, recurrent otitis, seizures and arthralgia from the age of 11 years onwards. He presented the characteristic phenotype of Albright osteodystrophy: short stature, obesity, round facies, broad forehead, short neck and brachydactylia. He adopted a position of flexed limbs and showed proximal muscle weakness and a positive Trousseau sign. He had clinical signs of hypocalcemia (0.69 mmol/l ionized calcium and 3.2 mg/dl total calcium, hyperphosphatemia (6.6 mg/dl, hypomagnesemia (1.0 mEq/l, hypoalbuminemia (3.1 g/dl, normal serum intact PTH levels (45.1 pg/ml, primary hypothyroidism (13.2 mU/ml TSH, and 4.7 mg/dl total T4, hypergonadotrophic hypogonadism (116.0 ng/ml LH, 13.2 mU/ml FSH and 325.0 ng/dl testosterone, osteoporosis, and diffuse calcifications in soft tissues and in the central nervous system. The second case was a 14-year-old white girl with a history of psoriasis vulgaris from the age of five years onwards, and antecedents of mental retardation. She presented signs of Albright osteodystrophy (short stature, round facies, obesity, short neck, brachydactylia, hypocalcemia (ionized calcium of 1.08 mmol/l and total calcium of 6.7 mg/dl hyperphosphatemia (9.4 mg/dl, elevated serum PTH levels (223.0 pg/ml, osteoporosis, and hypergonadotrophic

  8. The psychosocial impact of acne, vitiligo, and psoriasis: a review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nguyen CM

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Catherine M Nguyen,1 Kourosh Beroukhim,2 Melissa J Danesh,3 Aline Babikian,4 John Koo,3 Argentina Leon3 1University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, 2David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, 3Department of Dermatology, University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, 4Touro University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Vallejo, CA, USA Introduction: Chronic skin conditions have been well reported to affect a patient's quality of life on multiple dimensions, including the psychosocial domain. Psychosocial is defined as the interrelation of social factors with an individual's thoughts and behavior. The assessment of the psychosocial impact of skin disease on a patient can help direct the dermatologists' treatment goals. To evaluate the psychosocial impact of skin disease, we conducted a review of the literature on three skin conditions with onsets at various stages of life: acne, vitiligo, and psoriasis. Methods: A PubMed search was conducted in March 2015 using the terms “psychosocial” AND “acne”, “psychosocial” AND “vitiligo”, and “psychosocial” AND “psoriasis”. The results were limited to articles published in English in the past 5 years studying patients of all ages. Results and their references were evaluated for relevance according to their discussion of psychosocial qualities in their patients and the validity of psychosocial assessments. The search for acne yielded 51 results, and eleven were found to be relevant; vitiligo yielded 30 results with ten found to be relevant; and psoriasis yielded 70 results with seven found to be relevant. Results: According to the articles evaluated, 19.2% of adolescent patients with acne were affected in their personal and social lives. Social phobia was present in 45% of patients with acne compared to 18% of control subjects. Race and sex played a role in self-consciousness and social perceptions of the disease. Vitiligo

  9. In-vivo optical investigation of psoriasis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kapsokalyvas, Dimitrios; Cicchi, Riccardo; Bruscino, Nicola; Alfieri, Domenico; Massi, Daniela; Lotti, Torello; Pavone, Francesco S.

    2011-03-01

    Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease of the skin characterized by hyperkeratosis, hyperproliferation of the epidermis, inflammatory cell accumulation and increased dilatation of dermal papillary blood vessels. Cases of psoriasis were investigated in vivo with optical means in order to evaluate the potential of in vivo optical biopsy. A Polarization Multispectral Dermoscope was employed for the macroscopic observation. Features such as the 'dotted' blood vessels pattern was observed with high contrast. The average size of dot vessels in Psoriasis was measured to be 974 μm2 which is much higher compared to healthy skin. High resolution image sections of the epidermis and the dermis were produced with a custom made Multiphoton Microscope. Imaging extended from the surface of the lesion down to the papillary dermis, at a depth of 200 μm. In the epidermis, a characteristic morphology of the stratum corneum found only in Psoriasis was revealed. Additionally, the cytoplasmic area of the cells in the stratum spinosum layer was found to be smaller than normal. In the dermis the morphological features were more pronounced, where the elongated dermal papillae dominated the papillary layer. Their length exceeds 100μm, which is a far greater value compared to that of healthy skin. These in vivo observations are consistent with the ex vivo histopathological observations, supporting both the applicability and potentiality of multispectral dermoscopy and multiphoton microscopy in the field of in vivo optical investigation and biopsy of skin.

