[Dermatology. New uses for JAK inhibitors in dermatology: a panacea, but at what price?] / Dermatologie. Nouvelles utilisations des inhibiteurs de JAK en dermatologie : panacée mais à quel prix ?

Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKi) are small molecules which prevent the phosphorylation of JAKs, thereby blocking the intracellular phosphorylation cascade required for the transcription of several cytokines. In addition to approved indications that have been extensively studied, including atopic dermatitis, alopecia areata, vitiligo and psoriasis, JAKi are also proposed off-label, included topically, in several dermatological conditions where standard treatments are often disappointing, such as hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), extensive morphea, cutaneous sarcoidosis and lichen planus. On the other hand, the wide mechanism of action on cytokine blockade implies a safety profile that requires a case-by-case assessment of the risk/benefit ratio before their introduction.

Les inhibiteurs de Janus kinases (JAKi) sont de petites molécules empêchant la phosphorylation des JAK et bloquant ainsi la cascade de phosphorylation intracellulaire nécessaire à la transcription de plusieurs cytokines. Au-delà des indications approuvées ayant fait sujets de larges études, dont la dermatite atopique, la pelade, le vitiligo et le psoriasis, les JAKi sont aussi proposés off-label y compris en formulation topique dans plusieurs pathologies dermatologiques où les traitements habituellement utilisés sont souvent décevants : maladie de Verneuil, morphées étendues, sarcoïdose cutanée, lichen plan. En revanche, le mécanisme d'action assez large sur le blocage cytokinique implique un profil de sécurité nécessitant une évaluation cas pour cas du ratio risques/bénéfices avant leur introduction.

[Dupilumab: beyond atopic dermatitis, off-label use in dermatology]. / Dupilumab : au-delà de la dermatite atopique, les principales utilisations hors indication en dermatologie.

Dupilumab is a humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody that targets the IL-4 receptor inhibiting the signaling of interleukin-4 and interleukin-13, two major cytokines in type 2 inflammatory diseases such as atopic dermatitis, asthma and nasosinusal polyposis. Since its approval for atopic dermatitis in 2017, the molecule has occasionally been used off-label in several dermatological conditions where standard treatments are often disappointing.Furthermore, what emerges from the data currently in the literature is a favourable safety profile with few, reversible side effects.

Le dupilumab est un anticorps monoclonal recombinant humain de type IgG4 qui inhibe la signalisation de l'interleukine-4 et l'interleukine-13, deux cytokines majeures impliquées dans les pathologies inflammatoires de type 2 telles que la dermatite atopique, l'asthme et la polypose naso-sinusienne. À côté d'une bonne efficacité dans ces pathologies, on retient un bon profil de sécurité avec peu d'effets secondaires, généralement assez bénins et réversibles. Depuis son approbation pour la dermatite atopique en 2017, cette molécule a été utilisée hors indication dans plusieurs pathologies dermatologiques où les traitements habituellement utilisés peuvent être insuffisants ou mal tolérés.

Skin Cancer Development in Solid Organ Transplant Recipients in Switzerland (Swiss Transplant Cohort Study).

IMPORTANCE: Skin cancer, in particular squamous cell carcinoma, is the most frequent malignancy among solid organ transplant recipients with a higher incidence compared to the general population. OBJECTIVE: To determine the skin cancer incidence in organ transplant recipients in Switzerland and to assess the impact of immunosuppressants and other risk factors. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study of solid organ transplant recipients in Switzerland enrolled in the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study from 2008 to 2013. PARTICIPANTS: 2,192 solid organ transplant recipients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Occurrence of first and subsequent squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, melanoma and other skin cancers after transplantation extracted from the Swiss Transplant Cohort Study database and validated by medical record review. Incidence rates were calculated for skin cancer overall and subgroups. The effect of risk factors on the occurrence of first skin cancer and recurrent skin cancer was calculated by the Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: In 2,192 organ transplant recipients, 136 (6.2%) developed 335 cases of skin cancer during a median follow-up of 32.4 months, with squamous cell carcinoma as the most frequent one. 79.4% of skin cancer patients were male. Risk factors for first and recurrent skin cancer were age at transplantation, male sex, skin cancer before transplantation and previous transplantation. For a first skin cancer, the number of immunosuppressive drugs was a risk factor as well. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Skin cancer following solid organ transplantation in Switzerland is greatly increased with risk factors: age at transplantation, male sex, skin cancer before transplantation, previous transplantation and number of immunosuppressive drugs.

