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Pharmaceutics Sep 2023Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a clinical syndrome characterizing by cognitive impairments in the elderly after surgery. There is limited effective...
Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a clinical syndrome characterizing by cognitive impairments in the elderly after surgery. There is limited effective treatment available or clear pathological mechanisms known for this syndrome. In this study, a Connectivity Map (CMap) bioinformatics model of POCD was established by using differently expressed landmark genes in the serum samples of POCD and non-POCD patients from the only human transcriptome study. The predictability and reliability of this model were further supported by the positive CMap scores of known POCD inducers and the negative CMap scores of anti-POCD drug candidates. Most retinoic acid receptor (RAR) agonists were negatively associated with POCD in this CMap model, suggesting that RAR might be a novel target for POCD. Most importantly, acitretin, a clinically used RAR agonist, significantly inhibited surgery-induced cognitive impairments and prevented the reduction in RARα and RARα-target genes in the hippocampal regions of aged mice. The study denotes a reliable CMap bioinformatics model of POCD for future use and establishes that RAR is a novel therapeutic target for treating this clinical syndrome.
PubMed: 37765280
DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15092311 -
Dermatology Online Journal Jul 2021Periungual pyogenic granulomas are benign vascular tumors that present as painful, round, spontaneously bleeding lesions composed of rapidly proliferating capillaries...
Periungual pyogenic granulomas are benign vascular tumors that present as painful, round, spontaneously bleeding lesions composed of rapidly proliferating capillaries and excess tissue. The vast majority of pyogenic granulomas are caused by physical trauma or infectious agents and they may resolve spontaneously. Herein, we highlight a very rare case of periungual pyogenic granulomas induced by the regularly prescribed oral retinoid acitretin during treatment for congenital palmoplantar keratoderma. This unique case showed that it is feasible to continue acitretin therapy in the presence of pyogenic granuloma development if proper dose reduction and topical therapies are utilized. The patient's lesions resolved within two weeks of this protocol's initiation and the pyogenic granulomas did not recur over the course of a six-month follow-up observation period. In addition, we performed a systematic review of the literature using PubMed databases for the clinical features and treatments in other reported acitretin-induced pyogenic granuloma cases; we compiled a comprehensive list of other prescription drugs known to cause pyogenic granulomas up-to-date.
Topics: Acitretin; Administration, Oral; Adult; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Clobetasol; Glucocorticoids; Granuloma, Pyogenic; Humans; Keratoderma, Palmoplantar; Keratolytic Agents; Male; Mupirocin; Nail Diseases
PubMed: 34391333
DOI: 10.5070/D327754369 -
Psoriasis (Auckland, N.Z.) 2020The skin is at the interface between the body and its environment and is therefore at the center of adolescent concerns during this period of identity formation and... (Review)
Review
The skin is at the interface between the body and its environment and is therefore at the center of adolescent concerns during this period of identity formation and increased awareness of body image issues, and stigmatization. Managing an adolescent with psoriasis involves managing the illness and the individual during their transition from being an older child to a young adult. In addition to ensuring that the patient adheres to treatments and is engaged with the therapeutic strategy, dermatologists may also need to manage issues linked to unspoken suffering or conflicts between the adolescent and their parents, who are often present during consultations. The impact of psoriasis on the social interactions, school life and sexuality of the patients, together with the influence of the internet and social networks, also have to be taken into account. In this review, we summarize the epidemiologic, clinical, and therapeutic data available on psoriasis in adolescents, and propose specific management strategies, adapted to the 21st century, for patients in this age group.
