Treatment of severe psoriasis with infliximab

Abstract

Psoriasis is a chronic, immune mediated inflammatory disease characterized by increased cell signalling via cytokines and chemokines on a background of up-regulated gene expression. There is substantial evidence that psoriasis should be regarded as more than a cutaneous disease; major psychological morbidity and increased mortality from cardiovascular disease and cancer are increasingly recognized. Improved understanding of the genetic and immunological mechanisms underpinning psoriasis has occurred concurrently with the development of targeted biological therapies including infliximab. These newer therapeutic approaches can be very effective but their long term safety profile is not yet fully determined.