The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on psoriasis patients, and their immunosuppressive treatment: a cross-sectional multicenter study from Turkey

Abstract

Background

Immunosuppressive therapy has been a great concern during the pandemic. This study aimed to evaluate the pandemic's impact on psoriasis patients treated with immunosuppressive drugs.

Material and Methods

The multicenter study was conducted in 14 tertiary dermatology centers. Demographic data, treatment status, disease course, and cases of COVID-19 were evaluated in patients with psoriasis using the immunosuppressive treatment.

Results

Of 1827 patients included, the drug adherence rate was 68.2%. Those receiving anti-interleukin (anti-IL) drugs were more likely to continue treatment than patients receiving conventional drugs (OR = 1.50, 95% CI, 1.181–1.895, p = .001). Disease worsening rate was 24.2% and drug dose reduction increased this rate 3.26 and drug withdrawal 8.71 times. Receiving anti-TNF or anti-IL drugs was associated with less disease worsening compared to conventional drugs (p = .038, p = .032; respectively). Drug withdrawal causes were ‘unable to come’ (39.6%), ‘COVID concern’ (25.3%), and ‘physician’s and patient’s co-decision’ (17.4%). Four patients had COVID-19 infection with mild symptoms. The incidence was 0.0022% while it was 0.0025% in the general population.

Conclusion

Our study shows that psoriasis patients using systemic immunosuppressive do not have a higher, but even lower COVID-19 risk than the general population, and treatment compliance with biological drugs is higher.

Keywords:

• COVID-19
• psoriasis
• immunosuppressive drugs
• biologics
• treatment adherence

Ethics approval

The study was approved by both the Ethics Committee of Ankara Diskapi Yildirim Beyazit Research and Training Hospital (85/13) and Ministry of Health Scientific Research Platform (2021-03-02T18_10_24) regarding certifying that the study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki.

Disclosure of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Data availability statement

Data are available upon request from the authors.