Long-term therapy with itolizumab is safe and effective for patients with moderate to severe psoriasis: Results from an expanded-access program.

Itolizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody that selectively targets the CD6-ALCAM pathway. This article reports on the safety and efficacy of itolizumab in the treatment of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in a clinical study conducted in Cuba in the setting of an expanded-access program (EAP). The study included 84 patients who had previously received conventional anti-psoriatic systemic therapies but were either intolerant, had an inadequate response, or had contraindications to these therapies. It consisted of multiple phases, including a 12-week induction phase, a 40-week maintenance phase, and a 24-week off-treatment follow-up phase, using either a 0.4 or 1.6 mg/Kg dose. The results showed that itolizumab monotherapy was safe and effective during 52 weeks of continuous treatment and the subsequent 24 follow-up weeks. Itolizumab treatment resulted in a significant improvement (PASI 75) in 80 % of patients at the end of the induction phase, and this effect was sustained till week 52 during the maintenance phase. Moreover, 24 weeks after treatment stopped nearly two-thirds of patients still showed a PASI ≥ 75. The observed effects were dose-dependent, with 1.6 mg/kg being the most convenient dose. This study further supports the strategy of targeting the CD6-ALCAM signaling pathway for the treatment of psoriasis and the use of itolizumab as a valuable asset in the armamentarium of anti-psoriasis drugs.

Relación entre los condilomas acuminados y lesiones precursoras del cáncer cervicouterino en consulta infanto juvenil / Relationship between genital warts and cervical cancer precursor lesions in child and adolescent consultation

Fundamento: el cáncer cervicouterino y los condilomas acuminados comparten el mismo agente causal. El primero es ocasionado por papiloma virus humano de alto riesgo oncogénico, mientras que el segundo generalmente por virus de bajo riesgo, pero son un importante indicador de infección por virus de alto riesgo. La persistencia viral es fundamental para desarrollar cáncer cérvicouterino. Entre los factores que favorecen esta, se señalan edad temprana del primer coito e infecciones de transmisión sexual. Los adolescentes son un grupo vulnerable. Objetivo: relacionar los condilomas acuminados con lesiones precursoras del cáncer cervicouterino en consulta infanto-juvenil. Métodos: se realizó un estudio descriptivo y transversal. El universo estuvo constituido por todas las pacientes con diagnóstico clínico de condilomas acuminados que asistieron a consulta infanto juvenil del policlínico de especialidades pediátricas de Camagüey, desde el 1ro de enero hasta el 31 de diciembre de 2014. Los métodos empleados fueron estadística descriptiva de distribución de frecuencias absolutas y relativas. La información obtenida fue procesada mediante el programa estadístico SPSS-10. Los resultados del estudio se expusieron en tablas. Resultados: el grupo de edad más afectado fue de 15 a 17 años y una sexta parte presentaban infección subclínica. La mayoría tenían conducta sexual de riesgo, y aproximadamente la tercera parte presentaba infecciones de transmisión sexual asociadas. Casi la totalidad de las citologías orgánicas fueron normales. Se encontró neoplasia intraepitelial grado I con presencia de epitelio acetoblanco a la colposcopia en alrededor de la octava parte de las enfermas. Conclusiones: a toda paciente adolescente con condiloma acuminado se le debe realizar estudio citológico y colposcopia, así como identificar los factores para la persistencia del papiloma virus humano.

Background: cervical cancer and genital warts share the same causative agent. The former is caused by high-risk oncogenic human papilloma virus, while the latter is generally caused by low-risk virus, though they are an important indicator of infection by high-risk virus. Persistence of the virus is essential to develop cervic cancer. Among the factors which favor the persistence are early age of first intercourse and sexually transmitted diseases. Adolescents are a vulnerable group. Objective: to relate genital warts with cervical cancer precursor lesions in child and adolescent consultation. Methods: a descriptive study was conducted whose universe included all patients with clinical diagnosis of genital warts who attended child and adolescent consultation at pediatric specialty clinic in Camagüey, from January 1 to December 31, 2014. Age groups, association with subclinical forms, acquisition factors, persistence the virus (sexual risk-taking behavior, tobacco consumption, prolonged usage of the combined oral contraceptive pill, cervicitis, and association with other sexually transmitted infections) were analyzed. Colposcopy was performed in those patients whose organic cytologies were abnormal. The information obtained was processed through SPSS-10 statistical program. Methods used were descriptive statistics of distribution of absolute and relative frequency. The study results were shown in tables. Results: the most affected age group was 15 to 17 years and a sixth had subclinical infection. The majority had risky sexual behavior, and approximately the third presented associated sexually transmitted diseases. Almost the totality of organic cytologies was normal. Intraepithelial neoplasia grade I was detected with the presence of acetowhite epithelium in the colposcopy of nearly the eighth of the ill patients. Conclusions: every adolescent patient with genital warts should undergo cytological examination and colposcopy. Furthermore, persistence factors of human papilloma virus should be identified.

