Effects of biological agents on glycogen metabolism in psoriasis patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

The effectiveness and safety of biological agents for treating psoriasis have been confirmed; however, their effects on glucose metabolism biomarkers in psoriasis patients remain unclear. A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed according to PRISMA guidelines. The final analysis enrolled 12 studies, including eight randomized controlled trial (RCT) (n = 5628 patients) and four observational cohort studies (OBSs) (n = 393 patients). The meta-analysis comprising nine studies (six RCTs and three OBSs) revealed a slight reduction in the levels of HOMA-IR associated with the use of biological therapies in OBS (biological therapies vs. traditional therapies: WMD = -0.2, CI = -0.10 to 0.50, p = 0.02). Although a considerable number of studies were analysed, our review did not show a significant alteration in HOMA-IR levels among patients treated with biological therapies such as IL-17 inhibitors and IL-12/23 inhibitors at weeks 12-16 in RCTs. We also did not observe remarkable alterations in the fasting plasma glucose levels of patients in both OBS and RCT. Additional RCT on a larger scale and duration is required to provide more conclusive evidence regarding the effect of biological agents on glycogen metabolism in psoriasis.