New results from a prospective, 12-month study indicate that the severity of psoriasis is associated with the severity of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Patients with psoriasis and NAFLD had more severe hepatic damage, if they had a higher severity of psoriasis, based on ultrasound elastography measurements. The study findings were presented today at the 28th EADV Congress in Madrid, Spain.
Researchers from La Paz Hospital, in Madrid, investigated 64 male patients diagnosed with severe psoriasis and NAFLD, who had a mean age of 53.4 years. The severity of psoriasis was measured by using the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) Score. Ultrasound elastography, which maps the elastic properties of soft tissue, was used to evaluate the stiffness of the liver and detect NAFLD. Stiffer liver tissue is usually indicative of NAFLD or liver fibrosis, which can cause cirrhosis, and end-stage liver disease.
Results of the study showed that psoriatic patients with NAFLD had a more severe elatographic hepatic damage if they had a higher level of psoriasis severity.
Psoriasis is a chronic, non-communicable skin disease characterized by bright, silvery-white scales on reddened (inflamed) patches of skin, mainly on the arms and legs, the scalp, but also on many other areas of the body, including the genitals. NAFLD is the most common diffuse liver disease, with a worldwide prevalence of 20% to 46%.
Severity: A critical link
"Previous research has already established a link between psoriasis and NAFLD. This is one of the first studies to assess the relationship between the severity of psoriasis with the severity of NAFLD," noted Dr. Daniel Nieto, lead researcher of the study, who presented the results at the EADV conference.
"In this context, increasing awareness and the continued assessment of the severity of NAFLD in patients with psoriasis by primary care physicians, specialists, health policy makers and patients, should be prioritized to help manage both conditions."
Additional evidence
The relationship between the severity of psoriasis and NAFLD in psoriasis patients is also supported by newly released findings from a separate, descriptive study, which was conducted by researchers based in Iran, in 54 male psoriasis patients.
Analyses from the Iranian study showed that the prevalence of NAFLD was high in patients with psoriasis and the severity of the NAFLD increased in high-grade psoriasis cases. Also, the severity of the NAFLD had a positive correlation with the grade of psoriasis, which is due to pro-inflammatory cytokines and adipocytokine. Cytokines trigger psoriasis and increase the severity of the disease.
The severity of psoriasis in the Iranian study was also assessed by using PASI Score, and the different factors of NAFLD were measured. The data collected were analyzed by using SPSS16 statistical software and chi-square, in addition to Fisher exact test.
Provided by EADV
