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Efficacy and safety of tofacitinib for chronic plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

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Abstract

Objectives

To summarize and analyze the results of published randomized controlled trials of tofacitinib for the treatment of chronic plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis(PsA) and discuss its efficacy and safety.

Patients and methods

An exhaustive systematic search encompassing PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, and Web of Science databases was conducted up to July 2023. Studies eligible for inclusion were analyzed, organized using Review Manager version 5.4.1 (Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford, UK) and STATA 15.0 version (Stata Corp, College Station, TX, USA) software.

Results

A total of six articles, covering 1393 patients (844 treated with tofacitinib and 549 with placebo), were included. The foundational characteristics of tofacitinib and placebo group showed similarity, except for age and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) score, especially in the context of chronic plaque psoriasis. It is noteworthy that we discovered tofacitinib exhibited a significant impact on Psoriasis Area and Severity Index 75 (PASI75) response, Physician’s Global Assessment (PGA) response, and adverse events (AEs) in cases of chronic plaque psoriasis. Similarly, tofacitinib demonstrated substantial influence on American College of Rheumatology 20/50 (ACR20/50) response, PASI75 response, as well as alterations in Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F) Score, Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) Score, Dactylitis Severity Score (DSS), and Leeds Enthesitis Index (LEI) Score in the context of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Nevertheless, there was no statistically significant impact of tofacitinib on serious adverse events (SAEs) in chronic plaque psoriasis, as well as on both adverse events (AEs) and SAEs in psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Conclusions

A comprehensive analysis revealed that tofacitinib has a positive effect on addressing skin and joint symptoms, as well as improving the quality of life for patients with chronic plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). However, the safety of the drug’s long-term usage even requires further validation.

Key Points

• In 6 analyses involving a total of 1393 patients, tofacitinib exhibits positive effect on the treatment of both chronic plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

• Although dose-based subgroup analyses have demonstrated effectiveness. Some studies indicate that the 5-mg dose (twice daily) may not show an effect due to the failure of non-inferiority trials comparing tofacitinib with placebo. Therefore, caution is required when interpreting its effectiveness. On the other hand, the 10-mg dose (BID) has been associated with an increase in adverse events and serious adverse events, and is recommended to be used with caution in patients with cardiovascular or uveitis risk factors.

• Tofacitinib has efficacy in comorbid psychiatric disorders (depression, anxiety, or Alzheimer’s disease) and inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis), but patients with comorbid renal insufficiency, hepatic dysfunction, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, or uveitis may need to be moderated or avoided with tofacitinib.

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Acknowledgements

Thank you to all the people who participated in the research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China

    Qianqian Dai & Yanfeng Zhang

  2. Department of Dermatology, Shushan TCM Clinic, Anhui Xin’an TCM Medical Service Co., LTD, Hefei, China

    Qianqian Dai & Qian Liu

  3. Department of Dermatology, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin, China

    Chijin Zhang

  4. Anhui University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China

    Qian Liu

  5. Department of Dermatology, Tangshan Fengnan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tangshan, China

    Yanfeng Zhang

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  1. Qianqian Dai
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Contributions

QD, YZ, QL, and CZ: conception and design.

QD: administrative supports.

QD, YZ, and QL: provision of materials or patients.

QD, YZ, and QL: data collection and assembly.

QD, YZ, QL, and CZ: data analysis and interpretation.

QD, YZ: manuscript writing.

All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.

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Correspondence to Chijin Zhang.

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Dai, Q., Zhang, Y., Liu, Q. et al. Efficacy and safety of tofacitinib for chronic plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clin Rheumatol 43, 1605–1613 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10067-024-06940-5

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