Topical treatments for atopic dermatitis (eczema): Systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized trials.

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common skin condition with multiple topical treatment options, but uncertain comparative effects. OBJECTIVE: We sought to systematically synthesize the benefits and harms of AD prescription topical treatments. METHODS: For the 2023 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Joint Task Force on Practice Parameters AD guidelines, we searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL, LILACS, ICTRP, and GREAT databases to September 5, 2022, for randomized trials addressing AD topical treatments. Paired reviewers independently screened records, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. Random-effects network meta-analyses addressed AD severity, itch, sleep, AD-related quality of life, flares, and harms. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach informed certainty of evidence ratings. We classified topical corticosteroids (TCS) using 7 groups-group 1 being most potent. This review is registered in the Open Science Framework (https://osf.io/q5m6s). RESULTS: The 219 included trials (43,123 patients) evaluated 68 interventions. With high-certainty evidence, pimecrolimus improved 6 of 7 outcomes-among the best for 2; high-dose tacrolimus (0.1%) improved 5-among the best for 2; low-dose tacrolimus (0.03%) improved 5-among the best for 1. With moderate- to high-certainty evidence, group 5 TCS improved 6-among the best for 3; group 4 TCS and delgocitinib improved 4-among the best for 2; ruxolitinib improved 4-among the best for 1; group 1 TCS improved 3-among the best for 2. These interventions did not increase harm. Crisaborole and difamilast were intermediately effective, but with uncertain harm. Topical antibiotics alone or in combination may be among the least effective. To maintain AD control, group 5 TCS were among the most effective, followed by tacrolimus and pimecrolimus. CONCLUSIONS: For individuals with AD, pimecrolimus, tacrolimus, and moderate-potency TCS are among the most effective in improving and maintaining multiple AD outcomes. Topical antibiotics may be among the least effective.

Assessment of the effectiveness of Budesonide MMX® for active, mild-to-moderate ulcerative colitis in the Polish sub-group of the CORE Practice prospective multi-centre observational study.

Introduction: Budesonide MMX® is approved for induction of remission in mild-to-moderate active ulcerative colitis (UC) in adults in whom 5-ASA is not sufficient. There is a lack of data on its effectiveness and safety in clinical practice. Material and methods: The CORE Practice study was a multi-centre prospective, observational study of mild-to-moderate UC-patients treated with Budesonide MMX® 9 mg for up to 8 weeks (induction). Enrolled patients had previously been prescribed Budesonide MMX® 9 mg in accordance with the SmPC within a 5-day time window. The primary endpoint was the percentage of patients achieving a decrease ≥ 3 points in the UCDAI clinical sub-score at the end of the induction treatment. Other endpoints were clinical remission (decrease ≤ 1 in UCDAI clinical sub-score), resolution of symptoms, change in Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (SIBD-Q) score, treatment satisfaction, and tolerability. This report presents results from the Polish study sites. Results: The data from a Polish subgroup of 181 patients with mild-to-moderate UC were analysed. Clinical improvement ≥ 3 points in the UCDAI at the end of treatment induction was achieved in 63.8% patients. Clinical remission was observed in 55.9% of patients at the end of the induction treatment. Full resolution of symptoms (rectal bleeding = 0 and stool frequency = 0) at the end of the Budesonide MMX® treatment was achieved in 52.5% of patients. Significant improvement in quality of life was seen in mean SIBD-Q total score from 40 points at baseline to 56 points at last assessment (p < 0.001). A treatment satisfaction score of more than 8 out of 10 was observed in 72.9% of patients. One patient discontinued Budesonide MMX® due to an adverse event that was related to the study drug, which counted for less than 1% of patients. Conclusions: The data from the Polish subgroup of the real-life study CORE Practice confirms the clinical efficacy of Budesonide MMX® 9 mg in the majority of patients with active mild-to-moderate UC. Budesonide MMX® was safe and well tolerated. The therapy was satisfactory for patients and showed a beneficial effect on the patients' quality of life.