PubMed: 33274179
DOI: 10.2147/PTT.S222729 -
Pharmaceutics Aug 2022Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a highly effective and widely adopted treatment strategy for many skin diseases, particularly for multiple actinic keratoses (AKs).... (Review)
Review
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a highly effective and widely adopted treatment strategy for many skin diseases, particularly for multiple actinic keratoses (AKs). However, PDT is ineffective in some cases, especially if AKs occur in the acral part of the body. Several methods to improve the efficacy of PDT without significantly increasing the risks of side effects have been proposed. In this study, we reviewed the combination-based PDT treatments described in the literature for treating AKs; both post-treatment and pretreatment were considered including topical (i.e., diclofenac, imiquimod, adapalene, 5-fluorouracil, and calcitriol), systemic (i.e., acitretin, methotrexate, and polypodium leucotomos), and mechanical-physical (i.e., radiofrequency, thermomechanical fractional injury, microneedling, microdermabrasion, and laser) treatment strategies. Topical pretreatments with imiquimod, adapalene, 5-fluorouracil, and calcipotriol were more successful than PDT alone in treating AKs, while the effect of diclofenac gel was less clear. Both mechanical laser treatment with CO and Er:YAG (Erbium:Yttrium-Aluminum-Garnet) as well as systemic treatment with Polypodium leucotomos were also effective. Different approaches were relatively more effective in particular situations such as in immunosuppressed patients, AKs in the extremities, or thicker AKs. Conclusions: Several studies showed that a combination-based approach enhanced the effectiveness of PDT. However, more studies are needed to further understand the effectiveness of combination therapy in clinical practice and to investigate the role of acitretin, methotrexate, vitamin D, thermomechanical fractional injury, and microdermabrasion in humans.
PubMed: 36015352
DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14081726 -
Pediatric Investigation Sep 2023Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) is a severe subtype of psoriasis, commonly combined with systemic inflammation. Gene mutations have been found to be associated with... (Review)
Review
Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) is a severe subtype of psoriasis, commonly combined with systemic inflammation. Gene mutations have been found to be associated with GPP and vary by ethnicity. Systemic treatments are usually required for the severity and potential complications of GPP. However, there is no common consensus in China, especially among pediatric patients, whose data are scarce. Acitretin, methotrexate, and cyclosporine are widely used in pediatrics with GPP, while the adverse effects should be highlighted. The emergence of different biological agents brings us into a new era. This article discusses the genetic background of Chinese patients and demonstrates the evidence of treatment in pediatrics with GPP.
PubMed: 37736368
DOI: 10.1002/ped4.12395 -
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology Nov 2022Cohort studies on the use of retinoids for hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) have yielded contradicting results. As the clinical presentation of HS is heterogeneous, with...
INTRODUCTION
Cohort studies on the use of retinoids for hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) have yielded contradicting results. As the clinical presentation of HS is heterogeneous, with different predilection sites and hallmark features, it can be hypothesized that HS phenotypes are associated with the effectiveness of specific retinoid treatments.
OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to evaluate the drug survival of oral retinoids in the treatment of HS and to establish predictors for longer treatment duration.
METHODS
A retrospective, dual-center study was conducted in the Netherlands in adult HS patients treated with oral retinoids between 2011 and 2021. Drug survival analyses were performed through Kaplan-Meier survival curves. Additionally, Cox regression models were used to determine predictors for a longer drug survival.
RESULTS
In total, 102 patients were included. Overall drug survival of (low-dose) isotretinoin (n = 66) at 12 and 24 months was 44.2% and 15.5%, respectively. Termination of treatment was mostly due to ineffectiveness (26%). Presence of widespread comedones (p = 0.03) and the use of concomitant systemic medication (p = 0.04) were associated with a prolonged treatment duration. For acitretin (n = 36), the overall drug survival was 42.0% at 12 months and 37.4% at 24 months, and was also predominantly determined by ineffectiveness (28%). Interestingly, the scarring folliculitis phenotype (p < 0.05) was associated with prolonged drug survival time for acitretin treatment relative to the regular phenotype.
CONCLUSION
Comparable drug survival rates at 12 months for isotretinoin and acitretin were found. HS patients with widespread comedones and the scarring folliculitis phenotype could benefit from treatment with isotretinoin or acitretin, respectively.
Topics: Acitretin; Acne Vulgaris; Cicatrix; Cohort Studies; Folliculitis; Hidradenitis Suppurativa; Humans; Isotretinoin; Retinoids; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 36070059
DOI: 10.1007/s40257-022-00725-9 -
Archives of Iranian Medicine Dec 2021Systemic therapies commonly used in adult psoriasis are mostly used only off-label in children and little is known about the efficacy and tolerability of these drugs in...