  10. Manifestations and intensity of indirect self-destructiveness in patients with psoriasis vulgaris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wojciech Bienias

    2016-07-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Psoriasis is a chronic systemic disease which often significantly reduces the quality of life in extreme situations can provide to severe depression and even suicide. Indirect self-destructiveness is a generalized trend of behavior consisting of taking steps to increase the likelihood of negative and reduce the likelihood of positive consequences for the entity within a general manifestations such as transgression of norms and risk, addictions, poor health maintenance, personal and social neglect, lack of planfulness, helplessness and passiveness. Polish and world literature has no publications on indirect self-destructiveness in psoriasis nor in any skin diseases. The main aim of this study was to investigate the intensity and symptoms of indirect self-destructiveness in population of patients with psoriasis vulgaris Material and methods: The material consisted of 82 patients with psoriasis vulgaris hospitalized in the Department of Dermatology, Pediatric Dermatology and Oncology in 2013-2014. For the achievement of the objectives of the research socio-demographic questionnaire (own authorship and Indirect Chronic Self-Destructiveness Scale by Kelley in Polish adaptation of Suchańska (version for men and women – each containing 52 issues was used. Results: The results showed that in a population of people with psoriasis overall severity of indirect self-destructiveness was in the lower range of the average results. The dominant class of indirect self-destructiveness was helplessness and passivity that preceded the poor health maintenance and lack of planning. Conclusions: The results will enrich the existing knowledge about the harmful conduct of psoriasis and a better approach to the patient.

  11. Effect of weight loss on the severity of psoriasis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, P; Zachariae, Claus; Christensen, R

    2013-01-01

    Psoriasis is associated with adiposity and weight gain increases the severity of psoriasis and the risk of incident psoriasis. Therefore, we aimed to measure the effect of weight reduction on the severity of psoriasis in obese patients with psoriasis.......Psoriasis is associated with adiposity and weight gain increases the severity of psoriasis and the risk of incident psoriasis. Therefore, we aimed to measure the effect of weight reduction on the severity of psoriasis in obese patients with psoriasis....

  12. Ultraviolet Phototherapy Management of Moderate-to-Severe Plaque Psoriasis: An Evidence-Based Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this evidence based analysis was to determine the effectiveness and safety of ultraviolet phototherapy for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. The specific research questions for the evidence review were as follows: What is the safety of ultraviolet phototherapy for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis?What is the effectiveness of ultraviolet phototherapy for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis? TARGET POPULATION AND CONDITION Psoriasis is a common chronic, systemic inflammatory disease affecting the skin, nails and occasionally the joints and has a lifelong waning and waxing course. It has a worldwide occurrence with a prevalence of at least 2% of the general population, making it one of the most common systemic inflammatory diseases. The immune-mediated disease has several clinical presentations with the most common (85% - 90%) being plaque psoriasis. Characteristic features of psoriasis include scaling, redness, and elevation of the skin. Patients with psoriasis may also present with a range of disabling symptoms such as pruritus (itching), pain, bleeding, or burning associated with plaque lesions and up to 30% are classified as having moderate-to-severe disease. Further, some psoriasis patients can be complex medical cases in which diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, and hypertension are more likely to be present than in control populations and 10% also suffer from arthritis (psoriatic arthritis). The etiology of psoriasis is unknown but is thought to result from complex interactions between the environment and predisposing genes. Management of psoriasis is related to the extent of the skin involvement, although its presence on the hands, feet, face or genitalia can present challenges. Moderate-to-severe psoriasis is managed by phototherapy and a range of systemic agents including traditional immunosuppressants such as methotrexate and cyclospsorin. Treatment with modern immunosuppressant agents known as biologicals, which more specifically

