Tailoring psoriasis therapy: Towards a safer and more effective systemic treatment

Plaque type psoriasis, the focus of this thesis, is by far the most common clinical form of psoriasis with 80% of psoriasis patients suffering from it. Plaque type psoriasis, also known as psoriasis vulgaris, can occur everywhere on the skin and is characterized by well-defined, indurated erythematous scaly plaques. It mostly occurs at preferred body sites (elbows, knees, scalp, lumbosacral region, umbillicus).
This thesis focuses on the treatment of plaque type psoriasis with methotrexate and biologicals. The goal is to optimize existing treatments. In the first part we focus on the safety and effectiveness of biological and methotrexate treatment of psoriasis in a daily practice setting. In the second part we focus on personalizing existing treatments with methotrexate and biologicals.