Relación entre los condilomas acuminados y lesiones precursoras del cáncer cervicouterino en consulta infanto juvenil / Relationship between genital warts and cervical cancer precursor lesions in child and adolescent consultation

Fundamento: el cáncer cervicouterino y los condilomas acuminados comparten el mismo agente causal. El primero es ocasionado por papiloma virus humano de alto riesgo oncogénico, mientras que el segundo generalmente por virus de bajo riesgo, pero son un importante indicador de infección por virus de alto riesgo. La persistencia viral es fundamental para desarrollar cáncer cérvicouterino. Entre los factores que favorecen esta, se señalan edad temprana del primer coito e infecciones de transmisión sexual. Los adolescentes son un grupo vulnerable.Objetivo: relacionar los condilomas acuminados con lesiones precursoras del cáncer cervicouterino en consulta infanto-juvenil.Métodos: se realizó un estudio descriptivo y transversal. El universo estuvo constituido por todas las pacientes con diagnóstico clínico de condilomas acuminados que asistieron a consulta infanto juvenil del policlínico de especialidades pediátricas de Camagüey, desde el 1ro de enero hasta el 31 de diciembre de 2014. Los métodos empleados fueron estadística descriptiva de distribución de frecuencias absolutas y relativas. La información obtenida fue procesada mediante el programa estadístico SPSS-10. Los resultados del estudio se expusieron en tablas.Resultados: el grupo de edad más afectado fue de 15 a 17 años y una sexta parte presentaban infección subclínica. La mayoría tenían conducta sexual de riesgo, y aproximadamente la tercera parte presentaba infecciones de transmisión sexual asociadas. Casi la totalidad de las citologías orgánicas fueron normales. Se encontró neoplasia intraepitelial grado I con presencia de epitelio acetoblanco a la colposcopia en alrededor de la octava parte de las enfermas.Conclusiones: a toda paciente adolescente con condiloma acuminado se le debe realizar estudio citológico y colposcopia, así como identificar los factores para la persistencia del papiloma virus humano.(AU)

Background: cervical cancer and genital warts share the same causative agent. The former is caused by high-risk oncogenic human papilloma virus, while the latter is generally caused by low-risk virus, though they are an important indicator of infection by high-risk virus. Persistence of the virus is essential to develop cervic cancer. Among the factors which favor the persistence are early age of first intercourse and sexually transmitted diseases. Adolescents are a vulnerable group.Objective: to relate genital warts with cervical cancer precursor lesions in child and adolescent consultation.Methods: a descriptive study was conducted whose universe included all patients with clinical diagnosis of genital warts who attended child and adolescent consultation at pediatric specialty clinic in Camagüey, from January 1 to December 31, 2014. Age groups, association with subclinical forms, acquisition factors, persistence the virus (sexual risk-taking behavior, tobacco consumption, prolonged usage of the combined oral contraceptive pill, cervicitis, and association with other sexually transmitted infections) were analyzed. The information obtained was processed through SPSS-10 statistical program. Methods used were descriptive statistics of distribution of absolute and relative frequency. The study results were shown in tables.Results: the most affected age group was 15 to 17 years and a sixth had subclinical infection. The majority had risky sexual behavior, and approximately the third presented associated sexually transmitted diseases. Almost the totality of organic cytologies was normal. Intraepithelial neoplasia grade I was detected with the presence of acetowhite epithelium in the colposcopy of nearly the eighth of the ill patients.Conclusions: every adolescent patient with genital warts should undergo cytological examination and colposcopy. Furthermore, persistence factors of human papilloma virus should be identified.(AU)