Patients with psoriatic arthritis are immunosuppressed owing to immune dysregulation during the active disease period or owing to immunosuppressive drugs administered during remission, and they are prone to infections.
People who have been diagnosed with autoimmune conditions like psoriatic arthritis or who are taking immunosuppressive medications, like those prescribed for PsA, can have a weakened immune system.
While people with psoriatic arthritis taking biologic medications may be at an increased risk of infections, there is no evidence at this time that they are at an increased risk of acquiring COVID-19 or having more severe symptoms if they do become sick.
In people with psoriasis, the immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells. This is what causes symptoms like plaques and inflammation in the skin and joints. Psoriasis itself doesn't make you immunocompromised, however, medications that treat the condition can suppress the immune system.
PsA, like psoriasis, is considered as an immune-mediated inflammatory disease with autoimmune and (auto)inflammatory features [19,20].
Even so, the pain and discomfort associated with psoriatic arthritis can be significant. A study published in 2015 in the journal PLoS One found that the overall pain, joint pain, and fatigue reported by psoriatic arthritis patients was significantly greater than that reported by people with rheumatoid arthritis.
Joint pain, stiffness and swelling are the main signs and symptoms of psoriatic arthritis. They can affect any part of the body, including your fingertips and spine, and can range from relatively mild to severe.
Immunocompromised condition or weakened immune system
This includes people who have cancer and are on chemotherapy, or who have had a solid organ transplant, like a kidney transplant or heart transplant, and are taking medication to keep their transplant.
Experts agree that COVID-19 vaccination is safe for all people, including people with psoriasis.
In psoriasis, which is thought to be an immune system-related problem, the cells of the skin grow quicker than normal cells. The rapid turnover of cells is responsible for the dry scaly patches seen clinically, also called plaque type of psoriasis. The etiopathogenesis of psoriasis is not yet fully understood.
Immune system reactions
The result of all this overactivity is that people with psoriasis may be more susceptible to getting ill, especially during flu and cold season, although this is likely to be a more significant connection for older people, and people with severe cases of psoriasis.
Conclusion: The present findings demonstrated that methotrexate does not predispose patients to severe COVID-19; on the contrary, patients taking methotrexate may experience a milder disease, possibly due to their reduced severe inflammatory reactions as a result of inhibited TNFα, lowered IL6, and increased T ...
Psoriatic arthritis is a type of arthritis linked with psoriasis, a chronic skin and nail disease. Psoriasis causes red, scaly rashes and thick, pitted fingernails. Psoriatic arthritis is similar to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in symptoms and joint swelling (inflammation). But it tends to affect fewer joints than RA.
A Word From Verywell
If you have psoriatic arthritis, you are at a higher risk of getting the flu and having flu-related complications. There are steps that you can take to protect yourself, such as getting a flu shot. If you do have flu-like symptoms, it's important to tell your doctor right away.
Typically, this chronic condition is not considered a medical emergency. Critical illness insurance policies that cover a wider variety of conditions may include psoriatic arthritis. Finding a policy that covers psoriatic arthritis may be difficult. But, if you do, here's what you need to know.
People who should not have the Pfizer vaccine
anaphylaxis after exposure to any component of the vaccine, including polyethylene glycol (PEG) myocarditis and/or pericarditis attributed to a previous dose of the vaccine. any other serious adverse event attributed to a previous dose of an mRNA(Pfizer or Moderna) vaccine.
You may be considered immunocompromised if you:
A bone marrow transplant, also called a stem cell or Hematopoietic cell transplant, within the last 2 years, or longer than 2 years if you are taking medicines to suppress the immune system.
Some people who are immunocompromised (have a weakened immune system) are more likely to get sick with COVID-19 or be sick for a longer period. People can be immunocompromised either due to a medical condition or from receipt of immunosuppressive medications or treatments.
When your immune system fails to respond adequately to infection, it's called an immunodeficiency, and you may be immunocompromised. People may also suffer from the opposite condition, an overactive immune system that attacks healthy cells as though they were foreign bodies, and that is called an autoimmune response.
When you have psoriatic arthritis, you want to stay away from foods that can make the inflammation in your body worse. These include: Alcohol: It makes your liver work harder and disrupts the way your organs work together. Sugar: It sends out things called cytokines that create inflammation in your body.
If left untreated, psoriatic arthritis (PsA) can cause permanent joint damage, which may be disabling. In addition to preventing irreversible joint damage, treating your PsA may also help reduce inflammation in your body that could lead to other diseases.
Just like psoriasis, PsA can range from mild to severe. Mild PsA is sometimes referred to as oligoarticular, meaning it affects four or fewer joints in the body. More severe PsA is often called polyarticular, meaning it affects five or more joints.