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Journal of Drugs in Dermatology : JDD Aug 2022Scalp involvement is seen in a majority of individuals with psoriasis, a chronic autoimmune skin disease with variable phenotypes. Occasionally, isolated scalp... (Review)
Review
Scalp involvement is seen in a majority of individuals with psoriasis, a chronic autoimmune skin disease with variable phenotypes. Occasionally, isolated scalp involvement is observed; and this causes significant psychosocial morbidity. Management of scalp psoriasis is difficult, in part due to the difficulty of applying topical agents and its refractory nature. Various treatment options are available with variable efficacy. Topical agents include topical steroids, keratolytics, tar and anthralin compounds, vitamin D analogues, and vitamin A derivatives. The combination treatment of topical betamethasone and calcipotriene is the most effective topical therapy. Systemic agents include conventional agents such as methotrexate, cyclosporine, and oral retinoids. Biologics offer a greater efficacy, with near complete or complete clearance of the scalp. In this article we review the published literature on adult and scalp psoriasis to highlight its treatment. Articles published in peer-reviewed journals were included for qualitative analysis of the literature, including reviews, clinical trials, case series, case reports published in the electronic database (MEDLINE/PubMed) through June 2021, cross references of respective articles, and trials from clinicaltrials.gov. J Drugs Dermatol. 2022;21(8):833-837. doi:10.36849/JDD.6498.
Topics: Administration, Topical; Betamethasone; Dermatologic Agents; Humans; Keratolytic Agents; Psoriasis; Scalp; Scalp Dermatoses; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 35946971
DOI: 10.36849/JDD.6498 -
Journal of the American Academy of... Jun 2022Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune, nonscarring hair loss disorder with slightly greater prevalence in children than adults. Various treatment modalities exist;... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune, nonscarring hair loss disorder with slightly greater prevalence in children than adults. Various treatment modalities exist; however, their evidence in pediatric AA patients is lacking.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the evidence of current treatment modalities for pediatric AA.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review on the PubMed database in October 2019 for all published articles involving patients <18 years old. Articles discussing AA treatment in pediatric patients were included, as were articles discussing both pediatric and adult patients, if data on individual pediatric patients were available.
RESULTS
Inclusion criteria were met by 122 total reports discussing 1032 patients. Reports consisted of 2 randomized controlled trials, 4 prospective comparative cohorts, 83 case series, 2 case-control studies, and 31 case reports. Included articles assessed the use of aloe, apremilast, anthralin, anti-interferon gamma antibodies, botulinum toxin, corticosteroids, contact immunotherapies, cryotherapy, hydroxychloroquine, hypnotherapy, imiquimod, Janus kinase inhibitors, laser and light therapy, methotrexate, minoxidil, phototherapy, psychotherapy, prostaglandin analogs, sulfasalazine, topical calcineurin inhibitors, topical nitrogen mustard, and ustekinumab.
LIMITATIONS
English-only articles with full texts were used. Manuscripts with adult and pediatric data were only incorporated if individual-level data for pediatric patients were provided. No meta-analysis was performed.
CONCLUSION
Topical corticosteroids are the preferred first-line treatment for pediatric AA, as they hold the highest level of evidence, followed by contact immunotherapy. More clinical trials and comparative studies are needed to further guide management of pediatric AA and to promote the potential use of pre-existing, low-cost, and novel therapies, including Janus kinase inhibitors.
