First-in-Human Proof-of-Concept Study: Intralesional Administration of BQ788, an Endothelin Receptor B Antagonist, to Melanoma Skin Metastases.

BACKGROUND: This first-in-human proof-of-concept study aimed to check whether safety and preclinical results obtained by intratumoral administration of BQ788, an endothelin receptor B (EDNRB) antagonist, can be repeated in human melanoma patients. METHODS: Three patients received a single intralesional BQ788 application of 3 mg. After 3-7 days, the lesions were measured and removed for analysis. The administered dose was increased to a cumulative dosage of 8 mg in patient 4 (4 × 2.0 mg, days 0-3; lesion removed on day 4) and to 10 mg in patient 5 (3 × 3.3 mg, days 0, 3, and 10; lesion removed after 14 days). Control lesions were simultaneously treated with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). All samples were processed and analyzed without knowledge of the clinical findings. RESULTS: No statistical evaluation was possible because of the number of patients (n = 5) and the variability in the mode of administration. No adverse events were observed, regardless of administered dose. All observations were in accordance with results obtained in preclinical studies. Accordingly, no difference in degree of tumor necrosis was detected between BQ788- and PBS-treated samples. In addition, both EDNRB and Ki67 showed decreased expression in patients 2 and 5 and, to a lesser extent, in patient 1. Similarly, decreased expression of EDNRB mRNA in patients 2 and 5 and of BCL2A1 and/or PARP3 in patients 2, 3, and 5 was found. Importantly, semiquantitatively scored immunohistochemistry for CD31 and CD3 revealed more blood vessels and lymphocytes, respectively, in BQ788-treated tumors of patients 2 and 4. Also, in all patients, we observed inverse correlation in expression levels between EDNRB and HIF1A. Finally, in patient 5 (the only patient treated for longer than 1 week), we observed inhibition in lesion growth, as shown by size measurement. CONCLUSION: The intralesional applications of BQ788 were well tolerated and showed signs of directly and indirectly reducing the viability of melanoma cells.

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy for injection site panniculitis in multiple sclerosis patients.

BACKGROUND: Painful cutaneous injection site reactions may hamper treatment with interferon ß (IFN-ß) and glatiramer acetate (GA) in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. OBJECTIVE: To maintain therapy adherence, efficient therapeutic modalities for these subcutaneous inflammatory lesions are urgently needed. We tested the application of local extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT). METHODS: We applied 5 sessions of ESWT to 8 patients suffering from MS who had developed painful panniculitis at the injection sites of either IFN-ß or GA. Clinical outcomes, i.e. pain reduction and regression of induration, were assessed 3 and 6 months after completion of the ESWT using a visual analogue score. RESULTS: All patients showed both significant pain reduction and reduction of the skin induration in the treated lesions, while in untreated control lesions there was no improvement. CONCLUSION: ESWT proved to be a non-invasive, safe and efficient physical treatment modality for injection-induced painful cutaneous side effects of disease-modifying drugs in MS.

The Swiss Systemic lupus erythematosus Cohort Study (SSCS) - cross-sectional analysis of clinical characteristics and treatments across different medical disciplines in Switzerland.

