Circadian cortisol profiles and hair cortisol concentration in patients with psoriasis: associations with anxiety, depressive symptomatology and disease severity.

Background: There is evidence that stress and psoriasis interact bidirectionally. Specifically, stress is not only induced by psoriasis, but it is also considered a precipitating factor for onset or exacerbation of the disease. Neuroendocrine alterations of the stress system have been implicated in this association.