View clinical trials related to Psoriasis.
Filter by:To evaluate the feasibility of Retrovir (AZT) in the treatment of psoriasis in HIV antibody positive patients. Retrovir has been shown to be effective in the treatment of AIDS. In addition, the administration of AZT appears to have induced a remission of psoriasis in one case study. In light of AZT's antiviral activity and potential effectiveness as an agent for the treatment of psoriasis, this would be the most likely treatment for HIV positive, psoriatic patients whose disease progresses quickly.
To determine the efficacy of acitretin in the treatment of psoriasis in HIV/AIDS patients. Etretinate, a retinoid, has proven successful in the treatment of HIV-infected patients with psoriasis, but it has an elimination half-life of 100 days. Acitretin, a metabolite of etretinate, has a much shorter half-life of 2 to 3 days. Acitretin has proven effective in treating psoriasis in patients without HIV infection by reducing skin involvement and clearing of the condition, but it has not been thoroughly evaluated in HIV-infected patients.
Several studies have documented an essential role for interleukin-10 (IL-10) in preventing prolonged and exaggerated immune responses to antigens and irritants. Psoriasis, a relatively common disease, is characterized by T cell-mediated inflammation in affected skin. In this study, the safety, tolerance, immunologic effects, and clinical activity of subcutaneous (SC) recombinant human (rh) IL-10 will be evaluated in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. There will be 2 groups of patients, randomized to receive either 20 ug/kg rhIL-10 SC 3 times weekly (20 patients) or SC placebo (10 patients). This double-blind phase will continue for a total of 12 weeks and the principal evaluation will be the comparison between baseline and 12 week Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) scores. Patients will come for an initial screening visit at day 0, and at weeks 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12, with follow-up visits at weeks 16 and 20. All patients will be offered rhIL-10 at 12 weeks (following the blinded portion of the study protocol). Patients initially receiving active medication who wish to continue rhIL-10 therapy will be kept on the drug. This open-label portion of the study will continue for an additional 12 weeks. Patients continuing with active drug will be evaluated at weeks 14, 16, 20, and 24. Skin disease activity and toxicity will be assessed and recorded throughout the study. In addition, research studies will include functional assays to assess cytokine secretion and immunologic function of peripheral blood cells and immunohistochemical characterization of the inflammatory cells in skin.
This is a placebo controlled study evaluating the role of fludarabine (a nucleoside analog targeting both resting and proliferating lymphocytes) in the treatment of moderate to severe psoriotic arthritis. Patients should have failed at least one disease modifying antirheumatic drug.
This study will examine the genetic and immune factors involved in the cause and development of psoriatic arthritis-a disease of both the skin and joints. It will describe the medical features and natural course of the disease and determine participants' eligibility for experimental treatment protocols. Patients with known or suspected psoriatic arthritis 5 years of age and older and their relatives may enroll in this study. Patients will be evaluated with a medical history and physical examination, electrocardiogram, blood tests and X-rays. Additional procedures may include: 1. Leukapheresis-Collection of white blood cells for genetic analysis. Whole blood is collected through a needle placed in an arm vein. The blood circulates through a machine that separates it into its components. The plasma is removed and the cells are returned to the body through a second needle placed in the other arm. 2. Skin biopsy-Removal of a small skin sample for microscopic analysis. An area of skin is numbed with an anesthetic and one to three small circular portions (about 1/4 inch in diameter) are cut and removed. 3. Joint aspiration-Removal of a small sample of synovial fluid (lubricating joint fluid). An area of skin around the biopsy site is numbed with an anesthetic, and a needle is inserted into the joint to pull out a small fluid sample. 4. Synovial needle biopsy-Removal of a small sample of synovial tissue (tissue lining the joint). An area of skin around the biopsy site is numbed with an anesthetic and a large needle is inserted into the joint. A smaller needle attached to a syringe is then placed inside the larger needle and small pieces of synovial tissue are removed. 5. Genetic studies-Saliva and blood samples will be collected for gene testing. Saliva is collected by rinsing the mouth with a tablespoon of salt water and spitting into a test tube. Patients will be followed once or twice a year and may be evaluated for participation in an experimental treatment study. Participating relatives of patients will fill out a brief medical history questionnaire and provide a DNA sample (blood sample or tissue swab from the inside of the cheek).
This study is a pilot trial designed to evaluate topical antiflammin-2, a phospholipase A2 (PLA2) inhibitor, in the treatment of chronic plaque psoriasis. Antiflammin-2 in an ointment base, or the vehicle alone will each be applied four times per day to a single plaque in a randomized, double-blinded fashion.