  13. Psoriasis associated with idiopathic CD4+ T-cell lymphopenia: a regulatory T-cell defect?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baroudjian, B; Viguier, M; Battistella, M; Beneton, N; Pagès, C; Gener, G; Bégon, E; Bachelez, H

    2014-07-01

    Idiopathic CD4(+) lymphocytopenia (ICL) is a rare immunodeficiency syndrome of unknown origin for which the increased risks of opportunistic infections and of malignancies have been well established; however, skin dysimmune diseases, including psoriasis, have been scarcely reported up to now. We report herein the severe course of psoriasis in four patients with ICL, and show evidence for a defect in the skin recruitment of regulatory CD4(+) FoxP3(+) T cells. These data raise the apparent paradigm of the occurrence of a severe immunomediated disease together with a profound T-cell defect, a model that might also apply to other immune deficiencies associated with psoriasis. © 2014 British Association of Dermatologists.

  14. Chimeric monoclonal antibody to tumor necrosis factor alpha (infliximab in psoriasis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sridhar J

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Insights into the pathogenesis of psoriasis have provided opportunities to target key steps in the disease process. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a being crucial to the pathogenesis of psoriasis, monoclonal antibodies against this cytokine have proved useful in its treatment. Aim: To study the efficacy of chimeric monoclonal antibody to TNF-a (infliximab in Indian patients with recalcitrant psoriasis vulgaris. Materials and Methods: Three patients with recalcitrant psoriasis vulgaris were studied. Baseline haemogram, biochemical parameters, chest radiograph and Mantoux skin test were performed. A loading dose regimen of 5 mg/kg infliximab was administered at weeks 0, 2 and 6. PASI assessment, adverse drug event monitoring and laboratory assessments were carried out at 2-week intervals until week 10. Patients were followed up until week 22 for relapse. Results: Infliximab was well tolerated. The mean PASI was 25.4 at presentation and declined to 5.5 at 10 weeks. PASI 75 was attained at a mean of 9.6 weeks. Relapse occurred at a mean of 18.6 weeks after the first infusion. Conclusions: This study on Indian patients brings out the importance of cytokine-based therapies in psoriasis. Indigenous production could make these therapies a viable therapeutic option for psoriasis patients in the near future.

  15. Role of anti-depressant fluoxetine in the puva treatment of psoriasis vulgaris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mitra A

    2001-11-01

    Full Text Available Severity of psoriasis vulgaris is known to be modified by psychological stress. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of fluoxetine in the PU VA treatment of psoriasis. Twenty patients with progressive disease having more than thirty per cent body area involvement were included in a randomized, double blinded, placebo- controlled, age and sex matched study. All patients were on PUVA treatment, half of patients were given fluoxetine 20 mgs daily whereas the ten were given placebo. Assessment was done by Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI scoring after every 5 exposures of PUVA treatment till 20 treatments. All ten patients who took fluoxetine along with PUVA treatment showed better response and quicker remission. Fluoxetine may be used as an adjuvant in PUVA treatment of psoriasis.

  16. Role of anti-depressant fluoxetine in the puva treatment of psoriasis vulgaris

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mitra A

    2003-03-01

    Full Text Available Severity of Psoriasis Vulgaris is known to be modified by psychological stress. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of Fluoxetine in the PUVA treatment of Psoriasis. Twenty patients with progressive disease having more than thirty per cent body area involvement were included in a randomized, double blinded, placebo-controlled, age and sex matched study. All patients were on PUVAtreatment; half of the patients were given Fluoxetine 20 mgms daily whereas the other ten were given placebo. Assessment was done by Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI scoring after every 5 exposures of PUVA treatment till 20 treatments. All ten patients who took Fluoxetine along with PUVA treatment showed better response and quicker remission. Fluoxetine may be used as an adjuvant in PUVA treatment of Psoriasis.

