Management of Patients Affected by Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis with JAK Inhibitors in Real-World Clinical Practice: An Italian Delphi Consensus.

INTRODUCTION: Several systemic therapies have been approved for the treatment of severe AD. In particular, Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi), including abrocitinib, baricitinib, and upadacitinib, recently received approval for the treatment of patients with severe AD after being evaluated in several clinical trials. However, a few concerns have been raised regarding their long-term safety and the management of these drugs in real-world clinical practice. In this article we described the results of a Delphi consensus aimed at describing the knowledge on JAKi and focusing, in particular, on providing clinical recommendations for dermatologists in daily practice regarding the use of these drugs. METHODS: Twelve Italian dermatologists reviewed the most recent literature regarding the efficacy and safety profiles of JAKi and proposed 24 statements. RESULTS: Agreement was reached for statements focusing on three main topics: (1) place in therapy of JAKi in patients with moderate-to-severe AD; (2) effectiveness and safety of JAK inhibitors in different phenotypes; (3) different approaches to the management of patients treated with JAKi in clinical practice. The panel proposed several recommendations regarding all the statements. CONCLUSION: Given the wide use of JAKi in clinical practice, it is crucial to establish a specific follow-up for each patient's phenotype in order to achieve the best possible clinical outcome and minimize potential adverse events.

Alexithymia, dissociation, and trauma in patients with chronic skin conditions.

BACKGROUND: There is considerable literature concerning psychological distress and dermatological diseases. Recent studies highlight the role of emotion dysregulation in several skin diseases. Our study sought to explore emotion regulation in patients with chronic skin conditions and the frequency of traumatic experiences they had encountered. METHODS: Forty-nine sequential dermatological patients were compared with 49 healthy adults. Both groups were studied by means of validated scales for alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale [TAS-20]) and dissociation (Dissociation Experiences Scale [DES-II] and they completed a checklist for traumatic events (Traumatic Experiences Checklist [TEC]). RESULTS: Our results indicated that subjects suffering from chronic dermatological diseases presented more severe alexithymic and dissociative traits. Furthermore, they had suffered a greater number of stressful experiences than had individuals in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings appear to be consistent with literature linking skin diseases and emotion regulation, highlighting a psychosomatic specificity in these conditions.