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Background Understanding genetic variations is important in predicting treatment response and forms the basis for identifying new pharmacogenetic and pharmacogenomic targets for psoriasis treatment. There are limited data on the efficacy of secukinumab in relation to genetic markers. Objectives To evaluate the efficacy and safety of secukinumab 300 mg in HLA-Cw6-positive (Cw6-POS) and HLA-Cw6-negative (Cw6-NEG) patients with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque-type psoriasis. Methods SUPREME was a 24-week, phase IIIb study with an extension period up to 72 weeks. Primary end point was Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) 90 response rate after 16 weeks. Results In total, 434 patients were recruited: 185 (42·6%) were Cw6-POS and 246 (56·7%) were Cw6-NEG (three not assessed). Mean ± SD age was 45·2 ± 13·2 years (Cw6-POS 42·7 ± 13·1; Cw6-NEG 47·2 ± 12·9). The baseline PASI score was comparable between the cohorts [Cw6-POS 20·7 ± 8·99; Cw6-NEG 21·5 ± 9·99 (P = 0·777)]. At week 16, PASI 90 was achieved in 80·4% of Cw6-POS and 79·7% of Cw6-NEG patients (difference 0·76; 95% confidence interval -7·04 to 8·23). No differences in absolute PASI at week 16 (Cw6-POS 1·36 ± 3·58; Cw6-NEG 1·18 ± 2·29) were observed. The overall safety profile of secukinumab was consistent with that previously reported. No statistically significant difference was detected in the rate of treatment-emergent adverse events [Cw6-POS 42·7%; Cw6-NEG 49·6% (P = 0·295)]. A high PASI 90 response was achieved with secukinumab with a fast reduction in absolute PASI. Conclusions Determination of HLA-Cw6 status for secukinumab therapy is unnecessary, as it is highly effective regardless of HLA-Cw6 status.

Glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL) are indicators of dietary carbohydrate quantity and quality and have been associated with increased risk of certain cancers and type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance has been associated with increased melanoma risk. However, GI and GL have not been investigated for melanoma. We present the first study to examine the possible association of GI and GL with melanoma risk. We carried out a population-based, case–control study involving 380 incident cases of cutaneous melanoma and 719 age- and sex-matched controls in a northern Italian region. Dietary GI and GL were computed for each subject using data from a self-administered, semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. We computed the odds ratio (OR) for melanoma according to quintiles of distribution of GL and GL among controls. A direct association between melanoma risk and GL emerged in females (OR 2·38; 95 % CI 1·25, 4·52 for the highest v. the lowest quintile of GL score, Pfor trend 0·070) but not in males. The association in females persisted in the multivariable analysis after adjusting for several potential confounders. There was no evidence of an association between GI and melanoma risk. GL might be associated with melanoma risk in females.

Background: Some results from laboratory and epidemiologic studies suggest that diet may influence the risk of melanoma, but convincing evidence for a role of single nutrients or food items is lacking. Diet quality, which considers the combined effect of multiple food items, may be superior for examining this relation. Objective: We sought to assess whether diet quality, evaluated with the use of 4 different dietary indexes, is associated with melanoma risk. Methods: In this population-based case-control study, we analyzed the relation between 4 diet quality indexes, the Healthy Eating Index 2010 (HEI-2010), Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) index, Greek Mediterranean Index (GMI), and Italian Mediterranean Index (IMI), and melanomarisk in a northern Italian community, with the use of data from 380 cases and 719 matched controls who completed a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Results: In the overall sample, we found an inverse association between disease risk and the HEI-2010 and DASH index, but not the Mediterranean indexes, adjusting for potential confounders (skin phototype, body mass index, energy intake, sunburn history, skin sun reaction, and education). However, in sex stratified analyses, the association appeared only in women (P-trend: 0.10 and 0.04 for the HEI-2010 and DASH index, respectively). The inverse relations were stronger in women younger than age 50 y than in older women, for whom the GMI and IMI scores also showed an inverse association with disease risk (P-trend: 0.05 and 0.02, respectively). Conclusions: These results suggest that diet quality may play a role in cutaneous melanoma etiology among women. JN utr2015;145:1800‐7.

71st Meeting of the American Academy of DermatologyMiami Beach, FL, USA, 1–5 March 2013The 71st meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology took place in Miami Beach from 1st to 5th March 2013. The meeting was a big success in terms of scientific output and number of participants, being the most attended meeting in the history of the Academy up to now. The scientific sessions covered basically all the fields of dermatology, encompassing the newest updates from oncologic to cosmetic dermatology. Herein, we focus on cutaneous oncology sessions, including melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer, resuming both diagnostic and therapeutic updates with special attention to skin cancer prevention and the fascinating frontiers of the new available treatments.

Different types of melanocytic nevi do exist in relation to their epidemiology, evolution, morphology, genetics, and their associated melanoma risk. The introduction of dermoscopy has opened a new morphologic dimension of melanocytic nevi; this along with recent progresses in our understanding of the molecular pathways involved in the formation of nevi opened new ways to classify nevi. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2012.

Skin cancer is the most common malignancy in humans, thus representing a major health concern. Because of the increasing attention to skin cancer prevention, there has been a growing workload for dermatology clinics, with patients referred from primary care requiring assessment of suspicious skin tumors. This places a strain on limited specialist resources and can create a paradoxical situation wherein an early diagnosis becomes increasingly difficult for those patients who actually do suffer from skin cancer. The aim of these recommendations is to propose an updated, rational system of triage, involving improved accuracy of diagnosis and more timely management of skin cancer by both general practitioners and dermatologists.

ejd.2012.1771 Auteur(s) : Danica Tiodorovic-Zivkovic1, Iris Zalaudek2, Caterina Longo3, Barbara De Pace3, Giuseppe Albertini3, Giuseppe Argenziano3 g.argenziano@gmail.com 1 Clinic of Dermatovenerology Medical University of Nis, Nis, Serbia 2 Department of Dermatology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria 3 Dermatology Unit, Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova, Viale Risorgimento 80, 42100 Reggio Emilia, Italy Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most frequent skin cancer in Caucasians. [...]