Treatment of psoriatic arthritis with antitumour necrosis factor-α antibody clears skin lesions of psoriasis resistant to treatment with methotrexate

✍ Scribed by A.L.J. Ogilvie; C. Antoni; C. Dechant; B. Manger; J.R. Kalden; G. Schuler; M. Lüftl

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2001
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 325 KB
• Volume: 144
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0007-0963
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2133.2001.04089.x

✦ Synopsis

Background:

In inflamed skin, keratinocytes and inflammatory cells both produce large amounts of tumour necrosis factor (tnf) -alpha, a cytokine with broad effects that are relevant to inflammation. blockade of this proinflammatory cytokine by a monoclonal anti-tnf-alpha antibody might be effectively used in the treatment of inflammatory skin diseases.

Objectives:

To gather information about the efficacy of an anti-tnf-alpha antibody (infliximab) in the treatment of skin lesions of psoriatic arthritis.

Methods:

Six patients with progressive joint disease and psoriatic skin lesions unresponsive to methotrexate therapy were treated with anti-tnf-alpha antibody. the psoriasis area and severity index was determined before and 10 weeks after initiation of therapy.

Results:

Improvement of psoriatic skin lesions was observed in all patients. in addition, a marked improvement of the joint disease was noted.

Conclusions:

Therapy with anti-tnf-alpha antibody may be an effective treatment regimen for both psoriatic arthritis and psoriatic skin lesions.