Practical guidelines for the use of steroid-sparing agents in the treatment of chronic pruritus

Dermatologic Therapy

Volumn 26, Issue 2, 2013, Pages 120-134

  Cotes, Maren E S ^a   Swerlick, Robert A ^a  

^a EMORY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE   (United States)

Author keywords

azathioprine; Cellcept; immunosuppression; Imuran; itch; mycophenolate; pruritus; thiopurines; urticarial dermatitis

Indexed keywords

ALEFACEPT; ALLOPURINOL; ANTIBIOTIC AGENT; ANTIHISTAMINIC AGENT; AZATHIOPRINE; CALCINEURIN INHIBITOR; CORTICOSTEROID; CYCLOSPORIN; DOXEPIN; EMOLLIENT AGENT; ISOTRETINOIN; LEUKOTRIENE RECEPTOR BLOCKING AGENT; MERCAPTOPURINE; METHOTREXATE; MONTELUKAST; MYCOPHENOLIC ACID 2 MORPHOLINOETHYL ESTER; PREDNISOLONE; PREDNISONE; STEROID; TABLOID; TACROLIMUS; THALIDOMIDE; THIOPURINE METHYLTRANSFERASE; TIOGUANINE; TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR ALPHA INHIBITOR; UNCLASSIFIED DRUG; ZAFIRLUKAST;

ABDOMINAL CRAMP; ACUTE PANCREATITIS; ADRENAL INSUFFICIENCY; ALGORITHM; ANEMIA; ANOREXIA; ARTICLE; BEDTIME DOSAGE; BONE MARROW SUPPRESSION; BONE NECROSIS; CHRONIC DISEASE; CLINICAL EVALUATION; CUSHINGOID SYNDROME; DERMATITIS; DIARRHEA; DIGESTIVE SYSTEM ULCER; DOSE RESPONSE; DRUG BIOAVAILABILITY; DRUG DOSE INCREASE; DRUG DOSE REDUCTION; DRUG HYPERSENSITIVITY; DRUG MECHANISM; DRUG METABOLISM; DRUG MONITORING; DRUG TOLERABILITY; ECZEMA; FEVER; FLU LIKE SYNDROME; FRACTURE; GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOM; HEART ATRIUM FIBRILLATION; HEART ATRIUM FLUTTER; HUMAN; HYPERTENSION; IMMUNOMODULATION; IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE TREATMENT; INFECTION; LEUKOPENIA; LICHEN (DISEASE); LIPODYSTROPHY; LIVER INJURY; LYMPHOMA; METABOLIC DISORDER; MYALGIA; NAUSEA; NEUTROPENIA; NON MELANOMA SKIN CANCER; PAPULE; PATHOGENESIS; PHOTOTHERAPY; PRACTICE GUIDELINE; PRURITUS; RASH; RECOMMENDED DRUG DOSE; SCRATCHING; SIDE EFFECT; SINGLE DRUG DOSE; SKIN MANIFESTATION; SLEEP DISORDER; THROMBOCYTOPENIA; TREATMENT RESPONSE; TUBERCULOSIS; URTICARIA; WEIGHT GAIN;

ADULT; ALGORITHMS; ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AGENTS; AZATHIOPRINE; CHRONIC DISEASE; GLUCOCORTICOIDS; HUMANS; IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE AGENTS; PRACTICE GUIDELINES AS TOPIC; PREDNISONE; PRURITUS; SKIN DISEASES; URTICARIA;

EID: 84875843332     PISSN: 13960296     EISSN: 15298019     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1111/dth.12026     Document Type: Article

References (79)

