Introduction: Tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α antagonists are effective for the treatment of plaque-type psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, but concerns remain about the safety of these agents in the presence of chronic infections, including past hepatitis B (HBV) and chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections.
Objective: To assess the safety of TNF-α therapy in patients with plaque-type psoriasis and concurrent past HBV or chronic HCV.
Methods: Data were collected retrospectively from patients in the PsoCare Centre, Division of Dermatology II, Florence University. Patients with plaque-type psoriasis who were receiving anti-TNF-α therapy were retrospectively reviewed for the presence of HBV or HCV by a serological evaluation.
Results: Seventeen patients (13 men and four women, age 36-74 years) with plaque-type psoriasis associated with hepatitis infections (11 with past HBV infection, five with chronic HCV infection and one affected by both HBV and HCV) were identified. Fourteen patients had received etanercept, two adalimumab and one adalimumab as a second biologic treatment after an unsuccessful trial of etanercept. In none of the cases were changes in serum aminotransferases or viral load reported.
Conclusions: In our analysis, the use of anti-TNF-α therapy appears to be safe as it did not affect serum aminotransferases or viral load. However, repeated monitoring is necessary throughout the treatment period. Systematic, large-scale studies are also needed to assess the risks and benefits of TNF-α antagonists in these patients.
© 2011 The Authors. BJD © 2011 British Association of Dermatologists.