NIJMEGEN, Netherlands, April 5 (UPI) -- A top family of arthritis drugs may cause serious skin problems in 25 percent of people taking them, researchers in the Netherlands reported.
Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha blocking agents are used to halt the process of joint destruction in patients with severe arthritis conditions.
Scientists following the progress of 289 patients taking the alpha blocking agents found they were nearly twice as likely as those not taking the drugs to visit a dermatologist because of severe skin problems. Patients taking TNF-alpha reported skin infections, eczema, drug eruptions, skin tumors and ulcers.
While skin disorders are common in rheumatoid arthritis patients, TNF-alpha is a major player in the immune response to infections and may increase the risk of problems. It also might trigger another type of immune response resulting in increased risk of eczema, a condition not usually associated with rheumatoid arthritis.
The study by researchers from Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre is published in the journal Arthritis Research and Therapy.
