Yi-Ju Chen, M.D., Ph.D., from the Taichung Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan, and colleagues conducted a nationwide nested case-control study during 2000 to 2017. A total of 1,527 patients with pediatric psoriasis were identified from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan and matched with 15,270 reference individuals without psoriasis.

The researchers found that on multivariate analysis, factors independently associated with pediatric psoriasis were atopic dermatitis (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.07) and family history of psoriasis, especially of the mother (aOR, 9.86) or another first-degree relative (aOR, 5.49). Significant associations with pediatric psoriasis were seen for skin viral and bacterial infections (aOR, 1.35) and fungal infections (aOR, 1.71) in the first two years of life. No correlation was seen for systemic antibiotic exposure. At different time periods across sensitivity analyses, these results were consistent.

"Skin and fungal infections in early life are associated with pediatric psoriasis development," the authors write. "The role of early-life microbiota dysbiosis in the pathogenesis of pediatric psoriasis might be worth further investigation."

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