Active clinical trials for "Psoriasis"

Tachyphylaxis occurs when a medication is applied multiple times and a decreased response takes place. Many dermatologists believe that tachyphylaxis to topical steroids commonly occur. Other believe that tachyphylaxis can be explain by patient non-compliance with topical medications. This study is looking to prove or disprove the phenomenon of tachyphylaxis by using topical steroids in the psoriasis patient population. The investigators are looking to enroll 10 patients with symmetric, bilateral, and small psoriasis plaques. The investigators will either apply a strong topical steroid or a vehicle ointment to the plaques, which is be occluded with a band aid for a one week period. Weekly, the investigators will inspect the plaques for tachyphylaxis. This regimen will be repeated during phase 2, to see if there is change in the time to tachyphylaxis. This regimen will be repeated during phase 3, however, both plaques will be treated with steroid in this phase, and time to tachyphylaxis will be measured.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of adalimumab as used in routine clinical practice in adult patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis in Spain.

Psoriasis vulgaris is no longer considered as a chronic inflammatory disease restricted to the skin. Evidence has accumulated in the past that psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory systemic disease. As in rheumatoid arthritis, the chronic inflammatory process plays a central role in the pathogenesis of associated comorbidities such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Since several years the armamentarium of psoriasis treatment has been broadened by the availability of TNF alpha blockers. These neutralize systemic TNF alpha which not only plays a central role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis but has also been linked to inflammatory pathways in diabetes and cardiovascular disease. While a few studies have investigated the positive effects of TNF alpha blockers on associated cardiovascular disease in rheumatoid arthritis patients, no research data exist on the effects of these therapeutic agents in patients with moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis. The present study aims at determining the effects of adalimumab, a potent and frequently prescribed TNF alpha blocker for the treatment of psoriasis, on different diabetic and cardiovascular risk factors in patients receiving this treatment as a remedy for moderate to severe plaque type psoriasis. The study is designed to explore whether adalimumab is capable to prevent or modulate psoriasis-associated comorbidities by blocking systemic inflammation. The effects of adalimumab will be compared with those of fumaric acids, which represent an established traditional systemic treatment option for moderate to severe psoriasis. Study hypothesis: Therapy with adalimumab will lead to an improvement of several parameters that reflect the risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis due to chronic inflammation. Endothelial dysfunction, as assessed by ultrasound flow mediated dilatation, will serve as primary outcome measure. Other risk factors such as blood lipids, hsCRP, IL-6, endothelial adhesion molecules, parameters of glucose metabolism and carotid intima-media thickness will be secondary outcomes. Aim: If adalimumab and/or fumaric acids will show a significant impact on the above mentioned parameters, these findings would offer a new perspective for the long term management of psoriatic patients and their comorbidities. Study design: Randomized, prospective, controlled, parallel group study Study population: 66 patients

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long-term safety of Humira® in Adult Patients with Chronic Plaque Psoriasis (Ps).

The survey will be conducted with regard to the following aspects of treatment with Humira (adalimumab) in patients with psoriasis vulgaris and psoriatic arthritis receiving this drug: unknown adverse drug reactions, especially clinically significant adverse reactions incidence and conditions of occurrence of adverse reactions in the clinical setting factors that may affect the safety and effectiveness of Humira.

The purpose of this study is to conduct an economic analysis on the cost of conventional therapy as compared to biologic therapy and the direct/indirect costs of disease management in patients with refractory psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Primary outcomes are to qualify the economic burden of refractory PsA care. The secondary outcomes are to assess efficacy, safety, and cost effectiveness of different therapies.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the safety profile and the effectiveness of etanercept under usual care settings in patients with PsA treated by dermatologists.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the long-term safety and profile of psoriasis patients who have completed participation in a previous study and who received treatment with MEDI-507.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the incidences of adverse events for patients with plaque psoriasis treated with Enbrel under usual care settings.

This study will examine the production of proteins called chemokines in inflammatory skin reactions. It is thought that chemokines attract or recruit white blood cells from the blood stream into the skin when there is a skin injury or infection, causing inflammation. This study will examine chemokine production in induced inflammatory reactions to try to gain a better understanding of how white blood cells are attracted to inflamed areas of the body. Healthy normal volunteers between 33 and 60 years old may be eligible for this study if they 1) have no history of chronic skin disease; 2) are not allergic to eggs; and 3) do not tend to form large irregular scars after trauma to the skin from, for example, cuts, scratches and surgical incisions. Candidates will be asked a short series of questions and have a limited skin examination. Participants will have 10 ml (2 tablespoons) of blood drawn from an arm vein at the start and end of the 5-day study and undergo the following procedures: Day 1 - Participants receive an injection in the right upper arm of mumps antigen (a protein commonly used to tests for immunization against mumps) and an injection of "vehicle" (saline plus the preservatives thimerosal, glycine and formaldehyde) in the left upper arm. Day 3 - Participants who develop a swelling from the mumps antigen larger than 5 mm wide will receive another injection of antigen in the right arm and another injection of vehicle in the left arm. Those whose swelling is not greater than 5 mm will be excluded from the study at this point. Day 5 - All four injection sites, plus another site on the left upper arm will be biopsied. For this procedure the five injection areas are numbed with a local anesthetic. A punch biopsy instrument that resembles a small cookie cutter (about one-third the diameter of a dime) is inserted about one-fifth of an inch deep into the skin and the tissue is removed. Two stitches are used to close the wound. Antibiotic and bandages are applied for 5 days. Nine days after the biopsy the participant returns to NIH for removal of the stitches. New molecular biology techniques will be used to measure changes in chemokine production in the biopsied tissue.