Afamelanotide for Erythropoietic Protoporphyria.

BACKGROUND: Erythropoietic protoporphyria is a severe photodermatosis that is associated with acute phototoxicity. Patients with this condition have excruciating pain and a markedly reduced quality of life. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of an α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone analogue, afamelanotide, to decrease pain and improve quality of life. METHODS: We conducted two multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of subcutaneous implants containing 16 mg of afamelanotide. Patients in the European Union (74 patients) and the United States (94 patients) were randomly assigned, in a 1:1 ratio, to receive a subcutaneous implant containing either afamelanotide or placebo every 60 days (a total of five implants in the European Union study and three in the U.S study). The type and duration of sun exposure, number and severity of phototoxic reactions, and adverse events were recorded over the respective 180-day and 270-day study periods. Quality of life was assessed with the use of validated questionnaires. A subgroup of U.S. patients underwent photoprovocation testing. The primary efficacy end point was the number of hours of direct exposure to sunlight without pain. RESULTS: In the U.S. study, the duration of pain-free time after 6 months was longer in the afamelanotide group (median, 69.4 hours, vs. 40.8 hours in the placebo group; P=0.04). In the European Union study, the duration of pain-free time after 9 months was also longer in the afamelanotide group than in the placebo group (median, 6.0 hours vs. 0.8 hours; P=0.005), and the number of phototoxic reactions was lower in the the afamelanotide group (77 vs. 146, P=0.04). In both trials, quality of life improved with afamelanotide therapy. Adverse events were mostly mild; serious adverse events were not thought to be related to the study drug. CONCLUSIONS: Afamelanotide had an acceptable side-effect and adverse-event profile and was associated with an increased duration of sun exposure without pain and improved quality of life in patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria. (Funded by Clinuvel Pharmaceuticals and others; ClinicalTrials.gov numbers, NCT01605136 and NCT00979745.).

Protective effects of ß-carotene and melanin against protoporphyrine IX-induced phototoxicity in the photo hen's egg test.

PURPOSE: The aim of our study was to evaluate the photoprotective potential of melanin and ß-carotene against protoporphyrine IX-induced phototoxicity via photo hen's egg test. METHODS: In three independent test groups, the yolk sac blood vessel system of hen's eggs was exposed to protoporphyrine IX and irradiated with ultraviolet A (UVA). One of the test groups also received melanin to investigate its photoprotective capacity; another test group received ß-carotene for the same purpose. Morphological changes and embryo lethality were recorded in these three test groups for a period of 24 h. The same parameters were obtained in five different control groups. RESULTS: The control groups exhibited only minimal morphological changes and no fatalities. In contrast, severe phototoxic damage and a high lethality rate (75%) were observed in the test group exposed to protoporphyrine IX and UVA. Lethality was somewhat lower in the ß-carotene test group (58%) and was considerably lower in the melanin test group (17%). CONCLUSIONS: The photoprotective potential against protoporphyrine IX-induced phototoxic damage was moderate for ß-carotene and was remarkable for melanin. Given that synthetic melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH) analogues induce a de novo synthesis of melanin without any previous ultraviolet irradiation in human skin, the application of MSH analogues might be conceived of as 'light hardening' without light. Synthetic MSH analogues thus may represent a new promising therapeutic option for photodermatoses especially for erythropoietic protoporphyria.

The prognostic value of cord blood analysis in erythropoietic protoporphyria: the 'Duesseldorf Cord Blood Study'.

BACKGROUND: Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is the most common porphyria in childhood, presenting with painful and burning skin sensations as well as erythema and edema after sun exposure. It represents an inherited disorder of heme metabolism that is due to a reduced ferrochelatase enzyme activity. The diagnosis is usually established when symptoms start by measuring elevated levels of protoporphyrin in erythrocytes. The aim of our study was to question the predictive value of cord blood analysis in newborn relatives of EPP patients as this may offer the earliest possible diagnosis of EPP in newborn relatives of affected patients. METHODS: Erythrocyte porphyrin (EP) was measured immediately after birth in 18 newborn relatives of EPP patients. EP was correlated to the subsequent clinical follow-up of mean 9 years after birth. RESULTS: We found EP to be within reference values in all 18 newborn relatives of EPP patients at birth. Out of 14 patients who were included in the follow-up period of median 9 years, 13 remained asymptomatic whereas one boy developed the typical symptoms of EPP at the age of three in combination with elevated EP. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of our study, we assume that cord blood analysis is not a reliable prognostic tool in EPP from the actual point of view.

