Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Janus Kinase Inhibitors Used in Alopecia Areata: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of treatment with Janus kinase inhibitors for alopecia areata, measured by change in Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score. A systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines was performed using Medline, EMBASE and Cochrane library. All studies investigating the efficacy of treatments for alopecia areata were included. Primary outcomes were the proportion of patients with alopecia areata achieving 30%, 50%, 75%, 90% and 100% improvement in SALT score after treatment with a Janus kinase inhibitor. A meta-analysis was performed including all randomized controlled trials investigating Janus kinase inhibitors. A total of 37 studies matched the inclusion criteria and were included. Meta-analysis was performed based on 5 randomized studies. Regarding patients with alopecia areata defined as ≥ 50% scalp hair loss, baricitinib 4 mg once daily demonstrated the highest efficacy. However, among patients with alopecia areata defined as a SALT score ≥ 50, oral deuruxolitinib 12 mg twice daily demonstrated the highest efficacy. Deuruxolitinib and baricitinib appear to be promising drugs for the treatment of alopecia areata. However, the response depends on the dosage of the drug. More randomized trials, with identical inclusion criteria and dose and duration of treatment, are required to confirm these findings.

Two Cases of Proximal Subungual Onychomycosis Caused by Trichophyton rubrum in HIV-negative Patients During Treatment with TNF-α Inhibitors Combined with Methotrexate.

Proximal subungual onychomycosis (PSO) is a rare subtype of onychomycosis with a clinical presentation characterized by proximal leukonychia in the lunular area of the nail. PSO is associated with immunosuppression and regarded a sign of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection when caused by Trichophyton (T.) rubrum. We present two cases of PSO caused by T. rubrum developed during treatment with TNF-α inhibitors combined with methotrexate (MTX).