Genetic polymorphisms to identify patients with an optimal response to tildrakizumab in psoriasis patients from real-life clinical practice.

Detecting the association of genetic variants to the response of biological therapy represents an important advance in developing a personalized therapy. The aim of this work was to study the association of polymorphisms with an optimal response to tildrakizumab in patients with psoriasis in a real-life clinical practice. Ninety patients with plaque psoriasis recruited from-Spanish hospitals receiving tildrakizumab for at least 24 weeks were genotyped for 180 polymorphisms. Optimal response to tildrakizumab was evaluated by absolute PASI ≤1 at 6 and 12 months. Polymorphisms corrected for weight and disease duration with an FDR <0.15 were included in a multiple regression model. Sixty three percent of patients achieved an absolute PASI ≤1 at 6 months, while 71% did so after 12 months. Disease duration (>27 years) and weight (>76 kg) were associated with treatment response; after correcting by these factors, no association (FDR >0.15) was found for any polymorphism and response to tildrakizumab at 6 months. The analysis at 12 months identified the genotype GG for rs610604 (TNFAIP3), CT for rs9373839 (ATG5), and delCTGT/delCTGT for rs72167053 (PDE4D) as risk factors to not achieve an optimal response (PASI ≤1), while CT for rs708567 (IL17RC) was protective, independently of weight and disease duration (FDR <0.15). The final multivariable model at 12 months showed an AUC of 0.90 (95% CI 0.82 to -0.98). We identified a set of polymorphisms that could be helpful to identify psoriatic patients with an optimal response to tildrakizumab at 12 months in real-world practice conditions.

Introduction of Basic Dermatologic Ultrasound in Undergraduate Medical Education.

Purpose: Teaching ultrasound procedures to undergraduates has recently been proposed to improve the quality of medical education. We address the impact of applying standardized dermatologic ultrasound teaching to our undergraduates. Materials and Methods: Medical students were offered an additional theoretical and practical seminar involving hands-on ultrasound dermatologic ultrasound during their mandatory dermatology practical training. The students' theoretical knowledge and dermatologic ultrasoud skills were tested with a multiple choice questionnaire extracted from Level 1 Spanish Society of Ultrasound Dermatologic Ultrasound accreditation exam before and after the course. After the course, the students were asked to answer a course evaluation questionnaire Results: The multiple-choice question scores after the course showed statistically significant improvement (5.82 vs. 8.71%; P<0.001). The questionnaire revealed that students were satisfied with the course, felt that it increased both their dermatologic and ultrasound knowledge, and indicated that they wanted more sonographic hands-on training in both dermatologic ultrasound and other medical fields. Conclusion: Using both objective and subjective methods, we showed that the introduction of standardized ultrasound training programs in undergraduate medical education can improve both students' understanding of the technique and the quality of medical education in dermatology.

Oral Alitretinoin in the Treatment of Severe Refractory Chronic Hand Eczema in the Spanish National Health System: Description and Analysis of Current Clinical Practice.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Hand eczema affects nearly 10% of the population. The condition becomes severe and chronic in 5% to 7% of cases and is refractory to topical corticosteroids in 2% to 4%. This study aimed to describe the current use of oral alitretinoin in treating Spanish national health system patients with hand eczema that is refractory to potent topical corticosteroids. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Observational, descriptive, exploratory, cross-sectional study based on the retrospective analysis of records for patients with hand eczema treated with alitretinoin in the Spanish national health system. RESULTS: We reviewed the records for 62 patients in 13 hospitals in 5 different administrative areas (autonomous communities) of Spain. Alitretinoin was usually used at a dosage of 30mg/d. In most cases the physician judged the clinical response to be satisfactory after a single cycle. The recorded adverse effects were foreseeable and of the type reported for systemic retinoids. The dermatologists agreed that the clinical benefits achieved with alitretinoin favored adherence to treatment and an early return to work. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that oral alitretinoin is being used according to established recommendations and that response is good, with few adverse effects. The dermatologists agreed that the benefits favored adherence and improved the patients' health related quality of life.

Skin Ultrasound in Kaposi Sarcoma. / Ecografía cutánea en el sarcoma de Kaposi.

The use of ultrasound imaging has recently been increasing in numerous dermatologic diseases. This noninvasive technique provides additional details on the structure and vascularization of skin lesions. Kaposi sarcoma is a vascular tumor that typically arises in the skin and mucosas. It can spread to lymph nodes and internal organs. We performed B-mode and color Doppler ultrasound studies in 3 patients with a clinical diagnosis of Kaposi sarcoma confirmed by histological examination. We found differences in the ultrasound pattern between nodular and plaque lesions, in both B-mode and color Doppler. We believe that skin ultrasound imaging could be a useful technique for studying cutaneous Kaposi sarcoma, providing additional information on the structural and vascular characteristics of the lesion.

[Color Doppler ultrasound of the scalp and hair]. / Ecotomografía Doppler color de cuero cabelludo y pelo.

