Anti Inflammatory Diet With Physical Therapy on Psoriasis | NCT07736651

NCT07736651

Overview

NCT ID: NCT07736651
Lead Sponsor: Mahmoud Usama Mahmoud AhmedOTHER
Official Title: Efficacy of an Anti Inflammatory Diet Combined With Physical Therapy on Disease Severity and Inflammatory Markers in Children With Psoriasis
Brief Summary: Purpose and Hypotheses The purpose of this study is to find out if changing the diet and adding exercise can help children with psoriasis. Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes red, scaly patches and is linked to inflammation inside the body. We want to see if a special diet that avoids gluten and foods high in histamine can improve children's skin and reduce inflammation. We will also test if adding a fun physical therapy program with light exercise, stretching, and relaxation provides even more benefits, especially for their overall well-being and quality of life.

Study Details:

Study Duration: 14 weeks in total (this includes a 2-week screening period and the 12-week treatment period).

Treatment Duration: 12 weeks.

Visit Frequency: Participants will come to the clinic for assessments at the start of the study, after 6 weeks, and after 12 weeks. During the 12-week treatment period, participants in the exercise group will attend supervised physical therapy sessions three times a week.

What Will Happen in the Study? Sixty (60) children aged 6 to 17 with mild to moderate psoriasis will be invited to take part. They will be put into one of three groups by chance, like drawing lots. One group will continue with their regular skin care. A second group will follow a special anti-inflammatory diet. This means they will avoid foods with gluten (like wheat bread) and foods high in histamine (like aged cheese or fermented foods) and will eat more fruits, vegetables, and healthy fish. A third group will follow the same diet and also take part in a physical therapy program three times a week. The physical therapy will include light exercise, fun movement activities, and relaxation exercises.

Who Can Participate?

We are looking for children who:

Have been diagnosed with plaque psoriasis for at least 6 months.

Have mild to moderate psoriasis.

Are not taking any new psoriasis medications.

Study Interventions:

Dietary Intervention: A structured anti-inflammatory diet that is gluten-free and low in histamine.

Physical Therapy: A supervised program of low-impact aerobic activities, stretching, and relaxation exercises.

This study is not currently available through an expanded access program.

Status and Timeline

Status: Recruiting
Last Update Posted: Jul 30, 2026Actual
Start Date: Aug 1, 2026Estimated
Primary Completion Date: Sep 15, 2026Estimated
Completion Date

Participation Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study: Child (0-17)
Sexes Eligible for Study: All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No
Eligibility Criteria: Inclusion Criteria

Confirmed diagnosis of plaque psoriasis by a board-certified dermatologist for at least six months prior to enrollment.

Age between 6 and 17 years (inclusive) at the time of enrollment.

Mild to moderate disease severity, defined as a Pediatric Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (P-PASI) score ≤ 20 at the screening visit.

Stable psoriasis treatment regimen (topical or systemic) for at least eight weeks prior to the baseline assessment. Participants may continue their usual treatments throughout the study.

Ability to comply with the dietary protocol (gluten-free, low-histamine anti-inflammatory diet) and, for Group C, the physical therapy program, as judged by the investigator.

Written informed consent from a parent or legal guardian.

Written assent from the child (for participants aged 8-17 years). For children aged 6-7 years, verbal assent will be documented.

Ability to attend all scheduled study visits at the outpatient clinics of Cairo University.

Exclusion Criteria

Known celiac disease or confirmed wheat allergy (documented by prior diagnostic testing).

Current use of anticoagulant medications or systemic corticosteroids.

Presence of other chronic inflammatory or autoimmune diseases that could confound the results (e.g., juvenile idiopathic arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, systemic lupus erythematosus).

Severe obesity defined as body mass index (BMI) greater than the 99th percentile for age and sex, which would limit participation in physical activity.

Mental, behavioral, or developmental disorders that would prevent the child from cooperating with the dietary or physical therapy interventions or completing the assessments.

Participation in another interventional clinical trial within the previous three months prior to enrollment.

Any acute illness at the time of recruitment (e.g., febrile illness, acute infection, or acute exacerbation of psoriasis requiring immediate medical intervention).

Known intolerance or allergy to multiple foods included in the diet (e.g., fish, nuts, or other common food allergens) that would make it difficult to adhere to the dietary protocol.

Receiving any investigational drug or biologic therapy for psoriasis within the previous three months.

Concurrent participation in another weight loss or exercise program that would interfere with the study interventions.

Study Plan

Study Type: Interventional
Phase: Not Applicable
Enrollment: 60Estimated
Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single

Contacts and Locations

Central Contacts: Mahmoud Usama, LecturerContact
Mahmoud_usama@cu.edu.eg+201285221209

Similar Studies

Participant Group/Arms

Standard Care (Control Group)Other

Participants in this group will continue their usual dermatologic care as prescribed by their treating physician. This includes standard topical treatments (e.g., corticosteroids, vitamin D analogues) or other stable systemic therapies. No dietary modifications or physical therapy interventions will be provided as part of the study protocol. Participants will attend clinic visits for assessments at baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks.

Other: Standard Dermatologic Care

Anti-Inflammatory Diet OnlyExperimental

Participants in this group will receive a 12-week structured anti-inflammatory diet that is gluten-free and low in histamine, designed by a registered pediatric dietitian. The diet eliminates all gluten sources (wheat, barley, rye, and contaminated oats) and restricts high-histamine foods (aged cheeses, fermented dairy products, cured meats, canned fish, spinach, tomatoes, eggplant, avocado, bananas, chocolate, and nuts). Participants are encouraged to consume fresh fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, omega-3-rich fish, olive oil, and gluten-free grains. For overweight or obese children, a mild energy restriction (250-500 kcal/day deficit) is included. Participants continue their usual dermatologic care. Dietary adherence is monitored via three-day food diaries and weekly adherence scales.

Anti-Inflammatory Diet with Physical TherapyExperimental

Participants in this group will receive the same 12-week anti-inflammatory diet (gluten-free, low-histamine) as described for Arm 2. In addition, they will participate in a 12-week structured physical therapy program consisting of 45-minute sessions, three times per week. Each session includes: a 10-minute warm-up (light walking or cycling), a 25-minute main component of low-impact aerobic activities (supervised swimming, adapted dance, or circuit training), and a 10-minute relaxation and breathing component (yoga poses, diaphragmatic breathing). Sessions are led by a pediatric physical therapist. Participants continue their usual dermatologic care.

Other: Physical Therapy Program