1. Kini SP, DeLong LK, Veledar E, McKenzie-Brown AM, Schaufele M, Chen SC,. The impact of pruritus on quality of life: the skin equivalent of pain. Arch Dermatol 2011: 147 (10): 1153-1156.
2. Wolkenstein P, Grob JJ, Bastuji-Garin S, et al. French people and skin diseases: results of a survey using a representative sample. Arch Dermatol 2003: 139 (12): 1614-1619; discussion 1619.
3. Matterne U, Strassner T, Apfelbacher CJ, Diepgen TL, Weisshaar E,. Measuring the prevalence of chronic itch in the general population: development and validation of a questionnaire for use in large-scale studies. Acta Derm Venereol 2009: 89 (3): 250-256.
4. Matterne U, Apfelbacher CJ, Loerbroks A, et al. Prevalence, correlates and characteristics of chronic pruritus: a population-based cross-sectional study. Acta Derm Venereol 2011: 91 (6): 674-679.
5. Yosipovitch G, Goon AT, Wee J, Chan YH, Zucker I, Goh CL,. Itch characteristics in Chinese patients with atopic dermatitis using a new questionnaire for the assessment of pruritus. Int J Dermatol 2002: 41 (4): 212-216.
6. Szepietowski JC, Reich A, Wisnicka B,. Pruritus and psoriasis. Br J Dermatol 2004: 151 (6): 1284.
7. Szepietowski JC, Reich A, Wisnicka B,. Itching in patients suffering from psoriasis. Acta Dermatovenerol Croat 2002: 10 (4): 221-226.
8. Weisshaar E, Dalgard F,. Epidemiology of itch: adding to the burden of skin morbidity. Acta Derm Venereol 2009: 89 (4): 339-350.
9. Kossard S, Hamann I, Wilkinson B,. Defining urticarial dermatitis: a subset of dermal hypersensitivity reaction pattern. Arch Dermatol 2006: 142 (1): 29-34.
10. Fung MA,. The clinical and histopathologic spectrum of "dermal hypersensitivity reactions," a nonspecific histologic diagnosis that is not very useful in clinical practice, and the concept of a "dermal hypersensitivity reaction pattern". J Am Acad Dermatol 2002: 47 (6): 898-907.
11. Salam TN, Fowler JF, Jr,. Balsam-related systemic contact dermatitis. J Am Acad Dermatol 2001: 45 (3): 377-381.
12. Baenkler HW,. Salicylate intolerance: pathophysiology, clinical spectrum, diagnosis and treatment. Dtsch Arztebl Int 2008: 105 (8): 137-142.
13. Fernando SL, Clarke LR,. Salicylate intolerance: a masquerader of multiple adverse drug reactions. BMJ Case Reports 2009; 2009.
14. Solak Y, Biyik Z, Atalay H, et al. Pregabalin versus gabapentin in the treatment of neuropathic pruritus in maintenance hemodialysis patients: a prospective crossover study. Nephrology (Carlton) 2012: 17: 710-717.
15. Yilmaz S, Ceyhan AM, Baysal Akkaya V,. Brachioradial pruritus successfully treated with gabapentin. J Dermatol 2010: 37 (7): 662-665.
16. Razeghi E, Eskandari D, Ganji MR, Meysamie AP, Togha M, Khashayar P,. Gabapentin and uremic pruritus in hemodialysis patients. Ren Fail 2009: 31 (2): 85-90.
17. Murphy JD, Gelfand HJ, Bicket MC, et al. Analgesic efficacy of intravenous naloxone for the treatment of postoperative pruritus: a meta-analysis. J Opioid Manag 2011: 7 (4): 321-327.
18. Wolfhagen FH, Sternieri E, Hop WC, Vitale G, Bertolotti M, Van Buuren HR,. Oral naltrexone treatment for cholestatic pruritus: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Gastroenterology 1997: 113 (4): 1264-1269.
19. Bergasa NV, Talbot TL, Alling DW, et al. A controlled trial of naloxone infusions for the pruritus of chronic cholestasis. Gastroenterology 1992: 102 (2): 544-549.
20. Bergasa NV, Alling DW, Talbot TL, et al. Effects of naloxone infusions in patients with the pruritus of cholestasis. A double-blind, randomized, controlled trial. Ann Intern Med 1995: 123 (3): 161-167.
