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Fumaric acid esters in psoriasis and multiple sclerosis

C Zecca1, M Caporro, M Adami

  • 1Department of Neurology, Neurocenter of Southern Switzerland, Ospedale Regionale, Lugano, Switzerland.

Clinical and Experimental Dermatology
|May 1, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Fumaric acid esters (FAEs) effectively treated severe plaque psoriasis in a multiple sclerosis (MS) patient unresponsive to other therapies. This suggests FAEs may benefit MS patients with treatment-induced psoriasis.

Area of Science:

  • Dermatology and Neurology
  • Immunomodulatory Therapies

Background:

  • Psoriasis and multiple sclerosis (MS) are chronic inflammatory conditions.
  • Fumaric acid esters (FAEs) and dimethylfumarate show efficacy in psoriasis and MS, respectively.
  • Immune-modulating agents, like interferon-β-1a, can induce or exacerbate psoriasis.

Observation:

  • A patient with MS developed severe plaque psoriasis during interferon-β-1a therapy.
  • The patient's psoriasis was refractory to topical treatments and phototherapy.
  • Dimethylfumarate (a component of FAEs) is used for relapsing MS.

Findings:

  • The patient received FAEs at 720 mg daily.
  • Complete remission of psoriatic lesions was observed.
  • Neurological stabilization was maintained over 24 months of follow-up.

Implications:

  • FAEs may be a viable treatment option for plaque psoriasis in MS patients.
  • This approach could be particularly useful for psoriasis induced by immune-modulating agents.
  • Further research into FAEs for managing comorbidities in MS is warranted.

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