February's top dermatology reads include Parkinson's-melanoma link

Study results finding a link between Parkinson’s disease and melanoma was among the most-read news of February on Healio.com/Dermatology.

Other widely read articles during the month included study findings that rosacea was associated with specific autoimmune diseases and that Stelara was more effective than tumor necrosis factor inhibitors in treating psoriasis at 6 and 12 months:

Link found between Parkinson's disease, melanoma

There is a link between Parkinson’s disease and melanoma, with possible etiologies including family history and common genetic susceptibility, according to recently published study results.

“Given that [levodopa] is a substrate in melanin synthesis, there existed a concern that this therapy [for Parkinson’s disease] might cause melanoma,” researchers from the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, wrote. Read more

Pfizer announces leadership team for combined company after proposed Allergan merger

Pfizer announced in a press release its executive leadership team for the combined Pfizer and Allergan business following the close of the proposed merger of the companies.

Through the closing of the transaction, Pfizer’s Global Innovative Pharma (GIP) business and its Vaccines Oncology and Consumer (VOC) business will operate separately under Albert Bourla, currently group president of VOC, according to the release. Read more

Rosacea associated with RA, diabetes, celiac disease, multiple sclerosis

Rosacea had a significant association with type 1 diabetes mellitus, celiac disease, multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis, according to recently published study results.

Researchers in Denmark conducted a population-based, case-control study of 6,759 patients with rosacea (63.2% women; mean age, 40.2 years) and 33,795 controls matched on age, sex and calendar time. Conditional logistic regression was used to calculate ORs. Read more

Stelara superior to TNF-α inhibitors in treating psoriasis at 6, 12 months

Stelara was significantly more effective in treating patients with psoriasis compared with three tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors at 6 months and 12 months, according to recently published study results.

Researchers used data from the Psoriasis Longitudinal Assessment and Registry (PSOLAR) study to compare therapeutic responses of 2,076 patients with psoriasis (57.4% male; mean age, 46.5 years) initiating treatment with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) inhibitors — Remicade (infliximab, Janssen), Humira (adalimumab, AbbVie) or Enbrel (etanercept, Amgen) — or Stelara (ustekinumab, Janssen), which inhibits interleukin-12/23. Read more

Wave flap reliably repairs defects of mid-alar groove

The wave flap surgical technique produced a reliable, single-stage repair for defects in the horizontally oriented middle third of the alar groove, according to recently published study results.

Researchers conducted a retrospective case study of 10 patients (six men; median age, 64 years) who received Mohs micrographic surgery. A wave flap (WF) design was used to repair surgery defects involving the alar groove between February 2012 and January 2013. Read more