Consensus Report on Truncal Acne: The Korean Acne and Rosacea Society Experts Panel.

BACKGROUND: More than half of acne patients have truncal acne on their chest, back, and shoulders. However, since most studies on acne have focused on the face, data on clinical characteristics and proper management for truncal acne are insufficient. OBJECTIVE: To establish a Korean Acne Rosacea Society (KARS) consensus for experts' perception and treatment patterns of truncal acne. METHODS: We conducted two rounds of the Dephi technique to gather expert opinion and reach a consensus on truncal acne. The first round comprised 48 questionnaires focusing on various aspects such as epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, treatment, prognosis and more, while second rounds consisted of 26 questionnaires. RESULTS: A total of 36 dermatologists (36/38 KARS members, 94.7%) completed this survey. In the first-round survey, consensus was reached on 20 out of the 48 questions (41.7%). In the second-round questionnaire, consensus was achieved on 9 of the 26 questions (34.6%). The most unresponsive lesion to truncal acne treatment was scars (atrophic/hypertrophic). The most commonly used treatments for each non-inflammatory and inflammatory truncal acne lesions were selected to use topical retinoids (78.1% of the responders) and oral antibiotics (93.8% of the responders). CONCLUSION: Our study has yielded valuable insights into the epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life of patients with truncal acne. We anticipate that this study will inspire further comprehensive research for individuals with truncal acne.

Usefulness of the Psoriatic Arthritis Screening and Evaluation Questionnaire to Monitor Disease Activity in Management of Patients with Psoriasis: Findings from the EPI-PSODE Study.

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are included in the group of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs) caused by systemic inflammation; however, indicators for monitoring inflammatory activity in patients with psoriasis, such as the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI), are limited. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the Psoriatic Arthritis Screening and Evaluation (PASE) questionnaire can be used to monitor disease activity in patients with psoriasis. METHODS: This was a multicenter, noninterventional, cross-sectional study. Demographic factors and PASI and PASE scores were collected to investigate associations between each. RESULTS: PASE data were available for 1,255 patients, of whom 498 (39.7%) had a score of ≥37. Compared with the group with PASE score <37, the group with score ≥37 had a higher proportion of women (34.9% vs. 48.8%, p<0.0001), older mean age at diagnosis (36.4 vs. 41.7 years, p<0.0001), more severe disease activity using PASI and body surface area measures (p=0.0021 and p=0.0008, respectively), and higher mean body mass index (23.7 vs. 24.1, p=0.0411). In a multiple linear regression model, PASE score was positively associated with cutaneous disease activity (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: After risk-adjustment, PASE was positively associated with PASI, which suggests that PASE can be sensitive to disease activity. Since psoriasis is regarded as one of the IMIDs, PASE may be utilized as a tool not only to screen PsA but also to monitor disease activity.

Epidemiological and clinical features of rosacea in Korea: A multicenter cross-sectional study.

Rosacea is a common chronic inflammatory skin condition. Although several epidemiological and etiologic studies with large sample sizes have been conducted on Caucasians, such data regarding Asian populations are lacking. A total of 580 patients diagnosed with rosacea were enrolled from October 2014 to February 2015 at 14 general hospitals. Questionnaires, including the standard classification and grading system, were used for evaluation. The average age of the patients was 47.9 years. While 83.8% of patients revealed a single subtype, 16.2% of patients revealed mixed subtypes showing two or more subtypes simultaneously. Erythematotelangiectatic rosacea (ETR) was the most prevalent subtype. ETR combined with papulopustular rosacea showed the highest proportion in the mixed subtype group. Mild severity was revealed in 71.9% of patients. The most common aggravating factor was emotional changes (51.7%), followed by stress (48.4%). Approximately half of the patients (47.4%) showed relatively low awareness of rosacea. By identifying the epidemiological and etiologic features in Korea, we can suggest valuable clinical avenues for research, education and awareness among rosacea patients.

Clinical Course of Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria in the Korean Adult Population.