Topical Treatment of Psoriasis Vulgaris: The Swiss Treatment Pathway.

Topical treatment is crucial for the successful management of plaque psoriasis. Topicals are used either as a stand-alone therapy for mild psoriasis or else in combination with UV or systemic treatment for moderate-to-severe disease. For the choice of a suitable topical treatment, the formulation matters and not just the active substances. This expert opinion paper was developed via a non-structured consensus process by Swiss dermatologists in hospitals and private practices to illustrate the current treatment options to general practitioners and dermatologists in Switzerland. Defining treatment goals together with the patient is crucial and increases treatment adherence. Patients' personal preferences and pre-existing experiences should be considered and their satisfaction with treatment and outcome regularly assessed. During the induction phase of "classical" mild-to-moderate psoriasis, the fixed combination of topical calcipotriol (Cal) 50 µg/g and betamethasone dipropionate (BD) 0.5 mg/g once daily is frequently used for 4-8 weeks. During the maintenance phase, a twice weekly (proactive) management has proved to reduce the risk of relapse. Of the fixed combinations, Cal/BD aerosol foam is the most effective formulation. However, the individual choice of formulation should be based on a patient's preference and the location of the psoriatic plaques. Tailored recommendations are given for the topical management of specific areas (scalp, facial, intertriginous/genital, or palmoplantar lesions), certain symptoms (hyperkeratotic or hyperinflammatory forms) as well as during pregnancy or a period of breastfeeding. As concomitant basic therapy, several emollients are recommended. If topical treatment alone does not appear to be sufficient, the regimen should be escalated according to the Swiss S1-guideline for the systemic treatment of psoriasis.

[A non-infectious cellulitis to know: Wells' syndrome]. / Cellulite non infectieuse à connaître: le syndrome de Wells.

Wells' syndrome is a rare inflammatory eosinophilic dermatosis. It typically appears as a sudden-onset of one or multiple inflammatory plaques associated with a pruritus. General symptoms are rare. There is often blood eosinophilia and a marked dermal eosinophilic infiltrate with flame figures on skin biopsy. Numerous trigger factors and associated diseases are described. The etiology is unclear. Most experts believe it to be a type IV hypersensitivity reaction in predisposed individuals with an imbalance TH1/TH2 cells. Circulating TH2 cells may be implicated by producing IL- 5 which stimulates eosinophils' degranulation. The aim of this article is to review the diagnostic and therapeutic options of this pathology knowing that the main differential diagnosis is cellulitis of infectious origin.

Le syndrome de Wells est une dermatose éosinophilique rare qui se présente sous forme de plaques inflammatoires d'apparition brutale, souvent prurigineuses, généralement sans signes généraux. Une hyperéosinophilie sanguine est souvent présente et, en histopathologie, un infiltrat éosinophilique avec des images «â€…en flammèche ¼ est retrouvé. Il existe de nombreux facteurs déclenchants et maladies associées. La physiopathologie est inconnue, certains auteurs parlent d'une hypersensibilité retardée (réaction de type IV) sur un terrain prédisposé avec un déséquilibre TH1/TH2 et des cellules TH2 sécrétant de l'interleukine-5, qui stimulerait la dégranulation des éosinophiles. Le but de cet article est de faire le point sur cette pathologie rare, le principal diagnostic différentiel étant une cellulite d'origine infectieuse.

Ingenol Mebutate for Recalcitrant Chronic Actinic Cheilitis.