Topics: Adolescent; Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Alopecia; Alopecia Areata; Autoimmune Diseases; Child; Humans; Janus Kinase Inhibitors; Prospective Studies
PubMed: 33940103
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2021.04.077 -
Journal of the European Academy of... Jun 2021Alopecia areata is the third most common cause of dermatology consultations in children but the treatment of paediatric alopecia areata remains challenging. A systematic... (Review)
Review
Alopecia areata is the third most common cause of dermatology consultations in children but the treatment of paediatric alopecia areata remains challenging. A systematic review of the literature about the treatment of alopecia areata in children (≤18 years old) was performed on 11 May 2020 by searching the PubMed, Scopus and EBSCO databases. The terms used for the search were: 'alopecia areata', 'alopecia totalis' or 'alopecia universalis' combined with 'paediatric', 'children' or 'childhood'. A total of 89 articles were included in final evaluation. The most commonly assessed treatment options in paediatric alopecia areata were topical immunotherapy (response rate in monotherapy: 54%; 187/345) intralesional glucocorticosteroids (75%; 211/280), systemic glucocorticosteroids (73%; 102/140), and anthralin (42%; 31/74). Topical glucocorticosteroids (81%; 35/43), systemic Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors (90%; 27/30), topical calcineurin inhibitors (42%; 8/19), topical JAK inhibitors (65%; 11/17), PUVA therapy (56%; 9/16) and 308-nm excimer laser (77%; 10/13) were also evaluated. Additionally, evaluation in smaller numbers of paediatric patients included methotrexate (100%; 10/10), topical minoxidil (44%; 4/9) and cyclosporine (83%; 5/6). There were limited data considering children with alopecia areata treated with azathioprine, hydroxychloroquine, topical sildenafil, topical prostaglandin analogues, fractional carbon dioxide laser, leflunomide, mesalazine, apremilast, dupilumab, ustekinumab, efalizumab, botulinum toxin, and compound glycyrrhizin. On the basis of the limited data available glucocorticosteroids (systemic, intralesional or topical) and JAK inhibitors (systemic or topical) may be considered the best documented and most effective treatment options in alopecia areata in children. There are no sufficient paediatric data to compare treatment safety and relapse rates in these therapeutic modalities.
Topics: Adolescent; Alopecia; Alopecia Areata; Child; Humans; Janus Kinase Inhibitors; Leflunomide; Minoxidil; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 33630354
DOI: 10.1111/jdv.17187 -
Drugs in Context 2023Guttate psoriasis is common and affects 0.5-2% of individuals in the paediatric age group. This review aims to familiarize physicians with the clinical manifestations,... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Guttate psoriasis is common and affects 0.5-2% of individuals in the paediatric age group. This review aims to familiarize physicians with the clinical manifestations, evaluation, diagnosis and proper management of guttate psoriasis.
METHODS
A search was conducted in July 2023 in PubMed Clinical Queries using the key term "guttate psoriasis". The search strategy included all observational studies, clinical trials and reviews published within the past 10 years. The information retrieved from the search was used in the compilation of the present article.
RESULTS
Guttate psoriasis typically presents with an abrupt onset of numerous, small, scattered, tear-drop-shaped, scaly, erythematous, pruritic papules and plaques. Sites of predilection include the trunk and proximal extremities. There may be a history of preceding streptococcal infection. Koebner phenomenon is characteristic. Guttate psoriasis may spontaneously remit within 3-4 months with no residual scarring, may intermittently recur and, in 40-50% of cases, may persist and progress to chronic plaque psoriasis. Given the possibility for spontaneous remission within several months, active treatment may not be necessary except for cosmetic purposes or because of pruritus. On the other hand, given the high rates of persistence of guttate psoriasis and progression to chronic plaque psoriasis, some authors suggest active treatment of this condition.
CONCLUSION
Various treatment options are available for guttate psoriasis. Triggering and exacerbating factors should be avoided if possible. Topical corticosteroids alone or in combination with other topical agents (e.g. tazarotene and vitamin D analogues) are the most rapid and efficient treatment for guttate psoriasis and are therefore the first-line treatment for mild cases. Other topical therapies include vitamin D analogues, calcineurin inhibitors, anthralin, coal tar and tazarotene. Ultraviolet phototherapy is the first-line therapy for moderate-to-severe guttate psoriasis, as it is more practical than topical therapy when treating widespread or numerous small lesions. Systemic immunosuppressive and immunomodulatory therapies (e.g. methotrexate, cyclosporine, retinoids, fumaric acid esters and biologics) may be considered for patients with moderate-to-severe guttate psoriasis who fail to respond to phototherapy and topical therapies.
PubMed: 37908643
DOI: 10.7573/dic.2023-8-2 -
Journal of the American Academy of... Jan 2020Psoriasis is a chronic, multisystem, inflammatory disease that affects approximately 1% of children, with onset most common during adolescence. This guideline addresses...
Psoriasis is a chronic, multisystem, inflammatory disease that affects approximately 1% of children, with onset most common during adolescence. This guideline addresses important clinical questions that arise in psoriasis management and provides evidence-based recommendations. Attention will be given to pediatric patients with psoriasis, recognizing the unique physiology, pharmacokinetics, and patient-parent-provider interactions of patients younger than 18 years old. The topics reviewed here mirror those discussed in the adult guideline sections, excluding those topics that are irrelevant to, or lack sufficient information for, pediatric patients.