Fixed solar urticaria with delayed onset.

Fixed solar urticaria (FSU) is an extremely rare type of solar urticaria characterized by urticarial wheals appearing frequently confined to fixed areas of the skin. After a few minutes of exposure to sunlight or other sources of radiation, urticarial lesions can usually be induced exclusively in the same localization. We report a case of delayed onset FSU occurring 6 hours after exposure to ultraviolet A and B light.

Evaluation of phototoxic and photoallergic potentials of 13 compounds by different in vitro and in vivo methods.

Phototoxic side effects of pharmaceutical and cosmetic products are of increasing concern for patients, dermatologists and the chemical industry. Moreover, the need of new chemicals and drugs puts pressure on pre-clinical test methods for side effects, especially interactive adverse-effects with UV-light. So, the predictive potential of different established test methods, which are used regularly in our departments in order to detect the phototoxic potential of chemicals, were analyzed. Namely the fibroblast 3T3 test, the photo hen's egg test, a guinea pig test for measuring acute photoreactions, and a modified Local Lymph Node Assay, the Integrated Model for the Differentiation of Skin Reactions. Various agents with different photoreactive potential were tested: quinolones like Bay y 3118, ciprofloxacin, enoxacin, lomefloxacin, moxifloxacin, ofloxacin, sparfloxacin, as well as promethazine, chlorpromazine, 8-methoxypsoralen and olaquindox serving as control. Special emphasis was taken to evaluate the capability of the employed test procedures to predict phototoxic side effects in patients. Following our results, both in vitro assays were useful tools to detect photoirritancy while the photoallergic potentials of tested compounds were exclusively detected by an in vivo assay. As long as no in vitro model for photoallergy is available, the UV-IMDS should be considered to evaluate photoallergic properties of a supposed photoreactive agent.

Occurrence of Malignant Tumours in the Acute Hepatic Porphyrias.

The porphyrias are a group of inherited metabolic diseases resulting from enzymatic deficiencies of specific haem biosynthetic enzymes. They can be classified as primarily acute and non-acute types. Clinically, the acute hepatic porphyrias (AHPs) are characterised by acute neurovisceral attacks. Patients with AHP may be at increased risk for development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, systematic studies on the occurrence of other malignancies in patients with the AHPs have not been performed to date. Here, we studied the development of HCC and distinct malignant tumours in patients with the AHPs registered in a single European porphyria specialist centre. A questionnaire was designed and sent to all individuals (n = 122) diagnosed between 1970 and 2012 of whom a valid address was available (n = 82), requesting information on their personal and family history of cancer. Statistical analysis was performed to calculate incidence, prevalence and relative risk of HCC. To calculate confidence intervals, a Poisson distribution was assumed. Forty-nine patients (59.8%) returned a completed questionnaire. Overall, HCC was diagnosed in one female (2.1%), and the remaining patients reported on six distinct malignancies. We were able to confirm that HCC is an important complication in AHP. The patients in our cohort had an approximately 35-fold increased risk of developing HCC, similar to observations in other European countries. In addition, we detected colon, breast, uterine and thyroid cancer as well as lymphoma and a liver metastasis in patients with AHP. However, considering the small number of tumours and patients studied here, the data should be interpreted with caution, and further studies on cancer occurrence in AHP patients will require a multicentre setting.

Photosensitivity in the elderly-think of late-onset protoporphyria.

Photosensitivity is the clinical hallmark of both erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) and X-linked dominant protoporphyria (XLDPP). Both disorders result from a hereditary dysfunction in heme biosynthesis. Disease onset is usually in early childhood. However, rare patients with late-onset EPP in association with a myeloproliferative disorder or myelodysplastic syndrome have been reported. In this issue, Livideanu et al. describe the first patient with late-onset XLDPP.

