Psoriasis Plaque Thickness Linked to Disease Traits

Thin, thick plaque attributes may help identify genetics of psoriasis

WEDNESDAY, Nov. 22 (HealthDay News) -- The thickness of psoriatic plaques may be associated with other psoriasis presentations and may help to shed light on its genetic characteristics, according to a report in the November issue of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.

Tanya E. Christensen, M.D., of the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City, and colleagues evaluated prospective data from 500 Utah Psoriasis Initiative participants who answered questions on plaque thickness when their disease was at its worst.

For 144 subjects (28.8 percent), worst disease was associated with thick plaques, 123 subjects (24.6 percent) reported thin plaques, and 233 (46.6 percent) said intermediate thickness. Thickness was significantly correlated with "worst ever" disease for 122 subjects. Males, higher body mass index, nail disease, psoriatic arthritis, larger plaques and greater body surface area affected were linked to thicker plaques. Eczema, skin cancer and guttate psoriasis were linked to thin plaques.

"We suggest that this is preliminary evidence that plaque thickness is an easily measured trait that associates with other clinical features of psoriasis, and that stratification on this phenotype may be useful in further defining the genetic basis of this disease," the authors conclude.

Abstract
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