We present the case of a healthy 76-year-old man with a whitish, hyperkeratotic lesion of the lower lip diagnosed as actinic cheilitis (AC) previously treated with classic red light photodynamic therapy 5 years ago. Initial treatment with 5% imiquimod cream - also with intensified application - failed. After 2 cycles thrice daily, consecutive applications of 150 µg/g ingenol mebutate gel at 3 weeks' interval, the lesions cleared completely. Surprisingly, no pustular or crusting reaction or other side effect occurred contrary to expectation. Remission was stable for 10 months, when recurrence occurred. Ingenol mebutate proved to be a feasible and safe treatment in this otherwise refractory case of AC.

Swiss S1 Guidelines on the Systemic Treatment of Psoriasis Vulgaris.

Psoriasis vulgaris is a common, chronic inflammatory skin disease with a prevalence of 1.5-2% in Western industrialized countries. A relevant percentage of patients suffer from moderate-to-severe psoriasis and experience a significant reduction in quality of life. The choice of an adequate therapy could help to prevent disease and exacerbation of comorbidity, which could increase quality of life, avoid hospitalization and avoid reduction of working days. The present guidelines are focused on the initiation and management of systemic therapies in cases of moderate-to-severe plaque-type psoriasis in adults to optimize treatment response, adherence and quality of life. This first version of the Swiss S1 guidelines presents therapeutic recommendations which are based on a systematic literature search as well as an informal expert consensus of dermatologists in Switzerland.

Superiority in Quality of Life Improvement of Biologics over Conventional Systemic Drugs in a Swiss Real-Life Psoriasis Registry.

BACKGROUND: Randomized controlled trials have shown the efficacy of systemic treatments in moderate-to-severe psoriasis. Clinical outcomes in psoriasis patients under real-world conditions are less well understood. OBJECTIVE: This study compared Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and Dermatological Life Quality Index (DLQI) improvement in all psoriasis patients registered in the Swiss Dermatology Network for Targeted Therapies. We asked whether outcomes differed between 4 treatment strategies, namely biologic monotherapy versus conventional systemic monotherapy, versus combined biologic and conventional systemic drugs, and versus therapy adaptation (switching from one type to another). METHODS: PASI and DLQI within 1 year after onset of systemic treatment, measured at 3, 6, and 12 months, were compared among the 4 groups using generalized linear mixed-effects models. RESULTS: Between March 2011 and December 2014, 334 patients were included; 151 received conventional systemic therapeutics, 145 biologics, 13 combined treatment, and 25 had a therapy adaptation. With regard to the absolute PASI, neither the biologic cohort nor the combined treatment cohort significantly differed from the conventional systemic therapeutics cohort. The odds of reaching PASI90 was significantly increased with combined therapy compared to conventional systemic therapeutics (p = 0.043) and decreased with a higher body mass index (p = 0.041). At visits 3 and 4, the PASI was generally lower than at visit 2 (visit 3 vs. visit 2, p = 0.0019; visit 4 vs. visit 2, p < 0.001). After 12 months, patients with biologic treatment had a significantly lower DLQI than those with conventional systemic therapeutics (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that after 1 year of treatment, biologics are superior in improving the subjective disease burden compared to conventional systemic drugs.

Efficacy and Survival of Systemic Psoriasis Treatments: An Analysis of the Swiss Registry SDNTT.

BACKGROUND: The Swiss psoriasis registry SDNTT (Swiss Dermatology Network for Targeted Therapies) records the long-term safety and effectiveness of systemic treatment regimens for psoriasis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with moderate to severe psoriasis are included in the SDNTT when treatment with a conventional systemic agent or biologic is initiated that was not previously used by the respective patient. Patients are followed over a 5-year period. Clinical data are obtained every 3-6 months using standardized case report forms. Here, baseline data and follow-up data for 1 year of patients included from October 2011 until December 2014 were analyzed. RESULTS: Within 39 months, 323 patients from 7 tertiary dermatology centers in Switzerland were recruited in the SDNTT; 165 patients received biologics and 158 conventional systemic therapies. Patients treated with biologics had a significantly higher severity (PASI 11.3 vs. 9.2, BSA 15.6 vs.11.9, psoriatic arthritis 36.4 vs. 10.8%; p ≤ 0.005, p ≤ 0.013, p ≤ 0.001) and a longer duration of illness (19.2 vs. 14.4 years, p ≤ 0.003) compared to patients starting a conventional systemic treatment. PASI reduction was satisfying in both treatment groups, with 60.6% of patients treated with biologics achieving PASI75 after 1 year compared to 54.2% of patients receiving conventional systemic drugs (nonsignificant). On average, the drug survival in patients receiving a biologic therapy was significantly longer than those receiving conventional systemic treatments (30.5 vs. 19.2 months, p ≤ 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In the real-world setting of a prospective national therapy registry, the application of current therapeutic guidelines for patients with moderate to severe psoriasis resulted in a PASI reduction of approximately 70% within the first year of treatment, but current therapeutic targets of PASI75 and PASI90 were reached in only 58 and 36% of patients, respectively, at 1 year, highlighting a gap in efficacy between selective clinical trials and the real-world setting.

