Journal of Drugs in Dermatology articles from March 2004

Journal of Drugs in Dermatology archives from March 2004

A letter from the editor-in-chief.
March 1, 2004... Amidst a cold January winter there was warmth, fun, and career enrichment to be had in sunny Orlando, Florida. The great number of you that joined us deemed the Orlando Cosmetic Dermatology Convention a tremendous success. [ILLUSTRATION...

Veni, VD, Vici: twelve points about herpes that need to be conquered.(Letters to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... Herpes is best known for intermittently producing embarrassing sores on the mouth and genitals, yet representing a major public health problem in the world. It is a persistent, chronic infection with a dynamic interaction between the host and...

An immunologic mechanism for the therapeutic efficacy of minoxidil in alopecia areata.(Letters to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... Khoury et al. have shown that topical minoxidil, while therapeutically effective against alopecia areata (AA), lacks any effect on the extent and composition of the perifollicular mononuclear cell infiltrates in this disorder (1). This has led...

Editorialism in the December 2003 issue.(Letters to the Editor)
March 1, 2004... Dear Editor: Thank you for publishing our article: "A Possible Role for Non-Ablative Radiofrequency in the Treatment of Rosacea" in the December 2003 issue of your prestigious journal. Unfortunately the entire first paragraph in the...

Errata.(Correction Notice)
March 1, 2004... This structural formula of picaridin printed incorrectly in our January/February issue. (Scheinfeld N. Picaridin, A New Insect Repellent. J Drugs Dermatol 2004; 3(1):59-60.) [GRAPHIC OMITTED]

Botulinum toxin type a: fine-tuning treatment of facial nerve injury.(Articles)
March 1, 2004... Abstract Treatment of patients following facial nerve injury can be daunting. A multitude of procedures have been developed to treat the paralyzed face. As patients recover from facial nerve injuries, a variety of asymmetries from nerve...

Oral tazarotene and oral pimecrolimus: novel oral therapies in development for psoriasis.(Articles)
March 1, 2004... Abstract Psoriasis is a chronic skin disorder that affects approximately 2% of the US and European population. Over the last several years, one of the major focuses in psoriasis research has been the development of novel biologic therapies...

Topical retinoid and antibiotic combination therapy for acne management.(Articles)
March 1, 2004... Abstract The agents most commonly used in combination for the management of acne include topical retinoids and antibiotics. Topical retinoids normalize desquamation of the follicular epithelium, whereas antibiotics inhibit the growth of P....

Seborrheic dermatitis of the scalp: etiology and treatment.(Articles)
March 1, 2004... Abstract Seborrheic dermatitis is a common chronic infection of the lipid-rich areas of skin. While seborrheic dermatitis has been a recognized clinical entity for decades, its etiology is far from clear. Early investigators of the...

Non-psychotic uses for anti-psychotics.(Articles)
March 1, 2004... Abstract A significant proportion of patients seen by dermatologists have skin disease complicated by a psychiatric condition. These conditions often give rise to social, legal, and ethical concerns which impede the proper treatment of...

Rationale for the use of topical corticosteroids in melasma.(Articles)
March 1, 2004... Abstract Corticosteroids have been combined with other agents in the treatment of melasma for years. In early studies by Kligman and Willis, topical dexamethasone as monotherapy produced little depigmentation even after 3 months of...

The Miami special: a simple tool for quality section mounting in Mohs surgery.(Articles)
March 1, 2004... Abstract High quality frozen sections are fundamental in Mohs surgery, and one of the main elements in tissue processing is the mounting of the specimen. The Miami Special has been used for this purpose at the University of Miami for over...

Myths of isotretinoin therapy in patients with acne: a personal opinion.(Focus on: Isotretinoin Myths)
March 1, 2004... Abstract Isotretinoin therapy for the treatment of severe nodulocystic acne has been used for the last twenty-three years. Its use has been associated with many restrictions to the patient, with some of these based on mythology rather than...

Bilateral facial apocrine chromhidrosis.(Case Reports)
March 1, 2004... Abstract A young woman presented to the office with a history of bluish discoloration involving the superior malar region bilaterally. When the bluish discoloration became darker, she would press on her cheeks resulting in excretion of...

The successful use of ALA-PDT in the treatment of recalcitrant molluscum contagiosum.(Case Reports)
March 1, 2004... Abstract Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with topical 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) has been shown to be safe and effective for a variety of skin concerns. The case report described is the first successfully documented use of ALA/PDT in the...

