- NURS 6501 Week 2 Assignment 2 Case Study Analysis.
Student name
Walden University
NURS 6501
Professor Name
Submission Date
Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis
Introduction
Major diseases that are caused by autoimmunity are psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, which impact the skin and joints, respectively, and have adverse effects on the quality of life. Psoriatic arthritis is an inflammatory disease, which is characterized by skin changes, joint and tendon pain, and stiffness worsen in the articulations and is more severe in the morning.
The case is about a 24-year-old male who presents with the first symptoms of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. The patient complains of a large area of dandruff-like scales on the head, pitting of nails, and morning stiffness and pain that is relieved by movements to some extent. The reader is provided with a mini series of events in which he has taken so many over-the-counter drugs, but it is only about to work on him. They have a negative rheumatoid factor and mildly elevated ESR in the lab.
The study aims and objectives would include knowing the fundamental pathology of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, and the genetic basis of the Psoriasis susceptibility genes. Nevertheless, the immunosuppression of these diseases’ treatment and its effects on many organs of the body will also be presented. Having a clear understanding of the mechanisms of these autoimmune diseases is therefore paramount so that optimal diagnosis, therapy, and management of the diseases can be attained with the resultant positive effect on the quality of the lives of the patients.
Explanation of Symptoms
The formation of scales on the scalp resembling dandruff is one of the symptoms that is apparent in most of the patients who have scalp psoriasis. In particular, psoriasis plaques are silver-white in color, and the patients shed them off (Dan & Srivastava, 2023). They may grow anywhere in the body, such as on the head. Meanwhile, pitting of the nails, i.e., the displacement of shape and structure and keratinization of nails, is often a complication of psoriasis.
Additionally, the patient complains about morning joint pain, but this is partially mitigated by taking up some activities, hence indicating psoriatic arthritis. This type of arthritis is accompanied by stiffness, pain, and swelling, which mainly affect the end parts of fingers and toes and are typically experienced upon waking up (Pelechas et al., 2023). In the presence of negative rheumatoid factor and a slight elevation of ESR, psoriatic arthritis, more than rheumatoid arthritis, can be diagnosed in such a patient, since other autoimmune disorders should be considered.
Genetic Associations
The relation between the two genes psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis is as follows: It is noteworthy that each of these disorders is highly linked to gene HLA-C, which encodes a protein of the major histocompatibility complex, which is an immunological regulation protein. The variations in inflammation and immune genes, such as TNFAIP3 and IL23R, are also related to the disease risk (Momose et al., 2020). The interplay of the hereditary factors and the environmental factors leads to psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis as a result of an imbalance of the immune system.
Immunosuppression and Its Effects
Similar to psoriasis, the immunosuppression is the basis of the treatment of psoriatic arthritis. It is associated with the discovery of drug therapy to deal with the immune dysfunction resulting in these disease conditions. It includes suppression of different immunological characteristics that are located within the immune system, such as the T cells, B cells, and cytokines, based on immunosuppressive drugs ingested. Although the immunosuppressive therapy has been associated with a greater number of benefits in control of the symptoms and CSA prevention, the side effects are likely to impact the rest of the body systems (Hussain and Khan, 2022).
It predisposes one to infections since it weakens the immune system of the body in fighting against pathogens. Long-term use has been reported to predispose the patient towards some type of cancer and could have side effects on the body, like osteoporosis, gastrointestinal complications, and metabolic disorders, to name a few.
Conclusion
To sum up, clearly illustrated, one can outline the correlation between the genetic background and immunopathogenesis, clinical manifestation of psoriasis, and, specifically, psoriatic arthritis. These autoimmune diseases are defined by such signs of the affected individual as scales that appear like dandruff on the head, brittle nails, and morning joint pains. Health care givers can therefore diagnose and treat chronic diseases using an insight into these pathophysiological processes and genetic composition, therefore prolonging the health span and quality of life of the patients.
In addition, immunosuppression was demonstrated to be a useful part of the psoriasis and PsA treatment, which is why it is so advantageous and risky to balance the benefits and risks. Some medicines act in line with the symptoms of a disease, and delay the development of a condition, but put the patient at risk of infections and other complications. Thus, it is possible to control and get maximum results with the help of unique treatment regimens, which can be used in conjunction with some aspects of the patient as well as their wishes.
References
Dan, D., & Srivastava, N. (2023). Psoriasis: Striving for potential biomarkers. Assay and Drug Development Technologies, 21(6), 235–257. https://doi.org/10.1089/adt.2023.014
Hussain, Y., & Khan, H. (2022). Immunosuppressive drugs. Encyclopedia of Infection and Immunity, 4, 726–740. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-818731-9.00068-9
Pelechas, E., Kaltsonoudis, E., Voulgari, P. V., & Drosos, A. A. (2023). Psoriatic Arthritis. Springer EBooks, 195–225. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-47379-1_9
Tripathi, P., & Bhardwaj, P. (2020). Psoriasis: An autoimmune disorder. Journal of Drug Delivery and Therapeutics, 10(5), 316–324. https://doi.org/10.22270/jddt.v10i5.4327