Knowledge of the clinical course of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) remains unclear. The purpose of our study was to investigate the clinical course of CSU in the Korean adult population. Each patient in the CSU group who was defined by disease codes between 2003 and 2007 was tracked whether he or she went into remission or not until 2013. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was carried out to analyze remission, and log-rank tests were performed for between-group comparisons. Demographic differences between subjects who went into remission 1 year after the initial diagnosis and those who did not were analyzed using χ² tests. A total of 13,969 subjects were included in the CSU group. The 1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and 5-year remission rates of CSU were 21.5%, 33.0%, 38.9%, 42.6%, and 44.6%, respectively. The proportion of subjects in the 65+ age group (P=0.050) and with male gender (P=0.002) was significantly higher among subjects who did not go into remission 1 year after the initial diagnosis. Our study indicates that CSU could have a more persistent course than previously reported.

The Clinical Profile of Patients with Psoriasis in Korea: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study (EPI-PSODE).

BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is an immune-mediated, chronic inflammatory disease affecting multiple aspects of patients' lives. Its epidemiology varies regionally; however, nationwide epidemiologic data on psoriasis depicting profile of Korean patients has not been available to date. OBJECTIVE: To understand nationwide epidemiologic characteristics and clinical features of adult patients with psoriasis visited university hospitals in Korea. METHODS: This multicenter, non-interventional, cross-sectional study recruited 1,278 adult patients with psoriasis across 25 centers in Korea in 2013. Various clinical data including PASI, BSA, DLQI, SF-36 and PASE were collected. RESULTS: A total of 1,260 patients completed the study (male:female=1.47:1). The mean age was 47.0 years with a distribution mostly in the 50s (24.9%). Early onset (<40 years) of psoriasis accounted for 53.9% of patients. The mean disease duration was 109.2 months; mean body mass index was 23.9 kg/m2; and 12.7% of patients had a family history of psoriasis. Plaque and guttate types of psoriasis accounted for 85.8% and 8.4%, respectively. Patients with PASI ≥10 accounted for 24.9%; patients with body surface area ≥10 were 45.9%. Patients with DLQI ≥6 accounted for 78.8%. Between PASI <10 and PASI ≥10 groups, significant difference was noted in age at diagnosis, disease duration, blood pressure, waist circumference of female, and treatment experiences with phototherapy, systemic agents, and biologics. CONCLUSION: This was the first nationwide epidemiologic study of patients with psoriasis in Korea and provides an overview of the epidemiologic characteristics and clinical profiles of this patient population.

Nonablative fractional laser-assisted daylight photodynamic therapy with topical methyl aminolevulinate for moderate to severe facial acne vulgaris: Results of a randomized and comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been reported as an effective alternative treatment for patients with acne. PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of DL-PDT in moderate to severe acne and to compare outcomes with those of laser-assisted daylight photodynamic therapy. METHODS: Patients were randomly assigned to either a DL-PDT group (D group) or a fractional laser-assisted DL-PDT group (F group). The outcomes were assessed by measuring acne lesion counts and severity grade at 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks after therapy commenced. RESULTS: Twenty-eight subjects completed the study. Compared with baseline, the mean inflammatory lesion counts significantly decreased by 36.0% in the D group and 51.8% in the F group at 8 weeks (P<.001). The mean acne severity grades in both groups significantly decreased starting at 4 weeks (P=.012), and the beneficial effects lasted 16 weeks. CONCLUSION: DL-PDT with MAL shows clinically good responses to inflammatory lesions and is well tolerated in patients with moderate to severe acne.

Increased Risk of Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria in Patients With Autoimmune Thyroid Diseases: A Nationwide, Population-based Study.

There was no previous population-based study on the comparison of the risk of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) between autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) and age- and gender-matched controls. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the risk of CSU after diagnosis of AITD using national registry data from Korea. The secondary objective was to evaluate other risk factors of CSU. Based on the disease code diagnoses in 2003-2005, we composed an AITD group (n=3,659) and an age- and gender-matched control group (n=18,295). Each patient was tracked for whether CSU occurs or not until 2013. After adjusting for demographic differences and comorbidities, patients with AITD had a significantly higher rate of CSU compared to the control group (hazard ratio [HR], 1.46; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.25-1.70; P<0.001). Among the AITD patients, the adjusted HR for CSU was higher in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HR, 1.50) than in those with Grave's disease (HR, 1.33), although the difference was not statistically significant (P=0.368). Analysis of CSU patients associated with AITD showed that female patients had a significantly higher risk of CSU compared to male ones (HR, 1.34; P=0.001) and that those with allergic rhinitis (HR, 1.51; P<0.001), atopic dermatitis (HR, 2.44; P<0.001), and asthma (HR, 1.50; P<0.001) had a significantly higher risk of CSU compared to patients without respective diseases. Our results demonstrated that AITD could be significantly associated with an increased risk of CSU.