Color Doppler ultrasound is an imaging technique that allows the study of frequent diseases of the scalp and hair. This examination provides anatomical and functional information in real time that can reveal the extent, activity or severity of common diseases in a non-invasive way, and allows monitoring of their treatment.

Influence of KIR gene diversity on the course of HSV-1 infection: resistance to the disease is associated with the absence of KIR2DL2 and KIR2DS2.

Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) causes lifelong latent infections in most humans. Periodical virus reactivations from latency in the neurons of sensitive ganglia lead to transport to mucocutaneous regions and productive replication, which results in recurrent inflammatory herpetic lesions or in asymptomatic virus shedding. The medical consequences of such lesions and the frequency of recurrences vary greatly in different subjects. Furthermore, many infected individuals never suffer manifestations of the disease, even when exposed to stimuli that trigger clinical recurrences in other humans. The origin of the variability in the clinical course of HSV-1 infection remains unexplained. Herpesviruses and other pathogens sabotage the expression of major histocompatibility complex class I molecules by infected cells, thus subverting T-cell-mediated immunity. Subversion of antigen presentation is counteracted by natural killer cells, which survey the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) expression by specific receptors. These include the killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs), which are encoded by a complex of extremely diverse and rapidly evolving genes. Here, we analyze the contribution of KIR gene diversity to the variable clinical course of HSV-1 infection by comparing the distribution of these genes in humans with clinical manifestations of the disease with that in asymptomatically infected donors. This study provides preliminary evidence that the receptors KIR2DL2 and KIR2DS2 predispose to symptomatic HSV-1 infection and favor the frequently recurring forms of the disease. Possible contribution of the 'HLA-C1' ligand to HSV-1 disease was not statistically supported. Because of an absolute genetic linkage between KIR2DL2 and KIR2DS2, we could not determine which receptor was primarily responsible for the observed association, but our results suggest that presence in the genome of KIR2DL2 and KIR2DS2 hinders an effective cellular response to HSV-1.

Lupus erythematosus with an erythema multiforme-like eruption.

We describe a patient diagnosed with lupus erythematosus (LE) who developed an acute generalized eruption characterized by erythema multiforme (EM)-like lesions. Biopsy specimen showed foci of vacuolar alteration at the dermo-epidermal junction and frequent necrotic keratinocytes. Laboratory tests disclosed a speckled-homogenous antinuclear antibody titer of 1:640, leucopenia and hypocomplementemia. Anti-Ro/anti-La antibodies and rheumatoid factor were negative. Treatment with high-dose oral prednisone and azathioprine led to complete remission of the cutaneous lesions, although eruption recurred two years later. We believe that this patient presented a subacute cutaneous lupus eythematous with a distinctive erythema multiforme-like eruption. This case could be included in the so-called Rowell's syndrome, although it does not fit all the immunological characteristics reported in the original description, as in many of the previously reported cases. At the present time there seems to be enough evidence to classify Rowell's syndrome within the subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus subset. Finally, a coexistence of LE and EM can not be completely discarded in our patient, although no causative factor was found.

Granuloma faciale with extrafacial lesions.

Extrafacial involvement in granuloma faciale (GF) is rather exceptional. We report herein a patient with GF associated with lesions on the trunk and the forearm. Histological studies of facial and extrafacial lesions shared similar characteristics: a mixed inflammatory infiltrate with abundant eosinophils in the superficial and middle dermis with a narrow grenz zone of uninvolved dermis between the epidermis and the infiltrate. Evidence of vasculitis was clearly observed in both biopsy specimens. Treatment with dapsone did not alter the course of the disease. We review the 12 cases of extrafacial GF that have been reported in the English and Spanish literature. In these cases a diagnosis of erythema elevatum diutinum (EED) may be suggested. Although GF and EED may share some pathogenic mechanisms, there are several clinical and histological differences between them that make us consider EED and GF as distinct entities.

Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis with mucosal involvement in a kidney transplant recipient: treatment with liposomal amphotericin B.

Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a rare clinical variant of cutaneous leishmaniasis. It is very common in the Indian subcontinent and less frequent in East Africa, but exceptional in the American and European continents. We have observed a case of PKDL in a renal transplant recipient. No systemic symptoms were present. The patient was treated with liposomal amphotericin B. We emphasize the unusual aspects of this case: the appearance of PKDL in Europe, its relationship with immunosuppression, the severe mucosal involvement and the excellent response to liposomal amphotericin B, a newly described treatment for the disease.

Lichen planus with predominant plasma cell infiltrate.

We herein report the case of a patient with lichenoid plaques on the lower extremities and anonychia of all toenails. Histologically, the eruption showed typical features of lichen planus, with the exceptional finding of a lichenoid infiltrate composed mostly of plasma cells. Only two other similar cases have been reported. The explanation for the numerous plasma cells remains unknown although such cases may represent a new histologic variant.