OBJECTIVES: To describe disease characteristics and treatment modalities in a multidisciplinary cohort of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients in Switzerland. METHODS: Cross-sectional analysis of 255 patients included in the Swiss SLE Cohort and coming from centres specialised in Clinical Immunology, Internal Medicine, Nephrology and Rheumatology. Clinical data were collected with a standardised form. Disease activity was assessed using the Safety of Estrogens in Lupus Erythematosus National Assessment-SLE Disease Activity Index (SELENA-SLEDAI), an integer physician's global assessment score (PGA) ranging from 0 (inactive) to 3 (very active disease) and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). The relationship between SLE treatment and activity was assessed by propensity score methods using a mixed-effect logistic regression with a random effect on the contributing centre. RESULTS: Of the 255 patients, 82% were women and 82% were of European ancestry. The mean age at enrolment was 44.8 years and the median SLE duration was 5.2 years. Patients from Rheumatology had a significantly later disease onset. Renal disease was reported in 44% of patients. PGA showed active disease in 49% of patients, median SLEDAI was 4 and median ESR was 14 millimetre/first hour. Prescription rates of anti-malarial drugs ranged from 3% by nephrologists to 76% by rheumatologists. Patients regularly using anti-malarial drugs had significantly lower SELENA-SLEDAI scores and ESR values. CONCLUSION: In our cohort, patients in Rheumatology had a significantly later SLE onset than those in Nephrology. Anti-malarial drugs were mostly prescribed by rheumatologists and internists and less frequently by nephrologists, and appeared to be associated with less active SLE.

A plant-derived wound therapeutic for cost-effective treatment of post-surgical scalp wounds with exposed bone.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a plant-derived wound dressing (ONE), a mixture of hypericum oil (Hypericum perforatum L.) and neem oil (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.), in scalp wounds with exposed bone. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients with scalp wounds with exposed bone, following the excision of skin tumors, and treated with ONE in 2011 were included. Time of healing, wound size, area of exposed bone, ease of handling, pain, and complications were evaluated. Costs of dressings and nursing time were compared with those cited in literature for other treatment modalities. RESULTS: Fifteen consecutive patients with a mean age of 76.87 ± 10.3 years (59-90 years) were analyzed. The mean wound size was 10.9 ± 6.84 cm(2) (0.4-22.6 cm(2)) with 4.8 ± 5.9 cm(2) (0.3-20.7 cm(2)) of exposed bone. The time of complete healing by secondary intention was 8.1 (4-20) weeks. Rapid formation of granulation tissue was observed which after 4 weeks covered the entire exposed bone surface in 11 of 15 cases (73%). Dressing change was simple with no pain reported; no infections or other complications occurred. Using ONE for a mean healing time of 56.7 days resulted in mean costs of EUR 423.73, which is substantially lower than those published for fascia lata, negative pressure therapy, or collagen matrix followed by skin grafting (EUR 1,612.82, EUR 4,411.80 and EUR 1,503.72, respectively). CONCLUSION: This retrospective, non-controlled analysis supports ONE as a simple-to-use and safe treatment option for scalp wounds with exposed bone. Treatment costs compare favorably to those published for other treatment modalities.

Profile of travel-associated illness in children, Zürich, Switzerland.

BACKGROUND: The number of families traveling with their children to their country of origin and/or to tropical destinations has increased in Switzerland and includes a changing profile and multinational range of patients. Defining the profile of reported travel-associated illnesses will help to improve the prevention and treatment of such illnesses in children. METHODS: This study includes children aged up to 16 years who sought medical advice for a presumed travel-related illness at the emergency room of the University of Zürich Children's Hospital during the period July 2007 to December 2008. RESULTS: We analyzed data on 328 children (58.8% male, mean age: 4.62 y) who presented with travel-associated illness. Our analysis included 155 traditional (mainly tourist) travelers, 162 children who were visiting friends and relatives (VFR), and 11 immigrants. Some 11% were hospitalized. No deaths occurred. The main conditions recorded were diarrheal illness (39%), respiratory (28.7%) and febrile/systemic illness (13.4%). With increasing age, the proportion of children with diarrheal disease increased, while the proportion with respiratory illness declined. There were significant associations between geographic area of exposure and the profile of travel-related disease (p < 0.001). Among 36 children with more serious diseases requiring hospitalization, 12 (3.7% overall) presented with potentially serious diseases: malaria (n = 2), Salmonella typhi (n = 3), Salmonella paratyphi (n = 2), meningococcal meningitis (n = 1), tuberculosis (n = 2), visceral leishmania (n = 1), and hepatitis A (n = 1). Eleven of the 12 children presenting with these potentially serious illnesses were VFR or immigrant children. CONCLUSION: The main diagnoses for ill-returned Zürich children who presented for emergency care were diarrhea, respiratory, and febrile/systemic illness. A broad spectrum of morbidity was seen including meningococcal meningitis, malaria, tuberculosis, typhoid fever, leishmania, and hepatitis A. Diagnoses varied between geographic regions visited, and VFR child travelers constituted a large proportion of sick-returned children presenting for emergency care.

