TOPLINE:
Vaccination rates for hepatitis B virus (HBV) are slightly lower among patients with psoriasis than among people without psoriasis, which is significant because biologics, particularly tumor necrosis factor inhibitors, can increase HBV reactivation risk.
METHODOLOGY:
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Researchers evaluated HBV vaccination rates for patients with psoriasis living in the United States using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data from 2009–2014.
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They constructed a model with data from 15,269 patients who were at least 20 years old and for whom both HBV vaccination status and psoriasis status were available.
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Age, sex, ethnicity/race, income, and liver status were added to adjust the model.
TAKEAWAY:
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Of the 432 patients with psoriasis, only 32% received all three doses of the HBV vaccine, and 67% received no doses, compared with 35% who received all doses and 62% who received no doses in the group without psoriasis (P = .146).
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Dermatologists can help patients protect themselves from preventable conditions, such as HBV, by determining their vaccination status and encouraging them to comply with recommended vaccines, such as the HBV vaccine, especially if they are being treated with biologics or suppressive therapy.
IN PRACTICE:
Determining vaccination status may involve contacting the patient’s pediatrician’s office, locating vaccination records, or obtaining HBV antibody levels.
STUDY DETAILS:
Wonder Edem, BS, of the University of California, Riverside, led the study, which was published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology on June 19.
LIMITATIONS:
Limitations include potential recall bias, which may have artificially lowered results if participants did not remember receiving the vaccine; and lack of data on other skin diseases treated with biologics.
DISCLOSURES:
The research was supported in whole or in part by HCA Healthcare and/or an HCA Healthcare-affiliated entity. The authors have disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
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