Cutaneous ulcerative lichen planus exhibiting pathergy, response to acitretin.(Case Reports)
March 1, 2004... Abstract While ulcerative lichen planus is a common diagnosis when involving the mucosa, it is uncommonly found on the cutaneous surface. Cutaneous ulcerative lichen planus is usually found on the palmar or plantar surfaces (1,2) and has...

Keratoacanthoma arising from an excisional surgery scar.(Case Reports)
March 1, 2004... Abstract A causal relationship between keratoacanthomas and a variety of preceding traumatic events has been postulated in the literature. We report a patient who developed a keratoacanthoma at the site of a recent cutaneous excision site,...

Delayed type hypersensitivity to benzoyl peroxide.(Case Reports)
March 1, 2004... Abstract Benzoyl peroxide (BP) has been a standard and effective topical treatment for acne vulgaris for the past 35 years. Previous studies and case reports have documented benzoyl peroxide to be a strong irritant and a weak allergen,...

Treatment of Hailey-Hailey disease with tacrolimus ointment and clobetasol propionate foam.(Case Reports)
March 1, 2004... Abstract Hailey-Hailey disease, or familial benign chronic pemphigus, is a chronic disease without a known cure. Current therapeutic strategies attempt to suppress Hailey-Hailey outbreaks and allow the patient to live comfortably with this...

The revolutionary field of chemoprevention.(Skin Cancer Foundation Update)
March 1, 2004... Skin cancer and photoaging are most often caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from the sun, with the UVR from indoor tanning machines another potential cause. Although many modalities exist for treating skin cancer and improving...

Hyaluronic acid filler Restylane approved by the FDA.(Pipeline Previews)
March 1, 2004... Restylane has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of age-related wrinkles around the nose and mouth. Restylane is made with hyaluronic acid, a naturally found structural component of the skin, creating volume and shape: it also acts as a...

Icatibant shows positive results in Phase II studies in the treatment of hereditary angioedema.(Pipeline Previews)
March 1, 2004... Jerini has released positive results from its Phase II study to evaluate its lead compound Icatibant (JE049) for the treatment of acute attacks of hereditary angioedema (HAE). Icatibant is a bradykinin (BK) 2 receptor antagonist. In the Phase...

NicOx and Biolipox pharmaceuticals enter Phase II trials for NCX 1510.(Pipeline Previews)
March 1, 2004... NicOx, a French pharmaceutical company, and its Swedish partner Biolipox have begun Phase II clinical trials for treating allergic rhinitis with NCX 1510. NCX 1510 is a nitric oxide-donating derivative of antihistamine drugs. Phase I studies...

Novel peptide enters Phase II trial in the treatment of acne.(Pipeline Previews)
March 1, 2004... Berkeley-based company XOMA Ltd has initiated a Phase II clinical trial with its XMP.629 peptide, which is being developed as a topical treatment for acne. In several preclinical studies. XMP.629 was found to be a potent agent against...

Once-daily Sebazole effective in treating seborrheic dermatitis.(Pipeline Previews)
March 1, 2004... Barrier Therapeutics released the results of two Phase III trials for its drug Sebazole, indicating the drug's effectiveness in the treatment of facial seborrheic dermatitis. Seborrheic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition...

Atrisone, 5% topical dapsone, completes Phase III studies.(Pipeline Previews)
March 1, 2004... Atrix Laboratories' acne drug Atrisone (5% topical dapsone gel) has successfully completed two pivotal Phase III clinical efficacy studies. Dapsone, the active compound in Atrisone, is an antibiotic with independent anti-inflammatory activity....

Tularik begins Phase II trial of T487 in psoriasis.(Pipeline Previews)
March 1, 2004... Tularik has initiated a Phase II efficacy and safety study of T487 for the treatment of patients with psoriasis. T487 is a small molecule compound designed to inhibit the chemokine activity underlying inflammatory diseases by binding to a...

Ertaczo approved by FDA for athlete's foot.(Pipeline Previews)
March 1, 2004... Mylan Pharmaceuticals announced that the FDA approved the company's antifungal cream Ertaczo (sertaconazole nitrate) for athlete's foot, which will be licensed to Johnson & Johnson (J & J) for marketing and sales. Sertaconazole is an imidazole...

La Jolla Pharmaceuticals files NDA for lupus drug.(Pipeline Previews)
March 1, 2004... La Jolla Pharmaceuticals has submitted a new drug application for its lupus treatment Riquent. The drug is designed to reduce the levels of antibodies to double-stranded DNA, believed to be responsible for lupus renal disease, according to the...

NDA filed by Genta for Genasense in the treatment of melanoma.(Pipeline Previews)
March 1, 2004... Genta has announced that it completed the submission of its new drug applications for Genasense (oblimersen sodium) used in combination with dacarbazine for the treatment of patients with advanced malignant melanoma. Genasense is a drug that...