Assessment of melanocytic skin lesions with a high-definition laser Doppler imaging system.

BACKGROUND: Early detection is a major goal in the management of malignant melanoma. Besides clinical assessment many noninvasive technologies such as dermoscopy, digital dermoscopy and in vivo laser scanner microscopy are used as additional methods. Herein we tested a system to assess lesional perfusion as a tool for early melanoma detection. METHODS: Laser Doppler flow (FluxExplorer) and mole analyser (MA) score (FotoFinder) were applied to histologically verified melanocytic nevi (33) and malignant melanomas (12). RESULTS: Mean perfusion and MA scores were significantly increased in melanoma compared to nevi. However, applying an empirically determined threshold of 16% perfusion increase only 42% of the melanomas fulfilled the criterion of malignancy, whereas with the mole analyzer score 82% of the melanomas fulfilled the criterion of malignancy. CONCLUSION: Laser Doppler imaging is a highly sensitive technology to assess skin and skin tumor perfusion in vivo. Although mean perfusion is higher in melanomas compared to nevi the high numbers of false negative results hamper the use of this technology for early melanoma detection.

Fractional transepidermal delivery: a histological analysis.

BACKGROUND: In autologous cell therapy, e.g. in melanocyte transplantation for vitiligo, a minimally invasive mode of transepidermal delivery of the isolated cells is of crucial importance to reduce potential side effects such as infections and scarring as well as to minimize the duration of sick leave. OBJECTIVES: To compare the characteristics of the microscopic treatment zones induced by ablative fractional CO(2) laser and by microneedle treatment in ex vivo human breast skin. RESULTS: Ablative fractional CO(2) laser treatment resulted in superficial, mainly epidermal defects reaching at most the upper papillary dermis (0.1-0.3 mm), covered by a thin eschar and coated by a small zone of collagen denaturation. Tissue injury characteristics depended on spot size as well as the energy delivered. Microneedle treatment led to thin vertical skin fissures, reaching the middermis (up to 0.5 mm) and injuring dermal blood vessels, but without surrounding tissue necrosis. CONCLUSIONS: Both technologies are able to create small epidermal defects which allow to deliver isolated cells such as melanocytes to an epidermodermal site, with microneedle treatment having the advantage of lacking devitalized tissue and eventually enabling vascular access for the transplanted cells.

[Local treatment of chronic skin wounds in a Swiss out-patient wound centre 2010]. / Lokale Behandlung von chronischen Hautwunden an einer Schweizerischen Wundambulanz 2010.

In Switzerland around 30,000 patients suffer from chronic skin wounds. Appropriate topical wound care along with treatment of the causes of the wounds enables to heal a lot of these patients and to avoid secondary disease such as infections. Thereby, the final goal of wound care is stable reepithelisation. Based on experience with chronic leg ulcers mainly in our out-patient wound centre, we give a survey of the wound dressings we actually use and discuss their wound-phase adapted application. Furthermore, we address the two tissue engineering products reimbursed in Switzerland, Apligraf and EpiDex, as well as the biological matrix product Oasis. The crucial question, which treatment options will be offered in future to the wound patients by our health regulatory and insurance systems, is open to debate.

