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Abstract Background: Methotrexate (MTX) is an alternative treatment for patients with moderate/severe atopic dermatitis (AD). Objective: The authors evaluated the effect of MTX on the cutaneous expression of cytokines and chemokines that are involved in the inflammatory response in adult AD patients who received treatment with methotrexate for 24 weeks. Methods: The authors conducted a prospective single-institution cohort study with 12 adults with moderate/severe AD who received oral MTX (15 mg/wk for 24 wks) and 10 non-atopic matched controls. The comparison was made of skin biopsies of lesional and non-lesional skin, pre- and post MTX treatment. The authors analyzed mean epidermal thickness and expression of IL-31, IL-31RA, OSMR, TSLP, Ki67, IL-4 mRNA, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-γ, TARC, and CCL-22. Results: There was a reduction in mean epidermal thickness (p = 0.021), an increase in IL-31RA expression (immunohistochemistry) in the epidermis (p = 0.016) and a decrease in IL-31 gene expression (p = 0.019) on lesional AD skin post-MTX treatment. No significant changes in the cutaneous expression of the other evaluated markers were identified. Study limitations: Small sample size and limited length of follow-up. Conclusions: Treatment with MTX in adults with moderate/severe AD reduced epidermal hyperplasia and changed the cutaneous expression of inflammatory cytokines and receptors that are mainly related to pruritus, including IL-31 and IL-31RA.
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Introduction: Atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema or atopic eczema, is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder characterized by the presence of pruritus accompanied by itching. In Colombia, epidemiological and healthcare resource utilization information regarding this pathology is limited. Objective: To describe atopic dermatitis epidemiological characteristics and healthcare resource utilization patterns in Colombia. Materials and methods: A retrospective database study using real-world data obtained from the national claims database SISPRO (Sistema de Información para la Protección Social) for the 2015-2020 period was carried out. Sociodemographic (age, and health services delivery), epidemiological (incidence, prevalence, and comorbidities), and healthcare resource utilization data were extracted from the SISPRO database. Results: The epidemiological results showed increased incidence and prevalence of atopic dermatitis in Colombia in the 2018-2019 period compared to 2015-2017. Accordingly, the number of medical consultations (particularly with specialists), the number of procedures, and the number of hospitalizations of patients with atopic dermatitis increased. Topic and systemic corticoids were the most frequently prescribed drugs. Conclusions: Diagnoses of atopic dermatitis in Colombia increased with a concomitant increase in healthcare resource utilization during 2015-2020, which was possibly slowed down by the arrival of the Covid-19. This study may help physicians gaining a better understanding of the disease, improving atopic dermatitis patient management.
Introducción. La dermatitis atópica, también conocida como eczema o eczema atópico, es un trastorno inflamatorio crónico de la piel caracterizado por la presencia de prurito acompañado de picor. En Colombia, la información epidemiológica y de utilización de recursos sanitarios sobre esta enfermedad es limitada. Objetivo. Describir las características epidemiológicas y los patrones de utilización de recursos sanitarios para la dermatitis atópica en Colombia. Materiales y métodos. Se trata de un estudio retrospectivo en el cual se utilizan datos de la práctica clínica real obtenidos del registro nacional SISPRO (Sistema de Información para la Protección Social) en el período 2015-2020. Se extrajeron datos sociodemográficos (incluida la edad y la prestación de servicios de salud), epidemiológicos (incluidos la incidencia, la prevalencia y las comorbilidades) y los correspondientes a la utilización de los recursos sanitarios. Resultados. Los resultados epidemiológicos han demostrado un aumento de la incidencia y prevalencia de la dermatitis atópica en Colombia en el periodo 20182019, en comparación con el periodo 2015-2017. Aumentó el número de consultas médicas (particularmente, con especialistas) de pacientes con dermatitis atópica, el de procedimientos y el de hospitalizaciones. Los corticoides tópicos y sistémicos fueron los medicamentos más prescritos. Conclusiones. Los diagnósticos de dermatitis atópica en Colombia aumentaron con un incremento concomitante en la utilización de recursos sanitarios durante 2015-2020, que posiblemente se vio atenuado por la llegada del Covid-19. Este estudio puede ayudar a los médicos a tener un mejor conocimiento de la enfermedad y, por lo tanto, mejorar el tratamiento de los pacientes con dermatitis atópica.
