Coordinator: Dr Antonio Cristaudo

Inflammatory skin diseases sit within a heterogeneous group of pathologies that identify a malfunction of the immune system and the consequential pro-inflammatory cytokine imbalance as an ordinary pathogenetic element. This group includes other disorders with very different clinical expressions such as:

- PSORIASIS AND PSORIASIC ARTHRITIS

- ATOPIC DERMATITIS

- ORTHIACRIA-ANGIOEDEMA

- CONTACT ECZEMA

About 20% of patients suffering from these pathologies have diffuse skin or organs and systemic involvement. Concerning atopic dermatitis in particular, many recent studies suggest the presence of various allergic and non-allergic comorbidities - such as asthma, allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis, food allergies, cardiovascular diseases, and infections. Psoriasis, on the other hand, is associated with musculoskeletal problems (psoriatic arthritis) such as inflammation and damage to joints, tendons, and ligaments.

Although the clinical-diagnostic factors and immunopathogenetic processes underlying these pathologies have been extensively investigated, it remains unclear what factors influence the response to treatments. Against this backdrop, research projects aimed at validating new diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic tools within the inflammatory dermatology field are of particular relevance to the Italian NHS, as they can provide appropriate responses to the growing demand for specialist care, and transfer new scientific skills to other clinical fields.

Goals:

• To monitoring clinical, histological, ultrasound, microbiological, and biohumoral parameters during systemic drug-based therapies for the treatment of the abovementioned pathologies.
• To identify different immunological and clinical profiles to apply for the correct diagnostic classification of patients with inflammatory skin diseases, to ensure the most appropriate pharmacological approach.
• To authorize innovative diagnostic and therapeutic protocols for systemic inflammatory skin diseases.
• To evaluate the response to COVID-19 vaccines in patients treated with systemic drugs.