Marked improvement in nail psoriasis during treatment with adalimumab.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Nail involvement is known as a common finding in psoriatic patients and represents a significant impact on patients' quality of life. The treatment of nail psoriasis is often challenging, and there is a need for new therapeutic options. Biologicals effective in the treatment of moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis may represent a new therapeutic modality for this disease. Adalimumab is a fully human IgG1 monoclonal antibody that binds to tumor necrosis factor alpha with high affinity and specificity.

OBSERVATIONS:

We report two cases of rapid improvement in nail psoriasis under adalimumab monotherapy with maintained effectiveness despite intermittent treatment as well as long remission after therapy discontinuation.

CONCLUSION:

The marked improvement of our two cases indicates that adalimumab may also help ameliorate nail psoriasis and warrants further controlled studies to establish the effectiveness and therapeutic regimes.

• Authors: N Irla, N Yawalkar
• Journal: Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland) (Dermatology) Vol. 219 Issue 4 Pg. 353-6 ( 2009) ISSN: 1421-9832 [Electronic] Switzerland
• PMID: 19851059 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Monoclonal
• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
• Dermatologic Agents
• Adalimumab

Topics

• Adalimumab
• Adult
• Antibodies, Monoclonal (therapeutic use)
• Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
• Dermatologic Agents (therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Nail Diseases (drug therapy, pathology)
• Psoriasis (drug therapy, pathology)
• Quality of Life
• Treatment Outcome