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Dermatitis, Atopic/epidemiology , Utilization Review , Colombia , Drug Therapy , COVID-19ABSTRACT
Objective:To determine the expression of transglutaminase 2 (TGM2) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), and to analyze its correlation with AD-related inflammatory factors and disease severity.Methods:A total of 29 AD patients and 15 healthy controls were collected from the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from July 2020 to January 2021. Ten milliliters of peripheral blood samples were collected from each subject, so was the clinical information, including age, gender, course of disease, eosinophil counts, basophil counts, total IgE levels, Scoring AD index (SCORAD), etc. PBMCs were isolated by density gradient centrifugation. Fluorescence-based quantitative PCR was performed to determine the mRNA expression of TGM2 and AD-related inflammatory factors (interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13, IL-17, thymic stromal lymphopoietin [TSLP], P2RX7 [purinergic receptor P2X, ligand-gated ion channel, 7], etc.) in PBMCs from 29 AD patients and 15 healthy controls, and flow cytometry to determine TGM2 protein expression on PBMCs. Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze differences between groups, and Spearman correlation analysis to evaluate the correlation. Results:The relative mRNA expression of TGM2 in PBMCs did not differ between the AD group and control group ( M[ Q1, Q3]: 0.509 [0.325, 0.958] vs. 0.475 [0.328, 1.051], U = 210.50, P = 0.872). Compared with the control group, the AD group showed significantly decreased IL-4 mRNA expression (0.171[0.049, 0.449] vs. 0.824 [0.397, 1.378], P < 0.001), but significantly increased mRNA expression of IL-8 and IL-13 ( P = 0.011, 0.006, respectively). Spearman correlation analysis showed that the mRNA expression level of TGM2 in PBMCs was positively correlated with the mRNA expression levels of IL-4 and P2RX7 in the AD group ( rs = 0.42, 0.40, P = 0.024, 0.034, respectively), while there were no correlations between TGM2 mRNA expression and AD severity-related indicators (all P>0.05), such as age (21[16, 29] years), course of disease (4[1,10] years), eosinophil counts (0.33[0.18, 0.65] × 10 9/L), basophil counts (0.04[0.03, 0.06] × 10 9/L], SCORAD scores (60.5[46.98, 66.13] points), and serum total IgE levels (373 [40, 1 815] IU/ml). The relative protein expression levels of TGM2 on the surface of PBMCs did not differ between the AD group and control group (54.9 [47.6, 62.8] vs. 55.55 [51.5, 60.25], U = 112.00, P = 0.922) ], and no correlations were observed between the protein expression of TGM2 on PBMCs and AD severity-related indicators in the AD group (all P > 0.05) . Conclusion:No significant differences were observed in TGM2 mRNA expression in PBMCs or TGM2 protein expression on the surface of PBMCs between the AD patients and healthy controls, and there were no correlations between the TGM2 mRNA and protein expression and AD severity.
