Does biological agent treatment have an impact on serum uric acid levels in patients with psoriasis?

Abstract

Objective

High serum uric acid levels have been associated with psoriasis as well as cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of biologic agent treatment on serum uric acid levels in patients with psoriasis.

Methods

Between April 2019 and September 2022, serum uric acid levels were retrospectively evaluated in patients with psoriasis before and 3 months after biologic agent treatment.

Results

This study included 224 patients, 100 females and 124 males, who were treated with TNF-α, IL-17, IL-12/23, and IL-23 inhibitors. Uric acid levels were significantly higher in men compared to women (p < 0.001), higher in overweight and obese patients compared to those with normal weight (p = 0.004), and higher in patients with severe versus mild psoriasis (p = 0.028). The mean serum uric acid level decreased significantly from 5.89 ± 1.53 mg/dL to 5.41 ± 1.39 mg/dL in all patients 3 months after biological agent treatment (p < 0.001). A statistically significant decrease in serum uric acid levels was detected in patients treated with adalimumab (p < 0.001), infliximab (p = 0.002), ixekizumab (p = 0.001), secukinumab (p = 0.012), and ustekinumab (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

Since high serum uric acid levels have been associated with increased risk for cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndrome, treatment of psoriasis with adalimumab, infliximab, ixekizumab, secukinumab, and ustekinumab may have a positive impact on cardiometabolic comorbidities.

Keywords:

• Biological agents
• psoriasis
• treatment
• uric acid

Transparency

Declaration of funding

This article was not funded.

Declaration of financial/other relationships

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties. Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Author contributions

Conception and design (Funda Tamer, Yusuf Can Edek, Ahmet Burhan Aksakal); analysis and interpretation of the data (Funda Tamer, Yusuf Can Edek); drafting of the manuscript (Funda Tamer); revising it critically for intellectual content (Funda Tamer, Yusuf Can Edek, Ahmet Burhan Aksakal). All the authors approved the final version of the manuscript.

Acknowledgements

None.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [FT], upon reasonable request.