Journal of Drugs in Dermatology articles from August 2003

Journal of Drugs in Dermatology archives from August 2003

A letter from the editor-in-chief.(Editorial)
August 1, 2003... The Journal of Drugs in Dermatology is fortunate to have an esteemed international Editorial Board with representation from four continents. These physicians are experts within our field, and have diverse interests in medical, surgical, and...

Adalimumab (HUMIRA): a review.
August 1, 2003... Abstract Adalimumab (HUMIRA[TM], Abbott Laboratories) is a new fully human TNF-[alpha] monoclonal antibody recently approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and undergoing trials for use in treating other conditions, including...

Linezolid and quinupristin/dalfopristin: novel antibiotics for gram-positive infections of the skin.
August 1, 2003... Abstract With the continuing development of clinical drug resistance among bacteria, the need for new, effective agents to treat multi-drug-resistant Gram-positive infections remains important. With treatment options limited, it has become...

The role of apoptosis in human epidermal keratinocytes.
August 1, 2003... Abstract The mechanisms of apoptosis have been extensively studied in certain cell types such as lymphocytes. However, while it is known that apoptosis is an intrinsic part of the turnover of normal human keratinocytes, relatively little...

A single-center study of aminolevulinic acid and 417 nm photodynamic therapy in the treatment of moderate to severe acne vulgaris.
August 1, 2003... Abstract This article describes a single-center trial involving twenty-two patients with acne vulgaris. Blu-U light was used in all patients, while half were pre-treated with aminolevulinic acid. Preliminary results show promise for this...

Current trend in ivermectin usage for scabies.
August 1, 2003... Abstract Ivermectin, an anti-parasitic agent widely used for onchocerciasis in humans, is emerging as an oral antiscabietic that is as safe and effective as the topical antiscabietics. In the recent reports, all groups of population...

Vitiligo therapy: where are we now?
August 1, 2003... Abstract Vitiligo is a disfiguring skin disease. Many insights into its pathogenesis have been identified in recent years; however, treatment remains a challenge. In this article, the various treatment options for the treatment of vitiligo...

Systemic contact dermatitis to doxepin. (Case Reports).
August 1, 2003... Abstract Although allergic contact dermatitis to topical preparations of doxepin has been published (1-6, 10), systemic contact dermatitis from oral doxepin is more of a theoretical consideration and is rarely reported (2). We report a...

Erythema elevatum diutinum in an HIV-positive patient. (Case Reports).
August 1, 2003... Abstract A 53-year old man with HIV infection and hepatitis C infection presented with multiple, firm nodules on the hands and ankles. Erythema elevatum diutinum is a rare, chronic cutaneous vasculitis that may be associated with...

The use of infliximab in cutaneous sarcoidosis. (Case Reports).
August 1, 2003... Abstract Infliximab, a chimeric (humanized mouse) monoclonal antibody which specifically inhibits TNF-[alpha], has recently shown efficacy in the treatment of refractory sarcoidosis (1,2). The manifestations of sarcoidosis are diverse;...

Case and discussion of lyme disease. (Case Reports).
August 1, 2003... Abstract Lyme disease is a multisystem disease with prominent neurological involvement, primarily affecting the nervous system, skin, joints, and heart. We report the case of a patent with Lyme Disease and discuss the background as...

Annular erythema responding to tacrolimus ointment. (Case Reports).
August 1, 2003... Abstract Annular erythema is an unusual, often idiopathic disorder that tends to respond poorly to topical therapy. Two patients with idiopathic, topical corticosteroid-resistant annular erythema showed prompt clearing of lesions...

Cardiac catheterization-induced acute radiation dermatitis presenting as a fixed drug eruption. (Case Reports).
August 1, 2003... Abstract Acute radiation dermatitis is an uncommon complication of fluoroscopic procedures. Cases secondary to cardiac catheterization are infrequently reported in the literature. The risk of developing this reaction is directly related to...

New and emerging treatments for nonmelanomas and actinic keratoses. (SCF Update).
August 1, 2003... New therapies have emerged over the past decade for non-surgical management of the nonmelanoma skin cancers--basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)--and for precancerous actinic keratoses (Ask). Although surgical removal...

