Mycosis fungoides: association of KIR ligands and HLA-DQB1*05 with bad prognosis of the disease.

BACKGROUND: Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. We previously reported that the prognosis of MF patients is not only related on clinical variables but it is also associated with peculiar HLA alleles. Until today, the association of HLA ligands for KIR with the prognosis of the disease has not yet been analysed. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the frequency of HLA ligands for killer cell Immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) in MF patients, evaluating if the presence of particular HLA alleles that are ligands for KIR may have prognostic value. METHODS: The study includes 46 Caucasian MF patients that, between 1993 and 1997, underwent HLA genomic typing. All patients were diagnosed and followed up from 1977 to 2012 (mean follow-up of 11 years). RESULTS: MF patients have been divided into two groups (long survivors and dead patients). We noticed that the HLA-Bw6/Bw6 specificity increased among the group of seven dead patients compared to the group of 39 long survivors (71.4% vs. 41.0%, P = ns, OR = 3.59), while in the long survivors group the HLA- Bw4/Bw4 specificity increased when compared to dead patients (23.0% vs. 0%, P = ns). Moreover, we observed that six of the seven dead patients had HLA-DQB1*05; the phenotypic frequency of this HLA allele, in dead and long survivors patients, was 85.7% and 23.0% respectively (P = 0.004; OR = 20). CONCLUSION: Our observations suggest that the presence of the HLA-DQB1*05 alleles characterizes the patients with the poorest prognosis in MF. In addition, absence of the KIR-ligand epitope HLA-B Bw4 showed a trend of being more prominent in MF patients with the poorest prognosis.

Vasculitides with cutaneous expression in children: clinico-pathological correlations.

The most recent pediatric vasculitis classifications (EULAR/PRINTO/PRES) have proposed the use of an integration of clinical signs and symptoms, laboratory data, imaging and pathologic data. Pediatric vasculitis represent a peculiar clinical-diagnostic model, compared to the corresponding adult pathology chapter, and in particular, dermatopathologic aspects of these diseases identify more specific issues, made contingent by crucial variables such as duration of vasculitis lesion, site of the biopsy, proper biopsy depth, and possibility to correlate histopathological findings with immunopathological results. Possible additional diagnostic difficulties may arise from the fact that, in children, the same systemic disease, such as lupus erythematosus, may present with different clinical manifestations, with histopathological features of a precise type of vasculitis specific for that type of clinical manifestation. Examples are provided by hypocomplementemic urticarial vasculitis, cryoglobulinemic purpura, lymphocytic vasculitis of livedoid lesions. This paper describes the cutaneous histopathological findings of some vasculitis related pediatric diseases, be they pertaining to a systemic vasculitis with corresponding cutaneous vasculitis, to a systemic vasculitis with sporadic cutaneous vasculitic involvement, and to a systemic vasculitis without cutaneous vasculitic involvement. Type and level of histopathological vasculitic involvement, caliber of the vessel, type of vasculitis associated infiltrate, are likewise reliable integration in the complex diagnostic path of vasculitis in childhood. On the basis of these criteria dermatopathologists should be confident in identifying the type of the vasculitis and relate them to a specific pediatric disease.

Pompholyx of the hands after intravenous immunoglobulin therapy for clinically isolated syndrome: a paediatric case.

Pompholyx is a common eruption of small vesicles on the palms, soles, and/or lateral aspects of the fingers. It has a multifactorial etiology, including genetic determinants, allergy to metals, and id reaction; rarely it is a drug-related side effect. We report a paediatric case of pompholyx of the hands related to the intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy for Clinically Isolated Syndrome (CIS). A 10-year-old boy, received an IVIG therapy (Venital, Kedrion Spa, Italy) at a dose of 400 mg/kg daily for five days. The fifth day of IVIG infusion, a symmetrical vesicular eruption appeared on the palms of the hands and on lateral aspects of the fingers. The lesions improved with application of topical steroids in few days. The mechanism of induction of pompholyx by IVIG therapy is unknown. A review of the Literature suggests the hypothesis that dyshidrotic eczematous reactions may be related not only to the type of IVIG, to the dose and the rates of infusion, but also to an allergic response to excipients and preservatives contained in the drug, probably elicited by an underlying neurological disease in some cases.

Immunogenetic factors in mycosis fungoides: can the HLA system influence the susceptibility and prognosis of the disease? Long-term follow-up study of 46 patients.

