Increased serum IL-6, TNF-alpha and IL-10 levels in patients with bullous pemphigoid: relationships with disease activity

AIM: The present report analyzes the serum levels of three cytokines, interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) in 15 patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP) (compared with 20 healthy controls) to evaluate a possible involvement of these biological modulators in the clinical expression of this disease. BACKGROUND: BP is a rare bullous disease of autoimmune origin with evidence of inflammatory processes that cause skin lesions with local increase of various pro-inflammatory mediators. METHODS: Determination of cytokine concentrations were obtained employing commercially available ELISA kits. RESULTS: The sera of BP patients showed increased levels of these three cytokines (P < 0.01). When the number of skin lesions (blisters and/or erosion) of each patient, employed as a marker of disease activity, was correlated with the serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-alpha, significant correlations were found (IL-6: P < 0.01 and TNF-alpha: P < 0.01, respectively), suggesting a possible role of these mediators in the development of BP blisters. The serum levels of IL-6 also correlated (P = 0.01 with those of serum C reactive protein (CRP), an acute-phase protein induced by IL-6 in hepatocytes. In addition, serum TNF-alpha and sE-selectin (an adhesion molecule previously reported to be increased by this cytokine) levels were also correlated (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: On the basis of these data, it may be indicated that at least IL-6 and TNF-alpha are associated with the clinical expression of BP and that the endothelial activation (possibly induced by the TNF-alpha activity), seems to be an important phase of this dermatosis.     

Low-Dose Rituximab for Bullous Pemphigoid. Protocol and Single-Center Experience

BackgroundLow-dose rituximab is a protocol used in several autoimmune diseases, that has also shown to be effective and safe in pemphigus vulgaris.ObjectivesTo study whether low-dose rituximab is also effective for bullous pemphigoid.MethodsPatients with BP were treated with a single cycle of two infusions of rituximab 500 mg at an interval of 2 weeks. Early and late end points were monitored.ResultsSix patients, five males and a female, with a mean age of 78.6 years (range 65–89) and a mean history of BP of 6.7 months (range 2–16) were included. A rapid and marked response was observed after a single cycle of treatment, with a mean time to disease control and to end of consolidation phase of 1.9 (range 1–3), and 4 weeks (range 3–5), respectively. Four patients achieved a late end point at a mean of 15.75 weeks (range 13–20). Three of them achieved partial remission with no therapy (two patients) or with minimal therapy (one patient), and one of them achieved complete remission with no therapy. One patient has 6 weeks of clinical follow-up after rituximab administration. The remaining patient relapsed 4 weeks after the rituximab treatment, and remains in complete remission with more than minimal therapy. One patient had a herpetic gingivostomatitis related to rituximab.ConclusionsLow-dose rituximab for BP achieved acceptable remission rates and steroid-sparing activity, with a better safety profile and a lower cost, compared to standard doses. This pilot study suggests that low-dose rituximab could be a therapeutic option for BP.     

Association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration and severity of first-diagnosed bullous pemphigoid in older adults

BackgroundHigher vitamin D status has been associated with symptom improvement and decreased risk of various autoimmune disorders. Our objective was to determine whether higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentration correlated with less severe first-diagnosed bullous pemphigoid (BP) in older inpatients.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was performed from November 2012 to February 2014 among 30 consecutive older inpatients (21 women; mean ± SD, 83 ± 7 years; all Caucasian) with a de novo diagnosis of active BP recruited in the Department of Dermatology of Angers University Hospital, France. The severity of BP was graded clinically on the basis of i) the number of bullae during the first three days of hospitalization (grade 0–4, worse), and ii) the extent of the lesions (grade 0–5, worse).ResultsSixteen participants had ≤ 5 bullae at the time of diagnosis, 8 had 6–20 bullae, 3 had 20–50 bullae, and 3 had >50 bullae. The lesions were spread over 5 cutaneous areas in 5 participants (17%). The median 25OHD concentration was 23 [IQR, 16–42] nmol/L. Serum 25OHD concentration was inversely correlated with the bullae grade (ρ = − 0.38, p = 0.04) and the lesion extension grade (ρ = − 0.50, p = 0.005).ConclusionsHigher serum 25OHD concentration correlated with less severe BP prior to initiation of treatment among our sample of older inpatients. This result suggests that vitamin D may be involved in the pathophysiology of BP and could serve as prognostic biomarker of BP.     

