Dabrafenib plus trametinib in unselected advanced BRAF V600-mut melanoma: a non-interventional, multicenter, prospective trial.

Objective: The efficacy of combined BRAF and MEK inhibition for BRAF V600-mutant melanoma in a broad patient population, including subgroups excluded from phase 3 trials, remains unanswered. This noninterventional study (DATUM-NIS) assessed the real-world efficacy, safety and tolerability of dabrafenib plus trametinib in Austrian patients with unresectable/metastatic melanoma.

Methods: This multicenter, open-label, non-interventional, post-approval, observational study investigated the effectiveness of dabrafenib plus trametinib prescribed in day-to-day clinical practice to patients ( N  = 79) with BRAF V600-mutant unresectable/metastatic melanoma with M1c disease (American Joint Committee on Cancer staging manual version 7), ECOG > 1, and elevated serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH).

Evolution of characteristics and biologic treatment effectiveness in patients of the Austrian psoriasis registry from 2004-2022.

Background And Objectives: This study analyzed the extent to which the recent introduction of more effective treatments has led to an improvement in real-world psoriasis patients.

Patients And Methods: Patient characteristics and the first-year treatment effectiveness in biologic-naive patients have been analyzed since 2004 until now, irrespective of treatment switches.

Results: Data from 2,729 patients were eligible for this analysis.

Electrochemotherapy for the treatment of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma: The INSPECT experience (2008-2020).

Introduction: Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is a frequent skin cancer with a high risk of recurrence characterized by tumor infiltration and, in advanced cases, a poor prognosis. ECT (electrochemotherapy) is an alternative treatment option for locally advanced or recurrent cSCC that is unsuitable for surgical resection. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the data in the InspECT (International Network for Sharing Practice on ECT) registry of the referral centers and to clarify the indications for the use of ECT as a treatment modality for cSCC.

Real-world effectiveness of anti-interleukin-23 antibodies in chronic plaque-type psoriasis of patients from the Austrian Psoriasis Registry (PsoRA).

With the introduction of the latest class of biologic drugs targeting interleukin (IL)-23p19, three new, highly effective drugs can be used for the treatment of chronic plaque psoriasis. However, poorer skin improvement as well as higher rates of serious adverse events have been reported for patients under real-world conditions (outside clinical trials). This accounts especially for patients who have already been treated with biologic drugs.

Effectiveness and clinical predictors of drug survival in psoriasis patients receiving apremilast: A registry analysis.

Background: Little is known about the effectiveness and drug survival associated with apremilast under real-world conditions.

Objective: To investigate the influence of patient and disease characteristics on drug survival associated with apremilast and to elucidate clinical effectiveness with regard to the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) reduction.

Methods: This was an observational, retrospective, multicenter analysis from the Austrian Psoriasis Registry.

Biologic drug survival rates in the era of anti-interleukin-17 antibodies: a time-period-adjusted registry analysis.

Background: Drug survival rates reflect efficacy and safety and may be influenced by the availability of alternative treatment options. Little is known about time-dependent drug survival in psoriasis and the effect of increasing numbers of biologic treatment options.

Objectives: To determine whether drug survival is influenced by the availability of treatment options and by factors such as gender, psoriatic arthritis or previous biologic treatment.

Knowledge and Influence of Predatory Journals in Dermatology: A Pan-Austrian Survey.

The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and influence of predatory journals in the field of dermatology in Austria. A total of 286 physicians (50.5% men) completed a questionnaire.

Quality of life and treatment goals in psoriasis from the patient perspective: results of an Austrian cross-sectional survey.

Background: Patients with psoriasis experience impairment in quality of life. Thus, high-quality dermatological care is of particular importance.

Patients And Methods: We performed a nationwide cross-sectional survey in Austria (BQSAustria Psoriasis 2014/2015) with a special focus on quality of life and satisfaction with treatment among psoriasis patients predominantly treated at tertiary care centers.

Lebensqualität und Behandlungsziele bei Psoriasis aus Patientensicht: Ergebnisse eines österreichweiten Querschnitt-Survey.

Hintergrund: Patienten mit Psoriasis sind mit einer krankheitsbedingten Einschränkung ihrer Lebensqualität konfrontiert, weshalb einer hochqualitativen dermatologischen Versorgung ein besonderer Stellenwert zukommt.

Patienten Und Methodik: Wir führten einen bundesweiten Querschnitt-Survey in Österreich (BQSAustria Psoriasis 2014/2015) mit dem Schwerpunkt auf Lebensqualität und Therapiezufriedenheit bei Patienten mit Psoriasis in dermatologischer Behandlung vorwiegend an Zentren mit überwiegend tertiären Versorgungsaufgaben durch.

