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Thiazolidinediones May Act Against Psoriasis
By David Douglas
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) Mar 26 - Use of oral antidiabetic drugs from the thiazolidinedione group may reduce the risk of developing psoriasis, according to Swiss and US researchers reporting in the March issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Senior investigator Dr. Christoph R. Meier told Reuters Health that "it was postulated that these drugs may have anti-inflammatory effects and therefore may also have beneficial effects on diseases with systemic inflammation, such as psoriasis."
Dr. Meier of University Hospital Basel and colleagues, using a UK general practice database, identified more than 36,000 patients with an incident diagnosis of psoriasis and matched them with a like number of controls.
The adjusted odds ratio for a first time diagnosis of psoriasis in current users of five or more prescriptions for thiazolidinediones was 0.33, as compared to no use. The adjusted odds ratio for metformin was 0.77, and for 15 or more prescriptions for sulfonylureas, the adjusted odds ratio was 1.07.
However, the researchers note that only 100 patients were exposed to thiazolidinediones and that only 48 had had five or more prescriptions. Thus, continued Dr. Meier, "the reduced relative psoriasis risk we found was based on a small number of exposed patients and must not be overinterpreted."
Although prospective trials are essential, Dr. Meier believes that should the findings hold good, research into thiazolidinediones for use against psoriasis may be fruitful -- and he suggested that "patients with psoriasis who also develop type 2 diabetes may preferentially get treatment with thiazolidinediones."
J Am Acad Dermatol 2008;58:421-429.
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