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Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of omalizumab in the treatment of patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria accompanied by other allergic diseases.Methods:Clinical data were retrospectively collected from 74 patients, who were clinically diagnosed with chronic spontaneous urticaria and other allergic diseases, and received subcutaneous injections of omalizumab in the Department of Allergy, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital from June 2020 to September 2022. Types of allergic diseases, serum total IgE (tIgE) and allergen-specific IgE (sIgE) levels before treatment, treatment outcomes and adverse drug reactions were analyzed. Differences before and after treatment were assessed using paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank sum test. Results:A total of 74 patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria were involved, including 29 with complicated allergic asthma (39.2%) , 61 with complicated allergic rhinitis (82.4%) , 6 with complicated atopic dermatitis (8.1%) , and 4 with food allergy (5.4%) . Before treatment, elevated serum tIgE or sIgE levels were observed in 44 (59.5%) patients. After the first omalizumab treatment, the urticaria control test (UCT) score significantly increased compared with that before treatment (16.00 [13.0.0, 16.00] vs. 6.00 [5.75, 9.00], Z = 7.39, P < 0.001) ; after 4 sessions of the omalizumab treatment, 82.5% (33/40) of the patients achieved complete control of urticaria symptoms or showed complete response. After omalizumab treatment, asthmatic attacks were decreased in 29 patients with allergic asthma, and asthma control test (ACT) scores significantly increased compared with those before treatment (21.07 ± 2.88 points [after the first treatment] vs. 18.48 ± 3.20 points [before treatment], t = 8.87, P < 0.001) ; among 61 patients with allergic rhinitis, global rhinitis symptom-based visual analog scale (VAS) scores (before treatment: 5.89 ± 1.29 points; after the first treatment: 3.28 ±1.46 points) and rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ) scores (before treatment: 60.10 ± 20.53 points; after the first treatment: 37.26 ± 18.83 points) both significantly decreased after the first treatment ( t = 15.04, 10.01, respectively, both P < 0.001) , and rhinitis symptoms were relieved at the same time; skin itching was relieved in 4 patients with atopic dermatitis, and allergic symptoms after contact with food allergens were also relieved in the 2 patients with food allergy after omalizumab treatment. During the treatment, only 1 patient experienced erythematous swelling, induration, and pain at the injection site. Conclusions:In the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria accompanied by allergic diseases, the use of omalizumab not only effectively improved urticaria symptoms, but also well controlled allergic diseases, with a good safety profile. Multiple benefits may be achieved by the use of omalizumabin in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria accompanied by other allergic diseases.
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Staphylococcus epidermidis can exhibit both protective and opportunistic pathogenic effects on the skin: on the one hand, it suppresses pathogenic bacteria and inflammation, assists the innate immune system of the skin, and maintains homeostasis of skin microenvironment; on the other hand, it exhibits pathogenic potential. How Staphylococcus epidermidis affects human skin conditions depends not only on itself, but also on the communication among it, the host immune system, other microorganisms and environment factors. The balance of this interaction is the symbiotic homeostasis of Staphylococcus epidermidis, and when the homeostasis is disrupted, a variety of skin diseases such as acne vulgaris, atopic dermatitis, rosacea and melanoma can occur. Factors affecting the symbiotic homeostasis of Staphylococcus epidermidis include environmental conditions such as temperature, oxygen content and nutrition, antibiotics, the number of other microorganisms, microecological diversity, etc. This review summarizes recent research progress in symbiotic homeostasis of Staphylococcus epidermidis.
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Quorum-sensing system is a way of communication between cells that depends on changes in population density of microorganisms, and is closely associated with variety and pathogenicity of skin microbiota. The synthesis of virulence factors of Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus) is regulated by the accessory gene regulator (Agr) quorum-sensing system. Various skin commensals such as coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and Corynebacterium can inhibit the Agr quorum-sensing system of S. aureus, thus decrease the synthesis of virulence factors and attenuate skin inflammation. This review summarizes the mechanism of action of microbial quorum-sensing system in skin inflammation and various quorum-sensing inhibitors.
