Top five read dermatology articles in July include vitiligo, psoriasis studies

Study results focusing on Xeljanz as a possibly effective treatment for vitiligo was the most read article in July on Healio.com/Dermatology.

Other widely read articles included study results finding that patients with psoriasis, and particularly psoriatic arthritis, were at increased risk of developing arrhythmia, and the FDA granting orphan drug status to Humira for treating hidradenitis suppurativa:

Xeljanz might be effective as vitiligo treatment

Xeljanz (tofacitinib citrate, Pfizer) was effective as treatment in a patient with vitiligo, according to recently published study results.

Brett A. King

Brett A. King, MD, PhD, and colleague Brittany G. Craiglow, MD, reported on a woman aged in her 50s who had widespread and progressive vitiligo for approximately 1 year. Read more

Patients with psoriasis, psoriatic arthritis at greater risk for developing arrhythmia

Patients with psoriasis, and particularly those with psoriatic arthritis, were at increased risk for developing arrhythmia, independent of traditional cardiovascular risk factors, according to recently published study results.

Researchers conducted a population-based cohort study and used the Taiwan Health Insurance Research Database to identify 40,367 patients with psoriasis and 162,548 people without psoriasis from 2004 to 2006. Read more

FDA grants orphan drug status to Humira for treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa

AbbVie announced that the FDA has granted orphan drug designation to Humira for treating moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa.

The supplemental biologic license application by AbbVie seeking the agency’s approval for the use of Humira (adalimumab) in patients with moderate-to-severe hidradenitis suppurativa (Hurley Stage II and Hurley Stage III disease) is being reviewed by the FDA, according to a press release. Read more

Children with early-onset vitiligo more likely to have extensive, progressive disease

Children who were diagnosed with vitiligo before age 3 years were more likely to have progressive and extensive disease compared with those who developed later-onset childhood vitiligo, according to recently published study results.

Researchers conducted a retrospective chart review of 208 children evaluated for vitiligo from January 1990 to Nov. 15, 2014, at the Ronald O. Perelman Department of Dermatology, New York University School of Medicine. Read more

Patients with psoriasis treated with Humira had correlation between adipokines, disease severity

Among patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis treated with Humira, correlations were found between leptin and metabolic syndrome and inflammation, and between resistin and inflammation and disease severity, according to study results.

Researchers in Spain evaluated whether leptin and resistin, two adipokines, correlated with metabolic syndrome and disease severity in patients with psoriasis. They conducted a prospective study of 29 patients without diabetes but with moderate-to-severe psoriasis who completed therapy with Humira (adalimumab, AbbVie) for 6 months. Read more