Scalp, Nail Psoriasis Improve with TNF Inhibitor

Psoriasis of Back.

Psoriasis is a very bad skin disease and treatment is not that satisfactory. The clipped article highlights the role of tumor necrosis factor in its treatment.
I quote;

"The scalp severity score declined by more than 80% and the nail index by 36% after 16 weeks of treatment with the TNF inhibitor adalimumab (Humira) with or without concomitant topical treatment. "

Psoriasis of nail. clipped from www.medpagetoday.com By Charles Bankhead, Staff Writer, MedPage Today Published: October 09, 2009 Reviewed by Dina M. Began, MD; Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine (Dermatology), Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner Action Points Explain to patients that a biological drug improved psoriasis of the skin and scalp, as well as skin lesions. Explain that the drug is not approved in the U.S. for treatment of psoriasis. Note that this study was published as an abstract and presented at a conference. These data and conclusions should be considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scalp and nail involvement slowed the overall skin response to anti-TNF therapy but did significantly affect improvement rates at the end of the study, investigators reported here at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology meeting.