Response to adalimumab in Caucasian and Asian patients with hidradenitis suppurativa: A retrospective cohort study of an Australian cohort stratified by patient-reported ethnicity.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Caucasian and Asian patients with hidradenitis suppurativa demonstrate significant differences with regard to age, gender and body mass index. Demographic characteristics are known to influence the efficacy and drug survival of hidradenitis suppurativa therapeutics including biologic therapies. What remains unknown is the impact of ethnicity upon the efficacy of therapeutics once demographic and disease characteristics have been taken into account. This is an important question given the expansion of biologic therapies for HS into the global patient community. METHODS: We assessed 170 patients from a single HS specialist centre in Australia stratified by patient-identified ethnicity including those identifying as either Caucasian or Asian. RESULTS: Asian patients demonstrated lower BMI, higher rates of smoking and greater odds of Hurley stage 3 disease with tunnels than Caucasian patients in line with the reported literature. There was no significant difference between percentage of individuals achieving HiSCR50 or IHS4-55 at Week 16. Significant differences were seen in median time to secondary loss of response, and Kaplan-Meier curve analysis showed a significant difference between curves when stratified by patient-reported ethnicity. Cox regression analysis demonstrated after accounting for age, gender, BMI, smoking and Hurley stage, the significance of ethnicity in influencing time to secondary loss of response disappears. CONCLUSIONS: Caucasian or Asian ethnicity does not influence response to adalimumab treatment on patients with hidradenitis suppurativa.

Strengthening surveillance of consumer products in Canada: the vaping example. / Renforcer la surveillance des produits de consommation au Canada : l'exemple du vapotage.

INTRODUCTION: The overall objective of this study was to demonstrate how information collected by the Consumer Product Safety Program ("the Program") can be used to identify emerging hazards. Specifically, this study characterized and quantified trends associated with vaping reports received by the Program over the past five years. METHODS: Data collated by the Program were extracted for the period from 1 January, 2015 to 30 September, 2019. The data were summarized using descriptive statistics and trends were quantified for annual percent change. In order to compare characteristics of vaping reports, the proportionate injury ratios (PIRs) and corresponding 95% CIs were used to compare vaping-related injuries to all other reports received by the Program. RESULTS: A total of 71 vaping-related reports were received between 1 January, 2015 and 30 September, 2019. During this period, the annual percent change increase in the number of reports received was approximately 73% annually (p < .05). Among the reported injuries, 41% were burn injuries. Proportionally, there were more vaping reports involving males (PIR = 1.89; 95% CI: 1.51-2.36) and individuals between the ages of 15 and 19 years (PIR = 11.53; 95 % CI: 4.95-26.8) as compared to all other reports submitted to the Program. CONCLUSIONS: While the number of reports relating to vaping products is small, the results of this analysis suggest that certain groups, including males and youth, are more likely to be the subject of a vaping-related incident.