The Relationship Between Biologics and Patients With Psoriasis Exacerbated by COVID-19

According to a study published in Heliyon, there is a protective role of biologic agents in patients with psoriasis who were infected with COVID-19.

Researchers aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 infection on psoriasis exacerbation in patients treated with 3 different biologics: adalimumab, secukinumab, and ixekizumab. The research included 209 participants and measured the change in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) scores (ΔPASI) as an indicator of psoriasis exacerbation after COVID-19 infection. The study established 2 endpoints: ΔPASI >0 indicated psoriasis exacerbation, whereas ΔPASI >3 defined severe exacerbation of psoriasis symptoms.

The results demonstrated that the severity of psoriasis could worsen following COVID-19 infection, but a smaller proportion of patients using biologics experienced exacerbation compared to those not using biologics. Notably, statistically significant differences were observed in patients taking ixekizumab (P < .05), whereas adalimumab and secukinumab did not show significant differences. Furthermore, the study explored the impact of biologic agents on serum OAS1, OAS2, and OAS3 levels. The use of biologics was associated with lower serum OAS2 and OAS3 levels, whereas the OAS1 level was elevated in patients with psoriasis treated with biologics.

“This study provided new insights into the protective role of biological agents in patients with psoriasis who were infected with COVID-19, and we proposed that psoriatic patients treated with biologics should continue with the treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic,” the authors concluded.

Reference
Zheng YX, Chen XB, Wang ZY, Ye LR, Zheng M, Man XY. Biologics protect psoriasis patients from being exacerbated by COVID-19 infection. Heliyon. Published online January 14, 2024. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24534