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Objective:To analyze measurement results of serum allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) in patients with eczema/dermatitis.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on serum allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels in 3 051 patients with eczema/dermatitis, who visited the allergy clinic of Huashan Hospital from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. The serum allergen-specific IgE level was detected by using the Phadia allergen detection system, and positive rates of allergens were calculated to determine common inhaled allergens and food allergens in patients with eczema/dermatitis. Comparisons of enumeration data between groups were performed by chi-square test.Results:Among the 3 051 patients with eczema/dermatitis, there were 1 412 with atopic dermatitis and 1 639 were other eczema/dermatitis. Detection of serum allergen-specific IgE showed that 1 629 (53%) patients were positive for allergens, and the number of positive allergen-specific IgEs in each patient was 3.0 ± 1.6. The top 3 common inhaled allergens in patients with eczema/dermatitis were Dermatophagoides farinae (904/1 522, 59%) , Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (891/1 513, 59%) and Alternaria alternata (206/1 068, 19%) , and the top 3 common food allergens were shrimps (251/1 432, 18%) , egg white (165/992, 17%) and cow milk (149/994, 15%) . Among the 3 051 patients, 25 (1%) were aged < 2 years, 571 (19%) aged 2 - 12 years, 285 (9%) aged 12 - 18 years, and 2 170 (71%) were aged > 18 years. The most common food allergens were both egg white in the age groups of < 2 years and 2 -12 years (77%, 37%, respectively) , and were both shrimps in the age groups of 12 - 18 years and > 18 years (31%, 17%, respectively) . Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farina were the top 2 common inhaled allergens in all age groups, with the positive rate ranging from 36% to 84%; in addition, the positive rate of molds was relatively high in the age group of 2 - 12 years (mold mixture: 37%; Alternaria alternata: 27%) . From April 2021 to March 2022, the positive rate of outdoor allergens ranged from 10% to 15% among outpatients in every month; the positive rates of tree pollen and grass pollen increased from April 2021, and peaked in October 2021. The patients with atopic dermatitis showed a significantly increased positive rate of allergens (73%) compared with those with other eczema/dermatitis (37%, χ2 = 389.36, P<0.001) , and the rank of common allergens in the patients with atopic dermatitis was basically the same as that in those with eczema/dermatitis. Conclusions:The common allergens were Dermatophagoides farina, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Alternaria alternata in the patients with eczema/dermatitis. Food allergy was more common in infant patients, and inhalation allergy was more common in child, adolescent and adult patients. The positive rate of allergen-specific IgEs was markedly higher in the patients with atopic dermatitis than in those with other eczema/dermatitis.
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Objective:To evaluate clinical efficacy and safety of dupilumab in the treatment of moderate and severe atopic dermatitis (AD) in the elderly.Methods:An observational study was conducted, and a total of 42 elderly patients with moderate to severe AD were collected from Department of Dermatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from September 2021 to June 2022. These patients all received subcutaneous injection of dupilumab at an initial dose of 600 mg, followed by every-2-week injections at a dose of 300 mg, and the total course of treatment was 16 weeks. Clinical indicators, including eczema area and severity index (EASI) , numerical rating scale (NRS) , dermatology life quality index (DLQI) and investigator′s global assessment (IGA) , were recorded at weeks 0, 4, 8, 12 and 16, and the proportion of patients achieving more than 50% (EASI-50) and 75% (EASI-75) improvement in EASI scores were calculated; related laboratory indicators, including total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels and eosinophil counts, were recorded at weeks 0, 4 and 16. During the treatment, adverse events were recorded. Statistical analysis was carried out by using chi-square test, one-way analysis of variance and t test with SPSS27 and GraphPad Prism 9.0 software. Results:Among the 42 patients, there were 25 males (59.5%) and 17 females (40.5%) , and their age was 71.82 ± 16.81 years. Among them, 17 patients (40.5%) presented with generalized eczema phenotype, 15 (35.7%) with flexor eczema phenotype, and 10 (23.8%) with prurigo nodularis phenotype. At weeks 4 and 16 after start of the treatment, the mean EASI score significantly decreased by 38.4% and 73.3% respectively, the mean NRS score significantly decreased by 53.0% and 77.4% respectively, and the mean DLQI score significantly decreased by 58.2% and 93.8% respectively compared with the corresponding scores before the treatment ( P < 0.05 or 0.001) . At weeks 4 and 16, the proportions of patients achieving an IGA score of 0 or 1 were 11.9% and 61.9% respectively, the proportions of patients achieving EASI-50 were 11.9% and 76.2% respectively, and the proportions of patients achieving EASI-75 were 2.4% and 57.1% respectively. Compared with the baseline levels, the mean total serum IgE level decreased by 23.1% and 38.2% at weeks 4 and 16 respectively ( P = 0.274, 0.395, respectively) , and the mean eosinophil count decreased by 24.4% and 37.5% at weeks 4 and 16 respectively ( P = 0.059, 0.735, respectively) . During the treatment, mild adverse events occurred in 6 (14.3%) patients, including conjunctivitis (3 cases) , fungal infection of the head and face (2 cases) , and psoriasiform dermatitis (1 case) , which subsided after symptomatic treatment. Conclusion:Dupilumab exhibited a rapid onset and marked efficacy in the treatment of moderate and severe AD in the elderly, with few and mild adverse events; however, some patients had not achieved EASI-50 or EASI-75 after 16-week treatment, and maintenance treatment was required.