Ergebnisse: 70,2 % der 1184 befragten Patienten berichtete über eine eingeschränkte Lebensqualität (DLQI 2-5: 29,4 %; 6-10: 19,3 %; 11-15: 11,5 %; 16-20: 5,2 % und > 20: 4,9 %) trotz Behandlung innerhalb der letzten vier Wochen (mit lokaler Therapie in 88,2 % und/oder systemischer Therapie in 38,7 % der Fälle).

Electrochemotherapy in the treatment of metastatic malignant melanoma: a prospective cohort study by InspECT.

Background: (ECT) is an effective local treatment for cutaneous metastasis. Treatment involves the administration of chemotherapeutic drugs followed by delivery of electrical pulses to the tumour.

Objectives: To investigate the effectiveness of ECT in cutaneous metastases of melanoma and to identify factors that affect (beneficially or adversely) the outcome.

Survival and Effectiveness of Tumour Necrosis Factor-alpha Inhibitors in the Treatment of Plaque Psoriasis under Daily Life Conditions: Report from the Psoriasis Registry Austria.

This retrospective multicentre analysis from the Psoriasis Registry Austria (PsoRA) was conducted to determine drug effectiveness and survival of anti-tumour necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNF-α) agents in patients with moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis over a 9-year period. Data on 1,019 treatment cycles with adalimumab (n = 460), etanercept (n = 501), and/or infliximab (n = 58) administered to 827 patients (272 women, 555 men) were available for analysis. Compared with etanercept, adalimumab and infliximab showed superior short-term effectiveness.

Adalimumab in the treatment of moderate-to-severe chronic plaque psoriasis in patients switching from other biologics.

Background: Ample evidence shows that switching from one biological agent to another may prove effective when response to the first one is inadequate. Nevertheless, there are little data so far showing the efficacy and safety of adalimumab in patients with plaque psoriasis who previously received another biologic agent.

Objective: We evaluated the 1-year effectiveness, safety and quality-of-life outcomes patients with psoriasis who had switched to adalimumab from other biologic therapies.

An integrin-binding N-terminal peptide region of TIMP-2 retains potent angio-inhibitory and anti-tumorigenic activity in vivo.

Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-2 (TIMP-2) inhibits angiogenesis by several mechanisms involving either MMP inhibition or direct endothelial cell binding. The primary aim of this study was to identify the TIMP-2 region involved in binding to the previously identified receptor integrin α3β1, and to determine whether synthetic peptides derived from this region retained angio-inhibitory and tumor suppressor activity. We demonstrated that the N-terminal domain of TIMP-2 (N-TIMP-2) binds to α3β1 and inhibits vascular endothelial growth factor-stimulated endothelial cell growth in vitro, suggesting that both the α3β1-binding domain and the growth suppressor activity of TIMP-2 localize to the N-terminal domain.

Protein tyrosine kinase characterization based on fully automated synthesis of (phospho) peptide arrays in microplates.

In view of the importance of information transfer mediated throughout the cell by recognition, phosphorylation or dephosphorylation of kinases, their adapters, or substrates, this method was developed. The method provides a potent research tool for rapidly generating and testing these substrates as modeled by synthetic peptide arrays. The peptides or phosphorylated peptides are automatically generated on the inner surfaces of microplate wells, covalently linked to a polylysine polymer so that they are in a sterically favorable conformation, immediately available for in situ testing.

A simple method for measurement of cell-substrate attachment forces: application to HIV-1 Tat.

In order to understand the importance of cell attachment to HIV-1 Tat, we quantified the strength of cell attachment to immobilized Tat in microtiter plate wells by the application of buoyant force. By replacing the attachment medium with dense medium, and subjecting the attached cells in the microtiter plates to centrifugal force in the conventional upright position, weakly binding and strongly binding cells could be discriminated (and separated) by varying the centrifugal speed. The strength of attachment of HT1080 cells to Tat was compared with that of the well-known extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins fibronectin and vitronectin.

Phylogenetic associations of human and simian T-cell leukemia/lymphotropic virus type I strains: evidence for interspecies transmission.

Homologous env sequences from 17 human T-leukemia/lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) strains from throughout the world and from 25 simian T-leukemia/lymphotropic virus type I (STLV-I) strains from 12 simian species in Asia and Africa were analyzed in a phylogenetic context as an approach to resolving the natural history of these related retroviruses. STLV-I exhibited greater overall sequence variation between strains (1 to 18% compared with 0 to 9% for HTLV-I), supporting the simian origin of the modern viruses in all species. Three HTLV-I phylogenetic clusters or clades (cosmopolitan, Zaire, and Melanesia) were resolved with phenetic, parsimony, and likelihood analytical procedures.

Antibodies to human herpes virus-6 in patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia.

Human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6), a ubiquitous virus that causes exanthem subitum and occasional cases of infectious mononucleosis, hepatitis and other viral syndromes, has also been associated with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) in children. To further investigate this association, we obtained sera from 50 patients with ALL and 50 age-sex matched controls. Antibodies to HHV-6 were determined using ELISA and indirect immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) tests.