Systemic and topical drugs for aging skin. (Focus On: skin rejuvenation).
August 1, 2003... Abstract The rejuvenation of aging skin is a common desire for our patients, and several options are available. Although there are some systemic methods, the most commonly used treatments for rejuvenation of the skin are applied topically....

Pipeline previews.
August 1, 2003... New Drug Application 9-048/S-037 Approval Date: 3/26/03 Name: 8-MOP (methoxsalen) Capsules Applicant: ICN Pharmaceuticals OTC/RX status: RX Indication/Updated labeling...

Topical peanut oil and intake of soy protein may lead to development of peanut allergy in children. (Washington Whispers).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Data collected from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children was used to investigate the antecedents of peanut allergy in children. The study enrolled pregnant women in order to determine the features of the environment that that...

A humanized IgG1 monoclonal antibody against IgE increases peanut sensitization thresholds. (Washington Whispers).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-ranging study sought to examine the effects of TNX-901 on subjects with an immediate hypersensitivity to peanuts. TNX-901 is a humanized IgC1 monoclonal antibody against IgE that...

Application of topical petrolatum and salicylic acid blocks UVB and reduces MED. (Washington Whispers).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... This single-blind, vehicle-controlled study aimed to determine the effect of topical petrolatum and salicylic acid on the minimal erythema dose (MED). Thirty-five subjects underwent phototesting to determine their MED for UVB. In addition, four...

Comendonal cytokines elevated following UV irridation in stationary acne patients. (Washington Whispers).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The aim of this study was to determine the effect of UVA and UVB on sebum production and cytokine levels in comedones. Thirteen acne patients with acne lesions on their back underwent irradiation with UVA to the left side of the back, UVB to...

Single pulse dose of itraconazole effective in the treatment of tinea pedis. (Washington Whispers).(Author Abstract)
August 1, 2003... This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of single pulse dosing of itraconazole in the treatment of tinea pedis. This was an open-design, prospective, non-comparative study which involved initially 58 patients, of whom only...

Successful use of tissue-engineered skin in the management of wound stumps. (Washington Whispers).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... This case report describes the use of tissue-engineered skin on the wound stumps of an infant girl. A 6-month old girl presented with meningococcemia and septic shock. She developed purpura fulminans with necrosis of the distal upper and lower...

Serum S100 is not useful in staging of melanoma. (Washington Whispers).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The aim of this study was to determine if serum S100 levels could predict micrometastatic disease in malignant melanoma. S 100 is a calcium binding protein found in glial and melanoma cells. Thirty-one patients with primary cutaneous melanoma...

Enriched and highly hydrating skin moisturizers may decrease skin damage due to allergic contact dermatitis. (Washington Whispers).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The purpose of this double-blind study was to determine if the use of certain moisturizers could influence the development of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD)-related skin barrier damage. A highly hydrating moisturizer and a poorly hydrating...

Erythrocyte sedimentation rate as a marker for malignancy in dermatomyositis. (Washington Whispers).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... This case-control, retrospective study was designed to reveal predictive signs of malignancy in dermatomyositis. Fifty-nine patients with confirmed dermatomyositis were reviewed for several parameters including demographic data, presence of...

Treatment of telangiectasia macularis eruptiva perstans with total skin electron beam radiation. (Washington Whispers).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... This case report describes the successful use of total skin electron beam (TSEB) radiation on a 60-year old man with telangiectasia macularis eruptive perstans (TMEP). The patient presented with symptoms of flushing and pruritic reddish-brown...

High dose cetirizine in the treatment of chronic idiopathic urticaria. (Washington Whispers).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... This case report describes the use of up to 50 mg of cetirizine in the treatment of chronic idiopathic urticaria. A 40-year old man presented with a 4-week history of generalized urticaria. The onset of symptoms were not associated temporally...

IVIG reduces corticosteroid requirement in pemphigus foliaceus. (Washington Whispers).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... The purpose of this retrospective study was to present the use of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy in seven patients with severe pemphigus foliaceus (PF) and the dosage requirement of prednisone before, during, and after IVIG therapy....

Panniculitis following subcutaneous injection with interferon alpha. (Washington Whispers).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... This is a case report describing the development of panniculitis following treatment with subcutaneous interferon alpha. A 44-year-old patient with multiple sclerosis received adjuvant immune therapy with recombinant 6 Mio IU interferon-beta...

