Search

Topical therapies have been available for the treatment of psoriasis for several decades. Despite this and the availability of several types of topicals, with varying potency, and numerous vehicles of administration, the majority of clinical data and guidance is on short-term use in the management of psoriasis. The aim of this manuscript is to review the unmet needs that exist in the long-term management of psoriasis and provide the dermatology community with an understanding that a treatment regimen with topical therapies could be the best treatment option at least for some phases of this chronic relapsing disease. We present a 'call to action' on the need for clinical alignment on terminology in the field and recommend the term 'long-term management' be adopted as the most appropriate in the context of this manuscript. This expert opinion report provides a detailed review of the limited evidence available regarding long-term use of topical therapies for the management of psoriasis, alongside our key considerations and recommendations to assist dermatologists with the implementation of topicals as part of long-term management strategies. Long-term management should be considered mandatory to ensure patients receive appropriate proactive treatment which may help optimize adherence and long-term outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data on the effectiveness and safety of a drug in real‐world clinical practice complement the evidence from clinical trials, which are carried out in a different setting. Little has been published on the effectiveness and safety of guselkumab in the treatment of psoriasis in clinical practice. The ojective of this study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of guselkumab at 24 weeks in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in routine clinical practice. A retrospective, multicentre study of adult patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis treated with guselkumab for at least 24 weeks was carried out in Spain. We studied 343 patients, 249 of whom were followed for 24 weeks. By week 24, the mean (SD) psoriasis area severity index (PASI) had decreased from 11.1 (7.3) to 1.7 (2.8) (−9.3; [−10.2;‐8.4]), 85.9% of the patients had achieved PASI score of 4 or less and 77.9% a PASI score of 2 or less. In terms of relative PASI response, 59.4% of the patients achieved a PASI‐90 response and 49.0% a PASI‐100 response. On multivariate analysis, two factors reduced the probability of a PASI of 2 or less at 24 weeks: a BMI ≥30 (OR, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.22–0.88) and a greater previous exposure to biologic therapy (OR, 0.69; 95% CI, [0.56–0.84]). Adverse events were rare (9.9%) and led to withdrawal from treatment in only nine patients (2.6%) by the end of the follow‐up period. The results of this study confirm the high efficacy and safety of guselkumab indicated by the clinical trial data. In clinical practice, the absolute PASI score appears to be a better marker of response to treatment than the relative value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author presents a defense of the Spanish Constitution of 1978, the supreme norm of the legal system and the basis of coexistence among citizens. Born of the pact and reconciliation, it can be considered a success and the longest-lasting supreme norm in Spanish constitutional history. The Constitution of 1978 can be considered an unparalleled success in a country that in its contemporary stage has known ominous absolutism, pronouncements, civil wars and dictatorships and few periods of constitutional life. In addition, it has stood the test of time reasonably well and many more than most still identify with its principles and institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze the performance of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) screening tools, examine their implementation in daily practice, and reach a consensus about the best screening tool for implementation in daily practice in different medical settings. Methods: A systematic literature review (SLR), structured telephone interviews to hospitals, and a multidisciplinary nominal group meeting were all conducted. The SLR employed sensitive search strategies using Medline, Embase, and the Cochrane Library up to January 2020. Two reviewers independently selected articles that reported data on PsA screening tools and that included sufficient data to at least calculate the sensitivity and specificity of those tools (e.g., questionnaires, algorithms, specific questions, and biomarkers). The hospital interviews collected data regarding the process of suspected PsA diagnosis and referral to rheumatology, the implementation of PsA screening tools, and barriers and facilitators to implementation of those tools. In the nominal group meeting, a multidisciplinary team of experts discussed all these data and subsequently recommended a screening tool for implementation. Results: The SLR included 41 moderate-quality studies that analyzed 14 PsA screening tools, most of which were questionnaire-based tools. All of these studies reported a moderate-good performance but presented different characteristics regarding the time to completion or the number and type of items or questions. The implementation of screening tools was low (30.5%). The experts ultimately recommended regular use of a PsA screening tool, preferably the PURE-4 questionnaire. Conclusions: The implementation of PsA screening tools like the PURE-4 questionnaire in daily practice likely improves the prognosis of PsA patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of sex on systemic therapy for psoriasis has not been well studied. The aim of this study was to analyse a large multicentre Spanish cohort of 2,881 patients with psoriasis (58.3% males), followed from January 2008 to November 2018, to determine whether sex influences prescription, effectiveness of therapy, and the risk of adverse events. The results show that women are more likely than men to be prescribed biologics. There were no differences between men and women in effectiveness of therapy, measured in terms of drug survival. Women were more likely to develop adverse events, but the difference in risk was small and does not justify different management. Study limitations include residual confounding and the use of drug survival as a proxy for effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The management of HIV-positive patients with psoriasis is controversial and limited to individual cases or short series of patients. Objectives: To evaluate the safety and effectiveness of conventional and biologic immunosuppressive drugs in the treatment of patients with psoriasis and concomitant HIV infection. Methods: A retrospective multicenter study was conducted. The study included data from 2008 to 2016. Inclusion criteria were: HIV adult patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis, HIV viral load determinations at baseline and at least after 6 months of treatment, and systemic immunosuppressive treatment for at least 6 months. A descriptive analysis was performed. Results: Twenty-three patients with plaque-type psoriasis and HIV infection (five with AIDS) were included. Median follow-up time was 3.2 years. The main drugs used were etanercept, methotrexate, and ustekinumab. In most cases, viral load and CD4 cell count not only remained stable but also improved throughout the follow-up. Six patients presented severe adverse events during the follow-up, four of them in the AIDS stage. At the end of the follow-up period, 76.5% of the patients had achieved a PASI 75. Conclusion: Biologic drugs, both anti-TNF alpha agents and ustekinumab, seem to have an acceptable safety profile and high effectiveness in HIV-positive patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Published in autumn 2017, the 9th edition of Giuseppe de Vergottini's Diritto costituzionale, a comprehensive and up to date study of italian Constitutional Law, is not only useful for professors and students but also for researchers. It is an achieved example of today's handbooks on the subject. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although not perceived by a great part of the public opinion, the text affirms the independence of the Spanish Judges. Also defends the General Council of the Judiciary but maintains that their members must be elected by the Cortes among judges and jurists of acknowledged competence and proven ability for sustaining their own criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Identifying patients likely to have very good or bad results from systemic psoriasis therapy could improve efficiency of therapy.Objective: To develop prognostic models for good or bad response to classic systemic drugs, anti-TNFs, and ustekinumab in psoriasis.Methods: Multivariable logistic regression of a prospective multicenter cohort of psoriatic patients in clinical practice (6449 person-years of follow-up). We used as possible predictors demographic characteristics, comorbidities, characteristics of the psoriasis (type, PASI, arthritis), history of past therapy at entry in the cohort, and history of response to previous cycles while in the cohort. We defined good response to a treatment cycle as either cycle end due to disease remission or a cycle longer than 2 years that does not end later due to inefficacy in the follow-up period. Bad response to a treatment cycle was defined as a cycle that is finished due to inefficacy, based on the physician judgment, after more than 3 months of treatment.Results: Patients with fewer previous therapies, lower body mass index, older at start of therapy, and with previous history of good responses to therapy are more likely to have positive results of therapy. However, the predictive characteristics of models are poor.Conclusion: Predictive models of clinical response to systemic drugs in psoriasis with the studied variables do not seem to outperform drug selection by a dermatologist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]