Guselkumab Treatment Outcomes and Persistence in a Nationwide Real-world Cohort of Patients with Plaque Psoriasis.

Guselkumab treatment outcomes and persistence were assessed in a real-world cohort of Finnish patients with difficult-to-treat plaque psoriasis over a median follow-up of 1 year. Data on 181 patients who initiated guselkumab at the 15 study centres were collected retrospectively from the patient charts. Prior exposure to biologic therapies was common, with 56% and 35% having used at least 1 and 2 biologics, respectively.

[What have biological drugs changed in inflammatory rheumatic, skin and bowel diseases?].

Biological drugs are the most rapidly growing group of medicinal agents. In addition to hormone and vaccine products, the significance of drugs produced using genetic engineering has increased in numerous indications, especially in oncology. Furthermore, they have significantly contributed to the treatment of inflammatory musculoskeletal as well as cutaneous and intestinal diseases.

Implementing best practice in psoriasis: a Nordic expert group consensus.

In the absence of Nordic-wide guidelines on the best practice management of psoriasis, this paper aims to provide Nordic recommendations for treatment goals, evaluation of quality of life impact and assessment/management of co-morbidities. This Delphi approach consisted of telephone interviews, local Nordic face-to-face meetings, and a Nordic-wide meeting, in which questions on treatment goals, quality of life impact and assessment/management of co-morbidities were posed to 17 dermatologists with psoriasis-treatment experience to gain consensus (≥ 90% agreement). The dermatologists agreed on the individualisation of treatment goals using Psoriasis Area and Severity Index and Dermatology Life Quality Index, which should be measured at the same frequency.

Contact sensitization to methylisothiazolinone in Finland--a multicentre study.

Background: Antimicrobials constitute the second most common cause of contact allergy to cosmetics. Methylisothiazolinone (MI), previously always used together with methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI), has recently been approved in the EU for use on its own in cosmetics and also various industrial products. MCI has been classified as an extreme-strong and MI as a strong-moderate sensitizer.

Sensitization to thiourea derivatives among Finnish patients with suspected contact dermatitis.

Background: Thiourea derivatives in rubber products may induce contact sensitization and allergic contact dermatitis. Sensitization is most often from neoprene rubber, but the multitude of possible sensitizing products has remained poorly characterized.

Objective: The aim of this study was to collect information on the occurrence of thiourea-related contact allergy and to show novel sources of sensitization.

The European baseline series in 10 European Countries, 2005/2006--results of the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies (ESSCA).

Background: Continual surveillance based on patch test results has proved useful for the identification of contact allergy.

Objectives: To provide a current view on the spectrum of contact allergy to important sensitizers across Europe.

Patients/methods: Clinical and patch test data of 19 793 patients patch tested in 2005/2006 in the 31 participating departments from 10 European countries (the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies' (ESSCA) www.

Randomized half-side comparison of narrowband UVB and trimethylpsoralen bath plus UVA treatments for psoriasis.

The efficacy of trimethylpsoralen bath PUVA and UVB TL01 were compared in chronic plaque psoriasis. Patients were randomly assigned to receive UVB TL01 on one side and bath PUVA on the contra-lateral side. Altogether 17 patients received treatments and 15 completed the trial.

Myoglobin, creatine kinase MB isoforms and creatine kinase MB mass in early diagnosis of myocardial infarction in patients with acute chest pain.

Objectives: Measurements of myoglobin and creatine kinase (CK)-MB isoforms have been suggested to be sensitive tests for the early diagnosis of myocardial infarction (MI). We have investigated the utility of myoglobin, creatine kinase (CK)-MB isoforms and creatine kinase MB mass (CK-MBm) in early diagnosis of MI using cardiac troponin T (cTnT) positivity as a reference.

Design And Methods: The study population comprised 440 patients who had had chest pain for less than 12 h.