Patients with no psoriasis risk allele may still benefit from ustekinumab

But ethnicity is an important unknown factor in response rates, say researchers
Reuters Health
plaque psoraisis

Being positive for the psoriasis risk allele is associated with a better response to ustekinumab therapy in patients with plaque psoriasis — but those with negative findings also do well, a meta-analysis shows.

Dutch researchers reviewed eight studies involving more than 1000 patients. All of the studies investigated the link between having the psoriasis risk allele (HLA-C*06:02) and a 75% improvement in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI75) in response to ustekinumab therapy.