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International Journal of Biometeorology Jun 2024Balneotherapy includes practices and methods using medically and legally recognized mineral-medicinal waters, muds and natural gases from natural springs for therapeutic... (Review)
Review
Balneotherapy includes practices and methods using medically and legally recognized mineral-medicinal waters, muds and natural gases from natural springs for therapeutic purposes. One of the most widely used method in balneotherapy is bathing with thermal mineral water. In the course of the years, scientific community has produced an increasing number of evidences that this practice is an effective method for treating signs and symptoms of several pathologies such as rheumatic, cardiovascular and dermatological diseases. This systematic review is aimed at evaluating the effect of balneotherapy with thermal water baths as a treatment to manage signs and symptoms of patients affected by all types of dermatological diseases. The systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA Statement, and its protocol was registered on PROSPERO platform (CRD42022295913). The research was performed on the databases Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science and Cochrane. We included clinical trials evaluating the effects of balneotherapy using thermal mineral water baths for managing dermatological diseases in humans, published in English and Italian language. Eight studies were included, seven of them enrolled adults affected by psoriasis and one studied atopic dermatitis patients. The common result of all the articles included was a clear improvement of signs and symptoms of psoriasis and eczematous diseases after use of thermal mineral water baths. These effects seem to be strictly related to physical and chemical properties of thermal water used for balneotherapy. However, studies in this field are still limited to support robust evidence of the effectiveness of balneotherapy using thermal mineral water baths and often their quality is low. Thus, new clinical studies need to be carried out, using more correct methods for conducting the studies and for processing statistical data.
Topics: Humans; Balneology; Mineral Waters; Skin Diseases; Baths; Dermatitis, Atopic; Psoriasis
PubMed: 38530467
DOI: 10.1007/s00484-024-02649-x -
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment Dec 2024For individuals with atopic dermatitis (AD), interpreting scientific papers that present clinical outcomes including the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) and... (Review)
Review
A systematic review investigating the proportion of clinical images shared in prospective randomized controlled trials involving patients with atopic dermatitis and systemic pharmacotherapy.
For individuals with atopic dermatitis (AD), interpreting scientific papers that present clinical outcomes including the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) and Investigators Global Assessment may be difficult. When compared to tabulated data and graphs, images from before and after treatment are often far more meaningful to these patients that ultimately will be candidates for the treatment. This systematic review focused on determining the frequency of clinical image sharing in AD research. Conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, the review concentrated on randomized controlled trials that investigated predefined and available systemic treatments for AD. The search was performed in the MEDLINE database for studies published from the inception until 21 December 2023. The review included 60 studies, encompassing 17,799 randomized patients. Across these studies, 16 images representing 6 patients were shared in the manuscripts, leading to a sharing rate of 0.3‰. The almost missing inclusion of patient images in clinical trial publications hinders patient understanding. Adding images to scientific manuscripts could significantly improve patients' comprehension of potential treatment outcomes. This review highlights the need for authors, the pharmaceutical industry, study sponsors, and publishers to enhance and promote patient information through increased use of visual data.
Topics: Humans; Dermatitis, Atopic; Prospective Studies; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Treatment Outcome; Administration, Cutaneous; Severity of Illness Index
PubMed: 38569598
DOI: 10.1080/09546634.2024.2338280 -
Journal of the American Academy of... Jul 2024
Meta-Analysis
Elevation of creatine phosphokinase in moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis is associated with the use of JAK inhibitors but not dupilumab: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Topics: Humans; Dermatitis, Atopic; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Janus Kinase Inhibitors; Severity of Illness Index; Creatine Kinase; Nitriles; Pyrimidines; Piperidines
PubMed: 38554937
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2024.03.027 -
Medicine Feb 2024Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common and recurrent inflammatory disease with strong genetic susceptibility. The abnormal production of chemokines plays an important role... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common and recurrent inflammatory disease with strong genetic susceptibility. The abnormal production of chemokines plays an important role in the occurrence and development of AD.
METHODS
A comprehensive online literature search was performed in databases of China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP China Science and Technology Journal Database, China Biomedical Literature Database, PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library to retrieve relevant articles published from January 2000 to October 2022. The odds ratio (OR) with its 95% confidence interval (CI) was employed to calculate this relationship.
