Therapeutic drug monitoring of mycophenolic acid in patients with psoriasis.

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) has been shown to be effective in the treatment of psoriasis. MMF is the morpholinoethyl ester of mycophenolic acid (MPA), the active compound. Our objective was to characterize the pharmacokinetic profile of MPA in patients with psoriasis treated with MMF and to examine its correlation with effectiveness and toxicity. Eleven patients with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis were treated with oral MMF 30 mg kg-1 daily over a period of 16 weeks. Patients were reviewed at 3, 8 and 16 weeks, checking the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and possible adverse events, and performing MPA C0 (trough) and C1 (1-hour post-dose) plasma levels. The reduction in PASI was statistically significant in all our patients. The drug was well tolerated. There was no significant correlation between C0 and C1 MPA levels and the reduction of PASI, improvement rates of PASI from baseline, weight of the patients and total dosage of MMF. Nevertheless, the highest detected mean levels of MPA C1 were observed in two of the patients with the highest improvement rate of PASI at the end of the study. Although C1 levels do not seem to strongly correlate with the effectiveness of the drug, the finding that the highest detected mean levels of MPA C1 were observed in two of the patients with the highest improvement rate of PASI suggests that the monitoring of C1 could be useful in some individual cases.

A case of Grover's disease with syringoma-like features and leukemia cutis.

UNLABELLED: Leukemia cutis used to be a late manifestation of leukemia. On the other hand, Grover's disease has been described in the setting of cancer. CASE REPORT: A patient diagnosed as having a chronic myelomonocytic leukemia presented with lichenoid, slightly infiltrated plaques on the anterior aspect of his thorax and abdomen and papulovesicles on his back. A skin biopsy showed the co-existence of leukemia cutis, Grover's disease, and syringoma-like features. DISCUSSION: We discuss and comment upon this unusual association.

Amiloidosis sistémicas / Systemic amyloidoses

Las amiloidosis son un grupo heterogéneo de enfermedades caracterizadas por el depósito extracelular enlos órganos y tejidos de una serie de proteínas fibrilares, no relacionadas bioquímicamente entre sí, pero que comparten unas características comunes que incluyen la birrefringencia verde manzana con la luz polarizada, previa tinción con rojo Congo, y la configuración en hoja plegada beta-laminar por difracción de rayos X. El depósito de amiloide puede formarse en muchos órganos (amiloidosis sistémicas), o puede afectara un único tejido (amiloidosis localizadas u organolimitadas).Existen numerosas clasificaciones, pero en esta revisión las amiloidosis están ordenadas según el cuadro clínico, que está determinado según la proteína del amiloide implicada. Se presta especial atención a las manifestaciones cutáneo mucosas que con frecuencia son el primer signo de la enfermedad, que son útiles para el diagnóstico precoz y evitan así exploraciones más agresivas. También se analiza la afectación de otros órganos, el diagnóstico, pronóstico y tratamiento delas amiloidosis sistémicas

Amyloidoses are a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by extracellular fibrillar protein deposits inthe organs and tissues. These proteins are not biochemically related to each other, but share certain common characteristics, including apple green birefringence with polarized light after staining with Congo red, and beta-pleated sheet configuration through x-ray diffraction. Amyloid deposits may occurin many organs (systemic amyloidoses) or may affect a singletissue (localized or organ-specific amyloidoses). There are different classifications, but in this review the amyloidoses are organized by clinical symptoms, which are determined by theamyloid protein involved. Special attention is given to cutaneous and mucous membrane manifestations, which are often the first sign of the disease and are useful for early diagnosis, thus avoiding more aggressive procedures. The involvement of other organs is analyzed, as are the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of systemic amyloidoses

[Systemic amyloidoses]. / Amiloidosis sistémicas.

Amyloidoses are a heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by extracellular fibrillar protein deposits in the organs and tissues. These proteins are not biochemically related to each other, but share certain common characteristics, including apple green birefringence with polarized light after staining with Congo red, and beta-pleated sheet configuration through x-ray diffraction. Amyloid deposits may occur in many organs (systemic amyloidoses) or may affect a single tissue (localized or organ-specific amyloidoses). There are different classifications, but in this review the amyloidoses are organized by clinical symptoms, which are determined by the amyloid protein involved. Special attention is given to cutaneous and mucous membrane manifestations, which are often the first sign of the disease and are useful for early diagnosis, thus avoiding more aggressive procedures. The involvement of other organs is analyzed, as are the diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of systemic amyloidoses.

Infección cutánea por Mycobacterium chelonae. Revisión de seis casos / Cutaneous Mycobacterium chelonae infection. A review of 6 cases

Mycobacterium chelonae (M. chelonae) es una micobacteria atípica de crecimiento rápido, que pertenece al grupo IV de la clasificación de Runyon. La infección cutánea ocurre habitualmente en pacientes inmunodeprimidos y aparece en pacientes inmunocompetentes en relación con un traumatismo o herida. Presentamos 6 pacientes, todas ellas mujeres inmunocompetentes, que presentaron nódulos, placas o úlceras con secreción purulenta de evolución tórpida, a pesar de tratamiento con cloxacilina. Una paciente relataba el antecedente de una liposucción, pero no se encontró una puerta de entrada en el resto de ellas. El estudio histológico mostró infiltrados inflamatorios, abscesos y lesiones granulomatosas. En el cultivo de la pieza se obtuvo Mycobacterium chelonae. El tratamiento antibiótico, en su mayoría claritromicina, durante 3 meses resolvió las lesiones. Aunque la infección cutánea por M. chelonae se relaciona con inmunodepresión o con antecedentes traumáticos, nuestra serie muestra que lesiones purulentas de evolución tórpida sin antecedente de trauma previo en mujeres pueden estar causadas por esta micobacteria (AU)