A phase II study evaluating the safety and effectiveness of ABT-510 in subjects with refractory lymphoma. (Clinical Trial Review).
August 1, 2003... Sponsored by: Abbott Laboratories Purpose: The primary objective of this study is to assess the safety and effectiveness of ABT-510 in subjects with refractory lymphoma. Condition Treatment or Intervention Phase ...

Double-blind, controlled dose finding study NGX-4010 for the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia. (Clinical Trial Review).
August 1, 2003... Sponsored by: NeurogesX Purpose: The purpose of the study is to assess the efficacy, safety and tolerability of the high-concentration capsaicin path at three different dose levels (i.e., application durations) for the treatment of...

A phase II randomized study evaluating the safety and efficacy of ABT-510 in subjects with locally advanced or metastatic soft tissue sarcoma. (Clinical Trial Review).
August 1, 2003... Sponsored by: Abbott Laboratories Purpose: The primary objective of this study is to assess the safety and effectiveness of ABT-510 in subjects with locally advanced or metastatic soft tissue sarcoma. Condition Treatment...

BCX-1777 in treating patients with refractory cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. (Clinical Trial Review).
August 1, 2003... Sponsored by: BioCryst Pharmaceuticals RATIONALE: BCX-1777 may stop the growth of cancer cells by blocking the enzymes necessary for cancer cell growth. PURPOSE: Phase I/II trial to study the effectiveness BCX-1777 in treating patients...

Doxorubicin with or without ifosfamide in treating patients with locally advanced or metastatic soft tissue sarcoma. (Clinical Trial Review).
August 1, 2003... Sponsored by: EORTC Soft Tissue and Bone Sarcoma Cooperative Group RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy such as doxorubicin and ifosfamide use different ways to stop tumor cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. It is not yet...

Total-body irradiation, cyclophosphamide, and stem cell transplantation in treating patients with hematologic cancer. (Clinical Trial Review).
August 1, 2003... Sponsored by: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and National Cancer Institute (NCI) RATIONALE: Adjusting the dose of drugs used in chemotherapy such as cyclophosphamide may decrease side effects while stopping cancer cells from...

Irinotecan and thalidomide in treating patients with advanced solid tumors. (Clinical Trial Review).
August 1, 2003... Sponsored by: University of Chicago Cancer Research Center and National Cancer Institute (NCI) RATIONALE: Thalidomide may stop the growth of cancer by stopping blood flow to the tumor. Drugs used in chemotherapy such as irinotecan use...

Moxifloxacin compared with ciprofloxacin/amoxicillin in treating fever and neutropenia in patients with cancer. (Clinical Trial Review).
August 1, 2003... Sponsored by: EORTC International Antimicrobial Therapy Group RATIONALE: Antibiotics such as amoxicillin, ciprofloxacin, and moxifloxacin may be effective in preventing or controlling fever and neutropenia in patients with cancer. It is not...

Rituximab with or without pixantrone in treating patients with indolent non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. (Clinical Trial Review).
August 1, 2003... Sponsored by: Novuspharma RATIONALE: Drugs used in chemotherapy such as pixantrone use different ways to stop cancer cells from dividing so they stop growing or die. Monoclonal antibodies such as rituximab can locate cancer cells and...

Study of Karenitecin (BNP 1350) to treat Malignant Melanoma. (Clinical Trial Review).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Sponsored by BioNumerik Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine if Karenitecin (BNP1350) is effective in the treatment of Malignant Melanoma. Condition Treatment or Intervention Phase ...

Effect of Niacin Extended Release and Lovastatin tablets on walking in patients with intermittent claudication. (Clinical Trial Review).
August 1, 2003... Sponsored by: Kos Pharmaceuticals Purpose: You are being asked to participate in a research study that will determine if Niacin ER/Lovastatin at two different doses compared to diet control (this group will receive a tablet containing 50...

ARBELIC[TM] (TD 6424) for treatment of uncomplicated staphylococcus aureus bacteremia. (Clinical Trial Review).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2003... Sponsored by Theravance Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine whether ARBELIC[TM] (TD-6424) can be safety administered to patients with bloodstream infections and whether ARBELIC[TM] (TD-6424) is effective in treating these...