Proceedings of the 23rd Paediatric Rheumatology European Society Congress: part one

Comparative effect of tacrolimus 0.1% ointment and clobetasol 0.05% ointment in patients with oral lichen planus.

Background Oral lichen planus (OLP) is considered to be an autoimmune disease of unknown aetiology that affects the mucosae, especially the oral cavity. Objective We compared tacrolimus 0.1% ointment and clobetasol 0.05% ointment for the treatment of OLP. Patients and methods A total of 32 patients (20 females and 12 males; all white, Italian origin, mean age of 43.6+/-18.4 years; 16 patients per treatment group) were treated with tacrolimus or clobetasol ointment for 4 weeks in a randomized, double-blind, clinical trial. Pain severity, burning sensation, and mucosal lesion extension were assessed using a four-point scale. Results At the end of the treatment period, symptom scores were sign…

Urinary metabolites of histamine and leukotrienes before and after placebo-controlled challenge with ASA and food additives in chronic urticaria patients

Background: The recovery of mediator metabolites from urine has the potential to provide a rapid, safe, and easily available index of release of mediators. We aimed to determine urinary metabolites of both histamine and leukotrienes (LTs) in patients affected by chronic urticaria (CU). Methods: Twenty patients with CU were studied. They were selected on the basis of double-blind placebo-controlled challenge (DBPC) with acetyl salicylic acid (ASA) and food additives. Ten patients (group B) were negative to both challenges. Ten patients (group C) presented urticaria and/or the appearance of angioedema during or 24 h after challenge, with reactions to ASA (five patients) or food additives (fiv…

Safety of rofecoxib in subjects with a history of adverse cutaneous reactions to aspirin and/or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Background Adverse reactions to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID)s are frequent, and the need to identify a safe alternative drug is a common problem in clinical practice. Objective To assess the tolerability of rofecoxib, a drug that specifically inhibits COX-2, in a group of NSAID-sensitive patients. Methods One-hundred and four subjects (29 males and 75 females, mean age 35.6 ± 14.1) were enrolled. All subjects had experienced one or more episode characterized by cutaneous symptoms (erythema, and/or urticaria angioedema) following the assumption of NSAIDs; 92 subjects experienced reactions to only one NSAID (single intolerance: SI) and 12 subjects had reactions to multiple NS…

Longterm Retention of Tumor Necrosis Factor-α Inhibitor Therapy in a Large Italian Cohort of Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis from the GISEA Registry: An Appraisal of Predictors.

Objective.To evaluate 4-year retention rates of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) inhibitors adalimumab, etanercept, and infliximab among patients with longstanding rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as derived from an Italian national registry.Methods.The clinical records of 853 adult patients with RA in the GISEA (Gruppo Italiano Studio Early Arthritis) registry were prospectively analyzed to compare drug survival rates and the baseline factors that may predict adherence to therapy.Results.In 2003 and 2004, 324 patients started treatment with adalimumab, 311 with etanercept, and 218 with infliximab. After 4 years, the global retention rate of anti-TNF-α therapy was 42%. Etanercept survival (51.4%) …