RESULTS
A total of 7 studies were finally screened out, including 1316 AD patients and 1099 controls. There were 3 studies for CC chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5) polymorphisms, 2 for CCL11 polymorphisms, and 2 for CCL17 polymorphisms, respectively. The meta-analysis revealed a significant association between the CCL5 - 403G/A polymorphism and AD under the allelic model (A vs G: OR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.02-1.52, P = .03), heterozygous model (AG vs GG: OR = 1.40, 95% CI = 1.08-1.80, P = .01) and dominant model (AA + AG vs GG: OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.08-1.76, P = .01) in a fixed-effect model. The allelic model (G vs C: OR = 1.46, 95% CI = 1.07-1.98, P < .01) and dominant model (GG + GC vs CC: OR = 1.74, 95% CI = 1.23-2.47, P < .001) of the CCL5 - 28C/G polymorphism were also associated with an increased risk of AD. However, this significant association was not found in other alleles and genotypes (P > .05).
CONCLUSION
Our results show that the A allele, AG and AA + AG genotypes of the CCL5 - 403G/A polymorphism, the G allele and GG + GC genotype of the CCL5 - 28C/G polymorphism are risk factors for AD. Future studies with large population are still needed to further explore those correlations.
Topics: Humans; Chemokine CCL11; Chemokine CCL17; Chemokine CCL5; Dermatitis, Atopic; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Genotype; Ligands; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Risk Factors
PubMed: 38394497
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000036897 -
BMJ Open Dec 2023External control arms (ECAs) provide useful comparisons in clinical trials when randomised control arms are limited or not feasible. We conducted a systematic review to...
OBJECTIVES
External control arms (ECAs) provide useful comparisons in clinical trials when randomised control arms are limited or not feasible. We conducted a systematic review to summarise applications of ECAs in trials of immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMIDs).
DESIGN
Systematic review with an appraisal of ECA source quality rated across five domains (data collection, study populations, outcome definitions, reliability and comprehensiveness of the dataset, and other potential limitations) as high, low or unclear quality.
DATA SOURCES
Embase, Medline and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trial were searched through to 12 September 2023.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Eligible studies were single-arm or randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of inflammatory bowel disease, pouchitis, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis in which an ECA was used as the comparator.
DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS
Two authors independently screened the search results in duplicate. The characteristics of included studies, external data source(s), outcomes and statistical methods were recorded, and the quality of the ECA data source was assessed by two independent authors.
RESULTS
Forty-three studies met the inclusion criteria (inflammatory bowel disease: 16, pouchitis: 1, rheumatoid arthritis: 12, juvenile idiopathic arthritis: 1, ankylosing spondylitis: 5, psoriasis: 3, multiple indications: 4). The majority of these trials were single-arm (33/43) and enrolled adult patients (34/43). All included studies used a historical control rather than a contemporaneous ECA. In RCTs, ECAs were most often derived from the placebo arm of another RCT (6/10). In single-arm trials, historical case series were the most common ECA source (19/33). Most studies (31/43) did not employ a statistical approach to generate the ECA from historical data.
CONCLUSIONS
Standardised ECA methodology and reporting conventions are lacking for IMIDs trials. The establishment of ECA reporting guidelines may enhance the rigour and transparency of future research.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Spondylitis, Ankylosing; Pouchitis; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Psoriasis; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Immunomodulating Agents
PubMed: 38070932
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-076677 -
JAAD International Sep 2023
PubMed: 37456622
DOI: 10.1016/j.jdin.2023.05.012 -
BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies Feb 2024Evening primrose oil (EPO), extracted from the seeds of Oenothera biennis, has gained attention for its therapeutic effects in various inflammatory conditions.
BACKGROUND
Evening primrose oil (EPO), extracted from the seeds of Oenothera biennis, has gained attention for its therapeutic effects in various inflammatory conditions.
METHOD
We performed a systematic search in multiple databases and defined the inclusion criteria based on the following PICOs: P: Patients with a form of inflammatory condition, I: EPO, C: Placebo or other therapeutic interventions, O: changes in inflammatory markers or patients' symptoms; S: randomized controlled trials. The quality of the RCTs was evaluated using Cochrane's RoB tool.
RESULTS
Several conditions were investigated in the literature. In rheumatoid arthritis, mixed results were observed, with some studies reporting significant improvements in symptoms while others found no significant impact. EPO showed some results in diabetes mellitus, atopic eczema, menopausal hot flashes, and mastalgia. However, it did not demonstrate effectiveness in chronic hand dermatitis, tardive dyskinesia, psoriatic arthritis, cystic fibrosis, hepatitis B, premenstrual syndrome, contact lens-associated dry eyes, acne vulgaris, breast cyst, pre-eclampsia, psoriasis, or primary Sjogren's syndrome. Some results were reported from multiple sclerosis after EPO consumption. Studies in healthy volunteers indicated no significant effect of EPO on epidermal atrophy, nevertheless, positive effects on the skin regarding hydration and barrier function were achieved.
