Tumour necrosis factor (TNF)- blocking agents have revolutionized the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Concerns remain about increased susceptibility to infection and onset of malignancies, and the use of TNF- agents in patients with HIV infection or undergoing immunosuppressant treatment is debated. We report cases of severe plaque psoriasis in a patient with HIV infection and in a liver transplant recipient who were successfully treated with etanercept, an anti-TNF- agent, without notable side-effects.