Skin Infections in Early Childhood Linked to Pediatric Psoriasis

Independent associations with pediatric psoriasis also seen for atopic dermatitis, family history of psoriasis

TUESDAY, Feb. 2, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Skin infections in the first two years of life are associated with pediatric psoriasis, according to a study recently published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Yi-Ju Chen, M.D., Ph.D., from Taichung Veterans General Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan, and colleagues conducted a nationwide nested case-control study to examine the impact of infantile infection and antibiotic exposure on pediatric psoriasis development. A total of 1,527 patients with pediatric psoriasis were identified and matched with 15,270 control individuals without psoriasis.

The researchers found that in both groups, the mean age was 9.9 ± 3.7 years. In a multivariate analysis, independent associations with pediatric psoriasis were seen for atopic dermatitis (adjusted odds ratio, 2.07) and a family history of psoriasis, especially for the mother (adjusted odds ratio, 9.86) or other first-degree relatives (adjusted odds ratio, 5.49). Significant associations with pediatric psoriasis were seen for skin viral and bacterial infections (adjusted odds ratio, 1.35) and fungal infections (adjusted odds ratio, 1.71) in the first two years of life. No correlation was seen for systemic antibiotic exposure.

“Our results suggest that skin and fungal infections in early life are associated with pediatric psoriasis development,” the authors write. “The role of early-life microbiota dysbiosis in the pathogenesis of pediatric psoriasis might be worth further investigation.”

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