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Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a highly heterogeneous skin disease with various clinical manifestations. Early studies mainly focused on infant-onset AD, which is characterized by typical skin lesions such as eczematous dermatitis on the flexor sites accompanied by genetic predisposition to other allergic diseases; however, atypical manifestations and distributions of skin lesions are common among adult AD and elderly AD, e.g., distribution mainly on the extensor sites and polymorphic rashes such as prurigo nodularis. Many dermatologists are not familiar with atypical manifestations of AD, including atypical manifestations and distributions of skin lesions as well as atypical age at onset, which decreases the diagnostic rate of AD to a certain extent. This article delineates clinical features of AD with typical and atypical manifestations, in order to promote the understanding of AD among Chinese dermatologists.
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Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disease characterized by itch. Transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) receptor subtype channel can be activated by different ranges of harmless temperature, and plays an important role in the warm itching in AD. Inhibitors of TRPV channel can alleviate the symptoms of AD, and may be used as a new target for treatment. This paper introduces the role of thermosensitive TRPV channel in the alienation of itching sensitized by warm in AD.
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Abstract Objective: The study aimed to conduct a systematic review of the literature to verify the association between exposure to pesticides and allergic diseases (asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis) in children and adolescents. Method: A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed using the PRISMA method with the question "What is the association between exposure to pesticides and allergic diseases in children (asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis)?" MEDLINE, EMBASE, SciELO, and Cochrane electronic databases were searched throughout the period in the literature up to September 2020. A total of 1296 studies were found, and 24 were selected. Results: Exposure to pesticides showed a two-fold greater risk of developing or exacerbating asthma in children and adolescents (odds ratio [OR] = 2.14 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.26-3.64, p < 0.01). There was no association between exposure to pesticides and the development of allergic rhinitis (OR = 2.73, 95% CI 0.13-57.8, p = 0.52) and atopic dermatitis (OR = 2.19, 95% CI 0.51-9.36, p = 0.29). Conclusions: Exposure to pesticides increases the risk of developing or exacerbating asthma in children and adolescents. There was no evidence of an association between exposure to pesticides and the development of allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis in children and adolescents, possibly due to the low number of studies found in this review.
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Abstract Background Atopic dermatitis is the most common inflammatory skin disease in childhood and has an important impact on quality of life, especially severe cases or those that are recalcitrant to treatments. Sensitization to allergens with the potential for allergic contact dermatitis is a factor associated with cases of recalcitrant atopic dermatitis. Understanding the relationship between atopic dermatitis, allergens, and allergic contact dermatitis is essential. In Brazil, there are no studies on sensitization to allergens found in patch tests with pediatric batteries in patients with atopic dermatitis. Objectives To verify the main sensitizing agents, the prevalence of allergic contact dermatitis and the epidemiological and clinical profile of children and adolescents with atopic dermatitis. Methods Cross-sectional, prospective study in patients between 4 and 18 years of age, with recalcitrant atopic dermatitis, treated at the Sanitary Dermatology Outpatient Clinic (RS). All patients underwent patch tests with a battery of pediatric allergens. Results The prevalence of sensitization and allergic contact dermatitis in the evaluated patients was 37.07% (20/54) and 27.7% (15/54), respectively. The most frequent allergens were: nickel sulfate (16.7%), disperse blue (5.6%), and fragrance mix I (5.6%). Nickel was associated with the female sex (p = 0.019). Study limitations Sample size and selection, absence of a control group. Conclusions A proportion of patients with recalcitrant atopic dermatitis may be sensitized to different allergens and may even have developed allergic contact dermatitis. Recognizing this context is important in the prevention strategy and management of the disease.