21. Bergasa NV, Alling DW, Talbot TL, Wells MC, Jones EA,. Oral nalmefene therapy reduces scratching activity due to the pruritus of cholestasis: a controlled study. J Am Acad Dermatol 1999: 41 (3 Pt 1): 431-434.
22. Bergasa NV, Schmitt JM, Talbot TL, et al. Open-label trial of oral nalmefene therapy for the pruritus of cholestasis. Hepatology 1998: 27 (3): 679-684.
23. Wu JJ, Huang DB, Pang KR, Hsu S, Tyring SK,. Thalidomide: dermatological indications, mechanisms of action and side-effects. Br J Dermatol 2005: 153 (2): 254-273.
24. Lan CC, Lin CL, Wu CS, Chai CY, Chen WT, Chen GS,. Treatment of idiopathic prurigo nodularis in Taiwanese patients with low-dose thalidomide. J Dermatol 2007: 34 (4): 237-242.
25. Orlando A, Renna S, Cottone M,. Prurigo nodularis of Hyde treated with low-dose thalidomide. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci 2009: 13 (2): 141-145.
26. Maurer T, Poncelet A, Berger T,. Thalidomide treatment for prurigo nodularis in human immunodeficiency virus-infected subjects: efficacy and risk of neuropathy. Arch Dermatol 2004: 140 (7): 845-849.
27. Rivard J, Lim HW,. Ultraviolet phototherapy for pruritus. Dermatol Ther 2005: 18 (4): 344-354.
28. Archier E, Devaux S, Castela E, et al. Carcinogenic risks of psoralen UV-A therapy and narrowband UV-B therapy in chronic plaque psoriasis: a systematic literature review. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2012: 26 (Suppl 3): 22-31.
29. IARC. Radiation Volume 100 D. A review of human carcinogens. Lyon, France: IARC, 2012.
30. Gardner D,. Risk: why we fear the things we shouldn't and put ourselves in greater danger. Toronto: Emblem Editions, 2009.
31. Moore RA, Derry S, McQuay HJ, Paling J,. What do we know about communicating risk? A brief review and suggestion for contextualising serious, but rare, risk, and the example of cox-2 selective and non-selective NSAIDs. Arthritis Res Ther 2008: 10 (1): R20.
32. Moghadam-Kia S, Werth VP,. Prevention and treatment of systemic glucocorticoid side effects. Int J Dermatol 2010: 49 (3): 239-248.
33. Sarnes E, Crofford L, Watson M, Dennis G, Kan H, Bass D,. Incidence and US costs of corticosteroid-associated adverse events: a systematic literature review. Clin Ther 2011: 33 (10): 1413-1432.
34. Masunaga Y, Ohno K, Ogawa R, Hashiguchi M, Echizen H, Ogata H,. Meta-analysis of risk of malignancy with immunosuppressive drugs in inflammatory bowel disease. Ann Pharmacother 2007: 41 (1): 21-28.
35. Kempen JH, Daniel E, Dunn JP, et al. Overall and cancer related mortality among patients with ocular inflammation treated with immunosuppressive drugs: retrospective cohort study. BMJ 2009: 339: b2480.
36. Armstrong RG, West J, Card TR,. Risk of cancer in inflammatory bowel disease treated with azathioprine: a UK population-based case-control study. Am J Gastroenterol 2010: 105 (7): 1604-1609.
37. Herrinton LJ, Liu L, Weng X, Lewis JD, Hutfless S, Allison JE,. Role of thiopurine and anti-TNF therapy in lymphoma in inflammatory bowel disease. Am J Gastroenterol 2011: 106 (12): 2146-2153.
38. Peyrin-Biroulet L, Khosrotehrani K, Carrat F, et al. Increased risk for nonmelanoma skin cancers in patients who receive thiopurines for inflammatory bowel disease. Gastroenterology 2011: 141 (5): 1621-1628, e1621-e1625.
39. Beaugerie L, Brousse N, Bouvier AM, et al. Lymphoproliferative disorders in patients receiving thiopurines for inflammatory bowel disease: a prospective observational cohort study. Lancet 2009: 374 (9701): 1617-1625.
40. Badalamenti SA, Kerde FA,. Azathioprine. In:, Wolverton SE, ed. Comprehensive dermatologic drug therapy, 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Inc., 2007: 183-195.
