Off-label uses of TNF-a inhibitors and IL-12/23 inhibitors in dermatology.

TNF-a inhibitors, which include adalimumab, infliximab, etanercept, certolizumab, and golimumab, and IL-12/23 inhibitor, ustekinumab, have been widely used as a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved for the treatment of psoriasis. Outside of psoriasis, high levels of TNF-a had also been found in several skin diseases including hidradenitis suppurativa. IL-12 and IL-23 play important role in the pathogenesis of SLE, alopecia areata, and vitiligo. This paper reviews the off-label uses of TNF-a inhibitors and IL-12/23 inhibitors in skin disorders.

TNF-alpha inhibitors and ustekinumab for the treatment of psoriasis: therapeutic utility in the era of IL-17 and IL-23 inhibitors.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory condition for which eleven FDA-approved biologic therapies are approved. Over the past decade, studies have documented the higher efficacy of IL-17 and IL-23 inhibitors for the treatment of psoriasis compared to the TNF-alpha inhibitors and ustekinumab, an IL-12/23 inhibitor. Despite this, there remains an important role for the use of TNF-alpha inhibitors and ustekinumab in the treatment of psoriasis. Here, we review how considerations of infection and malignancy risk, patient demographics, treatment resistance, and co-morbidities may make certain TNF-alpha inhibitors or ustekinumab an excellent choice for therapy in particular patient subgroups.

Genital and Inverse/Intertriginous Psoriasis: An Updated Review of Therapies and Recommendations for Practical Management.

Genital and inverse psoriasis can develop in more than one-third of patients who have psoriasis. Psoriatic plaques in the genital and intertriginous skin are challenging to treat because the skin is thin and often occluded, making it more sensitive to certain therapies. Traditional guidelines indicate topical therapies, such as corticosteroids, topical calcineurin inhibitors (TCI), and vitamin D analogs as first-line recommendation in treating genital and inverse psoriasis. There have been developments in the treatment of genital and inverse psoriasis using systemic therapies, including IL-17 inhibitors and PDE-4 inhibitors.

Co-infection with malaria and leptospirosis.

Malaria and leptospirosis are both common in the tropics. Simultaneous infections are possible, although not previously reported. We report two cases of malaria from an area of Thailand on the Thailand-Myanmar border with compelling serologic evidence of simultaneous acute leptospirosis. One was a case of infection with Plasmodium falciparum with acute and convalescent microscopic agglutination test (MAT) titers for Leptospira serovar icterohaemorrhagiae of 1:200 and 1:1,600, respectively. The other was a case of infection with P. vivax that seroconverted to a titer of 1:3,200 for Leptospira serovar bataviae. Additionally, there were five probable cases of leptospirosis with patent malaria parasitemia (three P. falciparum and two P. vivax) detected. Management of dual infections is complicated by their similar clinical presentations, and because the confirmatory diagnosis of malaria is readily available as opposed to that of leptospirosis. Treatment focusing on malaria mono-infections instead of dual infections could result in a delay of specific therapy for leptospirosis and possible consequences of serious complications.