Cytokeratin 18 expression in immature Sertoli cells: co-localization with interstitial lymphocytic infiltrates.

Although multiple interactions of seminiferous tubules and the interstitial testicular tissue are known, correlation of cytokeratin 18 expressing Sertoli cells with interstitial changes has still not yet been reported. Considering this fact, we focused our investigation on changes of the adjacent interstitial tissue. A total sample of 51 testicular biopsies (from infertile patients) showing mixed atrophy was examined immunohistochemically with antibodies against cytokeratin 18, vimentin, L26/CD20, CD4 and CD8. Twenty-one of the 51 cases showed single seminiferous tubules with Sertoli cells expressing cytokeratin 18. These 21 tubules consistently exhibit either spermatogenic arrest at the level of spermatogonia or only immature Sertoli cells. In the adjacent interstitial tissue of 8 of the 21 cytokeratin 18 positive tubules (39%) striking inflammatory infiltrates--predominantly expressing L26/CD20 typical for B lymphocytes and CD8 typical for T suppressor lymphocytes--were detected. These findings underline that tubules with cytokeratin 18 expressing Sertoli cells exhibit early spermatogenic arrest or only few remaining Sertoli cells. Additionally, we observed a remarkable co-localization of these tubules with lymphocytic infiltrates of the adjacent interstitial tissue.

Pregnancy after laser-assisted selection of viable spermatozoa before intracytoplasmatic sperm injection in a couple with male primary cilia dyskinesia.

OBJECTIVE: To report an intracytoplasmatic sperm injection (ICSI) pregnancy achieved in a couple with male primary cilia dyskinesia (PCD) with viable sperm that were detected using a 1.48 microm wavelength diode laser. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: University hospital. PATIENT(S): A 37-year-old man with infertility due to primary cilia dyskinesia; semen analysis revealed a severe oligoasthenoteratozoospermia with absence of motile spermatozoa. A 34-year-old healthy woman with a 10-year history of primary infertility. INTERVENTION(S): Selection of viable spermatozoa using the hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS) test or a 1.48 microm wavelength diode laser and subsequent ICSI. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Sperm analysis. Fertilization and cleavage rates and pregnancy. RESULT(S): Semen samples showed no motile spermatozoa and high percentages of spermatozoa with curled flagella resembling HOS-reactive spermatozoa. To identify viable spermatozoa we used the HOS test or a 1.48 microm diode laser. The ICSI using HOS-selected spermatozoa resulted in two fertilized out of four oocytes (50%), and injection of laser-selected spermatozoa resulted in four fertilized out of seven oocytes (57%). The transfer of two frozen/thawed oocytes of the laser group led to a singleton pregnancy. CONCLUSION(S): Use of a noncontact diode laser for sperm viability assessment may be a useful alternative, especially in cases where the HOS test is not informative.

Treatment of palmoplantar psoriasis with monochromatic excimer light (308-nm) versus cream PUVA.

Palmoplantar psoriasis is a chronic disease, which is very resistant to treatment and often leads to severe disabilities. Photochemotherapy employing psoralens combined with UVA irradiation (PUVA) is a well-accepted therapy for palmoplantar psoriasis. Its topical application (bath PUVA; cream PUVA) avoids the typical side effects of orally applied psoralens. We compared the efficacy of cream PUVA therapy with monochromatic excimer light therapy, a treatment modality employing 308-nm UVB radiation generated by a new kind of light source. Ten patients with psoriasis of the palms and soles were randomly assigned to receive cream PUVA on one side and 308-nm UVB on the contralateral side. Based on the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score, clinical assessment was carried out before and 5 weeks after the beginning of the study. At the end of the treatment period both test groups showed a remarkable PASI score reduction (308-nm UVB, 63.57%; cream PUVA, 64.64%). No relevant adverse effects were observed, except for mild irritation in a few patients. After a 12-week follow-up, a relapse of the disease was only observed in one patient. Thus, mono-chromatic excimer light cleared palmoplantar psoriasis as rapidly as cream PUVA. In contrast to cream PUVA, monochromatic excimer light therapy is not associated with prior drug application. This might lead to a lower incidence of adverse reactions and better compliance. Therefore, monochromatic excimer light therapy seems to be a useful new therapeutic option for palmoplantar psoriasis.