[Off-label indications of biological drugs in dermatology]. / Indications off-label des traitements biologiques en dermatologie.

Last years, the development of biological drugs substantially improved the outcome of many inflammatory diseases. In dermatology, this kind of therapy is essentially prescribed for the treatment of psoriasis, and include the anti-TNF, anti-IL-12/IL-23 and anti-IL-17. Despite these treatments have not yet been approved, they seemed to be efficient for the treatment of many other inflammatory dermatosis, like granulomatous diseases, neutrophilic diseases, hydradenitis suppurativa or pityriasis rubra pilaris.

[Pityriasis rubra pilaris]. / Pityriasis rubra pilaire: une dermatose mal connue.

Pityriasis rubra pilaris is a rare heterogeneous disorder characterized by follicular keratosis, perifollicular erythema and palmoplantar hyperkeratosis. The aetiology is still unknown. In the majority of cases some triggering factors are found such as trauma or bacterial infection, possibly on a predisposed condition. In other cases, some immunological disorders are associated, and in familial cases a genetic disorder of keratinization has been suggested. The evolution is variable according to the clinical type. The treatment is not well defined, and there is a lack of clinical trials. The best results however are obtained with oral retinoids, methotrexate or ciclosporine as alternative therapy. New TNF inhibitors and anti-IL-12/23 showed a good result and could be have interest in the future.

[Cutaneous granulomatosis]. / Granulomatoses cutanées.

Granulomatous skin diseases represent a large group of reactive dermatoses occurring in response to different stimuli and whose skin biopsy is characterized by a granulomatous inflammatory infiltrate. By their very heterogeneous clinical presentation, it seems difficult to distinguish them and make their diagnosis. Clinically, it may be useful to separate localized forms of disseminated forms of cutaneous granulomatosis, although this distinction is often artificial. We will discuss here the main forms of localized and disseminated cutaneous granulomatosis, and, in light of recent literature data, mention different therapeutic options in each case.

[Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms]. / Syndrome DRESS (drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms).

Cutaneous drug eruptions are delayed type hypersensitivity reactions that can be potentially life threatening. Severe cutaneous adverse reactions encompass the acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP), the drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), the Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and the toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN, synonym: Lyell syndrome). In this article, we focus on the DRESS syndrome, which associates skin eruption and systemic symptoms. Its mortality rate is estimated at 10%. Therefore early diagnosis and the interruption of the culprit drug are crucial. In this review, we discuss the physiopathology, the most common eliciting drugs, the diagnostic criteria and the proposed treatments of DRESS.

The dermatologists' role in managing psoriatic arthritis: results of a Swiss Delphi exercise intended to improve collaboration with rheumatologists.

BACKGROUND: Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) substantially impacts the management of psoriatic disease. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to generate an interdisciplinary national consensus on recommendations of how PsA should be managed. METHODS: Based on a systematic literature search, an interdisciplinary expert group identified important domains and went through 3 rounds of a Delphi exercise, followed by a nominal group discussion to generate specific recommendations. RESULTS: A strong consensus was reached on numerous central messages regarding the impact of PsA, screening procedures, organization of the interaction between dermatologists and rheumatologists, and treatment goals. CONCLUSION: These recommendations can serve as a template for similar initiatives in other countries. At the same time, they highlight the need to take into account the impact of the respective national health care system.