Effectiveness and Safety of Anti-interleukin-17 Therapies in Elderly Patients with Psoriasis.

Anti-interleukin-17 agents have recently been developed for the treatment of psoriasis. This study evaluated the tolerance and effectiveness of anti-interleukin-17 agents for psoriasis in elderly patients in daily practice. A multicentre, retrospective study was performed, involving psoriatic patients aged ≥65 years who had received an anti-interleukin-17 agent, including secukinumab, ixekizumab or brodalumab. A total of 114 patients were included: 72 received secukinumab, 35 ixekizumab, and 7 brodalumab. Treatment was stopped in 32 patients (28.9%), because of relapses in 14 patients (41.2%), primary failures in 11 patients (32.4%), or adverse events in 7 patients (20.6%). The 3 most frequently reported adverse events were injection site reactions (n = 4), oral candidiasis (n = 3), and influenza-like illness (n = 3). Regarding effectiveness, 80 patients (70%) reached a Physician Global Assessment score of 0/1, 6 months after treatment initiation. In conclusion, anti-interleukin-17 therapy appears to be an effective and safe therapeutic option for psoriasis treatment in patients aged ≥ 65 years.

Topical Mineralocorticoid Receptor Blockade Limits Glucocorticoid-Induced Epidermal Atrophy in Human Skin.

A major deleterious side effect of glucocorticoids is skin atrophy. Glucocorticoids activate the glucocorticoid and the mineralocorticoid (MR) receptor, both present in the epidermis. We hypothesized that glucocorticoid-induced epidermal atrophy may be related to inappropriate occupancy of MR by glucocorticoids. We evaluated whether epidermal atrophy induced by the topical glucocorticoid clobetasol could be limited by coadministration of MR antagonist. In cultured human skin explants, the epidermal atrophy induced by clobetasol was significantly limited by MR antagonism (canrenoate and eplerenone). Blockade of the epithelial sodium channel ENaC by phenamil was also efficient, identifying a role of MR-ENaC cascade in keratinocytes, acting through restoration of clobetasol-induced impairment of keratinocyte proliferation. In the SPIREPI randomized double-blind controlled trial, gels containing clobetasol, the MR antagonist spironolactone, both agents, or placebo were applied on four zones of the forearms of 23 healthy volunteers for 28 days. Primary outcome was histological thickness of the epidermis with clobetasol alone or clobetasol+spironolactone. Spironolactone alone did not affect the epidermal thickness but coapplication of clobetasol and spironolactone significantly limited clobetasol-induced atrophy and was well tolerated. Altogether, these findings identify MR as a factor regulating epidermal homeostasis and suggest that topical MR blockade could limit glucocorticoid-induced epidermal atrophy.

Clinical activity of lenalidomide in visceral human immunodeficiency virus-related Kaposi sarcoma.

IMPORTANCE: Curative treatment of aggressive Kaposi sarcoma (KS) with conventional chemotherapy in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients remains difficult. The administration of thalidomide, an immunomodulatory drug with antiangiogenic effects, is limited by its toxicity. This engenders interest in evaluating thalidomide analogues such as lenalidomide with better toxicity profiles. To our knowledge, we describe for the first time a patient with visceral KS successfully treated with lenalidomide. OBSERVATIONS: A man with advanced visceral HIV-related KS progressing after 11 months of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) and 2 lines of conventional chemotherapy (pegylated liposomal doxorubicin and docetaxel) was treated with lenalidomide on a compassionate use basis. He showed a rapid partial response without any substantial adverse effect but experienced relapse after 5 months of treatment, in a context of virologic failure. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Similar to our observation, good partial response without toxic effects has been reported in 3 patients with only skin involvement. Because immune reconstitution syndrome may occur in HIV-infected patients with KS undergoing HAART, KS improvement may be partly explained by immune recovery. An ongoing US phase 1/2 trial will better evaluate the efficacy and tolerance of lenalidomide in patients with HIV-related KS with and without visceral involvement.

Hereditary leukonychia totalis, acanthosis-nigricans-like lesions and hair dysplasia: a new syndrome?

Leukonychia is an ungueal discoloration or dyschromia. The hereditary form is rare. In the observations reported in the literature, leukonychia was total or sub-total, and was sometimes associated to other various symptoms. We report an original observation of hereditary leukonychia totalis in a father and two of his children, associated with acanthosis-nigricans-like lesions and hair dysplasia. These symptoms were also present in eight other members of the same family.