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Abstract Atopic dermatitis predisposes to skin infections, and on the other hand, some therapies used for atopic dermatitis may worsen viral infections whose lesions may be more diffuse and resistant to treatment. The authors present a patient with severe atopic dermatitis and disseminated molluscum contagiosum infection. The molluscum contagiosum did not clear with topical treatment, and it worsened her atopic dermatitis even more, so the authors started treatment with dupilumab. After two months, the patient's dermatitis went into clinical remission and there was resolution of the infection with no recurrence at the 12-month follow-up. Dupilumab is nowadays a promising treatment for severe atopic dermatitis. To our knowledge, only four reports of molluscum contagiosum during dupilumab therapy have been reported in the literature, with contrasting effects. According to the authors' experience, treatment with dupilumab appears to be a safe alternative for patients with severe atopic dermatitis who are also infected with molluscum contagiosum, as opposed to other treatments such as systemic corticosteroids or cyclosporine.
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Abstract Immunobiologicals are a reality in current clinical practice and have increasingly gained space in the inflammatory disease scenario, especially in dermatology, with approved drugs for psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and hidradenitis suppurativa, in addition to many others undergoing study. It is important for dermatologists to have knowledge of the medications approved in Brazil, for the best management of dermatoses, in addition to the fact that they represent hope for improvement in patients with chronic diseases.
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Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory disease that appears in the early days of life. Atopic dermatitis is reportedly associated with various allergic diseases. It may affect the progression of allergic reactions in children. This review collects the data regarding the incidence of atopic dermatitis and the relationship between atopic dermatitis and allergic diseases, providing great clinical significance for further understanding the annual increase in the incidence of allergic diseases in children.
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Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, relapsing, pruritic inflammatory skin disease.Dupilumab is a monoclonal antibody that inhibits interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-13 signaling pathways through its binding to IL-4α receptor, which has been demonstrated effective in treatment of moderate-to-severe AD.There is an increased incidence of the associated ocular adverse event in the treatment of AD, the probable mechanisms of which are likely related to abnormal mucosal immune regulation, dysfunction of the ocular barrier, and Demodex colonization.In this article, the epidemiology, clinical features, and management of dupilumab for AD were reviewed, and the shortcomings of the current researches about dupilumab-associated adverse events were analyzed, as well as further study directions in exploring etiology, mechanism, and matters needing attention in diagnosis and treatment were discussed.
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Objective:To evaluate the applicability of the Zhang′s diagnostic criteria for atopic dermatitis (AD) in adolescents and adults from southern Jiangsu.Methods:A total of 1 769 patients were collected, who were newly diagnosed with eczema or AD in departments of dermatology of 7 hospitals in southern Jiangsu from May 2019 to May 2021. A standardized survey interview was conducted with patients by dermatologists using a self-designed questionnaire, which included patient′s personal information, relevant medical history, clinical characteristics, laboratory tests, etc. Using Hanifin-Rajka criteria as the gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of the Williams criteria, Zhang′s criteria and Japanese Dermatological Association (JDA) criteria were evaluated, separately.Results:Among the 1 769 patients, there were 759 (42.9%) males and 1 010 (57.1%) females, aged 32.2 ± 8.2 years (range, 12 - 79 years) . Pruritus was the most common clinical feature among the AD patients (883/913, 96.7%) . When using the Hanifin-Rajka criteria as the gold standard, 913 (51.6%) subjects were diagnosed with AD; the sensitivity of Zhang′s criteria reached 92.6% (845/913) , and its specificity was 73.2% (627/856) ; the sensitivity of Williams′ criteria was 87.8% (802/913) , and its specificity was 81.3% (696/856) ; the sensitivity of JDA criteria reached 96.9% (885/913) , and its specificity was 68.9% (590/856) . The consistency in the diagnosis of AD was moderate between the Zhang′s criteria and Williams criteria (Kappa = 0.61, P = 0.009) , was relatively high between the Zhang′s criteria and JDA criteria (Kappa = 0.85, P = 0.001) , and was moderate between the Williams criteria and JDA criteria (Kappa = 0.51, P = 0.013) . Conclusions:Compared with the Hanifin-Rajka criteria, the Zhang′s criteria exhibit good sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of AD among adolescents and adults in southern Jiangsu. However, pruritus remains important for the diagnosis of AD.