Topics: Adolescent; Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Anthralin; Biological Products; Calcineurin Inhibitors; Cardiovascular Diseases; Child; Child, Preschool; Coal Tar; Comorbidity; Cyclosporine; Dermatologic Agents; Dyslipidemias; Evidence-Based Medicine; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Inflammatory Bowel Diseases; Insulin Resistance; Mental Health; Metabolic Syndrome; Methotrexate; Nicotinic Acids; Obesity; Photochemotherapy; Psoriasis; Retinoids
PubMed: 31703821
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaad.2019.08.049 -
Recent Patents on Inflammation &... 2020Alopecia Areata (AA) is a systemic autoimmune condition that usually starts in childhood. (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Alopecia Areata (AA) is a systemic autoimmune condition that usually starts in childhood.
OBJECTIVE
This article aims to review genetics, therapy, prognosis, and recent patents for AA.
METHODS
We used clinical queries and keywords "alopecia areata" AND "childhood" as a search engine. Patents were searched using the key term "alopecia areata" in Patents.google.com and freepatentsonline. com.
RESULTS
Due to an immune-mediated damage to the hair follicles, hair is lost from the scalp and other areas of the body temporarily or even permanently. Children with AA are generally healthy. Evidence of genetic association and increased predisposition for AA was found by studying families with affected members. Pathophysiologically, T- lymphocytes attack hair follicles and cause inflammation and destruction of the hair follicles and hair loss. In mild cases, there would be well-demarcated round patchy scalp hair loss. The pathognomonic "exclamation mark hairs" may be seen at the lesion periphery. In more severe cases, the hair loss may affect the whole scalp and even the whole body. The clinical course is also variable, which may range from transient episodes of recurrent patchy hair loss to an indolent gradually deteriorating severe hair loss. The treatment of AA depends on factors including patients' age, the extent of the hair loss, duration of disease, psychological impact, availability and side effect profile of the treatments. For localized patchy alopecia, topical application of corticosteroids and/or intralesional corticosteroids are the treatment of choice. Other topical treatments include minoxidil, anthralin, coal tar and immunotherapy. In severe resistant cases, systemic immunosuppressants may be considered. Although herbal medicine, acupuncture, complementary and alternative medicine may be tried on children in some Asian communities, the evidence to support these practices is lacking. To date, only a few recent patents exist in topical treatments, including Il-31, laser and herbal medications. Clinical efficacy is pending for these treatment modalities.
CONCLUSION
None of the established therapeutic options are curative. However, newer treatment modalities, including excimer laser, interleukin-31 antibodies and biologics, are evolving so that there may be significant advances in treatment in the near future. AA can be psychosocially devastating. It is important to assess the quality of life, degree of anxiety, social phobia and mood of the patients and their families. Psychological support is imperative for those who are adversely affected psychosocially.
Topics: Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Alopecia Areata; Anthralin; Child; Humans; Immunotherapy; Minoxidil; Patents as Topic
PubMed: 32723274
DOI: 10.2174/1872213X14999200728145822 -
Thrombosis and Haemostasis Apr 2021Thrombosis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Fibrinogen, the soluble substrate for fibrin-based clotting, has a central role in haemostasis and thrombosis...
Thrombosis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Fibrinogen, the soluble substrate for fibrin-based clotting, has a central role in haemostasis and thrombosis and its plasma concentration correlates with cardiovascular disease event risk and a prothrombotic state in experimental models. We aimed to identify chemical entities capable of changing fibrinogen production and test their impact on experimental thrombosis. A total of 1,280 bioactive compounds were screened for their ability to alter fibrinogen production by hepatocyte-derived cancer cells and a selected panel was tested in zebrafish larvae. Anthralin and all- retinoic acid (RA) were identified as fibrinogen-lowering and fibrinogen-increasing moieties, respectively. In zebrafish larvae, anthralin prolonged laser-induced venous- occlusion times and reduced thrombocyte accumulation at injury sites. RA had opposite effects. Treatment with RA, a nuclear receptor ligand, increased fibrinogen mRNA levels. Using an antisense morpholino oligonucleotide to deplete zebrafish fibrinogen, we correlated a shortening of laser-induced venous thrombosis times with RA treatment and fibrinogen protein levels. Anthralin had little effect on fibrinogen mRNA in zebrafish larvae, despite leading to lower detectable fibrinogen. Therefore, we made a proteomic scan of anthralin-treated cells and larvae. A reduced representation of proteins linked to the canonical secretory pathway was detected, suggesting that anthralin affects protein secretion. In summary, we found that chemical modulation of fibrinogen levels correlates with measured effects on experimental venous thrombosis and could be investigated as a therapeutic avenue for thrombosis prevention.