Factors Associated With Maintenance of Remission Following Change From Combination Therapy to Monotherapy in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: Some patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who persist in remission may decide to stop their therapy. We evaluated baseline characteristics associated with remaining in remission or low disease activity (LDA) following medication withdrawal. METHODS: The Study of Etanercept and Methotrexate in Combination or as Monotherapy in Subjects With Rheumatoid Arthritis (SEAM-RA) was a phase III, multicenter, randomized withdrawal, double-blind, controlled study in patients with RA on methotrexate (MTX) + etanercept (ETN). If remission (Simplified Disease Activity Index [SDAI] ≤ 3.3) was sustained through a 24-week run-in period, patients then entered a 48-week double-blind period and were randomized 2:2:1 to receive MTX monotherapy, ETN monotherapy, or continue combination therapy. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify baseline factors associated with remission or LDA at the end of both periods. RESULTS: Of 371 patients enrolled, 253 entered the double-blind period. After adjusting for other factors, covariates associated with achieving SDAI remission at the end of the run-in period included younger age, longer duration of MTX treatment, and less severe clinical disease variables. Covariates associated with maintaining remission/LDA at the end of the 48-week double-blind period included lower patient global assessment of disease activity (PtGA), lower C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factor (RF) negativity, longer RA duration in the MTX arm, shorter duration of ETN treatment, and lower magnesium. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate patients with overall lower disease activity are more likely to remain in SDAI remission/LDA after switching from combination therapy to monotherapy. RF-negative status and lower PtGA scores were strongly associated with increased likelihood of remaining in remission/LDA with MTX or ETN monotherapy. (SEAM-RA; ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02373813).

Diagnosing and treating ANCA-associated vasculitis: an updated review for clinical practice.

ANCA-associated vasculitides (AAV) are a group of rare, primary, systemic necrotizing small-vessel vasculitides. Granulomatosis with polyangiitis and microscopic polyangiitis account for ∼80-90% of all AAV. Exposure to silica dust, farming and chronic nasal Staphylococcus aureus carriage are associated with increased risk of developing AAV. When a diagnosis of AAV is suspected, as in patients with multisystem organ dysfunction or those with features such as chronic recurrent rhinosinusitis, cavitated lung nodules, palpable purpura or acute kidney injury, then appropriate further investigations are needed, including ANCA testing. In this scenario, a structured clinical assessment should be conducted, evaluating all the organs possibly involved, and tissue biopsy may be necessary for confirmation of the diagnosis. Therapeutic algorithms vary based on the severity of AAV, the clinical diagnosis/ANCA specificity, and the patient's age, weight, comorbidities and prognosis. Recent data favour rituximab as a preferable option for both induction and maintenance of remission. In addition, regimens with less glucocorticoids are equally effective and safer in inducing remission compared with conventional regimens, and avacopan is an effective glucocorticoid-sparing option. In contrast, there is not compelling evidence to support the routine use of plasma exchange in addition to standard remission-induction therapy in AAV. ANCA and other biomarkers can be helpful in association with clinical assessment to guide diagnosis and treatment decisions. Patients should be frequently evaluated during follow-up for possible disease relapses or treatment-related morbidity, and for monitoring damage accrual, especially metabolic and cardiovascular damage.

Outcome of low-dose prednisolone use for the induction of remission in lupus nephritis patients.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the efficacy of low-dose prednisolone with conventional high-dose regimen in proliferative lupus nephritis (LN) for remission. METHODS: This open-label randomized clinical trial was conducted in the Department of Rheumatology, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh. A total of 32 LN patients were randomized into low-dose (experimental) and high-dose (control) groups. All subjects received standard dose of intravenous (I/V) methylprednisolone and pulse I/V cyclophosphamide. Oral prednisolone, 0.5 mg/kg/d and 1 mg/kg/d were given to experimental and control groups respectively for initially 4 weeks then tapered. The patients were followed for 24 weeks. The rates of renal remission (complete and partial) were assessed at 24 weeks. The disease activity, biochemical markers, and quality of life were evaluated at baseline and at 24 weeks. RESULTS: Complete renal remission was achieved by 66.7% of patients in each group (P = .99). Renal remission (partial/complete) was achieved by 86.7% and 83.3% of patients in the prednisolone low-dose group and high-dose group respectively (P = .99). In between groups, no significant difference was observed in the improvement of active urinary sediments, serum creatinine level, anti-double-stranded DNA level, complements level, disease activity and Short Form-12 score. The prednisolone dose-related adverse events like cushingoid facies, abdominal stria, infections and serious adverse events like death occurred more in the high-dose prednisolone group. CONCLUSIONS: It has been observed that low-dose prednisolone regimen may be effective in LN. Steroid dose-related side effects and rate of infections were lower in this group.