Ultraviolet radiation-induced injury, chemokines, and leukocyte recruitment: An amplification cycle triggering cutaneous lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the activation and recruitment pathways of relevant leukocyte subsets during the initiation and amplification of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (LE). METHODS: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to perform a comprehensive analysis of all known chemokines and their receptors in cutaneous LE lesions, and the cellular origin of these chemokines and receptors was determined using immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, cytokine- and ultraviolet (UV) light-mediated activation pathways of relevant chemokines were investigated in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: In the present study, we identified the CXCR3 ligands CXCL9 (interferon-gamma [IFNgamma]-induced monokine), CXCL10 (IFNgamma-inducible protein 10), and CXCL11 (IFN-inducible T cell alpha chemoattractant) as being the most abundantly expressed chemokine family members in cutaneous LE. Expression of these ligands corresponded with the presence of a marked inflammatory infiltrate consisting of mainly CXCR3-expressing cells, including skin-homing lymphocytes and blood dendritic cell antigen 2-positive plasmacytoid dendritic cells (PDCs). Within cutaneous LE lesions, PDCs accumulated within the dermis and were activated to produce type I IFN, as detected by the expression of the IFNalpha-inducible genes IRF7 and MxA. IFNalpha, in turn, was a potent and rapid inducer of CXCR3 ligands in cellular constituents of the skin. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the inflammatory CXCR3 ligands cooperate with the homeostatic chemokine CXCL12 (stromal cell-derived factor 1) during the recruitment of pathogenically relevant leukocyte subsets. Moreover, we showed that UVB irradiation induces the release of CCL27 (cutaneous T cell-attracting chemokine) from epidermal compartments into dermal compartments and up-regulates the expression of a distinct set of chemokines in keratinocytes. CONCLUSION: Taken together, our data suggest an amplification cycle in which UV light-induced injury induces apoptosis, necrosis, and chemokine production. These mechanisms, in turn, mediate the recruitment and activation of autoimmune T cells and IFNalpha-producing PDCs, which subsequently release more effector cytokines, thus amplifying chemokine production and leukocyte recruitment, finally leading to the development of a cutaneous LE phenotype.

Phototoxicity of exogenous protoporphyrin IX and delta-aminolevulinic acid in the photo hen's egg test.

BACKGROUND: Oxygen, appropriate light sources, and special photosensitizers are necessary to induce photochemical damage in tumor cells via photodynamic therapy (PDT) delta-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) is increasingly used in PDT, because topical or systemic administration of ALA induces accumulation of endogenous porphyrins preferentially in neoplastic tissues. Subsequent radiation with light of approximately 630 nm leads to selective damage of tumor cells. PDT should optimally leave peritumoral tissues unaffected, but only few data are reported on the effects and the time course of ALA-induced porphyrins in tumor-free tissues. METHODS: Therefore, we studied the phototoxic effects of protoporphyrin IX (PP) and ALA-induced porphyrins in a recently established phototoxic model based on tumor-free tissue, the photo hen's egg test (PHET). RESULTS: Employing this test procedure, PP provoked strong phototoxic reactions when irradiated with Ultraviolet A immediately and up to 30 h after substance application. In contrast, ALA induced a significant phototoxic effect only if irradiated 24 h after application. CONCLUSION: Thus, we observed a delayed phototoxic effect of ALA in tumor-free tissue of the yolk sac (YS) blood vessel system. This delayed phototoxic response 24 h after ALA application is probably caused by endogenously synthesized porphyrins. In contrast, epithelial tumors show a maximum porphyrin accumulation 4-8 h after ALA application whereas in healthy human skin porphyrin synthesis is less intensive but prolonged with maximum levels 24-48 h after ALA application. Thus, ALA induced virtually the same delayed phototoxic effect in the tumor-free YS blood vessel tissue as in healthy human skin. These results show that the PHET is a useful model for the predictive preclinical risk assessment of exogenous or endogenous photosensitizers.