Assessment of the Effect of Psoriasis and Methotrexate Treatment on Liver Stiffness by ARFI Imaging

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether psoriasis and methotrexate used in its treatment cause liver fibrosis and eventually to evaluate the safety of methotrexate in treatment.
 Method: 44 cases were included in the study. Methotrexate-using (group 1, n=14) and methotrexate-not-using (group 2, n=13) psoriasis patients were compared retrospectively with a healthy control group (group 3, n=17) according to mean shear wave rates obtained from sonoelastographic examinations with ARFI technique. 
 Results: Mean shear wave velocities were calculated as 2.57 ± 1.13 m/sec in the patients using methotrexate, 2.31 ± 1.16 m/sec in the patients who did not use methotrexate, and 1.56 ± 0.62 m/sec in the healthy control group. While the average shear wave velocity of the 3rd group was found to be significantly lower than that of the 1st and 2nd groups (p=0.032; p=0.012), no significant difference was observed between the 1st and 2nd groups (p=0.755).
 Conclusion: We think that the increase in liver tissue stiffness in patients using methotrexate for psoriasis is secondary to the inflammatory process caused by psoriasis itself rather than methotrexate, and methotrexate is safe for the liver in treatment.