  17. Laserbehandeling bij psoriasis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sewbaransingh. A., [No Value

    2000-01-01

    Aan de Wetenschapswinkel Geneeskunde en Volksgezondheid werd een vraag voorgelegd van de Nederlandse Bond van Psoriasis Patiënten Verenigingen (NBPV) betreffende een folder genaamd 'de behandeling van psoriasis met laser' (zie Bijlage I). De vraag van de NBPV was om na te gaan in hoeverre de in de

  18. Genome-wide meta-analysis identifies multiple novel associations and ethnic heterogeneity of psoriasis susceptibility

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Yin, Xianyong; Low, Hui Qi; Wang, Ling; Li, Yonghong; Ellinghaus, Eva; Han, Jiali; Estivill, Xavier; Sun, Liangdan; Zuo, Xianbo; Shen, Changbing; Zhu, Caihong; Zhang, Anping; Sanchez, Fabio; Padyukov, Leonid; Catanese, Joseph J; Krueger, Gerald G; Duffin, Kristina Callis; Mucha, Sören; Weichenthal, Michael; Weidinger, Stephan; Lieb, Wolfgang; Foo, Jia Nee; Li, Yi; Sim, Karseng; Liany, Herty; Irwan, Ishak; Teo, Yikying; Theng, Colin T S; Gupta, Rashmi; Bowcock, Anne; De Jager, Philip L; Qureshi, Abrar A; de Bakker, Paul I W; Seielstad, Mark; Liao, Wilson; Ståhle, Mona; Franke, Andre; Zhang, Xuejun; Liu, Jianjun

    2015-01-01

    Psoriasis is a common inflammatory skin disease with complex genetics and different degrees of prevalence across ethnic populations. Here we present the largest trans-ethnic genome-wide meta-analysis (GWMA) of psoriasis in 15,369 cases and 19,517 controls of Caucasian and Chinese ancestries. We

  19. Angiogenic activity in patients with psoriasis is significantly decreased by Goeckerman's therapy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andrys, C.; Borska, L.; Pohl, D.; Fiala, Z.; Hamakova, K.; Krejsek, J. [Faculty Hospital, Hradec Kralove (Czech Republic). Dept. of Clinical Immunology & Allergy

    2007-03-15

    Goeckerman's therapy (GT) of psoriasis is based on daily application of pharmacy grade coal tar on affected skin with subsequent exposure to UV light. Goeckerman's therapy is still the first line therapy of psoriasis in the Czech Republic because of its low cost and long-term efficacy. Disturbances in angiogenic activity are characteristic for the immunopathogenesis of psoriasis. An abnormal spectrum of cytokines, growth factors and proangiogenic mediators is produced by keratinocytes and inflammatory cells in patients suffering from the disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of GT of psoriasis on angiogenic activities by comparing serum levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in 44 patients with psoriasis in peripheral blood samples collected before and after therapy. It was found that the angiogenic potential which is abnormally increased in patients with psoriasis is significantly alleviated by GT.

  20. Effects of Chinese Formula Jueyin Granules on Psoriasis in an Animal Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tian Ma

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Although Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM is known to be effective for psoriasis patients, the responsible mechanisms still remain poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of one formula, named Jueyin granules (JYG in the mouse model of the vaginal epithelium and tail epidermis. Additionally, we also determined the anti-inflammatory effects of JYG in an imiquimod- (IMQ- induced psoriasis-like skin mouse model. Our results show that JYG can attenuate the IMQ-induced psoriasis-like inflammation, accompanied with increased epidermal hyperplasia. We also measured estrogenic stage mitosis of vaginal epithelial cells and the formation of granular cell layers in male mouse tails per 100 scales, as well as the tissue nitric oxide (NO and malondialdehyde (MDA levels using the ELISA method. The results suggest that JYG significantly inhibited mitosis in mouse vaginal epithelial cells, promoted the formation of the squamous epidermal granular layer in mice tails, and reduced the levels of NO and MDA in an imiquimod-induced psoriasis-like skin mouse model after 14 d (P<0.05. These results demonstrate that JYG might be an effective clinical treatment for psoriasis and the effects may be related to inhibited keratinocytes proliferation, improved parakeratotic epidermal cells, and reduced expression of NO and MDA.