Clinicopathological characteristics of new primary melanomas in patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitor therapy for metastatic melanoma.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors have improved survival in advanced stage melanoma patients. Rates of new primary melanomas (NPM) in patients with prior melanoma have been reported to be as high as 12%. Little is currently known regarding the frequency or characteristics of NPMs occurring in melanoma patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. AIM: To determine the frequency and describe clinicopathologic characteristics of NPMs diagnosed in patients during or after treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors for metastatic melanoma. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data from the Melanoma Institute Australia and Westmead Hospital Dermatology databases. Clinicopathological data for the initial primary melanoma (IPM) and NPM were compared. RESULTS: Between 2013-2017, 14 NPMs in 13 patients (out of a total of 1047) treated with checkpoint inhibitors were identified. NPMs were significantly thinner than the IPM (median Breslow thickness 0.35 mm vs 2.0 mm, P = 0.0003), less likely to be ulcerated (0/14 vs 6/13, P = 0.004) and less likely to have nodal metastases (0/14 vs 6/13, P = 0.004). NPMs were significantly more likely to be detected in the in-situ stage (6/14 vs 0/13, P = 0.0016). CONCLUSION: NPMs are infrequent in patients treated with checkpoint inhibitors. When they occur, they are usually detected at an early stage and have features associated with a favourable prognosis, most likely reflecting close surveillance. Further study is required to determine long-term risk in patients achieving a durable response to immune checkpoint inhibitors, and to determine whether the immunotherapy itself influences both their development and biology.

Acute Vulvar Aphthous Ulceration After COVID-19 Vaccination: 3 Cases.

OBJECTIVE: We present a case series of acute vulvar aphthosis immediately following COVID-19 vaccination. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We describe 3 cases of acute vulvar aphthosis following Pfizer Comirnaty BNT162b2 mRNA and AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria) ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 COVID-19 vaccination in adolescent girls. RESULTS: All patients developed vulvar aphthosis within a few days after receiving COVID-19 vaccination. The onset of vulvar aphthosis was observed to correlate with the dosing schedule known to produce the highest likelihood of adverse effects, first dose in AstraZeneca (Vaxzevria) ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 and second dose in Pfizer Comirnaty BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccine. Two patients required oral prednisolone and hospital admission for indwelling urinary catheterization due to urinary retention. Full disease resolution with no sequalae was achieved in all three patients. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should be aware of the possible risk of vulvar aphthosis after COVID-19 vaccine administration. Nevertheless, its occurrence should not prevent affected patients from receiving future doses of COVID-19 vaccines, as the mortality and morbidity of COVID-19 infection significantly outweigh the risk of vulvar aphthosis recurrence.

Stewart-Bluefarb syndrome following traumatic arteriovenous malformation.

Stewart-Bluefarb syndrome is a rare angioproliferative disorder that presents as violet plaques on the extremities, due to an underlying arteriovenous malformation (AVM). We report the case of a 12-year-old boy who developed a traumatic AVM in a bicycle accident and presented seven years later with exophytic, violet plaques. This is the first instance of a traumatic AVM preceding Stewart-Bluefarb syndrome in a pediatric patient in the literature. Given the typically long period required to establish this diagnosis, it is crucial for clinicians to actively interrogate a history of preceding trauma in patients presenting with acroangiodermatitis.

PD-1 inhibitor-associated lichenoid inflammation with incidental suprabasilar acantholysis or vesiculation-Report of 4 cases.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint agents targeting programmed cell death-1 protein (PD1) or cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein-4 (CTLA-4) receptors are increasingly utilized in treatment of advanced malignancies. However, these immunotherapies are commonly associated with idiosyncratic cutaneous adverse reactions. Thus, recognition and awareness of these reactions are necessary. METHODS: We reviewed the skin biopsies of all patients on anti-PD1 therapy with or without ipilimumab who developed lichenoid inflammation and included those with microscopic suprabasal or intraepidermal clefts. RESULTS: Four patients presented with interface dermatitis with microscopic intraepidermal clefts. In 2 patients, the clefts were well developed and had some acantholytic cells while the other 2 appeared to be spongiosis or inflammation related. Immunofluorescence was negative in 1 patient. None of them had clinical findings in keeping with paraneoplastic pemphigus (PP) and the symptoms improved with either topical corticosteroid or withdrawal of immunotherapy. CONCLUSIONS: Lichenoid drug reaction occurring in patients receiving anti-PD1 therapy may be associated with microscopic suprabasal or intraepidermal clefting. The clinical course was similar to lichenoid drug reactions without clefting even though some lesions may resemble PP microscopically.