Tacrolimus as rescue therapy for steroid-dependent/steroid-refractory ulcerative colitis: Experience from tertiary referral center in India.

INTRODUCTION: Between 20% and 40% of patients with severe ulcerative colitis (UC) are either steroid-refractory UC (SRUC) or steroid-dependent UC (SDUC). Tacrolimus is an oral and relatively inexpensive drug, which has been extensively used in Japan for steroid-refractory and steroid-dependent disease. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with SDUC/SRUC were treated with tacrolimus 0.05-0.1 mg/kg in this prospective study. Clinical Mayo score (CMS) and UC Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS) were evaluated prior to starting the drug and subsequently after 8 weeks. 5-Aminosalicylic acid agents (5-ASA) and immunomodulators were continued if the patients were previously on these drugs. Clinical response at 8 weeks was defined as decrease in CMS by at least 3 points. Clinical remission was defined as CMS ≤2 and combined remission as CMS≤2 with UCEIS <3. RESULTS: Fifty-two patients (29 males) with a mean age of 35.1± 12.8 years with predominantly E3 disease (71%) were prospectively evaluated in this study. SDUC and SRUC were diagnosed in 31 and 21 patients, respectively. Seven failed treatment within 8 weeks, four were subjected to surgery, and 3 were switched to infliximab. Forty-two patients continued tacrolimus for 8 weeks. Mean CMS and UCEIS prior to starting tacrolimus were 6 ± 1.1 and 4.8 ± 1.1, respectively. At 8 weeks, median CMS and UCEIS decreased to 2.6 ± 1.7 and 2.7 ± 1.3, respectively. Clinical response was documented in 29 patients (56%) at week 8 whereas clinical remission was seen in 25 patients (48%). Combined clinical and endoscopic remissions were seen in 18 patients (35%). Except for a single  patient who developed reversible renal dysfunction, no other adverse event was  observed. CONCLUSION: Our results show that tacrolimus is effective in inducing a clinical response in 56% of patients with SDUC and SRUC. In view of its low cost and safety profile, it may be considered first-line therapy for SDUC/SRUC.

Nutritional Therapy in Pediatric Crohn's Disease-Are We Going to Change the Guidelines?

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the incidence of Crohn's disease. Despite significant medical progress, the treatment options available today do not meet the needs of all patients. Recent reports indicate that external environmental factors, including diet, are key in the pathomechanism of the disease. It was proven that the so-called Western dietary pattern is associated with an increased risk of disease. In the pediatric population, exclusive enteral nutrition is the only nutritional therapy option recommended today with proven high efficacy in inducing remission. Recent publications that indicate at least comparable efficacy and significantly better tolerability of a specialised elimination diet, the Crohn's Disease Exclusion Diet (CDED), provide the basis for a change in recommendations. This article discusses the mechanism of action, principles of use, and scientific evidence evaluating the efficacy of CDED in the treatment of children with Crohn's disease.

Vitamin C Enema Advances Induction of Remission in the Dextran Sodium Sulfate-Induced Colitis Model in Rats.

