Biologic and targeted synthetic therapies have changed the management of psoriatic arthritis over the past decades. However, these treatments might result in immunosuppression and could increase risk for opportunistic infections. Here, we present a meta-analysis on the incidence of opportunistic infections among individuals with psoriatic arthritis treated with  biologic and targeted agents in randomized placebo-controlled trials. Overall, we found a low-risk for opportunistic infections in patients with PsA treated with biologic and targeted synthetic therapies. Our findings demonstrate a slightly higher incidence of OIs in patients treated with JAK-inhibitors (1.1%, mainly due to herpes zoster) and anti-IL-17 therapies (0.26%, mainly due to  mucocutaneous candidiasis) compared to placebo. However, ongoing surveillance, and clinical trials with long-term follow up and post-marketing monitoring are needed to study true opportunistic infections risk in this patient population.

Key References

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