The Reliability, Validity and Responsiveness of Two Disease Scores (BPDAI and ABSIS) for Bullous Pemphigoid: Which One to Use?

A significant obstacle in guiding evidence-based management of bullous pemphigoid (BP) is the lack of a standardised, validated scoring system for the condition. The aim of this study is to evaluate the suitability of the Bullous Pemphigoid Disease Area Index (BPDAI) and the Autoimmune Bullous Skin disorder Intensity Score (ABSIS) as outcome measures for BP in clinical trials. Thirty-two BP patients were repeatedly assessed over four years using Physician Global Assessment (PGA), anti-BP180 ELISA titres, BPDAI, ABSIS, BPDAI-Pruritus, Autoimmune Bullous Disease Quality of Life (ABQOL) and Treatment of Autoimmune Bullous Disease Quality of Life (TABQOL) questionnaires. The reliability, validity, responsiveness, and minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) were calculated. For inter-rater reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficients (95% CI) were: BPDAI 0.957 (0.901-0.982) and ABSIS 0.881 (0.736-0.949). Compared to ABSIS, BPDAI was better correlated with PGA(r = 0.875, p < 0.001), BPDAI-Pruritus (r=0.632, p = 0.004), ABQOL (r = 0.521, p = 0.011) and TABQOL (r=0.538, p = 0.008). MCIDs for BPDAI were 4-points for assessing clinical improvement and 3-points for deterioration. ABSIS demonstrated less responsiveness with MCIDs at 8.6-points for improvement and 4-points for deterioration. These results indicate that BPDAI demonstrated excellent reliability, validity and responsiveness, while ABSIS had moderate to good reliability, validity and responsiveness.

Melanocytic lesion evolution patterns with targeted therapies and immunotherapies for advanced metastatic melanoma: An observational study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Various cutaneous side-effects have been reported with anti-melanoma systemic therapies. This study investigated the changes in melanocytic lesion pigmentation in patients on four different therapies. METHODS: We analysed the serial dermatoscopic photographs of atypical melanocytic lesions taken from patients with advanced metastatic melanoma on four different systemic therapies (selective BRAF-inhibitor monotherapy, dabrafenib combined with trametinib [D&T], anti-programmed cell death protein 1 [anti-PD1] therapies, and anti-PD1 combined with ipilimumab) seen from February 2013 to May 2016. We compared these changes with the melanocytic lesions of 10 control patients. RESULTS: In the control group, 19% of naevi lightened, 64% did not change and 17% darkened. Only the BRAF inhibitor group showed more darkened lesions than controls (37%, P < 0.001). Meanwhile, there were more lightened naevi in the D&T therapy group (86%, P < 0.001) as well as the anti-PD1 and ipilimumab groups (59%, P < 0.001) than controls. Patients on anti-PD1 monotherapy had more lightened (49%) and fewer darkened naevi (9%) than controls, but differences were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that different anti-melanoma systemic therapies have different effects on the pigmentation of melanocytic lesions. BRAF inhibitor may have the propensity to cause darkening while D&T therapy and anti-PD1 caused lightening compared with controls. The findings emphasise the importance of regular dermatological monitoring in specialised clinics for patients on anti-melanoma systemic therapy. Clinicians should expect changes in the global pigmentation of melanocytic lesions but be suspicious of lesions with structural changes.

Blistering diseases in neonates.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Neonatal blistering diseases are rare yet potentially fatal. Therefore, it is crucial for clinicians to know its broad range of differential diagnoses. This review discusses the recent literature on the causes and the most appropriate clinical approach to neonatal blistering diseases. RECENT FINDINGS: Neonatal infections are the commonest causes for neonatal blistering. On the other hand, autoimmune blistering diseases are extremely rare with the literature limited to case reports and one systematic review only. Inherited genodermatoses are also rare, with recent developments in epidermolysis bullosa classification. SUMMARY: In conclusion, as neonatal infections are the commonest cause for blistering, any neonate with blistering should have their blister fluid investigated for infection, while an antimicrobial should be initiated early. Autoimmune blistering diseases should be considered in neonates with a maternal history of autoimmune blistering disease. Although pemphigus and bullous pemphigoid have overall good prognoses, linear IgA bullous dermatoses has a poor prognosis and requires aggressive treatment. Inherited genodermatoses should be suspected when there is a family history of genodermatoses or consanguinity. In this case, the clinician should not hesitate to seek dermatology advice, perform a skin biopsy and consider genetic testing.