Knowledge and Behavior Regarding Cosmetics in Koreans Visiting Dermatology Clinics.

BACKGROUND: Cosmetics can affect the skin condition profoundly, and yet no survey has been performed in Koreans visiting dermatology clinics. OBJECTIVE: To assess knowledge and consumer behavior regarding cosmetics in Koreans visiting dermatology clinics. METHODS: A questionnaire consisting of 43 questions concerning demographics and use/knowledge/selection/purchase of cosmetics was given to patients and accompanying persons who visited dermatologic clinics in university and private clinic settings. RESULTS: In total 1,015 subjects (73.2% females, mean age 32.5 years) completed the survey. Education level was college or higher in 72.8%. Thirty-one percent had been diagnosed with a skin disorder, atopic dermatitis and seborrheic dermatitis being the most frequent diagnoses (33.7% and 16.8%, respectively). The frequency of makeup/sunscreen/functional cosmetics use, amount of sunscreen use, recognition of functional cosmetics, and knowledge of shelf life were significantly correlated with level of education. Among "functional cosmetics," whitening products were used most frequently (29.2%). Regardless of education level, 79.2% purchased cosmetics without checking ingredients, and 85.7% were unaware of the all-ingredient-labelling regulations, and yet subjects considered ingredient the most important factor when purchasing a product. CONCLUSION: Outpatient subjects in their twenties and thirties are the most knowledgeable about cosmetics in Korea.

Analysis of Korean acne patients according to age groups based on two multicenter studies.

Along with increasing public concerns on acne and its complications, increasing treatment options seem to lead more acne patients to clinics globally, including Korea. The aim of the present study was to investigate the number and distribution of acne patients according to age group by analyzing number and age of outpatients from several general hospitals in Korea. Two retrospective multicenter studies including 14 general hospitals for a maximum of 10 years were conducted by medical chart review of acne patients. During the last 10 years, total acne patients have increased by 60% in number and patients under the age of 19 years have doubled. Adult acne patients (aged >18 years) accounted for the biggest portion in total acne patients at over 80%. Although upper grade of elementary school patients (aged 10-12 years) accounted for the biggest portion among the childhood acne patients, children under 10 years have also increased rapidly by 73% during the last 10 years. Childhood acne patients (aged <13 years) accounted for 11% of total acne patients. We found that acne patients were increasing consistently and the portion of those aged under 19 years is getting bigger. Additionally, childhood acne patients have increased remarkably.

Associations among plasma vitamin C, epidermal ceramide and clinical severity of atopic dermatitis.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Atopic dermatitis (AD), a chronic inflammatory skin disease, is accompanied by disruption of the epidermal lipid barrier, of which ceramide (Cer) is the major component. Recently it was reported that vitamin C is essential for de novo synthesis of Cer in the epidermis and that the level of vitamin C in plasma is decreased in AD. The objective of this study was to determine the associations among clinical severity, vitamin C in either plasma or epidermis, and Cer in the epidermis of patients with AD. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 17 patients (11 male and 6 female) aged 20-42 years were enrolled. The clinical severity of AD was assessed according to the SCORAD (SCORing Atopic Dermatitis) system. Levels of vitamin C were determined in plasma and biopsies of lesional epidermis. Levels of epidermal lipids, including Cer, were determined from tape-stripped lesional epidermis. RESULTS: The clinical severity of patients ranged between 0.1 and 45 (mild to severe AD) based on the SCORAD system. As the SCORAD score increased, the level of vitamin C in the plasma, but not in the epidermis, decreased, and levels of total Cer and Cer2, the major Cer species in the epidermis, also decreased. There was also a positive association between level of vitamin C in the plasma and level of total Cer in the epidermis. However, levels of epidermal total lipids including triglyceride, cholesterol, and free fatty acid (FFA) were not associated with either SCORAD score or level of vitamin C in the plasma of all subjects. CONCLUSIONS: As the clinical severity of AD increased, level of vitamin C in the plasma and level of epidermal Cer decreased, and there was a positive association between these two parameters, implying associations among plasma vitamin C, epidermal Cer, and the clinical severity of AD.

