Residual Inflammation Seen in One-Third of Patients With Psoriasis on Biologics
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, May 21, 2025 -- For patients with psoriasis receiving biologic therapy, residual inflammation (RI), defined as increased inflammatory markers in blood, characterized by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, despite receiving optimal medical therapy, is observed in about one-third of patients, according to a study published online May 20 in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
Alba Lecumberri, M.D., from the Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal in Madrid, and colleagues examined RI in patients with psoriasis undergoing biologic therapy in a prospective observational study conducted across three international cohorts. The cohorts included 209 patients with psoriasis who achieved a Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score of ≤2 after stable biologic therapy.
The researchers found that 36.3 percent of patients had RI, which was significantly associated with higher body mass index, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, increased baseline systemic inflammation, and visceral adipose tissue. In the three cohorts, female sex was a predictor of RI.
"Despite treatment with biologic drugs and adequate skin control, a significant proportion of patients persisted with systemic inflammation, suggesting that nonvisible inflammation may still contribute to cardiovascular risk," the authors write. "Addressing RI in patients with psoriasis could ultimately lead to more comprehensive treatment strategies aimed at reducing both skin and systemic inflammation."
Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted May 2025
Read this next
Exposure to Certain HIV Drugs May Significantly Lower Risk for Alzheimer Disease
TUESDAY, May 20, 2025 -- Exposure to nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), which treat HIV and hepatitis B and inhibit inflammasome activation, is associated with a...
CVD Mortality Higher in Women Than Men With Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases
TUESDAY, May 13, 2025 -- For patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID), cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality decreased from 1999 to 2020, but sex disparities...
Psoriatic Arthritis Tied to Delays in Diagnosis Compared With Rheumatoid Arthritis
WEDNESDAY, April 30, 2025 -- Patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) have delays in diagnosis compared with those with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to a study published...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.