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Objective:To investigate the effect of different delivery and feeding modes on intestinal microflora in infants with atopic dermatitis (AD) .Methods:A total of 33 infants with AD were enrolled from Department of Dermatology, Wuhan NO.1 Hospital from July 2019 to December 2020, and 30 healthy infants were selected as control group. Then, all infants were grouped according to different delivery and feeding modes: cesarean-delivery AD group (22 cases) , cesarean-delivery control group (19 cases) , spontaneous-delivery AD group (11 cases) , and spontaneous-delivery control group (11 cases) ; mixed-feeding AD group (13 cases) , mixed-feeding control group (11 cases) , formula milk powder-feeding AD group (12 cases) , formula milk powder-feeding control group (11 cases) , breastfeeding AD group (8 cases) , and breastfeeding control group (12 cases) . The total DNA was extracted from the infant feces, PCR was performed to amplify the V1 - V9 regions of bacterial 16S rRNA gene, and PacBio Sequel sequencer was used for high-throughput sequencing. Wilcoxon rank sum test was used to compare the bacterial community composition at genus and species levels, and correlations of relative abundance of differentially abundant bacterial taxa with eosinophil counts and SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) scores were analyzed.Results:In the spontaneous-delivery control group, cesarean-delivery control group, spontaneous-delivery AD group, and cesarean-delivery AD group, the top 5 bacterial genera with high relative abundance were Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides, Veillonella, Streptococcus, and Escherichia. In the formula milk powder-feeding control group, breastfeeding control group, mixed-feeding control group, formula milk powder-feeding AD group, breastfeeding AD group, and mixed-feeding AD group, the top 5 abundant bacterial genera were Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides, Clostridium, Veillonella, and Escherichia. Linear discriminant analysis of effect size (LEfSe) showed no significant difference in the relative abundance of bacterial taxa among different delivery mode groups; among different feeding mode groups, Akkermansia and Akkermansiamuciniphila were the most differentially abundant microbes in the formula milk powder-feeding AD group at genus (LDA = 4.78) and species (LDA = 4.91) levels, respectively. The relative abundance of Akkermansia and Akkermansiamuciniphila (both 9.6% ± 0.72%) was significantly higher in the formula milk powder-feeding AD group than in the formula milk powder-feeding control group (both 2.50% ± 0.83%, Z = 1.66, P = 0.048) , the mixed-feeding AD group (both 0, Z = 2.26, P = 0.012) and the breastfeeding AD group (both 0, Z = 1.85, P = 0.032) . Additionally, the relative abundance of Akkermansia and Akkermansia- muciniphila was positively correlated with SCORAD scores in AD patients ( ρ = 0.384, 0.387, respectively, both P < 0.05) . Conclusion:Different delivery modes did not significantly affect the intestinal flora of AD or healthy infants, and the relative abundance of Akkermansia and Akkermansiamuciniphila increased in the formula milk powder-feeding infants with AD, which may be involved in the occurrence of AD.
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Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of dupilumab in the treatment of adult prurigo nodularis.Methods:A prospective study was conducted on patients with prurigo nodularis who received the treatment with dupilumab in Peking University People′s Hospital from January 2021 to November 2021. Efficacy was assessed using the Investigator′s Global Assessment (IGA) , Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) at weeks 0, 4 and 16. Wilcoxon signed-rank test and paired t test were used to analyze changes in the above parameters before and after treatment. Results:A total of 17 patients were enrolled in this study, including 12 females and 5 males, aged 48.47 ± 16.26 years. After 16-week treatment with dupilumab, the pruritus NRS score decreased from 8.00 ± 1.50 at baseline to 1.29 ± 0.85 ( t = 6.98, P < 0.001) , the sleeplessness NRS score decreased from 5.18 ± 2.98 at baseline to 0.12 ± 0.49 ( t = 12.55, P < 0.001) , and the DLQI score declined from 13.29 ± 4.03 at baseline to 0.88 ± 0.70 ( t = 16.39, P < 0.001) ; at week 16, the IGA grade of all the 17 patients decreased from 3 - 4 at baseline to 0 - 2, 16 achieved IGA grades 0 - 1, and 12 achieved IGA grade 0. During the treatment, mild conjunctivitis occurred in 2 cases, local injection reaction occurred in 1, and both conditions were improved after short-term symptomatic treatment. Conclusion:Dupilumab is markedly effective and safe in the treatment of adult prurigo nodularis.