A multicenter, randomized, open-label pilot trial assessing the efficacy and safety of etanercept 50 mg twice weekly followed by etanercept 25 mg twice weekly, the combination of etanercept 25 mg twice weekly and acitretin, and acitretin alone in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis.

BACKGROUND: Etanercept, a soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor, and acitretin have been shown to be effective in treating psoriasis. Acitretin is widely used in Korea. However, the combination of etanercept plus acitretin has not been evaluated among Korean patients with psoriasis. The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of combination therapy with etanercept and acitretin in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. METHODS: Sixty patients with psoriasis were randomized to receive etanercept 50 mg twice weekly (BIW) for 12 weeks followed by etanercept 25 mg BIW for 12 weeks (ETN-ETN); etanercept 25 mg BIW plus acitretin 10 mg twice daily (BID) for 24 weeks (ETN-ACT); or acitretin 10 mg BID for 24 weeks (ACT). The primary efficacy measurement was the proportion of patients achieving 75 % improvement in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 75) at week 24. Secondary end points included 50 % improvement in PASI (PASI 50) at week 24 and clear/almost-clear by Physician Global Assessment (PGA) at each visit through week 24. RESULTS: The proportions of patients achieving PASI 75, PASI 50, and PGA clear/almost-clear at week 24 in the ETN-ETN (52.4, 71.4, and 52.4 %, respectively) and ETN-ACT groups (57.9, 84.2, and 52.6 %, respectively) were higher than in the ACT group (22.2, 44.4, and 16.7 %, respectively). The incidence of adverse events was similar across all arms. This was an open-label study with a small number of patients. CONCLUSION: In Korean patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, etanercept alone or in combination with acitretin was more effective than acitretin. All treatments were well tolerated throughout the study. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered on July 7, 2009 at ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00936065 .

Piperacillin/Tazobactam-Associated Hypersensitivity Syndrome with Overlapping Features of Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis and Drug-Related Rash with Eosinophilia and Systemic Symptoms Syndrome.

Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP) is a rare disorder characterized by acute onset of erythematous and edematous eruptions with sterile pustules, accompanied by fever, and a self-limiting condition thought to be caused by drugs, in particular, antibiotics. Drug-related rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome is a severe adverse drug-induced reaction, characterized by a generalized skin rash associated with hypereosinophilia, lymphocytosis, and internal organ involvement. These reactions differ in causative agents, as well as clinical presentation, prognosis, and treatment. Therefore, appropriate diagnostic measures should be rapidly undertaken. Herein, we described a patient who developed overlapping features of hypersensitivity syndromes, AGEP and DRESS, with the use of piperacillin and the beta-lactamase inhibitor sodium tazobactam. Coexistence of AGEP and DRESS in the same patient is quite rare. To the best of our knowledge, there have been no previous reports on the coexistence of AGEP and DRESS associated with piperacillin/tazobactam.

Fractional radiofrequency combined with sonophoresis to facilitate skin penetration of 5-aminolevulinic acid.

Ablative fractional technology has been used to improve transdermal drug delivery. However, there have been few previous in vivo investigations of the relative potency and methodology of fractional radiofrequency (RF) combined with sonophoresis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of fractional RF combined with sonophoresis on 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) penetration of the skin. Three male domestic swine were used. The skin of the pigs was exposed to fractional RF and/or sonophoresis, followed by topical ALA application. Fluorescence intensity (FI) of porphyrin fluorescence was measured. In both the epidermis and the dermis, FI increased after fractional RF and increased additionally with the addition of sonophoresis. Fractional RF with sonophoresis effectively enhanced ALA skin penetration. Pre-fractional RF followed by posttreatment with sonophoresis can be used for ALA-photodynamic therapy to achieve higher ALA uptake.

Cross-sectional survey of awareness and behavioral pattern regarding acne and acne scar based on smartphone application.

