Evaluation of TLC-NOSF dressing with poly-absorbent fibres in exuding leg ulcers: two multicentric, single-arm, prospective, open-label clinical trials.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy, safety and acceptability of a new TLC-NOSF dressing with poly-absorbent fibres in the management of exuding leg ulcers, at the different stages of healing. METHOD: This work presents the results of two prospective, multicentric clinical studies: NEREIDES and CASSIOPEE. Patients with a non-infected, moderate-to-strongly exudating leg ulcer of venous or mixed origin, were treated with the dressing and an appropriate compression system for 12 weeks. The wounds included in NEREIDES had to be in debridement stage, and those in CASSIOPEE at granulation stage. In both studies, the primary outcome was the relative wound area reduction (RWAR) at week 12. Main secondary outcomes included healing rate, time-to-reach wound closure, adverse events and acceptability of the dressing by patients and health professionals. RESULTS: There were 37 patients included in NEREIDES and 51 in CASSIOPEE. The two cohorts presented similar patient and wound characteristics, except from the percentage of sloughy tissue on wound bed at baseline (median: 75% NEREIDES and 30% CASSIOPEE). At week 12, the RWAR (60% NEREIDES and 81% CASSIOPEE), wound closure rates (18% NEREIDES and 20% CASSIOPEE) and mean times-to-reach wound closure (58±27 days NEREIDES and 55±23 days CASSIOPEE) supported the beneficial outcomes of the treatment in both cohorts. In patients with a wound duration ≤6 months, the wound area reduction reached 85% in NEREIDES and 81% in CASSIOPEE, highlighting the importance to initiate adequate treatment as soon as possible. The nature and frequency of the local adverse events were similar in both studies and consistent with the good safety profiles of the poly-absorbent fibres and of the TLC-NOSF dressings. The acceptability of the dressing (easy to apply, conformable and non-adherent to the wound bed at removal, with no pain or bleeding at removal) has been judged 'very good' or 'good' at each stage of the healing process, by both nursing staff and patients. CONCLUSION: These clinical results establish the new TLC-NOSF dressing with poly-absorbent fibres (UrgoStart Plus, Laboratoires Urgo) as an effective, safe and simple treatment for the local management of leg ulcers, at the different stages of healing and until wound closure.

Severe androgenetic alopecia as a proxy of metabolic syndrome in male psoriatic patients older than 59 years.

BACKGROUND: Whereas several studies have underlined the association between severe psoriasis and metabolic syndrome (MetS), the association of androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and MetS have yielded inconsistent results. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between AGA and the components of MetS in a population of psoriatic male patients. METHODS: A non-interventional, cross-sectional, multicenter study was conducted in France. A standardized questionnaire was completed, including information on components of MetS and other possible risk factors. MetS was defined in this study as a combination of three or more of the four components of MetS: waist circumference, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus and hypertension. In addition, a standardized simplified Norwood classification limited into 5 grades (0-4) was used. RESULTS: In a total of 1073 male patients, hypertension, high waist circumference, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia were observed in 28%, 59%, 11%, and 31%, respectively. In age-adjusted multivariate analysis, severe AGA (grade 3-4 versus grade 0) was associated with the presence of at least one component of MetS. By groups of age, a statistically significant association of severe AGA and MetS was demonstrated in patients over 59 years. Severe AGA was also associated with a first degree familial history of major cardiovascular event in patients older than 59 years. CONCLUSIONS: Our study, based on a simplified but stringent definition of MetS, confirmed the link between severe AGA and individual components of MetS in psoriatic patients. This argues for careful follow-up with regular screening in male psoriatic patients with severe AGA in order to early detect determinants of MetS.

Puffy hand syndrome revealed by a severe staphylococcal skin infection.

Puffy hand syndrome develops after long-term intravenous drug addiction. It is characterized by a nonpitting edema, affecting the dorsal side of fingers and hands with puffy aspect. Frequency and severity of the complications of this syndrome are rarely reported. Local infectious complications such as cellulitis can be severe and can enable the diagnosis. Herein, we report the case of a 41-year-old man who went to the emergency department for abdominal pain, fever, and bullous lesions of legs and arms with edema. Bacteriologic examination of a closed bullous lesion evidenced a methicillin sensitive Staphylococcus aureus. The abdomen computed tomography excluded deep infections and peritoneal effusion. The patient was successfully treated by intravenous oxacillin and clindamycin. He had a previous history of intravenous heroin addiction. We retained the diagnosis of puffy hand syndrome revealed by a severe staphylococcal infection with toxic involvement mimicking a four limbs cellulitis. Puffy hand syndrome, apart from the chronic lymphedema treatment, has no specific medication available. Prophylactic measures against skin infections are essential.

Cavity wounds management: a multicentre pilot study.

The objective of this study was to assess acceptability (based on pain at removal), efficacy and tolerance of an absorbent and cohesive rope(UrgoClean Rope, Laboratoires Urgo) in the local management of deep cavity wounds. This study was a prospective, multicentre (13), non comparative clinical study. Patients presenting with an acute or chronic non-infected cavity wound were followed up for four weeks and assessed weekly with a physical examination, in addition to volumetric,planimetric and photographic evaluations. Pain at removal was the primary criterion, assessed on a Visual Analogic Scale. The percentage of the wound surface area reduction and volumetric reduction were considered as secondary efficacy criteria. Forty three patients were included in this study. After one week of treatment dressing removal was painless and continued to be so throughout the period of the trial(four weeks). Median surface area at baseline was 7.74 cm2 and was reduced by 54.5% at week 4 (relative area reduction). Median wound volumetric value was noted 12 ml at baseline and was reduced by 72.7% by the end of treatment. The cohesiveness of the new rope was considered very good by health professionals. No residue was observed on the wound bed during the dressing change with the new rope. There were no adverse events related to the tested rope, during this trial.Pain-free removal associated with good efficacy and tolerance were observed with this new cohesive rope in the healing process of deep cavity wounds and could represent a therapeutic alternative to the usual ropes used in such indications.

