Selda Pelin Kartal1, Gökçen Çelik2, Oğuz Yılmaz3, Eda Öksüm Solak4, Büşra Demirbağ Gül5, Tuba Kevser Üstünbaş6, Melis Gönülal7, Sevim Baysak8, Esma İnan Yüksel9, Begüm Ünlü10, Münevver Güven11, Ali Bozdağ12, Gökhan Çınar13, Selim Kartal14, Murat Borlu4, Müge Güler Özden5, Burhan Engin6, Server Serdaroğlu6, Didem Didar Balcı7, Bilal Doğan15, Demet Çiçek9, Ayça Cordan Yazıcı10, Sema Aytekin16, Neslihan Şendur11, Hayriye Sarıcaoglu12, Nida Gelincik Kaçar13, Asena Cigdem Doğramacı14, Levent Dönmez17, Erkan Alpsoy3. 1. Department of Dermatology, University of Health Sciences Turkey, Dışkapı Education and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. 2. Polatlı State Hospital, Dermatology Clinic, Ankara, Turkey. 3. Department of Dermatology, Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine, Antalya, Turkey. 4. Department of Dermatology, Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine, Kayseri, Turkey. 5. Department of Dermatology, Ondokuzmayıs University Faculty of Medicine, Samsun, Turkey. 6. Department of Dermatology, Cerrrahpaşa University, Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey. 7. Tepecik Education and Research Hospital Department of Dermatology, University of Health Sciences Turkey, İzmir, Turkey. 8. Department of Dermatology, University of Health Sciences Turkey, Sultan 2. Abdulhamid Han Education and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey. 9. Department of Dermatology, Fırat University Faculty of Medicine, Elazığ, Turkey. 10. Department of Dermatology, Mersin University Faculty of Medicine, Mersin, Turkey. 11. Department of Dermatology, Aydın Adnan Menderes University Faculty of Medicine, Aydın, Turkey. 12. Department of Dermatology, Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey. 13. Department of Dermatology, Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine, Denizli, Turkey. 14. Department of Dermatology, Mustafa Kemal University Faculty of Medicine, Hatay, Turkey. 15. Department of Dermatology, Maltepe University Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey. 16. Department of Dermatology, University of Health Sciences Turkey, Haydarpaşa Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. 17. Department of Public Health, Akdeniz University Faculty of Medicine, Antalya, 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.
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.