Publications by authors named "Leonardo Pescitelli"

Introduction: Tildrakizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting the p19 subunit of interleukin 23 (IL-23), has shown promise in the management of moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis, offering potential improvements in clinical outcomes and quality of life.

Objectives: The study aimed to identify patient characteristics that indicate the initiation of a 200 mg dosage of tildrakizumab in a real-world setting, focusing on factors that enhance treatment effectiveness and safety.

Methods: This prospective study included 54 adult patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis treated with tildrakizumab 200 mg from March 2023 to March 2024 across 13 Italian Dermatology Units.

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Purpose: Secukinumab is a fully human monoclonal antibody that inhibits interleukin (IL)-17A approved for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis in adults and children. We compared the efficacy and safety of secukinumab in patients aged < 65 years (adult patients) versus patients aged ≥ 65 years (elderly patients) in a post-hoc analysis of the SUPREME study.

Patients And Methods: Patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis received subcutaneous secukinumab 300 mg per week for the first 5 weeks, then 300 mg per month.

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Psoriasis is a common chronic skin disease characterized by a worldwide distribution and a natural tendency towards progression. According to the many clinical forms, the extension of the disease and the many comorbidities, almost the 20% of the patients require a systemic treatment. Biologics have greatly changed the ongoing of psoriasis and the quality of life of psoriasis patients.

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Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, inflammatory, recurrent, debilitating skin disease of the hair follicle that usually occurs after puberty with painful, deep-seated, inflamed nodules and sinus tracts in the apocrine gland-bearing areas of the body, most commonly the axillae and inguinal and anogenital regions, with a relevant impact on patients' quality of life (QoL).

Objective: To evaluate how the burden of HS disease impacts on patient well-being and working activities in a large Italian population over a period of 9 months.

Methods: A multicenter, prospective, epidemiologic cohort study was conducted in adult Italian patients with HS.

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Background: We aimed to verify the clinical efficacy and safety of the electrochemotherapy in melanoma metastases and in cases of rare non-melanoma tumors that were difficult to treat for the specific anatomical site or for patient comorbidities.

Patients And Methods: We treated 68 patients (699 cutaneous nodules), 44 patients with metastatic melanomas and 24 patients with non-melanoma tumors, at the Melanoma & Skin Cancer Unit, Florence, Italy.

Results: We obtained an objective response of 89.

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Adalimumab is the only biologic therapy approved for the treatment of patients with hidradenitis suppurativa, a chronic and disabling skin condition. To date, there are no studies in the literature about the effectiveness of adalimumab biosimilar SB5 in hidradenitis suppurativa. The aim of this study was to evaluate its efficacy and safety.

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Background: Knowledge regarding differences in care for psoriatic patients is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate factors influencing prescription of systemic treatments for patients with psoriasis with a special focus on socioeconomic factors.

Methods And Findings: This was a non-interventional, cross-sectional study, conducted in 18 Italian University and/or hospital centers with psoriasis-specialized units.

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Article Synopsis
  • Atopic Dermatitis affects 2.1-4.9% of adults and is mainly caused by inappropriate Th2 cell activation, with new therapies being developed due to its complex nature.
  • Monoclonal antibodies targeting various interleukins and small molecules, like JAK inhibitors, are being researched as next-generation treatments for moderate to severe cases.
  • With the diverse symptoms and chronic nature of Atopic Dermatitis, there's a critical need for effective new treatments to enhance patient quality of life, with Dupilumab already showing promise.
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Interleukin 17A (IL-17A), mainly produced by the T helper subclass Th17, plays a key role in the psoriatic plaque formation and progression. The clinical effectiveness of anti-IL-17A agents is documented, but the early and specific mechanisms of their protection are not identified yet. The challenge of the present study is to investigate the possible reversal exerted by a specific anti-IL-17A agent on the psoriatic events induced by IL-17A in a three-dimensional organotypic model of normal human skin.

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The rifampicin (RF)-clindamycin (CL) combination is recommended as first line therapy in moderate to severe Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) by European S1 guidelines. Although prolonged use of RF should be discouraged, there are currently few alternatives to this combination therapy. The aim of the present study was to assess retrospectively the efficacy of oral CL monotherapy in patients diagnosed with HS.

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Hidradenitis suppurativa is a chronic, inflammatory, recurrent, debilitating skin disease characterized by recurrent abscesses, draining sinuses, and scarring, affecting principally areas of body friction. Although the disease pathogenesis is not fully understood, recent advances suggest that hidradenitis suppurativa should be viewed as a systemic inflammatory disease. Moreover, recent studies have defined hidradenitis suppurativa as a systemic disease linked to several comorbidities.

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During treatment with biologic agents for psoriasis (Pso) in a number of patients a failure may occur and discontinuation with transitioning to another drug or an optimization strategy, consisting in a dose-adjustment or a co-medication with a traditional systemic agent, represent two possible alternatives. The SAFARI study objective was a retrospective observation of adalimumab efficacy and safety profile after switching from other anti-TNFα agents related to clinician behavior after the failure of the first-line agent. The retrospective multicenter observation demonstrated that after a first-line anti-TNFα failure adalimumab efficacy was consistent at week-12 and 24 with a further significant improvement at week-48 with a proportion of patients achieving PASI75/PASI90/PASI100 of 83.

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Background: There is limited information on patients undergoing withdrawal after long-term treatment with anti-TNF alpha drugs and their clinical evolution during the post-interruption period in real-life settings. The purpose of the present retrospective case-control study was to provide a clearer insight into the clinical management of psoriatic patients with adequate response to long-term adalimumab, etanercept and infliximab treatment once these biologic agents are interrupted.

Methods: A total of 270 patients undergoing anti-TNF alpha agents discontinuation and 253 controls treated with a continuous regimen were enrolled.

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Treatment of severe psoriasis in HCV positive patients is challenging, because several psoriasis medications have a toxic effect on the liver, and interferon alpha, used to treat hepatitis, can induce worsening of psoriatic lesions. TNF-alpha inhibitors seem to be a safe and effective option in HCV positive psoriatic patients, but there are concerns about long-term safety, impact on liver fibrosis progression and risk of immune-mediated liver injury. With regard to HCV treatment, new direct-acting antiviral therapies (DAA) seem to be extremely effective, with minimal side effects, but little is known about possible interactions with other medications, particularly with biologics.

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Keratinocytes (KCs) and Langerhans cells (LCs) contribute to create the epidermal barrier. To form a functional epidermis, KCs express filaggrin and Toll-like Receptors (TLRs). LCs are the first line of epidermal defence and can be activated by interleukin (IL)-17 and Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-alpha.

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Interleukin (IL)-22 is a pro-inflammatory cytokine driving the progression of the psoriatic lesion with other cytokines, as Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)-alpha and IL-17. Our study was aimed at evaluating the early effect of IL-22 alone or in combination with TNF-alpha and IL-17 by immunofluorescence on i) keratinocyte (KC) proliferation, ii) terminal differentiation biomarkers as keratin (K) 10 and 17 expression, iii) intercellular junctions. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis was performed.

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