BACKGROUND: Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common and one of the least aggressive forms of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Several studies have demonstrated the influence of human leucocyte antigen (HLA) genes on the susceptibility of MF, highlighting the importance of certain alleles but, until today, no studies have evaluated the relationship between HLA alleles and the prognosis of patients with MF. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this retrospective cohort study was to evaluate the polymorphism of HLA class I and class II alleles in a group of 46 MF Caucasian patients, looking for their influence in susceptibility and prognosis of the disease. METHODS: Study population included a case-cohort sample of 46 Caucasian patients with MF that, between 1993 and 1997, underwent HLA class I and II genomic typing. All patients were diagnosed and followed up from 1977 to 2012 (mean follow-up of 11 years) and they were divided into three groups according to the evolution of the disease. RESULTS: Molecular typing at low-resolution level revealed that HLA-A*24, A*68, A*69, B*35 and DQB1*05:02 alleles were involved in susceptibility to MF. Correspondence analysis underlined that long-lasting remission was characterized by HLA-A*24 and HLA-A*25 alleles, frequent relapse by HLA-DRB1*01, DQA1*01:01, DQB1*05:01 alleles and death by HLA-A*68, HLA-B*08, HLA-B*35, HLA-C*03 alleles. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the prognosis of MF patients is not only correlated with clinical/pathological/serological/immunological variables but it also relies on specific HLA alleles.

IgA anti-epidermal transglutaminase autoantibodies: a sensible and sensitive marker for diagnosis of dermatitis herpetiformis in adult patients.

BACKGROUND: Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is a rare gluten-sensitive blistering itchy skin disease, strictly related to coeliac disease (CD). Direct immunofluorescence, demonstrating IgA granular deposits localized either in the dermal papillae or along the dermo-epidermal junction, is currently the gold standard for diagnosis of DH. It has been shown that DH immunocomplexes contain epidermal transglutaminase (eTG) and that sera from patients with DH contain antibodies specifically directed against eTG. OBJECTIVES: We studied the usefulness of serum eTG antibodies in discriminating between DH, CD and other gastrointestinal and dermatologic diseases. METHODS: eTG antibodies were tested in 308 adult patients' sera: 44 patients with untreated dermatitis herpetiformis (UDH), 99 patients with untreated coeliac disease (UCD), 70 dermatological controls and 95 gastrointestinal controls. RESULTS: In UDH eTG antibody levels were significantly higher than in DH patients on gluten-free diet, UCD, gastrointestinal controls and dermatological controls. In UCD eTG antibodies strongly correlated with tissue transglutaminase (tTG) antibodies, whereas in UDH no significant correlation was observed. CONCLUSION: Serum IgA eTG antibody determination can efficiently distinguish UDH from other dermatological itchy diseases and is highly sensitive to gluten-free diet.

Prevalence, severity and clinical features of psoriasis in fingernails and toenails in adult patients: Italian experience.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting 2.0-6.5% of the European population. Although the most striking clinical features of psoriasis involve the skin, other organs including nails and joints may be affected in a substantial proportion of patients. Literature reports nail involvement in 10-56% of psoriatic patients, with common physical and social impairment. However, the precise prevalence of specific clinical features of nail psoriasis is somewhat under-reported. OBJECTIVES: Our cross-sectional study aimed at describing the prevalence and the clinical features of nail involvement in adult psoriatic patients in a psoriasis referral centre in northern Italy. METHODS: A total of 178 (124 men, 54 women) consecutive adult patients (≥18 years old) with psoriasis were included. Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (NAPSI) scores were calculated for each patient. Relevant medical history was recorded. RESULTS: Nail involvement was present in 137 (99 men, 38 women) patients (76.9%). The most common nail abnormality was onycholysis, followed by crumbling, subungual hyperkeratosis, pitting and discoloration. Pitting and onycholysis were the most prevalent patterns observed in fingernails, whereas onycholysis and crumbling were the most frequent changes detected in toenails. The most frequently and severely affected nails were the fourth fingernail and the first toenail. The average PASI score was higher in individuals with nail involvement (12.0 vs. 8.7, P = 0.06). Nail changes were present in 85.7% of patients with psoriatic arthritis. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirms that nail involvement may be overlooked in psoriasis patients. Different psoriatic patterns in the nail affect specific digits more frequently.