EpiDex® Swiss field trial 2004-2008.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 20% of leg ulcers remain unresponsive to the best conservative standard of care. So far, these patients could either receive conventional skin grafts or had to accept their intractable wound. Skin substitutes from cell culture may represent a promising alternative to heal a major part of these patients on a non-surgical, potentially more cost-effective basis. OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the first 68 patients treated in Switzerland (Swiss EpiDex® field trial 2004-2008). METHODS: Retrospective study on EpiDex treatment of a complete consecutive series of 68 patients with chronic wounds (66 chronic leg ulcers, 2 sores) unresponsive to best conservative standard of care. The primary end point was complete wound closure within 9 months after transplantation, the secondary end points change of wound surface area, pain reduction and overall judgement by the patient. Adverse effects were infection, dermatitis and others. Calculation of treatment costs was made. RESULTS: By the end of the study, 50/68 (74%) of patients had their wound completely healed [venous 29/37 (78%); mixed 7/9 (78%); others 14/22 (64%)]; 10/68 (15%) had the wound surface area reduced by >50%, and 8/68 (12%) did not respond to the EpiDex treatment. Wound pain disappeared completely in 78% and partially in 13%. Fifteen patients (22%) received antibiotics for wound infection, and 2 (3%) developed dermatitis (not related to the local therapy). Average treatment costs for venous ulcers amounted to EUR 5,357, compared to EUR 5,722-8,622 reimbursed according to the German DRG system (2010) for an in-patient skin graft. CONCLUSION: EpiDex may effectively heal up to three quarters of recalcitrant chronic leg ulcers. Thus, it represents an intermediate step to avoid costly in-patient split-skin mesh graft treatments. Patients remain mobilized, and a donor site is avoided. Large wound size or a necrotic wound bed limit the use of EpiDex. Otherwise, it offers the opportunity to avoid conventional skin grafts in a significant number of chronic leg ulcer patients.

Human melanocytes can be isolated, propagated and expanded from plucked anagen hair follicles.

Herein, we report a technically simple method for isolation and culture of human follicular melanocytes based on explant cultures of epilated hair follicles. This technique does not require any surgical intervention and allows the isolation and cultivation of follicular melanocytes from a comparatively small amount of raw material. Generally, 30-60 human anagen hair follicles have been plucked from the scalp of healthy donors and cultivated under low oxygen pressure (5%). After a short period of time cells of various types were growing out from the outer root sheath (ORS) of the hair follicles. Under the selected culture conditions, most of the cells other than melanocytes have been eliminated and a nearly 100% pure population of melanocytes has been achieved, as confirmed by immunohistochemical analyses for melanocyte-specific markers, for example, Tyrosinase-1, S-100 and premelanosomal antigens. These melanocytes derived from the ORS were proliferating for up to 2 months.

Wound stimulation by growth-arrested human keratinocytes and fibroblasts: HP802-247, a new-generation allogeneic tissue engineering product.

BACKGROUND: HP802-247 is a new-generation, allogeneic tissue engineering product consisting of growth-arrested, human keratinocytes (K) and fibroblasts (F) delivered in a fibrin matrix by a spray device. OBJECTIVE: To identify the preferred dose of HP802-247 based on cell concentration and K/F ratio. METHODS: A multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, explorative phase II study of 6 different doses of HP802-247 administered once per week for 12 consecutive weeks in chronic venous leg ulcers. RESULTS: HP802-247 was safe and well tolerated and showed increasing efficacy dependent on cell concentration and K/F ratio, in line with in vitro growth factor release data. The mean complete closure rate at week 12 for all patients treated with HP802-247 was 40%, and for placebo it was 33%. In contrast to placebo, all HP802-247 dose groups improved from week 12 to 24. CONCLUSION: As an integral part of a rational tissue engineering product development, this explorative trial identified the preferred dose of HP802-247 for further clinical studies.

[Towards the Swiss systemic lupus erythematosus cohort study (SSCS)]. / Création d'une cohorte suisse de patients lupiques: the Swiss systemic lupus erythematosus cohort study (SSCS).

