Table 1.
Table Quality of Life Measures and Outcomes in Randomized Controlled Trials for Psoriasis Treatments
| Study Title (Year) | Treatment | QoL Measures | Outcomes |
| "Impact of efalizumab on patient-reported outcomes in high-need psoriasis patients: results of the international, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase III Clinical Experience Acquired with Raptiva (CLEAR) trial" (2005) 40 | Efalizumab 1 mg/kg/wk (n = 529) or placebo (n = 264) for 12 weeks | 1. SF-36 2. DLQI 3. PSA 4. VAS for itching 5. PGPA |
QOL, measured using all QOL measures, was significantly higher among the Efalizumab group as compared with the placebo group (p < 0.001) |
| "Patient-reported outcomes of psoriasis improvement with etanercept therapy: results of a randomized phase III trial" (2005) [41] | Etanercept 50 mg twice weekly (n = 194) Placebo (n = 193), etanercept 50 mg per week (n = 196) during the initial 12-week, double-blind period. | 1.DLQI 2.SF-36 3. PGPA |
DLQI total score improved by 65–70% in etanercept group compared with 6% in placebo group (P < 0.0001). Significant improvement in etanercept group as measured by other SF-36 and PGPA |
| "Alefacept in the treatment of psoriasis in patients for whom conventional therapies are inadequate" (2005) [42] | Alefacept (Amevive®) | 1. PASI 2. DLQI |
The QOL effects of alefacept in patients who were not candidates for conventional systemic psoriasis therapies or phototherapy were similar to those reported previously for the overall alefacept-treated population in the phase III studies (p = 0.001). |
| "Infliximab treatment results in significant improvement in the quality of life of patients with severe psoriasis: a double-blind placebo-controlled trial" (2005) [43] | Intravenous infusions of 3 or 5 mg kg(-1) of infliximab or placebo | DLQI | Infliximab induction therapy resulted in a substantial improvement in HRQOL. At week 10, patients in the infliximab 3- and 5-mg kg(-1) groups showed a median percentage improvement in DLQI scores of 84.0% and 91.0%, respectively, compared with 0% in the placebo group (P < 0.001) |
| "The efficacy and tolerability of clobetasol propionate foam 0.05% in the treatment of mild to moderate plaque-type psoriasis of nonscalp regions" (2003) [44] | Clobetasol propionate foam (clobetasol foam) 0.05% | PGA | Clobestasol propionate foam 0.05% had greater improvement in QoL as compared to other topical therapies reported by patients. |
| "Quality of life and clinical outcome in psoriasis patients using intermittent cyclosporine" (2001) [45] | Cyclosporin (Neoral®) (n = 255) | 1. DLQI 2. PASI |
Intermittent short courses of cyclosporin significantly improved the QoL of the patients and decreases the extent and severity of disease and itch |
| "The impact of a two-compound product containing calcipotriol and betamethasone dipropionate (Daivobet/Dovobet) on the quality of life in patients with psoriasis vulgaris: a randomized controlled trial" (2004) [46] | Combination therapy with topical vitamin D analogue calcipotriol (50 microg g(-1)) and corticosteroid betamethasone dipropionate (0.5 mg g(-1)) vs. calcipotriol monotherapy | 1. PDI 2. EuroQoL 5D 3. VAS |
Once-daily application of the combination product was found to be superior to calcipotriol twice daily terms of QoL |
| "The effect of treatment on quality of life in psoriasis patients" (2005) [47] | Treatment with short contact dithranol treatment, UVB phototherapy or inpatient dithranol | 1. Dutch short form of the SIP 2. PDI |
Comparable improvement in HRQoL with short contact dithranol treatment and UVB phototherapy, inpatients experienced a more impaired HRQoL and showed no significant improvement in HRQoL directly following treatment |
| "Methotrexate versus cyclosporine in moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis" (2003) [48] | Methotrexate (n= 44; initial dose, 15 mg per week) or cyclosporine (n= 44; initial dose, 3 mg per kilogram of body weight per day) | 1. PASI 2. PGA |
The difference in the QOL for both the treatment arms was statistically insignificant |
| "Calcipotriol vs. tazarotene as combination therapy with narrowband ultraviolet B (311 nm): efficacy in patients with severe psoriasis" (2000) [49] | Combination of UVB (311 nm) and tazarotene vs. UVB (311 nm) plus calcipotriol or vice versa | PASI | No significant differences in QoL of patients in both the regimens |
| "A comparison of treatment with dithranol and calcipotriol on the clinical severity and quality of life in patients with psoriasis" (1998) [50] | Calcipotriol ointment (50 micrograms/g) twice daily or Dithrocream (short-contact dithranol) 0.1–2% | 1. PDI 2. SIP |
Significant improvement in patients' QoL as assessed by the PDI and the SIP were seen in both treatment groups, with greater improvement in calcipotriol group |