OPA-15406, a novel, topical, nonsteroidal, selective phosphodiesterase-4 (PDE4) inhibitor, in the treatment of adult and adolescent patients with mild to moderate atopic dermatitis (AD): A phase-II randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Peripheral leukocytes in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) have elevated phosphodiesterase-4 activity, which is associated with production of proinflammatory mediators. OPA-15406 is a phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor with high selectivity for phosphodiesterase-4-B. OBJECTIVES: We sought to assess effectiveness and tolerability of topical OPA-15406 in patients with AD. METHODS: This was a randomized, double-blind, vehicle-controlled, phase-II study. Patients 10 to 70 years of age with mild or moderate AD received topical OPA-15406 0.3% (n = 41), OPA-15406 1% (n = 43), or vehicle (n = 37) twice daily for 8 weeks. RESULTS: The primary end point, Investigator Global Assessment of Disease Severity score of 0 or 1 with greater than or equal to 2-grade reduction, was met at week 4 in the OPA-15406 1% group (P = .0165 vs vehicle). Mean percentage improvement from baseline Eczema Area and Severity Index score for OPA-15406 1% was notable in week 1 (31.4% vs 6.0% for vehicle; P = .0005), even larger in week 2 (39.0% vs 3.0%; P = .0001), and persisted for 8 weeks. Visual analog scale pruritus scores improved from moderate to mild within the first week in the OPA-15406 1% group (36.4% mean change; P = .0011). OPA-15406 levels in blood were negligible. Incidence of adverse events was low, with most events mild in intensity. LIMITATIONS: Further confirmatory phase-III studies are required. CONCLUSION: OPA-15406 ointment may provide an effective therapeutic modality for patients with mild to moderate AD.

Effects of aripiprazole once-monthly on symptoms of schizophrenia in patients switched from oral antipsychotics.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effects of aripiprazole once-monthly 400 mg (AOM 400) on clinical symptoms and global improvement in schizophrenia after switching from an oral antipsychotic. METHODS: In a multicenter, open-label, mirror-image, naturalistic study in patients with schizophrenia (>1 year, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision [DSM-IV-TR] criteria), changes in efficacy measures were assessed during prospective treatment (6 months) with AOM 400 after switching from standard-of-care oral antipsychotics. During prospective treatment, patients were cross-titrated to oral aripiprazole monotherapy (1-4) weeks followed by open-label AOM 400 (24 weeks). Mean change from baseline of the open-label AOM 400 phase in Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores (total, positive and negative subscales) and Clinical Global Impression-Severity (CGI-S) scores; mean CGI-Improvement (CGI-I) score; and proportion of responders (≥30% decrease from baseline in PANSS total score or CGI-I score of 1 [very much improved] or 2 [much improved]) were assessed. RESULTS: PANSS and CGI-S scores improved from baseline (P<0.0001) and CGI-I demonstrated improvement at all time points. By the end of the study, 49.0% of patients were PANSS or CGI-I responders. CONCLUSIONS: In a community setting, patients with schizophrenia who were stabilized at baseline and switched to AOM 400 from oral antipsychotics showed clear improvements in clinical symptoms.

Neonatal Autoimmune Blistering Disease: A Systematic Review.

