Dermatology Advisor interviews S. Louis Bridges, Jr., MD, PhD, rheumatologist and physician-in-chief and chair of the department of medicine at HSS on recent studies highlighting a possible link between hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and several types of inflammatory arthritis such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

The inflammatory nature of these diseases likely represents the key mechanism underlying the observed overlap. “Both HS and inflammatory arthritis are characterized by a role of cytokines such as IL-6, IL-1beta, and TNF,” explained Dr. Bridges. “The importance of TNF in HS and inflammatory arthritis is supported by the FDA approval of the TNF inhibitor adalimumab for treatment of HS–and this drug is also approved for a variety of other conditions including RA, psoriatic arthritis, and seronegative spondyloarthritis,” he said. 

Read the full article at dermatologyadvisor.com/.