Publications by authors named "Federico Pirro"
This open-label multicentre trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of oral dimethyl fumarate (DMF) in patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in real-life clinical practice over 52 weeks. Disease severity and improvement were assessed using the psoriasis area severity index (PASI), body surface area (BSA) affected, and Physician Global Assessment (PGA). Quality of life (QoL) was assessed using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire.
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- The study examines the "drug survival" of several psoriasis treatments, including secukinumab and guselkumab, to compare their effectiveness and predict patient adherence to therapy.
- Researchers analyzed data from nearly 5,000 treatment courses across multiple countries between 2015 and 2021, focusing on patients with moderate to severe psoriasis using various interleukin inhibitors.
- Results indicated that IL-23 inhibitors generally had better drug survival rates after 24 and 36 months compared to IL-17 inhibitors, with specific percentages provided for each drug's effectiveness over time.
Risk of infections in psoriasis: assessment and challenges in daily management.
Expert Rev Clin Immunol
November 2021
Introduction: In daily practice management of psoriasis, evaluation of risk factors for infections is having a growing influence. Indeed, in psoriatic patients, risk of infections may be due to psoriasis itself, immunomodulatory therapy, and comorbidities that may increase this risk and patient hospitalization.
Areas Covered: Given the greater understanding of psoriasis pathogenesis and the increasing number of treatment options, it is particularly important to customize therapy according to each, single patient; psoriasis features and comorbidities are also essential to tailor treatment goals.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how body mass index (BMI) affects the effectiveness of biological therapies for treating chronic plaque psoriasis, revealing that obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m) leads to poorer treatment responses.
- Data collected from 504 patients showed that those with a BMI < 30 kg/m had significantly better short-term improvements in psoriasis severity compared to obese patients, as well as higher long-term treatment retention rates.
- The findings suggest that obesity negatively impacts the efficacy of certain biological treatments, particularly anti-interleukin drugs, while others, like anti-tumor necrosis factor therapies, are less affected.
Predictive factors of lack of response to adalimumab among bio-naive patients suffering from moderate-to severe psoriasis: analysis of a multicenter data collection in Italy.
Expert Opin Biol Ther
September 2021
Article Synopsis
- Anti-TNF-a agents like adalimumab are typically recommended first-line for treating psoriatic patients due to their cost-effectiveness, despite lower efficacy compared to IL-17 and IL-23 inhibitors.
- A study analyzed factors affecting the effectiveness and survival of adalimumab in bionaive patients across nine dermatology centers in Italy over 12 years, using PASI scores to measure treatment response at various intervals.
- Key findings indicate that male patients and those with scalp psoriasis had better drug survival, while higher baseline PASI scores and genital psoriasis were linked to higher discontinuation rates; age, gender, and previous treatments also influenced response outcomes.
In psoriasis patients, satisfaction and patients' attitude toward treatment are heterogeneous depending on several factors and remain poorly investigated, although the availability of several new targeted therapeutic options. A multicentre cross-sectional investigation was conducted to estimate treatment satisfaction and attitudes (awareness, trust, and therapeutic alliance) in a large population of adult psoriasis patients undergoing a systemic biologic or non-biologic agent for moderate-to-severe plaque-type psoriasis. Patients' satisfaction was measured using the Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire for Medication II questionnaire and patients' attitudes toward treatment were evaluated using a Lickert scale.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF: Although secukinumab and ixekizumab both act by inhibiting IL-17A, some scientific evidence suggests that there are differences in efficacy between the two agents. : The aim of this study was to compare the short- and long-term effectiveness of ixekizumab and secukinumab in clinical practice. : A retrospective study was conducted on a cohort of 245 psoriatic patients receiving secukinumab or ixekizumab during the period from September 2016 to December 2019.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The beginning of 2020 has been marked by COVID-19 pandemic, with a strong impact on several national health systems worldwide.
Objective: To describe the impact of COVID-19 pandemic in a cohort of Italian psoriatic patients treated with biologics.
Methods: A telephone survey was conducted in May 4-10 2020 about the Italian lockdown period (March 9-May 3 2020) in a cohort of psoriatic patients treated with biologics, asking about any exposure to COVID-19, disease status, continuation of therapy, work activity and psychological status through Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and Brief Resilience Scale (BRS).
New JAK inhibitors for the treatment of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
G Ital Dermatol Venereol
August 2020
Psoriasis is a common inflammatory skin disease that can be associated with various pathological conditions among which arthritis is a frequent comorbidity. Based on the current pathogenetic model, development of psoriasis is mainly driven by the IL-23/IL-17A axis. Though the therapeutic armamentarium is expanding in the latest years, new therapies are needed because of the lack or loss of response or intolerance/contraindication to the currently approved drugs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Continuous spreading of HIV infection may be due to lack of knowledge, especially among young people. It is important to monitor level of knowledge and risk behaviours especially in young people to set up appropriate preventative and informative campaigns.
Methods: We assessed knowledge of HIV infection and risk factors in a sample of students at the "Magna Graecia" University of Catanzaro, using an anonymous multiple-choice questionnaire.