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a rare disease mainly affecting women of childbearing age. It is characterized by a very large spectrum of clinical manifestations accompanied by prototypic abnormalities of the immune system. While recent advances in therapeutic approaches have taken place, SLE still has a profound impact on the quality of life and life expectancy of affected persons. The Swiss cohort for longitudinally studying SLE named SSCS responds to the necessity of better understanding the history of the disease, the mechanisms involved in its pathogenesis, to identify and apply new therapeutic and prevention strategies, as well as to analyze the impact that SLE has at the social and personal levels in Switzerland. SSCS is a tool to be used by all researchers interested to provide answers to the many open questions in SLE.

Repigmentation by outer-root-sheath-derived melanocytes: proof of concept in vitiligo and leucoderma.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of depigmented skin is an unmet medical need. OBJECTIVE: Melanocytes or stem cells thereof residing in the outer root sheath (ORS) of hair follicles might be used to repigment skin. METHODS: After de-epidermisation, autologous ORS cell solutions were applied to 5 patients with vitiligo and 1 with leucoderma. RESULTS: Stable repigmentation in a variable percentage was documented in all the patients. CONCLUSION: Applying ORS-derived melanocytes is a promising technology to improve autologous melanocyte transplantation.

High-dose intravenous corticosteroid pulse therapy in alopecia areata: own experience compared with the literature.

BACKGROUND: Seven prospective studies including 193 patients have been published on high-dose intravenous corticosteroid pulse therapy in alopecia areata (AA). We compare these data with a retrospective analysis of our own consecutive patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1998 and 2002,25 patients with severe AA were treated at the Department of Dermatology, University of Bern, with infusions of 500 mg methylprednisolone on 3 consecutive days. In addition to the inpatient records, in 2004 all patients were followed up by a questionnaire. RESULTS: Four of 10 patients with multifocal AA and 3 of 9 patients with ophiasis-type AA had full re-growth of hair, whereas all 6 patients with AA totalis/universalis failed to respond. CONCLUSION: Intravenous corticosteroid pulse therapy may be helpful in the treatment of multifocal and ophiasis-type AA. Patients with an initial episode of short duration have better chances for success.

Facets of lupus erythematosus: panniculitis responding to thalidomide.

Lupus erythematosus profundus or lupus panniculitis is a rare clinical variant of lupus erythematosus, which involves the deep dermis and subcutaneous fat. Diagnosis may be difficult in cases with isolated involvement. Further manifestations of lupus erythematosus may thus be essential for diagnosis, which depends on the clinical picture, histopathology and a positive lesional lupus band test. We report a severe, mutilating case of lupus panniculitis, which responded well to thalidomide.

Plakoglobin-dependent disruption of the desmosomal plaque in pemphigus vulgaris.

We recently reported that the pathogenesis of pemphigus vulgaris (PV), an autoimmune blistering skin disorder, is driven by the accumulation of c-Myc secondary to abrogation of plakoglobin (PG)-mediated transcriptional c-Myc suppression. PG knock-out mouse keratinocytes express high levels of c-Myc and resemble PVIgG-treated wild-type keratinocytes in most respects. However, they fail to accumulate nuclear c-Myc and loose intercellular adhesion in response to PVIgG-treatment like wild-type keratinocytes. This suggested that PG is also required for propagation of the PVIgG-induced events between augmented c-Myc expression and acantholysis. Here, we addressed this possibility by comparing PVIgG-induced changes in the desmosomal organization between wild-type and PG knock-out keratinocytes. We found that either bivalent PVIgG or monovalent PV-Fab (known to trigger blister formation in vivo) disrupt the linear organization of all major desmosomal components along cell borders in wild-type keratinocytes, simultaneously with a reduction in intercellular adhesive strength. In contrast, PV-Fab failed to affect PG knock-out keratinocytes while PVIgG cross-linked their desmosomal cadherins without significantly affecting desmoplakin. These results identify PG as a principle effector of the PVIgG-induced signals downstream of c-Myc that disrupt the desmosomal plaque at the plasma membrane.