A novel targeted T-cell modulator, efalizumab, for plaque psoriasis.(Washington Whispers)
March 1, 2004... The authors present a study to investigate the efficacy of efalizumab (Raptiva[R]) at 12, 24, and 36 weeks. Efalizumab is humanized monoclonal antibody that binds to the alpha sub-unit (CD IIa) of the leukocyte-function-associated antigen type...

Etanercept as monotherapy in patients with psoriasis.(Washington Whispers)
March 1, 2004... The authors evaluated the safety and efficacy of etanercept, a Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) antagonist, for the treatment of plaque psoriasis. This was a 24-week, double-blind study, where 672 patients underwent randomization and 652 either...

Topical PTH (1-34) is a novel, safe and effective treatment for psoriasis: a randomized self-controlled trial and an open trial.(Washington Whispers)
March 1, 2004... The authors present a new topical peptide, made with parathyroid hormone (PTH). The objective was to evaluate the efficacy of topical PTH on psoriasis. The thinking is that because it is an inhibitor of epidermal cell growth, it will decrease...

Validation of the Eczema Area and Severity Index for atopic dermatitis in a cohort of 1550 patients from the pimecrolimus cream 1% randomized controlled clinical trials programme.(Washington Whispers)
March 1, 2004... The authors set forth to evaluate the Eczema Area and Severity Index (EASI) by assessing its internal consistency, reliability, and sensitivity to change and by correlating it to other efficacy parameters. They took three short-term and two...

Successful treatment of recalcitrant palmoplantar psoriasis with etanercept.(Washington Whispers)
March 1, 2004... Palmoplantar psoriasis is a disabling condition characterized by recurrent crops of sterile pustules with associated erythema, fissuring, and scaling. The disorder may last decades without any resolution, and it is most commonly seen in...

Topical tacrolimus treatment for cicatricial pemphigoid.(Washington Whispers)
March 1, 2004... The authors of this letter to the editor present a 62-year-old patient with an 8-year history of cicatricial pemphigoid (CP); the diagnosis was confirmed by direct immunofluorescence and by histopathology. The authors present a case of a...

Photodynamic therapy in treating patients with skin cancer or solid tumors metastatic to the skin.(Notice)
March 1, 2004... This study is currently recruiting patients. Sponsored by Ireland Cancer Center, National Cancer Institute (NCI) Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy in treating patients who have either squamous cell or...

Examination of clinical and laboratory abnormalities in patients with defective DNA repair: xeroderma pigmentosum, Cockayne syndrome, or trichothiodystrophy.(Notice)
March 1, 2004... This study is currently recruiting patients. Sponsored by National Cancer Institute (NCI) Four rare genetic diseases, xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), Cockayne syndrome (CS), the XP/CS complex and trichothiodystrophy (TTD) have defective...

Radiation therapy in treating patients with head and neck cancer.(Notice)
March 1, 2004... This study is currently recruiting patients. Sponsored by Medical Research Council Randomized phase III trial to compare the effectiveness of different regimens of radiation therapy in treating patients who have head and neck cancer....

Screening patients for NCI protocol eligibility.(Notice)
March 1, 2004... This study is currently recruiting patients. Sponsored by National Cancer Institute (NCI) Patients with a known or suspected diagnosis of cancer, HIV infection, skin disorder, or immunodeficiency who are being considered for enrollment...

Induction of suction blisters in patients with urticaria, blistering diseases, inflammatory dermatoses and neoplastic disorders, and in normal volunteers.(Notice)
March 1, 2004... This study is currently recruiting patients. Sponsored by National Cancer Institute (NCI) The use of a suction blister apparatus has facilitated study of the immunologic capacity of human epidermal cells. We have been able to prepare...

Structure of the herpes simplex virus receptor.(Notice)
March 1, 2004... This study is currently recruiting patients. Sponsored by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) This study will examine the structure of the receptor molecule for the herpes simplex virus (HSV) and determine if...

Peripheral stem cell transplantation plus monoclonal antibody therapy in treating patients with high-risk hematologic cancer, refractory breast or kidney cancer, or melanoma.(Notice)
March 1, 2004... This study is currently recruiting patients. Sponsored by Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center, National Cancer Institute (NCI) Phase II trial to study the effectiveness of peripheral stem cell transplantation plus monoclonal antibody...

High-dose combination chemotherapy plus peripheral stem cell transplantation in treating patients with advanced cancer.(Notice)
March 1, 2004... This study is currently recruiting patients. Sponsored by Beckman Research Institute, National Cancer Institute (NCI) Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of combination chemotherapy plus peripheral stem cell transplantation in...

