TNF Inhibitor Therapy Significantly Improves HS Disease Activity

Treatment with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors was associated with significant improvement in disease activity scores among patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), according to a recent study.

Despite the prevalence of HS in the US, the condition is largely unstudied, according to the researchers, who sought to explore the effects of TNF-α inhibitors, which have been used to some success in the past.
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“The purpose of this study is to analyze the outcomes of patients with HS followed in our dedicated HS clinic and to assess how treatment with biologic agents affects disease activity scores including Hidradenitis Sartorius Score (HSS) and Hurley Stage in a US population,” they wrote.

They identified 67 patients with HS among 565 individuals enrolled in the Wound Etiology and Healing Study (WE-HEAL).

Overall, mean HSS score at the first visit was 62.48 ± 47.45, and 67.2% of patients were Hurley Stage III at the time of first visit. Patients treated with TNF-α inhibitors showed significant reduction in HSS score following treatment.

“The cohort of HS patients followed in the WE-HEAL study is representative of the population affected in the US with a high prevalence of women and African Americans. Treatment with TNF-α inhibitors was associated with significant improvement in disease activity scores in this population,” the researchers concluded.

—Michael Potts

Reference:
Mulani S, McNish S, Harris S, Shanmugam VK. Response of hidradenitis suppurativa to biologic therapy. Arthritis Rheumatol. 2016;68(suppl 10).