The most frequently prescribed category of antipsoriatic

The most frequently prescribed category of antipsoriatic medications was topical corticosteroids, and up to 98.4% of patients received such treatment. Although no cure is available for psoriasis, many treatment options exist. These include topical agents, phototherapy, and systemic biologic and nonbiologic agents.
Methods
Results The consensus statements on general management of psoriasis and treatment options, including topical agents, phototherapy, nonbiologic systemic agents, licensed biologic systemic agents, newly emerging therapies, combination therapy, transitional therapy, and traditional Chinese medicine are summarized in Tables 1–10, respectively. The voting results are given in brackets after each statement. For example, “16 out of 19, 84.2%” means that out of 19 panel members who voted, 16 (84.2%) have graded the statement from 7 to 9. We may also add a symbol of R1 or R2 to the brackets, denoting the number of amendments made to the item discussed before consensus has been achieved. R1 represents one round of amendment, and R2 two rounds. The consensus statements on general management of psoriasis are shown in Tables 1 and 2, on topical agents in Table 3, on phototherapy in Table 4, on nonbiologic systemic agents in Table 5, on licensed biologic systemic agents in Table 6, on emerging therapy for psoriasis in Table 7, on combination therapy in Table 8, on transitional therapy in Table 9 and on traditional Chinese medicine in Table 10.
Discussion
Conclusion
Acknowledgments The consensus meetings have been supported by unrestricted funding from Novartis, AbbVie, Pfizer, and Janssen-Cilag Pharmaceuticals.
Introduction Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects not only the skin but also joints. Psoriasis is often associated with psychosocial burden that impairs patients\' quality of life. The etiology of psoriasis has not been fully elucidated, but a growing body of literature has indicated that psoriasis is highly related to dysregulated immune response. In the past two decades, the development of biologics targeting specific immune GSK2126458 manufacturer has led to dramatic advancements in therapeutics. More specifically, the Th17 signaling pathway, which is polarized by interleukin (IL)-23, is critical in the development and maintenance of psoriasis. Aberrant T cell polarization and abnormalities in the activation of chemokines and chemokine receptors might also play significant roles in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. IL-23 recruits chemokine receptor 6 (CCR6)-expressing Th17, and CCR6 is essential for initiation of psoriatic lesions in the mouse model. Psoriasis has been associated with an increased risk of certain malignancies, cardiovascular diseases, and autoimmune diseases (e.g., ulcerative colitis). Moreover, population-based studies have suggested a relationship between psoriasis and metabolic syndrome. A recent meta-analysis revealed that the pooled odds ratio for metabolic syndrome among patients with psoriasis was 2.26 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.70–3.01] compared with the general population. Epidemiologic studies also showed that psoriasis is associated with morbidity of circulatory diseases, including myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease and stroke. Taken together, psoriasis is a systemic disease involving more than merely the skin. As a disease with chronic inflammation status, psoriasis confers the risk of other diseases associated with chronic inflammation, including malignancies and atherosclerosis. Risk factors for kidney failure include the use of nephrotoxic drugs [e.g., nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)], concomitant hypertension, diabetes mellitus, lupus erythematosus, intrinsic renal parenchyma and vascular diseases. Among these risk factors, hypertension and diabetes mellitus have also been associated with psoriasis. The possible association of psoriasis with chronic renal disease corresponds with the finding that antipsoriatic biologic agents may induce autoimmune renal disorders. In addition, the Th17 immune response, which is increased in psoriatic lesions, also plays an important role in renal inflammatory diseases, including lupus nephritis and antiglomerular basement membrane glomerulonephritis. An increasing body of data indicates that the chemokine receptor CCR6 recruits Th17 cells and participates in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and glomerulonephritis. For the reasons cited above, it is worthwhile to investigate the prevalence of renal disease in patients with psoriasis.