Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist liraglutide therapy for psoriasis patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized-controlled trial

Objective There were some clinical studies on GLP-1R agonist liraglutide therapy for psoriasis patients with type 2 diabetes, but there is a lack of randomized controlled trials and the mechanism of which remains unclear. Method A total of 25 psoriasis patients with type 2 diabetes were randomized 1: 1 divided into the control group (n = 13) or liraglutide group (n = 12) for 12 weeks. We determined the PASI, the DLQI, histopathology of psoriasis skin, and the expression of IL-17, IL-23, and TNF-alpha in the psoriasis skin. Results After 12 weeks of treatment, the mean DLQI of the treatment group decreased from 22.00 +/- 5.85 to 3.82 +/- 3.60 (p < .05). Compared to week 12, the change in the baseline value of PASI and DLQI in the treatment group showed a significant difference compared with the control group (p < .05). The pathological changes of psoriasis skin and the expression of IL-17, IL-23, TNF-alpha in the psoriasis skin were improved in the treatment group. No serious adverse events occurred. Conclusion The skin lesions in psoriasis patients with type 2 diabetes were significantly improved after treatment with liraglutide, which may be related to the inhibition of the expression of inflammatory factors such as IL-23, IL-17, and TNF-alpha.