L. Skov

Comparison of drug survival rates for adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab in patients with psoriasis vulgaris

Background  Adherence to treatment is an indicator of treatment success. Long‐term data on adherence to biologic treatment in psoriasis are lacking.

Combination of ablative fractional laser and daylight‐mediated photodynamic therapy for actinic keratosis in organ transplant recipients – a randomized controlled trial

Topical photodynamic therapy (PDT) for actinic keratoses (AK) is hampered by pain during illumination and inferior efficacy in organ‐transplant recipients (OTR).

Responses to ustekinumab in the anti‐TNF agent‐naïve vs. anti‐TNF agent‐exposed patients with psoriasis vulgaris

Background  Approximately 20–30% of patients with psoriasis treated with anti‐tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) agents will discontinue treatment within 2 years due to loss of efficacy or side‐effects. Switching to another anti‐TNFα agent produces clinical responses inferior to previously untreated patients. Ustekinumab binds to the p40 subunit of interleukin (IL)‐12 and IL‐23 and provides a mechanism of action independent of TNFα.

Calcipotriol inhibits the proliferation of hyperproliferative CD29 positive keratinocytes in psoriatic epidermis in the absence of an effect on the function and number of antigen-presenting cells.

The aim of this study was to elucidate some of the possible mechanisms of action of the vitamin D analogue calcipotriol in vivo. Calcipotriol is finding increasing use in the treatment of psoriasis, but the primary target cell in vivo has not yet been identified. We treated psoriatic patients and healthy volunteers with calcipotriol and placebo ointment for 4 and 7 days, and obtained epidermal cell suspensions from treated areas. Epidermal cells were cocultured with autologous T cells, isolated from peripheral blood, in the absence or the presence of a classical antigen or a superantigen. In both psoriatic and normal skin, calcipotriol treatment did not alter the capacity of epidermal antigen‐presenting cells to stimulate the proliferation of autologous T cells, either in the absence or in the presence of exogenous antigen. Epidermal cell suspensions were analysed further by staining for infiltrating leucocytes (CD45+) and Langerhans cells (CD1a+). Flow cytometric analyses showed that calcipotriol did not alter the number of CD45+ cells or Langerhans cells in psoriatic skin. These results indicate that calcipotriol does not alter either the number or the function of epidermal antigen‐presenting cells in psoriatic epidermis. In contrast, we found that calcipotriol significantly inhibited the proliferation of epidermal cells isolated from psoriatic skin after in vivo treatment, as determined by propidium iodide staining and flow cytometry. More specifically, we stained for CD29+ keratinocytes and found an even more significant reduction in proliferative capacity. This cell type contains the population of hyperproliferative keratinocytes in psoriatic epidermis. In conclusion, calcipotriol seems to act via an inhibitory effect on hyperproliferative basal keratinocytes of psoriatic epidermis, rather than via an effect on infiltrating leucocytes, including antigen‐presenting cells.

Increased expression of Fas on human epidermal cells after in vivo exposure to single‐dose ultraviolet (UV) B or long‐wave UVA radiation

Summary Background  Apoptosis has been proposed to act as an important mechanism for eliminating keratinocytes that have been irreversibly damaged by ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. One way to induce apoptosis in keratinocytes is through activation of the cell surface receptor Fas (CD95), either with the ligand (FasL) or directly with UV radiation.

Low-dose total skin electron beam therapy as a debulking agent for cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: an open-label prospective phase II study.

Background  Total skin electron beam therapy (TSEBT) is a powerful treatment for cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma (CTCL). Based on the occurrence of relapses with low radiation doses, doses of 30–36 Gy are commonly used but most patients still eventually relapse and repeat treatment courses are limited due to the cumulative toxicity. Complete response (CR) rates are about 60–90% for T2–4 stages with a 5‐year relapse‐free survival of 10–25% for stages IB–III.

Association between psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease: a Danish nationwide cohort study.

Psoriasis, Crohn disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are chronic inflammatory disorders with overlapping genetic architecture. However, data on the frequency and risk of CD and UC in psoriasis are scarce and poorly understood.

Staphylococcus aureus and hand eczema severity

Background  The role of bacterial infections in hand eczema (HE) remains to be assessed.

Safety, efficacy and drug survival of biologics and biosimilars for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis

Real‐life data on newer biological and biosimilar agents for moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis are lacking.

Psoriasis and New-onset Depression: A Danish Nationwide Cohort Study.

Psoriasis is associated with an increased risk of depression, but results are inconsistent. This study examined the risk of new-onset depression in patients with psoriasis in a nationwide Danish cohort including some 5 million people in the period 2001-2011. A total of 35,001 patients with mild psoriasis and 7,510 with severe psoriasis were identified. Incidence rates per 1,000 person-years and incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were calculated. Incidence rates for depression were 20.0 (95% confidence interval 19.9-20.0), 23.9 (23.1-24.7) and 31.6 (29.5-33.8) for the reference population, mild, and severe psoriasis, respectively. Adjusted for age, sex, and inclusion year, IRRs were 1.08 (1.04-1.12) in mild and 1.36 (1.27-1.46) in severe psoriasis. After adjustment for comorbidity, the IRR was significant in only patients < 50 years with severe psoriasis (IRR 1.23 (1.03-1.46)). In conclusion, the risk of new-onset depression in psoriasis is mediated primarily by comorbidities, except in younger individuals with severe psoriasis, in whom psoriasis itself may be a risk factor.