CONCLUSION
Some evidence regarding the potential benefits of EPO in inflammatory disorders were reported however caution is due to the limitations of the current survey. Overall, contemporary literature is highly heterogeneous and fails to provide strong recommendations regarding the efficacy of EPO on inflammatory disorders. Further high-quality studies are necessitated to draw more definite conclusions and establish O. biennis oil effectiveness as an assuring treatment option in alleviating inflammatory conditions.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Oenothera biennis; gamma-Linolenic Acid; Linoleic Acids; Plant Oils
PubMed: 38360611
DOI: 10.1186/s12906-024-04378-5 -
Acta Dermato-venereologica Apr 2024Atopic dermatitis is a cutaneous inflammatory disease characterized by intense pruritus, which is often underestimated despite its direct impact on patients'...
Atopic dermatitis is a cutaneous inflammatory disease characterized by intense pruritus, which is often underestimated despite its direct impact on patients' health-related quality of life and the high burden it poses. The authors' goal was to design a qualitative tool to guide patients and healthcare professionals in their assessment and interpretation of pruritus intensity using a numerical rating scale. The draft of this tool, henceforth "guideline", was developed based on a systematic literature review and focus groups comprising patients and a scientific committee. This draft was validated with an independent group of patients and the final version was designed following their feedback. According to the results of the systematic review, pruritus impacts 6 health-related quality of life domains: sleep quality; emotional status; overall health-related quality of life; physical function; social/sexual activity; productivity, particularly affecting sleep quality and the emotional domain. Patients considered that physical function was the most strongly affected domain, followed by sleep quality and emotional well-being, establishing that a minimum pruritus intensity of 4 and 7 points impacts moderately and severely, respectively, on the different domains of patients' health- related quality of life. The guideline may help patients and healthcare professionals to interpret and assess pruritus intensity using a numerical rating scale and to understand the impact of pruritus on patients' health-related quality of life.
Topics: Humans; Dermatitis, Atopic; Quality of Life; Pruritus; Emotions; Administration, Cutaneous; Severity of Illness Index
PubMed: 38566531
DOI: 10.2340/actadv.v104.18255 -
Postepy Dermatologii I Alergologii Apr 2024
PubMed: 38784925
DOI: 10.5114/ada.2024.138659 -
Acta Dermato-venereologica May 2024Immunocompromised individuals, primarily attributable to using immunosuppressants, face heightened COVID-19 risks. Despite the proven efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines,... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Immunocompromised individuals, primarily attributable to using immunosuppressants, face heightened COVID-19 risks. Despite the proven efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, their impact on patients with immune-mediated dermatological diseases remains unclear. This study aims to thoroughly examine vaccine immunogenicity, effectiveness, and safety in immune-mediated dermatological disease patients. Clinical studies in adults that compared vaccinated immune-mediated dermatological disease patients with vaccinated healthy controls or unvaccinated immune-mediated dermatological disease patients in terms of vaccine immunogenicity, COVID-19 infection, adverse events, or exacerbation of immune-mediated dermatological diseases were searched via electronic databases. Seventeen studies (1,348,690 participants) were included. Seroconversion rates between immune-mediated dermatological disease patients and healthy controls were not different. However, among individuals aged ≤55 years, immune-mediated dermatological disease patients had lower mean anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG levels. Immunosuppressed immune-mediated dermatological disease patients also had lower titres and were less likely to achieve T-cell response. In terms of safety, the risk of adverse events was higher in atopic dermatitis patients, but those with psoriasis had a reduced risk. Additionally, immunosuppressed patients had fewer adverse events. Vaccinated immune-mediated dermatological disease patients had a lower risk of COVID-19 infection than unvaccinated patients but a higher risk than healthy controls; however, disease exacerbation may be induced. In conclusion, immune-mediated dermatological diseases showed a reduced vaccine response in our meta-analysis, yet vaccination remained effective against COVID-19 infection and well tolerated.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19 Vaccines; COVID-19; Skin Diseases; Immunogenicity, Vaccine; Immunocompromised Host; SARS-CoV-2; Vaccine Efficacy; Middle Aged; Adult
PubMed: 38698654
DOI: 10.2340/actadv.v104.40009