The current main treatment for ulcerative colitis (UC) is induction therapy by long-term administration of 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA), but various side effects have been reported. Therefore, a radical cure for UC is desired. A vitamin C (VC) has anti-inflammatory effects. Therefore, this study investigated whether a VC solution enema shortens induction of remission in colitis model rats. Wistar rats (6 wk old/male) were allowed to freely ingest a 1% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) solution for 10 d and then switched to tap water for normal breeding for 10 d (UC group). At the time of switching to tap water, an enema was performed with a 5-ASA solution (40 mg/kg/d) or VC solution (460 mg/kg/d) for 10 d. The neutrophil number, COX-2, which is an index of inflammation, and type III collagen, which is an early healing marker, were significantly increased in the UC group. However, the VC group showed decreases compared with UC groups. Furthermore, compared with UC and 5-ASA groups, the VC group showed increased expression of type I collagen, which is expressed late in healing, and significant epithelial regeneration was observed in colon tissue. The VC solution enema shortened the induction of remission by directly suppressing inflammation of damaged large intestinal tissues and promoting mucosal healing.

Associations of vitamin D status with colorectal cancer risk and survival.

Biological evidence suggests that vitamin D has numerous anticancer functions, but the associations between vitamin D status and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk and survival remain inconclusive. Based on UK Biobank, we prospectively evaluated the associations of season-standardized 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations with CRC risk among 360 061 participants, and with survival among 2509 CRC cases. We observed an inverse linear relationship between 25(OH)D concentrations and CRC risk (P for linearity = .01; HR per 1-SD increment, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.91-0.99). Compared to the lowest quartile of 25(OH)D, the highest quartile was associated with a 13% (HR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.77-0.98) lower risk of CRC. For CRC survival, compared to those in the lowest quartile of 25(OH)D, cases in the highest quartile had a 20% (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.65-0.99) lower risk for overall death. Our findings indicate that higher concentrations of serum 25(OH)D are associated with lower incidence and improved survival of CRC, suggesting a role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of CRC.

Effect of Exclusive Enteral Nutrition and Corticosteroid Induction Therapy on the Gut Microbiota of Pediatric Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

INTRODUCTION: Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) and corticosteroids (CS) are effective induction therapies for pediatric Crohn's Disease (CD). CS are also therapy for ulcerative colitis (UC). Host-microbe interactions may be able to explain the effectiveness of these treatments. This is the first prospective study to longitudinally characterize compositional changes in the bacterial community structure of pediatric UC and CD patients receiving EEN or CS induction therapy. METHODS: Patients with diagnoses of CD or UC were recruited from McMaster Children's Hospital (Hamilton, Canada). Fecal samples were collected from participants aged 5-18 years old undergoing 8 weeks of induction therapy with EEN or CS. Fecal samples were submitted for 16S rRNA sequencing. The Shannon diversity index and the relative abundance of specific bacterial taxa were compared using a linear mixed model. RESULTS: The clustering of microbiota was the highest between patients who achieved remission compared to patients still showing active disease (p = 0.029); this effect was independent of the diagnosis or treatment type. All patients showed a significant increase in Shannon diversity over the 8 weeks of treatment. By week 2, a significant difference was seen in Shannon diversity between patients who would go on to achieve remission and those who would not. CONCLUSION: The gut microbiota of pediatric UC and CD patients was most influenced by patients' success or failure to achieve remission and was largely independent of the choice of treatment or disease type. Significant differences in Shannon diversity indices occurred as early as week 2 between patients who went on to achieve remission and those who continued to have active disease.

Efficacy of JAK inhibitors in Crohn's Disease.

Inhibition of Janus kinases [JAKs] in Crohn's disease [CD] patients has shown conflicting results in clinical trials. Tofacitinib, a pan-JAK inhibitor, showed efficacy in ulcerative colitis [UC] and has been approved for the treatment of patients with moderate to severe UC. In contrast, studies in CD patients were disappointing and the primary end point of clinical remission could not be met in the respective phase II induction and maintenance trials. Subsequently, the clinical development of tofacitinib was discontinued in CD. In contrast, efficacy of filgotinib, a selective JAK1 inhibitor, in CD patients was demonstrated in the randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled phase II FITZROY study. Upadacitinib also showed promising results in a phase II trial in moderate to severe CD. Subsequently, phase III programmes in CD have been initiated for both substances, which are still ongoing. Several newer molecules of this class of orally administrated immunosuppressants are being tested in clinical programmes. The concern of side effects of systemic JAK inhibition is addressed by either exclusively intestinal action or higher selectivity [Tyk2 inhibitors]. In general, JAK inhibitors constitute a new promising class of drugs for the treatment of CD.

