Moderate Weight Loss Makes Obese Patients With Severe Chronic Plaque Psoriasis Responsive to Sub-Optimal Dose of Cyclosporine: an Investigator Blinded, Controlled, Randomized Clinical Trial

Moderate Weight Loss Makes Obese Patients With Severe Chronic Plaque Psoriasis Responsive to Sub-Optimal Dose of Cyclosporine: an Investigator Blinded, Controlled, Randomized Clinical Trial

The study hypothesis is to investigate whether a moderate weight loss (i.e. a weight reduction of at least 5%) could improve the response rate to a suboptimal dose of cyclosporine in patients with severe psoriasis.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 years of age,active but clinically stable plaque psoriasis involving at least 10 percent of the body surface area and a psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score ≥10 and a body mass index ≥30.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Other type of psoriasis (guttate, erythrodermic and pustular psoriasis)
• Uncontrolled hypertension
• Severe congestive heart failure
• Renal and liver impairment
• Active or chronic infections, including HIV, HBV and HCV infections, latent tuberculosis
• Previous or active malignancies
• Pregnancy and lactations
• Previous treatment with cyclosporine
• Phototherapy or any systemic or topical therapy for psoriasis within the previous 4 weeks before enrolment.