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M. De Groot, M.A. De Rie, J.D. Bos, Dermatitis during efalizumab treatment in a patient with psoriasis vulgaris, British Journal of Dermatology, Volume 153, Issue 4, 1 October 2005, Pages 843–844, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2133.2005.06840.x
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Conflict of interest: none declared.
Sir, Efalizumab is a fully humanized monoclonal antibody against CD11a, the α‐chain of the lymphocyte function associated (LFA)‐1 adhesion molecule. By binding to CD11a, LFA‐1 is prevented from binding with its ligand, intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)‐1. This inhibits various T‐cell processes believed to be important in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, including T‐cell activation, T‐cell adhesion to endothelial cells and T‐cell migration. Clinical trials demonstrate that efalizumab, given subcutaneously once weekly, provides clinical benefit in patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.1–6 We report a case in which a patient with psoriasis vulgaris developed dermatitis during efalizumab therapy.
A 48‐year‐old male, diagnosed with psoriasis in 1991, received weekly subcutaneous injections of efalizumab (0·7 mg kg−1) for 12 weeks. Apart from budesonide and formoterol inhalation medication, the patient used no other medication.
During week 9 of the treatment the patient developed multiple moderately defined erythemato‐squamous papules varying in size from 1 to 2 cm on the extremities and trunk, next to the classical psoriasis lesions. The majority of those lesions showed excoriations, as seen in Figure 1.
