title: The risk of deep fungal infections during biologic therapy for psoriasis.
abstract: With a growing understanding of the pathogenesis and immunological basis of psoriasis, the medical community has seen the development of more focused biological treatment options for patients suffering from the disease, which are beginning to revolutionize the treatment of psoriasis. It is already well known that certain biologics are associated with an increased risk of reactivating tuberculosis in patients with latent disease, however, with increasing use of biologic agents across indications, there has also been a rise in reports of associated deep fungal infections. The mechanism of action of these biologic anti-psoriatic therapies allows physicians to address the underlying cause of patients' symptoms. The question though, is whether this same therapeutic mechanism may predispose patients to serious infections, including deep fungal infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jourabchi
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Adelzadeh
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D001691:Biological Therapy; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015994:Incidence; D009181:Mycoses / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011379:Prognosis; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000628:therapy*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D007155:Immunologic Factors