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Updated: Mar 26, 2026
11:39
The Goeckerman Regimen for the Treatment of Moderate to Severe Psoriasis
Published on: July 11, 2013
39.7K
Are biologics useful for nail psoriasis?
Andrea Antúnez-Lay1, Jorge Cabrolier2, Romina Andino-Navarrete3
1Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile; Proyecto Epistemonikos, Santiago, Chile. Address: Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Lira 63, Santiago Centro, Chile.
Medwave
|January 29, 2016
Summary
Biological therapies may help nail psoriasis, but evidence is very limited. More research is needed to determine if these treatments are better than placebo for nail psoriasis outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Rheumatology
- Clinical Evidence Synthesis
Background:
- Psoriasis commonly affects the skin but can also impact nails and surrounding tissues.
- Nail psoriasis presents a therapeutic challenge with ongoing interest in advanced treatments.
- Current treatment options for nail psoriasis are diverse, yet consensus on biological therapy's role is lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of biological therapy compared to placebo for nail psoriasis.
- To synthesize current evidence on biological treatments for nail psoriasis using meta-analysis.
Main Methods:
- Systematic search of the Epistemonikos database, screening 30 sources.
- Inclusion of two systematic reviews comprising three randomized controlled trials.
- Meta-analysis of combined evidence, with findings summarized using the GRADE approach.
Main Results:
- The meta-analysis revealed very low certainty evidence regarding biological therapy for nail psoriasis.
- Insufficient data exists to definitively conclude on the superiority of biological therapy over placebo.
Conclusions:
- The effectiveness of biological therapy for nail psoriasis remains uncertain due to very low-quality evidence.
- Further high-quality randomized controlled trials are necessary to establish the role of biological therapy in managing nail psoriasis.
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