Linkage between patients’ characteristics and prescribed systemic treatments for psoriasis: a semantic connectivity map analysis of the Swiss Dermatology Network for Targeted Therapies registry

Abstract

Background Several treatment options are currently available for the treatment of psoriasis. Objective To explore the main associations between patients’ characteristics and systemic treatments prescribed for psoriasis in a large group of patients observed in real‐life clinical practice. Methods This was a retrospective analysis of baseline data collected within the Swiss Dermatology Network for Targeted Therapies registry in Switzerland between March 2011 and December 2017. Semantic map analysis was used in order to capture the best associations between variables taking into account other covariates in the system. Results A total of 549 patients (mean age 46.7 ± 14.7 years) were included in the analysis. Conventional therapies such as retinoids and methotrexate were associated with no previous systemic therapies for psoriasis, a moderate quality of life (QoL) at therapy onset and older age (≥60 years). Fumaric acid derivatives were associated with mild psoriasis (psoriasis area severity index < 10) and long disease duration (≥20 years). On the other side, cyclosporine and psoralen and ultraviolet A/ultraviolet B treatments were linked to a more severe condition, including impaired QoL, hospitalization and inability to work. Regarding biological therapies, both infliximab and adalimumab were connected to the presence of psoriatic arthritis, severe disease condition and other comorbidities, including chronic liver or kidney diseases and tuberculosis. Etanercept, ustekinumab and secukinumab were all connected to a complex history of previous systemic treatments for psoriasis, moderate disease condition, overweight and university education. Conclusions The analysis shows multifaceted associations between patients’ characteristics, comorbidities, disease severity and systemic treatments prescribed for psoriasis. In particular, our semantic map indicates that comorbidities play a central role in decision‐making of systemic treatments usage for psoriasis. Future studies should further investigate specific connections emerging from our data.

Melanoma Prognosis and Associated Risk Factors: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using Semantic Map Analysis

“…Associations among patients' demographics, clinical characteristics and survival were explored using semantic map analysis (4)(5)(6)(7). This is a data-mining algorithm that is able to find and display the most important associations between different variables, taking into account the effect of other covariates in the system.…”

“…Different algorithms have been developed with the aim of exploring the multidimensional complex interactions among variables in databases. Among these, a datamining algorithm, called semantic map analysis, which is able to show the most important connections between variables in a dataset, has been used in the context of different skin conditions, including chronic hand eczema, psoriasis, hidradenitis suppurativa and associations of vascular endothelial growth factor with MM patients' characteristics and survival (4)(5)(6)(7).…”

Secukinumab real world drug retention compared to TNF-alpha inhibitors in psoriatic arthritis

“…We did not find any study on PsA that examined the relationship between BMI and response to secukinumab. A Swiss registry (38) showed that secukinumab was prescribed more often to overweight psoriasis patients. In contrast to our results, a pooled data analysis from phase 3 secukinumab psoriasis trials (39) found that the BMI decreased as the response rate increased.…”

Sex differences in adverse events from systemic treatments for psoriasis: A decade of insights from the Swiss Psoriasis Registry (SDNTT)

“…The Swiss Dermatological Network for Targeted Therapies (SDNTT) is the national psoriasis registry that includes adults with moderate-to-severe psoriasis who are starting a new systemic psoriasis therapy that they have not previously used. 2,6,20,22,[32][33][34] All participants gave their signed informed consent and could follow the study instructions in German, French, Italian or English. The data collection of the registry follows the European consensus of the Network of Registries for Systemic Psoriasis Therapies (PSONET).…”