Alefacept for severe alopecia areata: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of alefacept for the treatment of severe alopecia areata (AA).

Design: Multicenter, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Setting: Academic departments of dermatology in the United States.

Psoriasis in patients with HIV infection: from the medical board of the National Psoriasis Foundation.

Background: Patients with psoriasis and HIV infection often present with more severe and treatment-refractory cutaneous disease. In addition, many of these patients have significant psoriatic arthritis. Many effective drugs for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are immunosuppressive.

Alefacept for the treatment of psoriasis and other dermatologic diseases.

Alefacept is a novel biologic agent for the treatment of plaque psoriasis. Alefacept is a fully human recombinant dimeric fusion protein composed of the terminal portion of Leukocyte Functioning Antigen-3 (LFA-3) and the Fc portion of human IgG(1). The drug likely works in part by inducing the apoptosis of memory effector (activated) T cells that play a central role in the pathophysiology of psoriasis.

Classification and prevalence of pigmented lesions in patients with total-body photographs at high risk of developing melanoma.

Background: The classification of many pigmented lesions is not well defined, and an association with melanoma has not been established.

Objective: To better define the spectrum of pigmented lesions (excluding common and dysplastic nevi) and explore links to melanoma.

Methods: Retrospective review of patients with total-body digital photographs at high risk of developing melanoma from the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Dermatology Service.

Folate supplementation during methotrexate therapy for patients with psoriasis.

Methotrexate is a folate antagonist that is a well-established therapy for autoimmune and inflammatory conditions. In some patients, methotrexate is associated with significant side effects and toxicity. Folate supplementation is often used to ameliorate methotrexate-associated side effects and toxicities.