The Steroid-Sparing Effect of Long-Term Plasmapheresis in Pemphigus: An Update

Abstract: Glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive agents can induce remission in most pemphigus patients, but mortality remains at 5 to 15% as a result of side effects. We reviewed the adjunctive effect of long-term plasmapheresis in 8 pemphigus patients. Four cases had been resistant to conventional therapy. One or 2 large-volume plasmapheresis treatments were given monthly over 5 to 141 months. All patients, were in clinical remission within 2 months. Relapses seldom occurred: the patients stayed in remission 90% (40–94) (median, ranges) of the period. In all cases the daily dose of glucocorticoid was reduced. The prednisone level could be decreased from 38 (15–80) mg/day to 7.5 (2.5–35) mg/day (p = 0.002). The overall level of other immunosuppressive agents remained unchanged, except in 1 patient for whom cyclosporine was introduced. This indicates that long-term plasmapheresis could have a steroid-sparing effect and clinical efficacy in pemphigus.—     

浅层角膜病变的临床病因探讨

３３５例浅层角膜病变病例的统计分析发现沙眼的构成比最主同，其次为外伤性，细菌性，病毒性，干燥性等，放射性，干燥性，暴露性，腺病毒性等病变主要累及角膜中央部，细菌性，病毒性，药物性，角膜接触镜性等主要表现为弥漫或散在性角膜病变，春季卡他性结角膜炎，沙眼等主要累及上方角膜，下睑缘炎及部分干燥性，暴露性等病变可位于下方角膜。长期和／或多药联合所致的药物性角膜上皮损害引起重视。     

新鲜羊膜移植治疗大泡性角膜病变的临床观察

目的:观察新鲜羊膜移植治疗大泡性角膜病变的临床疗效,探讨大泡性角膜病变有效可行的治疗方法。方法:回顾分析经新鲜羊膜移植进行治疗的13例13眼大泡性角膜病变,其中人工晶状体眼10例,绝对期青光眼2例,外伤性晶状体前脱位1例。对13例患者术后眼部刺激症状消失时间、大泡消失例数、羊膜溶解时间、角膜上皮完全修复时间、视力改善状况进行分析评价,同时与报告中大泡性角膜病变的其他治疗方法上述指标比较。结果:13例大泡性角膜病变患者中10例在术后3d内疼痛消失,13例大泡消失,14d内移植的新鲜羊膜全部溶解,无1例出现排斥反应,14d内角膜上皮完全修复,与报告中除角膜移植外的视力改善率有显著性差异(P<0.05)外,与其余同类方法相关指标比较无统计学差异。结论:新鲜羊膜移植治疗大泡性角膜病变是取材方便、费用低廉、效果可靠的治疗方法。     

角膜板层烧灼术治疗大泡性角膜病变

目的:观察板层角膜烧灼术治疗大泡性角膜病变(bullous keratopathy,BK)的手术疗效。方法:对12例12眼BK患者采用角膜板层烧灼术治疗,由老年性白内障囊外摘除后房型人工晶状体植入术后发病3例,白内障超声乳化术后发病4例,青光眼白内障联合术后1例,绝对期青光眼引起3例,眼外伤引起1例,术前眼部刺激症状明显,视力6例无光感,2例光感,光定位不准确,4例眼前手动。均行角膜板层切开,层间烧灼角膜实质层术。结果:术后1d,眼部疼痛等刺激症状缓解,刺激症状消失。术后5～7d裂隙灯下见角膜水肿减轻,上皮水泡消失。随访2mo～2a,术后视力由术前的光感及眼前手动提高至眼前指数及0.02,刺激症状消失。裂隙灯下见角膜层间有灰白色混浊。均未发现BK复发及并发症的发生。结论:此手术方法疗效肯定,可有效地控制BK的症状,防止BK的复发,患者创伤较小,治疗费用较低。是治疗BK可供选择的有效方法。     

Corneal biopsy in microbial keratitis

Presumed microbial keratitis in the absence of a specific microbiological diagnosis is a particularly difficult clinical problem. Corneal biopsy may provide the diagnosis when corneal scrapings have been negative. We present two cases in which corneal biopsy was helpful and discuss the role of corneal biopsy in the management of chronic keratitis     

白内障术后角膜病变治疗的新进展

白内障患者晶状体超声乳化术后的角膜水肿、干眼、角膜内皮功能失代偿致大泡性角膜病变等严重影响着患者满意度和视觉质量。长期以来,穿透性角膜移植是角膜内皮功能失代偿患者视力恢复的有效方法,但角膜供体缺乏及移植后角膜内皮细胞密度降低等问题仍然无法解决。近年来,角膜内皮移植、局部角膜后弹力层撕除、人工培养角膜内皮细胞植片的移植、Rho激酶抑制剂调节角膜内皮细胞增殖等方面的进展和新手段,为白内障术后角膜内皮功能失代偿患者的治疗带来新思路。