BACKGROUND
Systemic therapies commonly used in adult psoriasis are mostly used only off-label in children and little is known about the efficacy and tolerability of these drugs in this population. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of systemic treatments in pediatric patients with psoriasis.
METHODS
Data were obtained retrospectively from the Department of Dermatology, Ondokuz Mayis University, School of Medicine between 2010-2019. Our study consisted of 742 pediatric patients (age ≤18 years) with psoriasis. Demographic data, adverse events of systemic treatments and healing periods were considered.
RESULTS
A total of 195 patients received systemic treatment. The mean age of onset of disease and the initiation of systemic therapy were 9.68±4.62 and 11.33±4.38 years, respectively. Patients received methotrexate (=52, 26.67%), cyclosporine (=18, 9.24%), acitretin (=106, 54.35%) and others (biologics and/or one of conventional treatments) (=19, 9.74%) as systemic therapy. Adverse events occurred in 12 patients (incidence of 6.15%, and its related 95% confidence interval of 2.75%, 9.56%) and nine of them had to discontinue the medication due to those adverse events. Healing periods calculated in the remaining 186 patients were 13.25±5.87, 10.85±5.67, 11.05±7.00, and 9.41±4.16 (mean±SD) weeks for acitretin, methotrexate, cyclosporine, and others, respectively. No statistically significant differences were noted between the treatments regarding the healing periods.
CONCLUSION
All treatments were effective and none of them was superior in terms of the healing period. Systemic treatments used in adults can also be used in pediatric patients with psoriasis with similar efficacy and safety rates as long as routine monitoring is provided.
Topics: Acitretin; Adolescent; Adult; Child; Child, Preschool; Cyclosporine; Dermatologic Agents; Humans; Methotrexate; Psoriasis; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 35014238
DOI: 10.34172/aim.2021.135 -
Applied Bionics and Biomechanics 2022To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of acitretin and MTX with TLR7/MyD88/CXCL16 in the treatment of pustular psoriasis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of acitretin and MTX with TLR7/MyD88/CXCL16 in the treatment of pustular psoriasis.
METHOD
A total of 54 patients with pustular psoriasis were randomly divided into control group ( = 14) and study group ( = 40). MTX was used in the control group, and different doses of acitretin were used in the study group, which were divided into low-dose group ( = 13), medium-dose group ( = 13), and high-dose group ( = 14). Symptom relief time, recurrence rate, GPPASI improvement rate, treatment response rate, BSA, DLQI score, and TLR7 and CXCL16 levels were compared among four groups.
RESULT
The erythema, fever, and pustules disappeared in the low-dose group, the medium-dose group, and the high-dose group for a shorter time than control group, and it is shortest for the high-dose group. The low-dose, medium-dose, and high-dose groups had relatively lower recurrence rates at 1 month and 3 months ( < 0.05). The improvement rates of GPPASI50 of the four groups (the control group, low-dose group, medium-dose group, and high-dose group in turn) were 71.4%, 78.3%, 80.2%, and 80.8%; GPPASI75 of the four groups were 73.5%, 74.3%, 79.4%, and 80.9%; and GPPASI90 were 12.9%, 13.1%, 13.4%, and 13.8%. After treatment, the BSA and DLQI scores of the four groups were reduced. The BSA and DLQI scores of the study group decreased more significantly, and the high-dose group had the most significant improvement ( < 0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the four groups was 16.2%, 8.1%, 10.3%, and 14.7%, respectively. The high-dose group had a higher incidence of adverse reaction than the low-dose group ( < 0.05). The effective rates of treatment of the four groups were 69.1%, 86.9%, 88.2%, and 91.9%, respectively. The study group had higher treatment efficiency than the control group, and the high-dose group had the highest treatment efficiency ( < 0.05). After treatment, the level of serum TLR7 and CXCL16 was significantly reduced, but which in the study group decreased more significantly ( < 0.05).
CONCLUSION
The clinical effect of a high dose of acitretin on pustular psoriasis is remarkable. It can reduce the recurrence rate and improve the quality of life and clinical symptoms. Therefore, a high dose of acitretin is worth popularizing and applying.