We aimed to better understand the pathogenesis, clinical features, prognosis, and treatment of neonatal autoimmune blistering diseases (AIBDs). We searched Medline, Embase, PubMed, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, and reference lists of identified articles. Inclusion criteria were articles published from 1946 to December 2014 in any language. Exclusion criteria were age greater than 4 weeks and no confirmed AIBD diagnosis. We identified 51 cases of neonatal AIBDs: 34 cases of pemphigus (31 pemphigus vulgaris [PV], 3 pemphigus foliaceus [PF]) and 17 cases of pemphigoid diseases (9 bullous pemphigoid [BP], 5 linear immunoglobulin A bullous dermatosis [LABD], 1 BP and LABD, 1 epidermolysis bullosa acquisita, 1 bullous systemic lupus erythematosus). Pemphigoid diseases had a higher male predominance (male:female ratio 4.6:1) than pemphigus (male:female ratio 1:1.06) (p = 0.004). Pemphigus had a higher proportion presenting at birth (79.4%) than pemphigoid diseases (29.4%) (p = 0.008). The most common sites involved were the trunk (63.0%), followed by the head and neck (60.9%). The mucosal membranes were involved in 32.6% of cases (27.6% in pemphigus, 41.6% in pemphigoid diseases). Only 33.3% used systemic therapy, and 75.5% achieved control within 3 weeks. Most PV, PF, and BP cases, but not LABDs, reported maternal disease. In pemphigus cases, 75.0% of mothers had active disease and 25.0% were in control. Pregnant women with PV, PF, and PG of any severity can passively transfer autoantibodies leading to neonatal AIBD. Pemphigoid diseases are more likely to present after birth and may be more male predominant. The presentation of LABDs may be different from that of all other AIBDs.

Preconditioning with recombinant high-mobility group box 1 protein protects the kidney against ischemia-reperfusion injury in mice.

A preconditioning effect occurs when exposure to a nonharmful quantity of a mediator of injury provides protection against injury upon subsequent reexposure. High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) protein, an endogenous ligand for Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4, is a TLR4-dependent mediator of kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury. Here we determined whether preconditioning with recombinant HMGB1 can block kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury, whether this effect is TLR4 dependent and, if so, how preconditioning downregulates TLR signaling. Wild-type mice pretreated with rHMGB1 before ischemia were protected against kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury, indicated by lower serum creatinine, less tubular damage, less tubulointerstitial neutrophil and macrophage infiltration, and less tubular epithelial cell apoptosis versus control mice. Gene expression of TLR-downstream cytokines and chemokines in ischemia-reperfusion injury kidney were also significantly reduced. While TLR4 and TLR2 knockout mice were protected against kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury, HMGB1 preconditioning provided additional protection to TLR2 but not TLR4 knockout mice. The protective effect of rHMGB1 preconditioning involved Siglec-G upregulation, a negative regulator of HMGB1-mediated TLR4 pathway activation. Thus, preconditioning with rHMGB1 affords significant protection from TLR4-dependent kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury, indicating therapeutic potential.

Safety and efficacy of targeted-dose busulfan and bortezomib as a conditioning regimen for patients with relapsed multiple myeloma undergoing a second autologous blood progenitor cell transplantation.

Patients with multiple myeloma (MM) who relapse after autologous transplantation have limited therapeutic options. We conducted a prospective, multicenter, phase IIa study to investigate the safety and efficacy of i.v. busulfan (Bu) in combination with bortezomib as a conditioning regimen for a second autotransplantation. Because a safe Bu exposure was unknown in patients receiving this combination, Bu was initially targeted to a total area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) of 20,000 µM × minute. As no concentration-limiting toxicity was observed in 6 patients, this Bu exposure was utilized in the following treatment cohort (n = 24). Individualized Bu dose, based on test dose .8 mg/kg pharmacokinetics (PK), was administered daily for 4 consecutive days starting 5 days before transplantation, followed by a single dose of bortezomib (1.3 mg/m(2)) 1 day before transplantation. The total mean dose of i.v. Bu (including the test dose and 4-day administration) was 14.2 mg/kg (standard deviation = 2.48; range, 8.7 to 19.2). Confirmatory PK demonstrated that only 2 of 30 patients who underwent transplantation were dosed outside the Bu AUC target and dose adjustments were made for the last 2 doses of i.v. Bu. The median age was 59 years (range, 48 to 73). Median time from first to second transplantation was 28.0 months (range, 12 to 119). Of 26 evaluable patients, 10 patients attained a partial response (PR) or better at 3 months after transplantation, with 2 patients attaining a complete response. At 6 months after transplantation, 5 of 12 evaluable patients had maintained or improved their disease status. Median progression-free survival was 191 days, whereas median overall survival was not reached during the study period. The most common grade 3 and 4 toxicities were febrile neutropenia (50.0%) and stomatitis (43.3%). One transplantation-related death was observed. A combination of dose-targeted i.v. Bu and bortezomib induced PR or better in one third of patients with MM who underwent a second autotransplantation, with acceptable toxicity.

