Julia Hyun

Ultraviolet A1-induced downregulation of human β-defensins and interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 correlates with clinical improvement in localized scleroderma

Background  In previous studies, distinct immunological abnormalities have been reported in localized scleroderma (LS). Several pro‐inflammatory cytokines have been demonstrated at increased levels in sera of patients with LS in parallel with disease activity. Human β‐defensins (hBDs) are peptides with antimicrobial activity, but have been also shown to be implicated in tissue injury, scarring and wound healing. hBD expression in LS, a condition resembling pathological scarring due to excessive stimulation of matrix synthesis and fibroblast activation, has so far not been investigated. Ultraviolet (UV) A1 phototherapy, the most recent advance in the treatment of LS, targets T‐cell dermal inflammatory infiltrates via induction of various cytokines and soluble factors besides well‐known effects on collagen metabolism.

A randomised controlled trial on photo(chemo)therapy of subacute purigo

Background.  Psoralen ultraviolet A (PUVA) is the standard photo(chemo)therapeutic regimen for patients suffering from subacute prurigo (SP).

Intravenous immunoglobulin for recalcitrant subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus.

Sir, Subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE), first described by Sontheimer et al. (1) in 1979, represents a distinct subtype of lupus erythematosus (LE) with specific clinical and serological features. Characteristically, skin lesions appear in a non-scarring papulosquamous, annular, polycyclic or psoriasiform pattern primarily located in the sun-exposed areas such as the upper back and chest. Systemic involvement in SCLE is relatively rare, but the majority of patients have musculoskeletal complaints such as arthralgias. Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) are present in 60–80% of cases, with circulating anti-Ro(SS-A) antibodies as the most characteristic feature (2). Antimalarials are considered to be the first-line drugs in SCLE. However, a minority of patients with resistant disease fail to improve on antimalarials and/or immunosuppressive agents. We here report a patient with highly recalcitrant SCLE who significantly responded to treatment with high dose intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg).

Electrochemotherapy in advanced skin tumors and cutaneous metastases – a retrospective multicenter analysis

Once classic treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation therapy have been exhausted, only few therapeutic options remain for extensive skin tumors or cutaneous metastases. In such cases, electrochemotherapy may be considered as alternative therapy.

Olanzapine therapy for subacute prurigo

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Elektrochemotherapie bei fortgeschrittenen Hauttumoren und Hautmetastasen – eine retrospektive multizentrische Auswertung

Nach Ausschöpfung von klassischen Behandlungsverfahren wie Chemo‐ und Strahlentherapie existieren bei ausgedehnten Hauttumoren oder Hautmetastasen nur wenige Optionen einer lokalen Tumorkontrolle. In diesen Fällen kann die Elektrochemotherapie als Therapiealternative in Erwägung gezogen werden.