PubMed: 35355792
DOI: 10.1155/2022/9640326 -
Frontiers in Medicine 2021Psoriasis continues to have unmet needs in its management despite introduction of newer molecules. Monotherapy with these newer agents may not achieve therapeutic goals...
Psoriasis continues to have unmet needs in its management despite introduction of newer molecules. Monotherapy with these newer agents may not achieve therapeutic goals in all cases, hence necessitating their combinations with other molecules. Improved understanding of newer as well as conventional treatment modalities and experiences in their combinations hence necessitates therapeutic guidelines for their use in psoriasis. To review the combinations of treatments reported in literature and recommendations for their use based on best current evidence in literature. A literature review of MEDLINE database for studies evaluating combinations of newer therapies with conventional therapies in psoriasis was done. Newer therapies were identified as biologic disease modifying anti rheumatic drugs and other molecules such as apremilast while conventional therapies included methotrexate, cyclosporine, or retinoids, phototherapy and others. The therapeutic guidelines are proposed with the aim to provide evidenced based approach to combine newer and conventional agents in day-to-day psoriasis management. Combination of acitretin and narrow band ultraviolet B (NB-UVB)/Psoralen with ultraviolet A (PUVA) achieves faster clearance and allows reduction of dose of the latter. A variable outcome is reported of methotrexate with TNF-α inhibitors vs. TNF-α inhibitors alone, although addition of methotrexate appears to reduce immunogenicity of TNF-α inhibitors thereby preventing formation of anti-drug antibodies especially in case of infliximab. While combination of acitretin and PUVA is beneficial, combining TNF-α inhibitors and phototherapy too produces better and faster results but long term risks of Non Melanoma Skin Cancers (NMSCs) may preclude their use together. Combination of cyclosporine and phototherapy is not recommended due to greater chances of NMSCs. Adding phototherapy to Fumaric Acid Esters (FAEs) improves efficacy. Apremilast can be safely combined with available biologic agents in patients with plaque psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis not responding adequately to biologics alone. Hydroxyurea and acitretin may be used together increasing their efficacy and reducing doses of both and hence their adverse effects. Selected clinical scenarios shall benefit from combinations therapies, improving efficacy of both conventional and newer agents and at the same time helping reduce toxicity of higher dosages when used individually.
PubMed: 34490293
DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.696597 -
Frontiers in Medicine 2021Psoriasis is a skin condition associated with increased risks of developing metabolic diseases, such as diabetes and hyperlipidaemia. Retinoid drugs, including...
Psoriasis is a skin condition associated with increased risks of developing metabolic diseases, such as diabetes and hyperlipidaemia. Retinoid drugs, including acitretin, are commonly used to treat psoriasis due to its low cost and tolerable side effects. This study aimed to explore the influence of acitretin on patients' metabolism levels, especially lipid and glucose. In this retrospective study, a total of 685 psoriatic patients and 395 age/sex matched controls were enrolled. The demographic and biochemical indexes of each participant were recorded. Acitretin (30 mg/d) combined with the topical ointment calcipotriol was used to treat the psoriatic patients, and the glucose and lipid profiles of patients before and after acitretin treatment were analyzed. The blood glucose levels of 685 psoriasis patients were significantly higher than that of the control group ( < 0.001), while the blood lipid levels showed no difference between psoriatic patients and the matched controls. Triglyceride and low-density lipoprotein levels were significantly increased in 247 patients ( < 0.05) after 8 weeks of treatment with acitretin. Interestingly, there was a remarkable downward trend in body mass index (BMI) and blood glucose levels ( < 0.05) after acitretin treatment. Additionally, expression of both and in HaCaT and HepG2 cells were significantly increased when treated with acitretin. Compared to acitretin-free cells, the uptake of 2-NBDG was significantly higher in HaCaT and HepG2 cells after incubation with 5000 ng/mL acitretin for 36 h. Acitretin plays a significant role of reducing the blood glucose level in psoriasis patients. The mechanism of lowering blood glucose may be through increasing glucose intake by cells, thereby reducing glucose levels in the peripheral blood.
PubMed: 34977070
DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2021.764216