Tacrolimus Therapy in Steroid-Refractory Ulcerative Colitis: A Review.

Inflammatory bowel diseases are known for a chronic inflammatory process of the gastrointestinal tract and include Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis (UC). Patients who are dependent on or resistant to corticosteroids account for about 20% of severe UC patients. Tacrolimus is a calcineurin inhibitor that has recently been used in the treatment of steroid-refractory ulcerative colitis. Tacrolimus has been demonstrated to have remarkable therapeutic efficacy in UC patients, without increased risk of severe adverse effects such as induction of remission and maintenance therapy. This article reviews the mechanism of action, pharmacogenetics, efficacy, and safety of tacrolimus for patients with steroid-refractory ulcerative colitis.

Epidemiology and clinical course of inflammatory bowel disease in the Central Province of Sri Lanka: A hospital-based study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: There is increasing prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Asia, but Sri Lankan data on the state of epidemiology and clinical course of IBD are scarce. METHODS: A hospital-based study was done by recruiting IBD patients who permanently reside in the Central Province (population 2.57 million, 12.6% of Sri Lankan population) of Sri Lanka. Cases were confirmed by standard criteria and data were collected from health records and patient interviews at clinic visits and hospital admissions. RESULTS: There were 200 cases of IBD; (ulcerative colitis [UC]-140, Crohn's disease [CD]-60, microscopic colitis-7). The crude prevalence rate of UC was 5.44/100 000 (95% CI 5.41-5.47/100 000) and CD was 2.33/100 000 (95% CI 2.31-2.35/100 000). Female to male ratios were 1:0.8 for UC but 1:1.5 for CD.Mean age at diagnosis was 42.0 and 31.9 years for UC and CD, respectively. One UC and one CD patient had positive family history of IBD. Among the UC patients, 60.7%, 24.3%, and 15% had proctitis, left sided, and extensive disease, respectively. At presentation, 62.1% of the UC patients have had moderately severe disease. 60% of the CD patients had only large bowel involvement and 80% had nonstricturing and nonpenetrating disease. Extra intestinal manifestations were present in 45.7% and 60.0% of UC and CD patients, respectively, in which peripheral arthralgia and arthritis being the commonest. 6.4% of UC and 23.3% of the CD patients (total of 23) required infliximab for induction of remission. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of IBD in the Central Province of Sri Lanka is lower than other Asian and Western populations. There is a predominance of male gender and isolated colonic disease in CD patients. UC patients have an equal gender distribution and a higher proportion of proctitis. CD needed induction with infliximab than UC.

Early Improvement and Marriage Are Determinants of the 12-Month Treatment Outcome of Paroxetine in Outpatients with Panic Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we investigated the determinants of remission and discontinuation of paroxetine pharmacotherapy in outpatients with panic disorder (PD). METHODS: Subjects were 79 outpatients diagnosed with PD who took 10-40 mg/day of paroxetine for 12 months. The candidate therapeutic determinants included the serotonin transporter gene-linked polymorphic region and the -1019C/G promoter polymorphism of the serotonin receptor 1A as genetic factors, educational background and marital status as environmental factors, and early improvement (EI) at 2 weeks as a clinical factor were assessed. The Clinical Global Impression scale was used to assess the therapeutic effects of the pharmacotherapy. RESULTS: Cox proportional hazards regression was performed to investigate the significant predictive factors of remission and discontinuation. EI was only a significant predictive factor of remission. EI was a significant predictive factor of remission (hazard ratio [HR], 2.709; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.177-6.235). Otherwise, EI and marital status were significant predictive factors of the discontinuation. EI (HR, 0.266; 95% CI, 0.115-0.617) and being married (HR, 0.437; 95% CI, 0.204-0.939) were considered to reduce the risk of treatment discontinuation. In married subjects, EI was a significant predictive factor of the discontinuation (HR, 0.160; 95% CI, 0.045-0.565). However, in unmarried subjects, EI was not a significantly predictive factor for the discontinuation. CONCLUSION: EI achievement appears to be a determinant of PD remission in paroxetine treatment. In married PD patients, EI achievement also appears to reduce a risk of discontinuation of paroxetine treatment.

