According to a recent study published in Dermatology, inflammatory phenotype (IP) is associated with high C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, showcasing the increased cardiovascular risk in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and suggesting different therapeutic approaches may be necessary.
In an effort to determine whether lesion pattern phenotypes consist of a different cardiovascular risk factor and associate with different therapeutic approaches within a HS clinic, a retrospective cohort study was conducted. The study examined the data of patients with HS and classified them according to lesion pattern phenotype criteria. It also gathered information on the cardiovascular risk factors along with treatment options.
Of the 233 patients included, 50.21% (n=117) were classified as follicular phenotype (FP) while the remaining 48.07% were IP. In further findings, IP was shown to be at a higher cardiovascular risk regardless of disease severity as determined by the CRP levels, which proved to be higher (12.75 vs 5.89, P=.059). Treatment decisions also proved to impact the severity of lesion pattern phenotypes; IP was more likely to be to be treated with systemic corticosteroids and adalimumab, noting that lesion pattern phenotypes are associated with different treatments.
Overall, IP was associated with a more severe disease and therefore had a negative impact on quality of life. “This information could help guide dermatologists in the management of HS patients and help to determine future treatment recommendations,” concluded the study authors. —Jessica Garlewicz
Reference
Cuenca-Barrales C, Montero-Vilchez T, Salvador-Rodríguez L, Sánchez-Díaz M, Arias-Santiago S, Molina-Leyva A. Implications of hidradenitis suppurativa phenotypes in cardiovascular risk and treatment decisions: a retrospective cohort study. Dermatology. Published January 21, 2021. doi:10.1159/000513044