Topics: Animals; Animals, Genetically Modified; Anthralin; Blood Coagulation; Disease Models, Animal; Fibrinogen; Fibrinolytic Agents; Hep G2 Cells; Hepatocytes; Humans; Integrin alpha2; Morpholinos; Mutation; Oligonucleotides, Antisense; Proteomics; Small Molecule Libraries; Tretinoin; Venous Thrombosis; Zebrafish; Zebrafish Proteins
PubMed: 33302304
DOI: 10.1055/s-0040-1718414 -
Cutis Aug 2022Topical medications have high utility in the treatment of psoriasis because of their localized effect and ability to be used as both monotherapy and adjunctive therapy.... (Review)
Review
Topical medications have high utility in the treatment of psoriasis because of their localized effect and ability to be used as both monotherapy and adjunctive therapy. The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) and the National Psoriasis Foundation (NPF) published guidelines in 2020 regarding the management of psoriasis with topical therapies. These guidelines are a framework that assist clinicians treating psoriasis patients with topical agents including steroids, calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs), vitamin D analogues, retinoids (tazarotene), emollients, keratolytics (salicylic acid), anthracenes (anthralin), and keratoplastics (coal tar). This review presents these evidence-based recommendations in a form that dermatologists can readily apply to their clinical practice. The selection of an appropriate topical therapy, effective combination therapies, duration of use, and adverse events are addressed.
Topics: Administration, Topical; Anthralin; Calcineurin Inhibitors; Coal Tar; Dermatologic Agents; Emollients; Humans; Psoriasis; Retinoids; Salicylic Acid; Steroids; Vitamin D
PubMed: 36219602
DOI: 10.12788/cutis.0573 -
Experimental Dermatology Mar 2022It has long been known that there is a special affinity of psoriasis for the scalp: Here, it occurs most frequently, lesions terminate sharply in frontal skin beyond the... (Review)
Review
It has long been known that there is a special affinity of psoriasis for the scalp: Here, it occurs most frequently, lesions terminate sharply in frontal skin beyond the hair line and are difficult to treat. Yet, surprisingly, scalp psoriasis only rarely causes alopecia, even though the pilosebaceous unit clearly is affected. Here, we systematically explore the peculiar, insufficiently investigated connection between psoriasis and growing (anagen) terminal scalp hair follicles (HFs), with emphasis on shared regulatory mechanism and therapeutic targets. Interestingly, several drugs and stressors that can trigger/aggravate psoriasis can inhibit hair growth (e.g. beta-blockers, chloroquine, carbamazepine, interferon-alpha, perceived stress). Instead, several anti-psoriatic agents can stimulate hair growth (e.g. cyclosporine, glucocorticoids, dithranol, UV irradiation), while skin/HF trauma (Köbner phenomenon/depilation) favours the development of psoriatic lesions and induces anagen in "quiescent" (telogen) HFs. On this basis, we propose two interconnected working models: (a) the existence of a bidirectional "hair follicle-psoriasis axis," along which keratinocytes of anagen scalp HFs secrete signals that favour the development and maintenance of psoriatic scalp lesions and respond to signals from these lesions, and (b) that anagen induction and psoriatic lesions share molecular "switch-on" mechanisms, which invite pharmacological targeting, once identified. Therefore, we advocate a novel, cross-fertilizing and integrative approach to psoriasis and hair research that systematically characterizes the "HF-psoriasis axis," focused on identification and therapeutic targeting of selected, shared signalling pathways in the future management of both, psoriasis and hair growth disorders.
Topics: Alopecia; Hair; Hair Follicle; Humans; Psoriasis; Scalp
PubMed: 34587317
DOI: 10.1111/exd.14462