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Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: psoriasis + itch + unscratchable  Related to the article below (Last Update: 12/1/2008)

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Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: psoriasis + itch + unscratchable  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/5/2008)

Manhattan Falls Short on Phase II Trial for Psoriasis FDA news (subscription), VA - Manhattan Pharmaceuticals? Phase IIa clinical study of topical PTH (1-34) for the treatment of mild-to-moderate plaque psoriasis failed to improve patients? ...OTC:MHAN Study Reveals Novel LCD Solution Provides Significant Benefits ... MarketWatch - Jul 31, 2008 Specifically, results of an interim analysis reveal the LCD solution is outperforming calcipotriol cream in achieving improvement of psoriasis symptoms ... Manhattan Pharmaceuticals Announces Results of Phase 2a Study of ... MarketWatch - Jul 31, 2008 ... of treatment lesions or signs and symptoms of psoriasis (redness, scaling, plaque thickness, and itch) as compared to the vehicle (placebo) gel. ...OTC:MHAN Barrier Therapeutics Introduces Dual-Component Xolegel CorePak(TM ... MarketWatch - Jul 28, 2008 Now, patients with this chronic skin condition need only one prescription to get quick itch relief and to safely manage the overall condition long term. ...BTRX Psoriasis: More Than Skin Deep RedOrbit, TX - Jul 13, 2008 For decades, researchers have known that psoriasis-a chronic skin condition characterized by thick, red, scaly plaques that itch and bleed-can significantly ... The Standard Natural balm for itchy skin The Standard, Hong Kong - Jul 7, 2008 Anyone with psoriasis knows the misery of an itch that never goes away. The worst part is that the skin condition is believed to be genetic, ...

Psoriasis - The Unscratchable Itch

The word "psoriasis" is derived from the Greek word for "itch." but unlike some pesky prickle, psoriasis can’t be scratched away. More than seven million Americans suffer with psoriasis, a chronic skin disease characterized by an overproduction of skin cells that result in flaky and patchy raised areas on the skin’s surface.

Below, two experts in psoriasis offer a full introduction to this chronic disease. Let’s start with the basics. What is psoriasis?
MARK LEBWOHL, MD: Psoriasis is a disorder of the skin in which an abnormality of the immune system triggers the release of substances that cause the cells of the skin to multiply too quickly. Ordinarily, skin cells on the superficial area of the skin regenerate about every 28 days. In those with psoriasis, that same portion of the skin may be made over every two to four days, and that skin comes up as thick, scaly, red plaques.

Are there some parts of the body that are more susceptible to psoriasis than others?
KENNETH GORDON, MD: Typically traumatic areas are more susceptible, like elbows and knees, and the lower part of the back. But the important thing to remember is, psoriasis can happen anywhere on the body. Anywhere there’s skin you can have psoriasis.

How common are these more serious forms of psoriasis?
MARK LEBWOHL, MD: Fortunately they are rare. They’re most commonly triggered by systemic steroids, or withdrawal of systemic steroids.

If someone has a very chronic case of psoriasis, are other parts of the body affected by it?
MARK LEBWOHL, MD: The one particular part of the body that can routinely be affected in patients with psoriasis are the joints. It turns out that roughly 7%, or a little less than one out of ten patients who have psoriasis, will have significant psoriatic arthritis, meaning inflammation of the joints. There are several different forms of that, and it can range in severity from fairly mild to quite severe and debilitating.

Who gets psoriasis? How common is it?
MARK LEBWOHL, MD: It affects a little over 2.5% of the population, and it can affect anyone. Ordinarily, about a third of patients have a family history of the disease. Two-thirds of patients don’t know of someone else in the family had the disease. Nevertheless, it can affect anyone, and it can actually start at any age. There have been patients who were born with psoriasis. There are patients who develop psoriasis for the first time after the age of 100. An average age

Is it contagious?
KENNETH GORDON, MD: It is not contagious at all.

Why does psoriasis happen?
KENNETH GORDON, MD: A patient who is genetically predisposed to developing the disease will have some kind of immune challenge. That challenge will cause the immune cells, the lymphocytes, to respond and go to the skin and release cytokines, which induce the skin cells to change. The problem is, we don’t know exactly what causes those lymphocytes to behave in that manner, and that’s why we don’t fully understand the etiology. But we do know that the lymphocytes that cause those problems are necessary for the disease, and the elimination of their activity can help to treat the disease.

How significantly does this disease affect patients?
KENNETH GORDON, MD: The effects of psoriasis are very far-ranging in both patients’ health and the way they view themselves. Patients with psoriasis view their disease as something as disabling as diabetes or congestive heart failure. And it’s important to remember that these people have a very visible disease on their skin. They’re sometimes not allowed in a swimming pool because of the myth that psoriasis is contagious. Disease that affects only the palms or soles might be very debilitating because of pain on walking or holding a pencil. Patients will go a long way to try to get treatment because of the both mental and physical disabling properties of the disease.

So quite a severe psychological toll can be exacted, as well?
KENNETH GORDON, MD: There are surveys that show that the psychological toll of psoriasis is the equivalent of depression, which is about as severe as you can get.

What hope is there out there for patients who have it now?
MARK LEBWOHL, MD: I would say if you looked over the past 20 or 30 years at drugs that have been introduced for a variety of dermatologic conditions, an enormous proportion have been introduced for psoriasis. A lot of that is due to the patient advocacy groups, like the National Psoriasis Foundation, that have been pushing for new treatments. Also, there are a number of drugs on the horizon that will be approved for psoriasis that I think are both safer and as effective, or more effective, than many of the treatments we use today.