title: Efficacy of adalimumab in the treatment of psoriasis: a retrospective study of 15 patients in daily practice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Adalimumab is a fully human IgG1 monoclonal antibody that binds to tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a key proinflammatory cytokine involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  A single-center, retrospective study was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of adalimumab in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis in daily practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of 15 patients with moderate to severe psoriasis treated with adalimumab during a 1-year period were reviewed. Previous conventional systemic treatments or other biological agents were unsuccessful. All patients received subcutaneous injections of an initial dose of adalimumab (80 mg) at week 0 followed by adalimumab (40 mg) every other week.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A 75% improvement in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 75) score was achieved by 80% of patients at week 24 and by 73.3% of patients at week 48. Moreover, 13.3% of patients were almost completely cleared (PASI 90) at week 48. At 24 weeks, adalimumab therapy increased significantly a patient's quality of life as assessed by the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) (p = 0.001). The Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (NAPSI) decreased from a mean (SD) of 18.9 (12.2) to 8.2 (4.7) (p = 0.001) at week 24. Palmoplantar psoriasis decreased from a mean score of 1.1 (1.3) to 0.5 (0.9) (p = 0.026) and scalp involvement from a mean of 2.5 (1.2) to 1.1 (1.0) (p = 0.002) at week 24. Out of 11 patients with pruritus at the pre-treatment visit, this symptom had completely disappeared in nine of them after 24 weeks of treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Treatment with adalimumab proved to be effective for the management of chronic moderate to severe plaque-type psoriasis in patients whose disease had been refractory to systemic conventional therapies or other biologic agents.
authors.affiliation: Psoriasis and Phototherapy Center, Department of Dermatology, Hospital Universitari del Sagrat Cor, C/Paris 83-85, Barcelona, Spain. 38725jso@comb.cat
authors.forename: Joaquín
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sola-Ortigosa
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Regaña
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Umbert-Millet
mesh_terms: D000068879:Adalimumab; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000068879:Adalimumab