BCX-1777 in treating patients with refractory cancer.(Notice)
March 1, 2004... This study is currently recruiting patients. Sponsored by BioCryst Pharmaceuticals Phase I trial to study the effectiveness of BCX-1777 in treating patients who have refractory cancer. BCX-1777 may stop the growth of cancer cells by...

The acquisition of blood and skin samples from normal volunteers to support research activities on dermatologic diseases.(Notice)
March 1, 2004... This study is currently recruiting patients. Sponsored by National Cancer Institute (NCI) This protocol is concerned with the acquisition of blood, skin, and mucosal samples from normal volunteers to support the basic science research...

Evaluation and treatment of patients with dermatologic diseases.(Notice)
March 1, 2004... This study is currently recruiting patients. Sponsored by National Cancer Institute (NCI) This is a training, natural history of disease, and screening protocol for the evaluation, treatment, and follow-up of patients with dermarologic...

Continuing care and treatment for patients with cancer/AIDS/skin disease.(Notice)
March 1, 2004... This study is currently recruiting patients. Sponsored by National Cancer Institute (NCI) This protocol is to provide continuing medical/surgical/radio-therapeutic care, treatment and follow-up for NCI patients not currently entered on...

Cancer risk in carriers of the gene for xeroderma pigmentosum.(Notice)
March 1, 2004... This study is currently recruiting patients. Sponsored by National Cancer Institute (NCI) This study will determine if family members of patients with xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) have various abnormalities, including: skin...

Celecoxib in preventing basal cell carcinoma in patients with basal cell nevus syndrome.(Notice)
March 1, 2004... This study is currently recruiting patients. Sponsored by University of California San Francisco, National Cancer Institute (NCI) Chemoprevention therapy is the use of certain drugs to try to prevent the development of cancer. The use...

National registry for ichthyosis and related disorders.(Notice)
March 1, 2004... This study is currently recruiting patients. Sponsored by National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) The ichthyoses are a family of genetic skin diseases characterized by dry, thickened, scaling skin....

Oral acyclovir for neonatal HSV disease of the skin, eyes, and mouth.(Notice)
March 1, 2004... This study is currently recruiting patients. Sponsored by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) The purpose of this study is to test whether long-term treatment with oral acyclovir improves the outcome for...

Preliminary study of safety and efficacy of nanocrystalline silver cream in atopic dermatitis (eczema).(Notice)
March 1, 2004... This study is currently recruiting patients. Sponsored by Nucryst Pharmaceuticals Nanocrystalline silver (very small particles of silver) is the active ingredient in Acticoat dressings, which have been approved for the treatment of...

Conditioning, the placebo effect, and psoriasis.(Notice)
March 1, 2004... This study is currently recruiting patients. Sponsored by National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) This study uses the psychological principle known as classical conditioning to try to improve the...

Characterizing serum protein patterns in selected skin diseases.(Notice)
March 1, 2004... This study is currently recruiting patients. Sponsored by National Cancer Institute (NCI) The purpose of this study is to determine whether computer-aided analysis of proteins found in the blood can distinguish between the serum...

Evaluating the antitumor activity of MEDI-522 with or without dacarbazine in patients with metastatic melanoma.
March 1, 2004... This study is currently recruiting patients. Sponsored by MedImmune, Inc. The primary objectives of this study are to explore the antitumor activity of MEDI-522 [+ or -] DTIC in patients with metastatic melanoma and to determine the...

Safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetics of an antibody for psoriatic arthritis.
March 1, 2004... This study is not yet open for patient recruitment. Sponsored by XOMA The purpose of this study is to determine whether a humanized monoclonal antibody (efalizumab) is safe and effective in the treatment of psoriatic arthritis. ...

Previously unpublished case reports and case studies are eligible for this open-ended contest.(Case Report Contest Rules & Entry form)
March 1, 2004... To enter, contestants must submit a previously unpublished case study or case report in the field of dermatology, along with this signed entry form permitting the Journal to publish their entries. Entries may be made either by mail or e-mail;...

Current concepts in the management of actinic keratosis.
March 1, 2004... THIS SUPPLEMENT TO THE JOURNAL OF DRUGS IN DERMATOLOGY, SPONSORED BY DERMIK LABORATORIES, IS ADAPTED FROM A RECENT ROUNDTABLE SYMPOSIUM HELD IN NEW YORK CITY FEATURING SIX RESPECTED DERMATOLOGISTS, EACH AN EXPERT ON TREATING SKIN DISORDERS....