Head-to-head comparison of subcutaneous abatacept versus adalimumab for rheumatoid arthritis: findings of a phase IIIb, multinational, prospective, randomized study.

OBJECTIVE: There is a need for comparative studies to provide evidence-based treatment guidance for biologic agents in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Therefore, this study was undertaken as the first head-to-head comparison of subcutaneous (SC) abatacept and SC adalimumab, both administered along with background methotrexate (MTX), for the treatment of RA. METHODS: Patients with active RA who were naive to treatment with biologic agents and had an inadequate response to MTX were randomly assigned to receive 125 mg SC abatacept weekly or 40 mg SC adalimumab biweekly, both given in combination with MTX, in a 2-year study. The primary end point was treatment noninferiority, assessed according to the American College of Rheumatology 20% improvement response (ACR20) at 1 year. RESULTS: Of the 646 patients who were randomized and treated, 86.2% receiving SC abatacept and 82% receiving SC adalimumab completed 12 months of treatment. At 1 year, 64.8% of patients in the SC abatacept group and 63.4% in the SC adalimumab group demonstrated an ACR20 response; the estimated difference between groups was 1.8% (95% confidence interval -5.6%, 9.2%), thus demonstrating the noninferiority of abatacept compared to adalimumab. All efficacy measures showed similar results and kinetics of response between treatments. The rate of radiographic nonprogression (defined as a total modified Sharp/van der Heijde score [SHS] less than or equal to the smallest detectable change) was 84.8% for SC abatacept-treated patients and 88.6% for SC adalimumab-treated patients, while the mean change from baseline in the total SHS was 0.58 and 0.38, respectively. In the SC abatacept and SC adalimumab groups, the incidence of serious adverse events (SAEs) was 10.1% and 9.1%, respectively, and the rate of serious infections was 2.2% and 2.7%, respectively. In patients treated with SC abatacept, the frequency of discontinuations due to AEs was 3.5% and discontinuations due to SAEs was 1.3%, while in patients treated with SC adalimumab, the frequencies were 6.1% and 3%, respectively. Injection site reactions occurred in 3.8% of patients receiving SC abatacept compared to 9.1% of patients receiving SC adalimumab (P=0.006). CONCLUSION: The results demonstrate that SC abatacept and SC adalimumab have comparable efficacy in patients with RA, as shown by similar kinetics of response and comparable inhibition of radiographic progression over 1 year of treatment. The safety was generally similar, other than the occurrence of significantly more local injection site reactions in patients treated with SC adalimumab.

Evaluation of the Impact of Meibomian Gland Dysfunction Using a Novel Patient-Reported Outcome Instrument.

Purpose: This study was intended to characterize the impact of meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) on patients' quality of life. Methods: In this prospective, multicenter, noninterventional clinical study (NCT01979887), eligible individuals (age ≥40 years; absence of uncontrolled ocular/systemic disease) were categorized, based on composite grading of ocular symptoms, Schirmer score, and meibum quality, into (1) non-MGD, (2) mild/moderate MGD, or (3) severe MGD cohorts. The MGD Impact Questionnaire (MGD IQ), a 10-item patient-reported outcome measure, was self-administered at clinic visit on day 1, and readministered on day 22 to assess intervisit agreement regarding MGD IQ responses. Results: In total, 75 subjects were assigned to the study cohorts (25 per cohort). Across cohorts, MGD IQ item scores rose incrementally with increasing MGD severity. The severe MGD cohort experienced greater difficulty with reading and performance of leisure activities, greater time on eye care, and greater bother with eye care and eye appearance than the mild/moderate MGD cohort (all P < 0.05). Compared with the non-MGD cohort, the mild/moderate MGD cohort had greater difficulty working on computer, whereas the severe MGD cohort had greater difficulty reading, driving, and performing leisure activities, more frequent difficulty with outdoor activities, more time on eye care, and greater bother with eye care (all P < 0.05). Intervisit agreement between MGD IQ responses was fair to moderate (weighted kappa statistic 0.33‒0.58). Conclusions: Vision-related activities are negatively impacted by increasing severity of MGD. The MGD IQ instrument can help characterize disease severity and amplify the patient's voice in patient-centric clinical research. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01979887.