Long-term remissions of severe pemphigus after rituximab therapy are associated with prolonged failure of desmoglein B cell response.

Pemphigus is a severe blistering condition of the skin and mucosa caused by autoantibodies directed against desmogleins, which are a type of keratinocyte adhesion protein. B cell depletion by rituximab has short-term efficacy against pemphigus. We aimed to assess the long-term course of pemphigus patients after B cell depletion and to understand the immunological mechanisms that mediate long-lasting remissions. We evaluated the clinical course of 22 pemphigus patients treated with rituximab after a 79-month median follow-up and compared the anti-desmoglein B cell response and B and T lymphocyte subpopulations and repertoire between patients who achieved complete remission (CR) and those who had incomplete remission (IR). Thirteen patients (59%) experienced CR during the study, including 10 patients off treatment and 3 patients with prednisone doses <10 mg/day; 9 patients had IR. A marked increase was observed in the ratio of CD19(+)CD27(-) naïve B cells to CD19(+)CD27(+) memory B cells. Indeed, patients in CR had a fourfold higher number of transitional B cells and interleukin-10-secreting regulatory B cells than those in IR. Furthermore, CR was associated with modification of the initial B cell repertoire and the disappearance of desmoglein-specific circulating immunoglobulin G-positive (IgG(+)) B lymphocytes, whereas a skewed B cell repertoire was observed in patients in IR. Thus, a blockage of B cell maturation, a prolonged repopulation with naïve B cells, and a delayed reappearance of memory B cells, which resulted in the disappearance of circulating desmoglein-specific IgG(+) B lymphocytes, contribute to the long-lasting effectiveness of rituximab for treating pemphigus.

A randomized, controlled, double-blind prospective trial with a Lipido-Colloid Technology-Nano-OligoSaccharide Factor wound dressing in the local management of venous leg ulcers.

Venous leg ulcers (VLUs) are the most prevalent chronic wounds in western countries with a heavy socioeconomic impact. Compression therapy is the etiologic treatment of VLU but until now no wound dressing has been shown to be more effective than another. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of a new dressing in the management of VLU. Adult patients presenting a noninfected VLU and receiving effective compression therapy were enrolled in this randomized, controlled, double-blind trial. The VLUs were assessed every 2 weeks for 8 weeks. The primary study outcome was the relative Wound Area Reduction (WAR, in %), and the secondary objectives were absolute WAR, healing rate, and percentage of wounds with >40% surface area reduction. One hundred eighty-seven patients were randomly allocated to treatment groups. Median WAR was 58.3% in the Lipido-Colloid Technology-Nano-OligoSaccharide Factor (TLC-NOSF) dressing group (test group) and 31.6% in the TLC dressing group (control group) (difference: -26.7%; 95% confidence interval: -38.3 to -15.1%; p = 0.002). All other efficacy outcomes were also significant in favor of the TLC-NOSF dressing group. Clinical outcomes for patients treated with the new dressing are superior to those patients treated with the TLC dressing (without NOSF compound), suggesting a strong promotion of the VLU healing process.

Prediction of survival for patients with bullous pemphigoid: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the prognostic factors of bullous pemphigoid (BP). DESIGN: Prospective study of patients with BP included in a randomized, controlled trial. SETTING: Twenty dermatology departments in France. Patients One hundred seventy patients with BP initially treated with a 40-g/d dosage of clobetasol propionate cream (testing sample) and 171 patients initially treated with oral corticosteroids at a dosage of 0.5 or of 1.0 mg/kg per day, depending on the extent of BP (validation samples). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The end point was overall survival during the first year after BP diagnosis. From the testing sample, associations of clinical and biological variables with overall survival were assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses. Selected predictors were included in a prognostic model. To verify that these predictors were not dependent on the treatment used, the model was then validated independently on the 2 series of BP patients treated with oral corticosteroids. RESULTS: Median age of the BP patients included in the testing sample was 83 years. The 1-year Kaplan-Meier survival rate was 74%. From univariate analysis, the main deleterious predictors were demographic factors (ie, older age and female sex), associated medical conditions (ie, cardiac insufficiency, history of stroke, and dementia), and low Karnofsky score, which is a measure of the patient's general condition. No factors directly related to BP, in particular extent of cutaneous lesions, were shown to be related to the patients' prognosis. From multivariate analysis, only older age (P = .02) and low Karnofsky score (P<.001) appeared independently predictive of death. From the Cox model including these 2 predictors, the predicted 1-year survival rates were 90% (95% confidence interval [CI], 85%-96%) for patients 83 years or younger with Karnofsky score greater than 40, 79% (95% CI, 69%-90%) for patients older than 83 years with Karnofsky score greater than 40, 65% (95% CI, 50%-86%) for patients 83 years or younger with Karnofsky score of 40 or less, and 38% (95% CI, 26%-57%) for patients older than 83 years with Karnofsky score of 40 or less. Kaplan-Meier survival distributions of patients from the validation samples appeared clearly separated according to these 4 categories and were in close agreement with corresponding predicted 1-year survival rates obtained from the testing sample. CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis of patients with BP is influenced by age and Karnofsky score. These predictors are easy to use and should facilitate the management of BP.