Cardiovascular events associated with thalidomide and prednisone in leprosy type 2 reaction.

BACKGROUND: Thalidomide is the drug of choice for the treatment of type 2 leprosy reactions and is often associated with corticosteroids. The use of these drugs in multiple myeloma is associated with the risk of cardiovascular events, but there have been few studies assessing this risk in leprosy patients. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the occurrence of cardiovascular events in patients with multibacillary leprosy and their correlation with the use of thalidomide and prednisone. METHODS: Analytical cross-sectional study of all patients diagnosed with multibacillary leprosy treated at the Dermatology Service between 2012 and 2022, using electronic medical records. Thromboembolic vascular events, both arterial and venous, including acute myocardial infarction, were considered. The main independent variable was the concomitant use of thalidomide and prednisone during follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 89 patients were included, of which 19 used thalidomide and prednisone concomitantly. There were five cardiovascular events (26.3%), three of which of deep venous thrombosis. The combined use of medications was associated with the events (PR=6.46 [3.92 to 10.65]; p<0.01). STUDY LIMITATIONS: Small number of events, single-center retrospective study. CONCLUSION: The hypothesis of an association between cardiovascular events and the concomitant use of thalidomide and prednisone is supported, but more robust prospective studies are required for a better assessment.

NR3C1, ABCB1, TNF and CYP2C19 polymorphisms association with the response to the treatment of erythema nodosum leprosum.

Aim: To evaluate the effects of gene polymorphisms in the treatment of erythema nodosum leprosum with prednisone/thalidomide. Patients & methods: A total of 152 patients from different regions of Brazil were included. Generalized estimating equation was used to evaluate the influence of polymorphisms and haplotypes on the drug dose variation throughout the treatment. Results: An association between the genotype tuberculoid of polymorphism ABCB1 3435C>T (rs1045642; p = 0.02) and prednisone dose was found in the recessive model. An association between the haplotypes 1031T/-863C/-857C/-308A/-238G (p = 0.006) and 1031T/-863C/-857T/-308A/-238G (p = 0.040) of the TNF gene and the CYP2C19*2 polymorphism were also identified, in relation to thalidomide dosage variation over the course of treatment. Conclusion: This work presents the first pharmacogenetic report of association between gene polymorphisms and erythema nodosum leprosum treatment with prednisone/thalidomide.

Left thigh phlegmon caused by Nocardia farcinica identified by 16S rRNA sequencing in a patient with leprosy: a case report.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, Nocardia farcinica has been reported to be an increasingly frequent cause of localized and disseminated infections in the immunocompromised patient. However, recent literature is limited. We report a case of left thigh phlegmon caused by N. farcinica that occurred in a patient with leprosy undergoing treatment with prednisone for leprosy reaction. CASE PRESENTATION: We describe the case of left thigh phlegmon caused by Nocardia farcinica in a 54-year-old Italian man affected by multi-bacillary leprosy. The patient had worked in South America for 11 years. Seven months after his return to Italy, he was diagnosed with leprosy and started multi-drug antibiotic therapy plus thalidomide and steroids. Then, during therapy with rifampicin monthly, minocycline 100 mg daily, moxifloxacin 400 mg daily, and prednisone (the latter to treat type 2 leprosy reaction), the patient complained of high fever associated with erythema, swelling, and pain in the left thigh. Therefore, he was admitted to our hospital with the clinical suspicion of cellulitis. Ultrasound examination and Magnetic Resonance Imaging showed left thigh phlegmon. He was treated with drainage and antibiotic therapy (meropenem and vancomycin replaced by daptomycin). The responsible organism, Nocardia farcinica, was identified by 16S rRNA sequencing in the purulent fluid taken out by aspiration. The patient continued treatment with intravenous trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and imipenem followed by oral trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and moxifloxacin. A whole-body computed tomography did not reveal dissemination to other organs like the lung or brain.The patient was discharged after complete remission. Oral therapy with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, moxifloxacin, rifampicin monthly, clofazimine and thalidomide was prescribed to be taken at home. One month after discharge from the hospital the patient is in good clinical condition with complete resolution of the phlegmon. CONCLUSION: N. farcinica is a rare infectious agent that mainly affects immunocompromised patients. Presentation of phlegmon only without disseminated infection is unusual, even in these kinds of patients. In any case, a higher index of suspicion is needed, as diagnosis can easily be missed due to the absence of characteristic symptoms and the several difficulties usually encountered in identifying the pathogen.

Study on the detection of leprosy reactions and the effect of prednisone on various nerves, Indonesia.

This paper presents a retrospective study on the detection of the treatment of leprosy reactions in a field situation, and the effect of prednisone on the various affected nerves. Two patient cohorts were analysed. The leprosy control programme in the testing area is not backed up by a specialized referral leprosy hospital, but patients are treated on an ambulatory basis at peripheral health centres by trained multipurpose health workers supervised by the health centre doctors. For operational purposes the guidelines and procedures for reaction management in the field were adjusted and partially simplified. In both studies it appeared that the time of the occurrence of severe reactions was the same: 80% or more of the severe reactions occurred in the first year of treatment, the majority in the first few months after the start of the multidrug (MDT) treatment. One third of all reaction patients suffered from a silent neuritis. Well-instructed fieldworkers proved to be competent in detecting and treating leprosy reactions. Treatment of severe reactions with prednisone in the field situation can preserve or considerably improve the functions of the affected nerves. It is interesting that often the motor function of a nerve was found to be impaired without any loss in sensibility, which was tested using the ballpoint pen method.

PIP: A retrospective study of two patient cohorts in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, analyzed the detection of the treatment of leprosy reactions in a field situation and the effect of prednisone on the affected nerves. In Indonesia, leprosy patients are treated on an outpatient basis at peripheral health centers by trained multipurpose health workers supervised by the health center doctor. The first cohort included 69 patients with severe reactions (125 affected nerves) and the second was comprised of 85 patients with severe reactions (180 affected nerves). Both groups were treated with the minimum standard dose of prednisone for 10 weeks. 81% of severe reactions occurred in the first year of treatment. 27% appeared to suffer from a severe reaction at the time of first contact. The ulnar nerve was most frequently affected. 33% of all reactors suffered from a silent neuritis. 75-80% of affected nerves improved either partially or totally. Treatment of severe reactions with prednisone appears to preserve or considerably improve the functions of the affected nerves. In many cases, the nerve's motor function was impaired with no loss in sensitivity. These findings confirm that well-instructed leprosy field workers are capable of detecting severe reactions on a timely basis and are competent to treat these complications adequately.

Sarcoma de Kaposi en un paciente con lepra lepromatosa VIH negativo / Kaposi's sarcoma in a VIH negative patient with lepromatous lepra

El sarcoma de Kaposi se considera una neoplasia oportunista y ha sido descrita con frecuencia en pacientes con el síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida. El propósito de la presentación de este caso es recordar que existen otros factores de inmunosupresión como la lepra y el uso crónico de corticoides que favorecen el desarrollo del sarcoma. Se presenta la evolución de un paciente masculino de 53 años de edad, con estudio negativo para la infección por VIH tipos I y II, que padecía lepra lepromatosa nodular on reacción leprosa recidivante, se automedicó por 18 meses prednisona hasta que desarrolló la neoplasia mencinada, con diseminación cutánea y visceral que se complicó con amiloidosis renal