Over the last decade, the advent of biologic agents has greatly revolutionized therapeutic medicine in the management of chronic inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn s disease, and psoriasis. Elucidation of the complex web of cytokine network and the roles of these cytokines in the pat- genesis of inflammatory disorders provided one of the key catalysts for the advancement of targeted biologic therapy in autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. TNF-? is known to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of many chronic inflammatory diseases. Elevated levels of TNF-? have been...

This volume provides an in-depth overview of the current state of psoriasis and its management. Psoriasis is an inherited skin disease that has been diagnosed in 4.5 million adults in the United States. About 10 to 30 percent of people with psoriasis also develop psoriatic arthritis, which causes pain, stiffness and swelling in and around the joints. The book reviews the clinical manifestations of these two entities. The main focus is the evolving paradigm of therapy. Topical and ultraviolet therapies are first discussed, followed by traditional systemic therapy. A major focus of the volume...

This resource offers practical, user friendly information for the dermatology profession to aid in the decision-making process. It features numerous illustrations as well as an emphasis on practical clinical knowledge.