Safety of etanercept in psoriasis: a critical review.

Conventional systemic treatments for patients with psoriasis are associated with multiple adverse effects that require continuous monitoring. The introduction of new biological agents such as etanercept, a fully human fusion protein, has permitted individualisation of patients' treatment according to disease stage. The drug is a competitive inhibitor of tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) that prevents interaction between this cytokine and its cell surface receptors. Etanercept also modulates the activity of other inflammatory cytokines and does not induce complement-mediated cell lysis in vitro. The main source of information regarding etanercept safety comes from studies in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. The most common adverse effect during drug administration is mild injection site reactions. There is no increase in the overall incidence of infections compared with placebo, although there have been several reports of infections caused by intracellular organisms (Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Listeria monocytogenes, and Mycobacterium avium intracellulare). Therefore, combination of this drug with corticosteroids must be carefully monitored and should be avoided in patients with established sepsis. There are no data showing that treatment with etanercept results in an increase in the occurrence of malignant neoplasms. However, caution is recommended in use of etanercept in patients with a current or past history of demyelinating disease. Etanercept must be used with extreme caution in patients with heart failure because of several reports indicating a worsening or de novo occurrence of congestive heart failure while receiving the drug. Monitoring of autoantibodies is not currently considered necessary as they do not predict response, toxicity or autoimmune events. The presence of non-neutralising antibodies to the TNF receptor fragment or other protein components of etanercept has not been related to a decrease in drug response or adverse reactions. Etanercept does not generally modify the course of inflammatory bowel disease. When combined with other systemic therapies for psoriasis, current data do not show an increase in adverse events. In patients with hepatitis C viral infection, etanercept does not increase transaminase levels or viral load and in some instances has allowed the concomitant use of interferon which had previously been discontinued because of a worsening of psoriasis. Etanercept is rated as a US FDA category B drug in pregnancy. However, its use is not recommended in pregnant women unless the benefit-risk ratio greatly favours its use. Etanercept is not recommended for use in lactating women. Etanercept represents a relevant treatment for psoriasis, efficacious over many weeks and safe but special care should be taken to avoid the potential risks.

Cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular diseases in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis under systemic treatment. PSO-RISK, descriptive study.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (CVRF) in psoriasis has not been studied in large Spanish samples. OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of major CVRFs in psoriasis patients requiring systemic treatments. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study in psoriasis patients from 33 hospital dermatology offices throughout Spain. Blood pressure (BP) was measured and a fasting lab test was performed. Each CVRF was diagnosed according to the recommendations of international societies. RESULTS: In 368 patients (mean age 48 years old, 36% women), 80.2% had at least one CVRF. The prevalence of each CVRF was similar in men and women and slightly higher in patients with psoriatic arthritis and in patients with a history of more severe disease. The percentage of patients treated with drugs to control CVRF was low (∼ 50% of those with each CVRF). A total of 20.7% had experienced some cardiovascular disease (CVD) episode. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of CVRF was high, higher than in the general Spanish population, and 20% had already suffered CVD. However, the percentage with drug treatments for CVRF was low.

[Treatment of severe refractory pemphigus vulgaris with rituximab]. / Tratamiento de pénfigo vulgar grave resistente con rituximab.

Pemphigus vulgaris is a potentially fatal autoimmune bullous disease. High doses of immunosuppressive drugs are used in managing severe cases of pemphigus. Rituximab, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, has proven to be effective in patients with refractory pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus. We review cases of pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus not associated with lymphoma that were treated with rituximab, and we report a new case of severe refractory pemphigus vulgaris successfully treated with rituximab.

[Pseudovascular squamous cell carcinoma]. / Carcinoma epidermoide pseudovascular.

The adenoid form of squamous cell carcinoma is a neoplasm that is characterized by the fact that it presents a pseudoglandular pattern in the histological study. The biological phenomenon that explains this histological pattern is acantholysis; when the latter is massive, the tumor may even mimic a vascular proliferation, and is known as pseudovascular squamous cell carcinoma. This tumor has the clinical characteristics of a squamous cell carcinoma, but histologically, it may mimic an angiosarcoma. Most cases of pseudovascular squamous cell carcinoma of the skin have a poor prognosis.