Psoriasis affects individuals of African descent and white Brazilians similarly.

INTRODUCTION: Cultural, socio-demographic and environmental factors such as tropical climate and exposure to sun could have an impact on the incidence or clinical course of psoriasis. Here we describe the main clinical aspects of psoriasis in Brazilian patients and also investigate whether any particular feature can distinguish the disease occurring in Brazil from that occurring in other countries. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We recorded the clinical features of 151 psoriasis patients seen in a Brazilian public dermatological care unit between 2006 and 2008. RESULTS: Males and females were similarly affected. The reported races were as follows: whites, 47 cases (41.6%), interracial individuals (mixed race), 42 cases (37.2%) and blacks, 24 cases (21.2%). Chronic plaque-type psoriasis was the most prevalent clinical form (110 cases, 72.8%) followed by palm and sole involvement (21 cases, 13.9%). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated that psoriasis in these Brazilian subjects was similar to that observed in subjects from other countries, but interracial and black populations were affected as much as whites. Considering the high rate of interracial populations among Brazilians we cannot exclude the possibility that Afro-descendants may have inherited Caucasian genes associated with psoriasis. Poor socio-economic conditions of Afro-descendants can limit their possibilities of receiving adequate treatments, impairing their health-related quality of life.

La psoriasis afecta de forma similar a los pacientes brasileños de ascendencia africana y caucásica / Psoriasis affects individuals of African descent and white Brazilians similarly

Introduction: Cultural, socio-demographic and environmental factors such as tropical climate and exposure to sun could have an impact on the incidence or clinical course of psoriasis. Here we describe the main clinical aspects of psoriasis in Brazilian patients and also investigate whether any particular feature can distinguish the disease occurring in Brazil from that occurring in other countries. Material and methods: We recorded the clinical features of 151 psoriasis patients seen in a Brazilian public dermatological care unit between 2006 and 2008. Results: Males and females were similarly affected. The reported races were as follows: whites, 47 cases (41.6%), interracial individuals (mixed race), 42 cases (37.2%) and blacks, 24 cases (21.2%). Chronic plaque-type psoriasis was the most prevalent clinical form (110 cases, 72.8%) followed by palm and sole involvement (21 cases, 13.9%). Conclusions: We demonstrated that psoriasis in these Brazilian subjects was similar to that observed in subjects from other countries, but interracial and black populations were affected as much as whites. Considering the high rate of interracial populations among Brazilians we cannot exclude the possibility that Afro-descendants may have inherited Caucasian genes associated with psoriasis. Poor socio-economic conditions of Afro-descendants can limit their possibilities of receiving adequate treatments, impairing their health-related quality of life (AU)

Introducción: Los factores culturales, sociodemográficos y ambientales tales como el clima tropical o la exposición solar pueden tener un impacto en la incidencia o el curso clínico de la psoriasis. En este artículo describimos los principales aspectos clínicos de la psoriasis en pacientes brasileños e investigamos si existe alguna característica que permita distinguir la enfermedad que ocurre en Brasil de la que se encuentra en otros países. Material y métodos: Se recogieron las características clínicas de 151 pacientes con psoriasis evaluados en un centro dermatológico público de Brasil entre 2006 y 2008. Resultados: Los hombres y las mujeres estaban afectados de forma similar. La frecuencia de afectación según la raza era la siguiente: blancos 47 casos (41,6%), mestizos 42 casos (37,2%) y negros 24 casos (21,2%). Las formas clínicas más prevalentes fueron la psoriasis crónica en placas (110 casos, 72,8%) seguida de la psoriasis palmoplantar (21 casos, 13,9%). Conclusiones: Demostramos que la psoriasis en estos sujetos brasileños es similar a la que se observa en sujetos de otros países, pero los mestizos y los negros están afectados tanto como los blancos. Teniendo en cuenta la elevada proporción de población mestiza entre los brasileños, no podemos descartar la posibilidad de que los descendientes africanos hayan podido heredar los genes caucásicos asociados a la psoriasis. Las pobres condiciones socioeconómicas de los descendientes africanos pueden limitar sus posibilidades para recibir tratamientos adecuados, lo que altera su calidad de vida (AU)