41. Schram ME, Borgonjen RJ, Bik CM, et al. Off-label use of azathioprine in dermatology: a systematic review. Arch Dermatol 2011: 147 (4): 474-488.
42. Thomas CW, Myhre GM, Tschumper R, et al. Selective inhibition of inflammatory gene expression in activated T lymphocytes: a mechanism of immune suppression by thiopurines. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 2005: 312 (2): 537-545.
43. Karner S, Shi S, Fischer C, et al. Determination of 6-thioguanosine diphosphate and triphosphate and nucleoside diphosphate kinase activity in erythrocytes: novel targets for thiopurine therapy? Ther Drug Monit 2010: 32 (2): 119-128.
44. Neurath MF, Kiesslich R, Teichgraber U, et al. 6-thioguanosine diphosphate and triphosphate levels in red blood cells and response to azathioprine therapy in Crohn's disease. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2005: 3 (10): 1007-1014.
45. Rollinghoff M, Schrader J, Wagner H,. Effect of azathioprine and cytosine arabinoside on humoral and cellular immunity in vitro. Clin Exp Immunol 1973: 15 (2): 261-269.
46. Tiede I, Fritz G, Strand S, et al. CD28-dependent Rac1 activation is the molecular target of azathioprine in primary human CD4+ T lymphocytes. J Clin Invest 2003: 111 (8): 1133-1145.
47. Fairchild CR, Maybaum J, Kennedy KA,. Concurrent unilateral chromatid damage and DNA strand breakage in response to 6-thioguanine treatment. Biochem Pharmacol 1986: 35 (20): 3533-3541.
48. Schaeffeler E, Fischer C, Brockmeier D, et al. Comprehensive analysis of thiopurine S-methyltransferase phenotype-genotype correlation in a large population of German-Caucasians and identification of novel TPMT variants. Pharmacogenetics 2004: 14 (7): 407-417.
49. Weinshilboum RM, Sladek SL,. Mercaptopurine pharmacogenetics: monogenic inheritance of erythrocyte thiopurine methyltransferase activity. Am J Hum Genet 1980: 32 (5): 651-662.
50. Gisbert JP, Gomollon F, Cara C, et al. Thiopurine methyltransferase activity in Spain: a study of 14,545 patients. Dig Dis Sci 2007: 52 (5): 1262-1269.
51. Chouchana L, Narjoz C, Beaune P, Loriot MA, Roblin X,. Review article: the benefits of pharmacogenetics for improving thiopurine therapy in inflammatory bowel disease. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2012: 35 (1): 15-36.
52. Gearry RB, Day AS, Barclay ML, Leong RW, Sparrow MP,. Azathioprine and allopurinol: a two-edged interaction. J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2010: 25 (4): 653-655.
53. Ansari A, Elliott T, Baburajan B, et al. Long-term outcome of using allopurinol co-therapy as a strategy for overcoming thiopurine hepatotoxicity in treating inflammatory bowel disease. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2008: 28 (6): 734-741.
54. Leong RW, Gearry RB, Sparrow MP,. Thiopurine hepatotoxicity in inflammatory bowel disease: the role for adding allopurinol. Expert Opin Drug Saf 2008: 7 (5): 607-616.
55. Gearry RB, Barclay ML, Roberts RL, et al. Thiopurine methyltransferase and 6-thioguanine nucleotide measurement: early experience of use in clinical practice. Intern Med J 2005: 35 (10): 580-585.
56. Osterman MT, Kundu R, Lichtenstein GR, Lewis JD,. Association of 6-thioguanine nucleotide levels and inflammatory bowel disease activity: a meta-analysis. Gastroenterology 2006: 130 (4): 1047-1053.
57. Caufield M, Tom WL,. Oral azathioprine for recalcitrant pediatric atopic dermatitis: clinical response and thiopurine monitoring. J Am Acad Dermatol 2013: 68 (1): 29-35.
58. Mason C, Krueger GG,. Thioguanine for refractory psoriasis: a 4-year experience. J Am Acad Dermatol 2001: 44 (1): 67-72.
