Non-randomized pilot study on the evaluation of the quality of life and psychosocial stress before and after systemic therapy in patients affected by moderate to severe psoriasis.

Abstract Psoriasis has a major impact on patients? lives, affecting them physically, psychologically and socially. The aim of this study is to investigate psoriasis in relation to quality of life and psychological stress in two groups of patients treated with biologics and narrow-band UVB, respectively. We conducted a nonrandomized, prospective, comparative pilot study on 40 patients suffering from moderate to severe psoriasis. The comparison of the delta score of Skindex-29, Psoriasis Life Stress Inventory and the PASI at baseline and at the end of the treatment in the two groups highlighted the variation of the Psoriasis Life Stress Inventory which resulted significantly higher (P<0.001) in the group treated with biologics. The ease of administrating the combination Etanercept and Efalizumab, with consequent reduction of stress levels, attains a better control of psoriasis compared to phototherapy.