Golimumab for moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis.

INTRODUCTION: Anti-TNF agents are the mainstay of therapy in patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis (UC) not responding to 5-aminosalisylic acid, corticosteroids, immunmodulators and for patients dependent on corticosteroids. There is a therapeutic gap of 30%- 60% with infliximab and adalimumab, which is required to be bridged by newer agents. The present review summarizes the literature on the role of golimumab, a new anti TNF agent, in ulcerative colitis. AREAS COVERED: Literature search was done on PubMed using the search terms 'golimumab' AND 'ulcerative colitis' from inception till March 2016. Golimumab, a fully human monoclonal antibody against TNF-α, was approved by FDA for clinical use in UC in 2013. In vitro studies showed golimumab to be better than infliximab and adalimumab in terms of affinity and neutralization of TNF-α and its conformational stability. Golimumab was found to be effective and safe in inducing and maintaining clinical remission, clinical response and mucosal healing in patients with UC in the two registration trials. Expert commentary: Although there is no difference in terms of efficacy between golimumab, infliximab and adalimumab, golimumab is better than infliximab in terms of route of administration (subcutaneous vs intravenous) and better than adalimumab in terms of frequency of dosing (4 weeks vs 2 weeks).

Efficacy of probiotic treatment with Bifidobacterium longum 536 for induction of remission in active ulcerative colitis: A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled multicenter trial.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: We conducted a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial to investigate the efficacy of Bifidobacterium longum 536 (BB536) supplementation for induction of remission in Japanese patients with active ulcerative colitis (UC). METHODS: Fifty-six patients with mild to moderate UC were enrolled. Three patients had pancolitis, 36 had left-sided colitis, and 17 had proctitis. Patients were randomly treated with 2-3 × 10(11) freeze-dried viable BB536 (28 patients) or placebo (28 patients) for 8 weeks. RESULTS: In total, 63% of patients receiving BB536 showed clinical remission (UC disease activity index [UCDAI] ≤2) at week 8 compared to 52% of those receiving placebo (P = 0.395). We observed a significant decrease of UCDAI scores (3.8 ± 0.4 at baseline to 2.6 ± 0.4 at week 8) in the BB536 group (P < 0.01), whereas there was no significant decrease in the placebo group (P = 0.88). There was also a significant decrease in the Rachmilewitz endoscopic index (EI) and the Mayo subscore at week 8 in the BB536 group, whereas there was no significant decrease in the placebo group. A single patient in the BB536 group complained of a mild side-effect, but no other adverse effects were observed. CONCLUSION: Supplementation with BB536 was well tolerated and reduced UCDAI scores, EI and Mayo subscores after 8 weeks in Japanese patients with mild to moderately active UC.

Are the concepts of induction of remission and treatment of subclinical inflammation in atopic dermatitis clinically useful?

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) treatment is often initiated by symptoms or visible erythema. The role of induction of remission or treatment of inflammation that is not visible is unclear. OBJECTIVE: We investigated whether (1) the notion of subclinical inflammation is scientifically sound, (2) treatment corrects subclinical inflammation, and (3) different strategies for initial clearance of AD affect long-term disease control. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review based on searching MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane register of randomized controlled trials, and the Global Resource of Eczema Trials from inception to the end of October 2012. RESULTS: Twenty of 26 included studies presented evidence of subclinical inflammation, with a continuum of changes in skin barrier dysfunction, the proinflammatory cytokine milieu, and lymphocytic infiltration from normal-appearing skin to posttreatment lesional skin to active skin lesions in patients with AD. Such subclinical inflammation is improved, with proactive treatment aimed at maintaining remission. Failure to achieve control of AD symptoms with initial therapy was associated with a higher risk of relapse in 14 randomized controlled trials (fluticasone: risk ratio, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.02-1.68; tacrolimus: risk ratio, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.12-1.66). Three trials on systemic therapy/phototherapy suggested that induction of remission resulted in long-term remission without maintenance therapy in approximately 15% of patients. CONCLUSION: Induction of remission followed by maintenance therapy might prove to be an integral part of a disease-modifying strategy for treating atopic diseases.