59. Present DH, Meltzer SJ, Krumholz MP, Wolke A, Korelitz BI,. 6-Mercaptopurine in the management of inflammatory bowel disease: short- and long-term toxicity. Ann Intern Med 1989: 111 (8): 641-649.
60. Perlis C, Pan TD, McDonald CJ,. Cytotoxic agents. In:, Wolverton SE, ed. Comprehensive dermatologic drug therapy, 2nd ed. Philadelpia, PA: Saunders Elsevier, 2007: 197-217.
61. Eugui EM, Almquist SJ, Muller CD, Allison AC,. Lymphocyte-selective cytostatic and immunosuppressive effects of mycophenolic acid in vitro: role of deoxyguanosine nucleotide depletion. Scand J Immunol 1991: 33 (2): 161-173.
62. Eugui EM, Mirkovich A, Allison AC,. Lymphocyte-selective antiproliferative and immunosuppressive effects of mycophenolic acid in mice. Scand J Immunol 1991: 33 (2): 175-183.
63. Helderman JH, Goral S,. Gastrointestinal complications of transplant immunosuppression. J Am Soc Nephrol: JASN 2002: 13 (1): 277-287.
64. Sokumbi O, El-Azhary RA, Langman LJ,. Therapeutic dose monitoring of mycophenolate mofetil in dermatologic diseases. J Am Acad Dermatol 2013: 68 (1): 36-40.
65. Orvis AK, Wesson SK, Breza TS, Jr, Church AA, Mitchell CL, Watkins SW,. Mycophenolate mofetil in dermatology. J Am Acad Dermatol 2009: 60 (2): 183-199; quiz 200-182.
66. Schanz S, Ulmer A, Rassner G, Fierlbeck G,. Successful treatment of subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus with mycophenolate mofetil. Br J Dermatol 2002: 147 (1): 174-178.
67. Lee MR, Cooper AJ,. Mycophenolate mofetil in pyoderma gangrenosum. J Dermatolog Treat 2004: 15 (5): 303-307.
68. Callen JP, Kulp-Shorten CL, Wolverton SE,. Methotrexate. In:, Wolverton SE, ed. Comprehensive dermatologic drug therapy, 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier, 2007: 163-181.
69. Schram ME, Roekevisch E, Leeflang MM, Bos JD, Schmitt J, Spuls PI,. A randomized trial of methotrexate versus azathioprine for severe atopic eczema. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2011: 128 (2): 353-359.
70. Lyakhovitsky A, Barzilai A, Heyman R, et al. Low-dose methotrexate treatment for moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis in adults. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol 2010: 24 (1): 43-49.
71. Godse K,. Methotrexate in autoimmune urticaria. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol 2004: 70 (6): 377.
72. Perez A, Woods A, Grattan CE,. Methotrexate: a useful steroid-sparing agent in recalcitrant chronic urticaria. Br J Dermatol 2010: 162 (1): 191-194.
73. Gach JE, Sabroe RA, Greaves MW, Black AK,. Methotrexate-responsive chronic idiopathic urticaria: a report of two cases. Br J Dermatol 2001: 145 (2): 340-343.
74. Wiederrecht G, Lam E, Hung S, Martin M, Sigal N,. The mechanism of action of FK-506 and cyclosporin A. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1993: 696: 9-19.
75. Keaney TC, Bhutani T, Sivanesan P, et al. Open-label, pilot study examining sequential therapy with oral tacrolimus and topical tacrolimus for severe atopic dermatitis. J Am Acad Dermatol 2012: 67 (4): 636-641.
76. Kessel A, Bamberger E, Toubi E,. Tacrolimus in the treatment of severe chronic idiopathic urticaria: an open-label prospective study. J Am Acad Dermatol 2005: 52 (1): 145-148.
77. Jacobi A, Antoni C, Manger B, Schuler G, Hertl M,. Infliximab in the treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis. J Am Acad Dermatol 2005: 52 (3 Pt 1): 522-526.
78. Moul DK, Routhouska SB, Robinson MR, Korman NJ,. Alefacept for moderate to severe atopic dermatitis: a pilot study in adults. J Am Acad Dermatol 2008: 58 (6): 984-989.
79. Desai NS, Poindexter GB, Monthrope YM, Bendeck SE, Swerlick RA, Chen SC,. A pilot quality-of-life instrument for pruritus. J Am Acad Dermatol 2008: 59 (2): 234-244.