BACKGROUND: Although acne scar is a permanent sequela that may be induced by improper management of active acne lesion, patient behavior patterns and awareness regarding acne are unclear. The aim of this study was to identify awareness and behavioral patterns concerning acne and acne scar of people having acne and differences between those with and without acne scars. METHODS: The survey was performed via smartphone application for 900 participants in their second to fourth decade having current or previous acne lesions. They were further categorized into two groups based on the presence of acne scar (scar and scarless groups) with no statistical difference in demographic composition. RESULTS: The mean age of all participants was 24.6 ± 5.3. The scar group had a longer disease duration (4.9 years) than those of the scarless group (2.2 years). Participants in the scar group thought that acne scarring affected psychosocial aspects more negatively compared with those in the scarless group. Participants in the scarless group visited dermatology clinics earlier than those in the scar group. In the scar group, 62.1% of participants have never had their acne scars treated medically. Most (88.6%) participants from both groups believed that non-dermatologic treatment caused side effects or aggravated their acne. CONCLUSIONS: Participants with acne scars tended to treat their acne and acne scars improperly, which could negatively affect their daily lives. Acne scars are sequelae of acne and should be regarded as a distinct disease entity, requiring a patient's early visit to dermatologic clinics.

Comparison of Treatment Goals for Moderate-to-Severe Psoriasis between Korean Dermatologists and the European Consensus Report.

BACKGROUND: The development of therapies for psoriasis has led to the need for a new strategy to the treatment of patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis. New consensus guidelines for psoriasis treatment have been developed in some countries, some of which have introduced treatment goals to determine the timing of therapeutic regimens for psoriasis. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the opinions held by Korean dermatologists who specialize in psoriasis about treatment goals, and to compare these with the European consensus. METHODS: Korean dermatologists who specialize in psoriasis were asked 11 questions about defining the treatment goals for psoriasis. The questionnaire included questions about the factors used to classify the severity of psoriasis, defining the induction and maintenance phases of psoriasis treatment, defining treatment responses during the induction phase, and defining treatment responses during the maintenance phase. RESULTS: The Korean consensus showed responses that were almost similar to the European consensus, even without using the Delphi technique, which uses repeated rounds of questions to reach a consensus. Only one response that related to psoriasis severity in the context of the quality of patients' lives differed from the European consensus. CONCLUSION: The concept of using treatment goals in the treatment of moderate-to-severe psoriasis can be applied to Korean psoriasis patients. Since a tool for assessing the quality of patients' lives is not commonly used in Korea, the development of a simple, rapidly completed, and region-specific health-related quality of life assessment tool would enable treatment goals to be used in routine clinical practice.

Serum leptin and adiponectin levels in Korean patients with psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a disorder caused by genetic and immunological factors. Leptin, a peptide hormone secreted predominantly from adipose tissue, regulates energy intake and expenditure, as well as the T-helper response. There have been conflicting reports regarding serum levels of leptin and adiponectin in patients with psoriasis. In the present study, we measured serum levels of leptin and adiponectin in Korean patients with psoriasis. Twenty-four patients with psoriasis and fifteen control subjects were included in the study. Serum leptin and adiponectin levels were determined by an immunometric sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The mean serum leptin concentration in patients with psoriasis was higher than in controls, and the difference was statistically significant. In contrast, serum adiponectin levels in patients with psoriasis were significantly decreased compared with healthy controls. Leptin levels in vitamin D-deficient patients were statistically significantly higher than in vitamin D-sufficient patients. Serum adiponectin concentrations showed a negative correlation with body mass index (BMI) and psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) in patients with psoriasis. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that leptin and adiponectin may play a role in the immunopathogenesis of psoriasis and may be useful biomarkers indicating severity of psoriasis in Korean patients.

Cigarette smoke-induced interleukin-1 alpha may be involved in the pathogenesis of adult acne.

BACKGROUND: Lipid peroxide (LPO) in comedones, which are produced as a result of sebum oxidation, might potentially induce interleukin-1α (IL-1α) and exacerbate comedogenesis and inflammatory changes in comedones. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship of proinflammatory cytokines and LPO levels in the extracts of comedones with the acne of clinical difference between smokers and non-smokers, and with the severity and distribution of the acne lesions. METHODS: Twenty-two non-smoking and 21 smoking adult acne patients were evaluated by comedone extraction and measurement of proinflammatory cytokines and LPO levels. Acne severity and distribution of the lesions were also analyzed. RESULTS: Relative to the non-smoking group, smokers had significantly higher levels of IL-1α and LPO in comedones. Their levels showed a positive correlation. However, there were no statistically significant difference between the severity or distribution of the disease and the levels of LPO and IL-1α in comedones. CONCLUSION: Smoking may be involved in the pathogenesis of adult acne by increasing the oxidative stress that results in subsequent accumulation of LPO in comedones.