Disease-activity-free status in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis treated with daclizumab high-yield process in the SELECT study.

BACKGROUND: Daclizumab high-yield process (DAC HYP) is a humanized anti-CD25 monoclonal antibody that inhibits high-affinity interleukin-2 receptor signaling. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper is to assess the proportion of DAC HYP- versus placebo-treated patients who were free from disease activity. METHODS: SELECT was a randomized, double-blind, multicenter study of DAC HYP 150 mg or 300 mg, or placebo, administered subcutaneously every four weeks for 52 weeks. In this post-hoc analysis of the SELECT trial, 'disease-activity free' was defined as completion through week 52 without relapses or confirmed three-month disability progression (clinical), with no new/newly enlarging T2-hyperintense lesions and no new gadolinium-enhancing lesions at the week 52 scan (radiological). Primary analyses were based on logistic regression controlling for baseline characteristics. RESULTS: More DAC HYP-treated (39%, n = 156) versus placebo-treated patients (11%, n = 22) were disease-activity free (odds ratio (95% confidence interval), 6.18 (3.71-10.32); p < 0.0001). Furthermore, 77% and 48% of DAC HYP-treated patients were free from clinical or radiological disease activity, respectively, compared with 60% and 18% of placebo-treated patients. CONCLUSION: At one year, DAC HYP resulted in a meaningful increase in the proportion of relapsing-remitting MS patients who were disease-activity free versus placebo.

Prospective Randomization Trial of G-CSF-Primed Induction Regimen versus Standard Regimen in Patients with AML.

The sensitization of leukemia cells with hematopoietic growth factors can enhance the cytotoxicity of chemotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Therefore, the current trial attempted to evaluate the efficacy of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) priming in remission induction chemotherapy with an intensified dose of Ara-C for newly diagnosed AML. Patients with newly diagnosed AML were randomly assigned to receive idarubicin (12 mg/m(2)/24 hr, days 1-3) plus Ara-C (500 mg/m(2)/12 hr, days 4-8) with G-CSF (250 µg/m(2)/d, days 3-7) (IAG group) or standard idarubicin (12 mg/m(2)/24 hr, days 1-3) plus Ara-C (100 mg/m(2)/12 hr, days 1-7) without G-CSF (IA group). There were no significant differences in sex, age, subtype, or cytogenetic risk between the two groups. Complete remission was achieved in 15 patients (88.2%) from the IAG group and in 14 patients (82.4%) from the IA group (p=0.31). The median time to complete remission was 26 vs. 31 days (p=0.779) for the IA and IAG groups, respectively. The median time to neutrophil recovery (>1×10(9)/L) and platelet recovery (>20×10(9)/L) did not differ significantly between the two groups (26 vs. 26 days, p=0.338; 21 vs. 16 days, p=0.190, respectively). After a median follow-up of 682 days, the 3-year overall survival rate for the IA group was 64.7%, whereas that for the IAG group was 45.6% (p=0.984). No improved clinical outcomes were observed for the AML patients subjected to intensified remission induction with G-CSF priming when compared with standard induction chemotherapy.

Low Dose Interferon Alfa-2B for the Induction of Remission of Hairy Cell Leukemia: A Multi-institutional Study of 49 Patients.

This multicenter study reports on 49 patients with hairy cell leukemia (HCL) who were treated subcutaneously with alfa-2b interferon (Intron A, Schering Corporation, Kenilworth, N.J.), three times a week at a reduced dosage of 200,000 units/m(2), one-tenth the dose of the standard 2 million units/m(2). The response rate (normalized blood counts) was 22% (11 of 49); an additional 12 patients had a minor response for an overall response rate of 47% (23 of 49). When response was assessed by prior IFN therapy, no significant difference was noted. Five of 21 (24%) with no prior IFN and 6 of 28 (21%) with prior IFN therapy achieved at least a normalization of blood counts (p = 0.07). The response rate with low-dose interferon is inferior to that with standard dose interferon and should not be used for remission induction, but should be evaluated for its role in long-term maintenance of response.