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Objective:To investigate clinical efficacy and safety of dupilumab in the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) .Methods:An ambispective study was conducted on 123 AD patients treated with dupilumab in Department of Dermatology, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University from July 2020 to March 2022, clinical data were collected, and efficacy and safety of dupilumab were evaluated. Primary outcomes included scores of eczema area and severity index (EASI) , patient-oriented eczema measure (POEM) , peak pruritus numerical rating scale (NRS) and dermatology life quality index (DLQI) before and after 4-, 8-, 12- and 16-week treatment, and adverse reactions and events were recorded. Comparison of scores before and after treatment was performed using paired t test or repeated measures analysis of variance, Mann-Whitney U test was used for the comparison of efficacy among patients with different types of skin lesions or different IgE levels, and multiple regression model based on robust standard errors was used to analyze factors influencing the efficacy. Results:Among the 123 AD patients, 107 were enolled into the efficacy analysis, and 85 (79.44%) completed at least 4 weeks of treatment, including 6 (7.06%) achieving EASI75 and 23 (27.06%) achieving EASI50, and the EASI, NRS, POEM, DLQI scores (10.41 ± 6.72, 4.12 ± 1.74, 8.60 ± 4.29, 7.81 ± 4.38, respectively) significantly decreased compared with those before treatment (18.08 ± 10.69, 7.21 ± 2.01, 16.88 ± 5.74, 12.95 ± 5.95, respectively; all P < 0.001) in the 85 patients. Among the 107 patients, 47 (43.93%) completed at least 16 weeks of treatment. Among the 47 patients, 23 (82.14%) of 28 adults and 17 (89.47%) of 19 adolescents and children achieved 75% or greater improvement in EASI score; the EASI, NRS, POEM and DLQI scores before the treatment all significantly differred from those 4, 8, 12, 16 weeks after the treatment (all P < 0.001) , and all the scores were significantly lower at weeks 4, 8, 12 and 16 than at the previous adjacent time points (all P < 0.05) . At week 4 during the treatment, the EASI improvement rate was significantly lower in the AD patients with prurigo nodularis than in those without ( U = 151.00, P = 0.006) , while there was no significant difference in the EASI improvement rate between the AD patients with xeroderma and those without ( P > 0.05) ; at week 16 during the treatment, there was no significant difference in the EASI improvement rate between patients with prurigo nodularis or xeroderma and those without (both P > 0.05) . Multiple regression analysis based on robust standard errors at week 16 showed that the improvement degree in the EASI score was not correlated with the type of skin lesions ( β = 3.20, P = 0.075) , but correlated with age ( β = -0.22, P = 0.030) , whether patients were in adulthood ( β = 9.54, P = 0.049) , immediate family history ( β = 7.46, P = 0.017) ; the improvement degree in the NRS score was correlated with the type of skin lesions ( β = 0.55, P = 0.032) , age ( β = -0.04, P = 0.033) , weight ( β = -0.05, P = 0.020) , whether patients were in adulthood ( β = 2.06, P = 0.003) and whether patients received combined treatment with antihistamines ( β = -1.91, P = 0.001) . Adverse reactions: among the 123 patients, 6 (4.88%) developed conjunctivitis, and 2 (1.63%) developed facial erythema. Adverse events: vitiligo-like changes occurred on the right forehead of 1 patient, and 3 patients discontinued the treatment with dupilumab due to Henoch-Sch?nlein purpura, distal axonal damage in peripheral nerves in both upper limbs, and epilepsy, respectively. The causal relationship between these adverse events and dupilumab was unclear. Conclusion:Dupilumab is effective in the treatment of AD with high overall safety, and can serve as a new treatment option for AD patients with an unsatisfactory response to traditional treatment.