JAMA Dermatol

Adalimumab-treated hidradenitis suppurative patients face higher infection risk than those with psoriasis

September 8, 2025

Among adults treated with adalimumab, those with moderate to severe hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) have a higher risk of serious infection and distinct infection profiles compared with psoriasis. These findings underscore the need for tailored infection prevention strategies and further research into the impact of disease severity and treatment regimens on infection risk in HS.

Study details: A retrospective cohort study using MarketScan claims data (2017–2020) compared adults with HS (n = 1,650) and psoriasis (n = 8,699) initiating adalimumab. The primary outcome was hospitalization for noncutaneous infections, analyzed via time-to-event methods with inverse probability weighting to adjust for confounders. Secondary outcomes included infection type and length of stay (LOS).

Results: HS patients were younger and more often female, with higher rates of obesity, Crohn disease, anxiety, and depression. After adjustment, HS patients had a significantly increased risk of serious infection (hazard ratio [HR], 1.53; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.34–1.86) compared with those with psoriasis. Sepsis (incident rate ratio [IRR], 2.07; 95% CI, 1.35–3.12) and genitourinary infections (IRR, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.22–3.86) were more common in HS, and LOS was longer (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.13–1.45).

Source:

Wafae BGO, et al. (2025, August 20). JAMA Dermatol. Risk of Serious Infection With Adalimumab in Hidradenitis Suppurativa Compared With Psoriasis. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40833768/