Hypocalcaemia-induced pustular psoriasis-like skin eruption

The Prevalent Comorbidome at the Onset of Psoriasis Diagnosis

INTRODUCTION

Psoriasis (PsO) is currently regarded as a systemic inflammatory disease with a growing burden of post-diagnosis associated comorbidities. To determine the initial burden of comorbiditis we evaluated the comorbidome at PsO onset.

METHODS

In a matched case-control study, we extracted data on 57,228 patients and 125 morbidities from the Clalit Health Services Israeli insurance database. PsO cases were matched with control individuals by sex and age at enrolment. As pre-existing comorbidities, we considered all conditions already present in controls at the same age as the matched PsO case at the time of their diagnosis. To test for differences in the odds of comorbidities between the case and control groups, logistic regression analyses were run to calculate the odds ratio (OR) for each comorbidity, after which the comorbidome was graphically represented.

RESULTS

In this study we enrolled 28,614 PsO patients and 28,614 controls with an average age of 45.3 ± 19.6 years. At the time of diagnosis, PsO patients were more likely to be diagnosed with 2-4 comorbidities (28.8% vs 23.8%) and > 5 (19.6% vs 12.9%,). PsO patients' specific comorbidomes evidenced several pathological cores: autoimmune and inflammatory systemic diseases [i.e., hidradenitis suppurativa (OR 3.55, 95% CI 1.88-7.28) or polymyalgia rheumatica (OR 3.01 95% CI 1.96-4.77)], inflammatory bowel diseases [i.e., Crohn's disease (OR 2.99 95% CI 2.20-4.13)], pulmonary inflammatory diseases [i.e., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (OR 1.81 95% CI 1.61-2.04)], hepatological diseases [i.e., cirrhosis (OR 2.00 95% CI 1.36-3.00)], endocrine diseases [dysthyroidisms (OR 1.82 95% CI 1.30-2.59)], mental disorders [i.e., depression (OR 1.72 95% CI 1.57-1.87)], and cardiovascular diseases (i.e., hypertension (OR 1.47 95% CI 1.41-1.53)].

CONCLUSION

The PsO-onset comorbidome may help health professionals plan more comprehensive patient management. By screening for these common PsO-linked conditions, early diagnosis and treatment may become more frequent, thus greatly benefiting patients on their medical journey.

Hypoparathyroidism

BACKGROUND

Hypoparathyroidism is a rare endocrine disorder characterized by hypocalcemia and low or undetectable levels of parathyroid hormone.

METHODS

This review is an evidence-based summary of hypoparathyroidism in terms of relevant pathophysiological, clinical, and therapeutic concepts.

RESULTS

Many clinical manifestations of hypoparathyroidism are due to the lack of the physiological actions of parathyroid hormone on its 2 major target organs: the skeleton and the kidney. The skeleton is inactive, accruing bone without remodeling it. The kidneys lose the calcium-conserving actions of parathyroid hormone and, thus, excrete a greater fraction of calcium. Biochemical manifestations, besides hypocalcemia and low or undetectable levels of parathyroid hormone, include hyperphosphatemia and low levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D. Calcifications in the kidney, brain, and other soft tissues are common. Removal of, or damage to, the parathyroid glands at the time of anterior neck surgery is, by far, the most likely etiology. Autoimmune destruction of the parathyroid glands and other genetic causes represent most of the other etiologies. Conventional treatment with calcium and active vitamin D can maintain the serum calcium level but high doses may be required, adding to the risk of long-term soft tissue calcifications. The advent of replacement therapy with recombinant human PTH(1-84) represents a major step in the therapeutics of this disease.

CONCLUSIONS

Advances in our knowledge of hypoparathyroidism have led to greater understanding of the disease itself and our approach to it.

Clinical presentation and management of hypoparathyroidism

The clinical manifestations of hypoparathyroidism are variable and can involve almost any organ system. The main clinical features of the hypoparathyroidism are typically signs or symptoms due to neuromuscular irritability owing to low serum calcium level. In addition to hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia can contribute to long-term complications, including extra-skeletal calcifications. Bone turnover markers are generally decreased, and bone mass density is usually normal-increased compared to age- and gender-matched controls. It is still unclear whether or not these bone features could have an impact on the risk of fracture. Impaired renal function is a common complication described in patients treated for hypoparathyroidism. Other complications include premature cataracts, seizures, basal ganglia calcifications, and cardiac arrhythmias. Lastly, some clinical studies have also reported a reduced quality of life of patients with hypoparathyroidism. Increased awareness of the clinical manifestations of this disease is important to improve its clinical management.

Low Vitamin D in Psoriasis: Reality or Myth?

Context:

Psoriasis is a chronic, systemic disease with the beneficial effect of topical vitamin D3 analogs, known for a long time. Low levels of vitamin D are increasingly found to be associated with the initial development of some autoimmune diseases. There are contradictory reports of low serum levels of vitamin D3 in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

Aims:

(1) To determine the serum levels of vitamin D, calcium and C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with psoriasis vulgaris, (2) To compare these levels with the serum levels of controls, and (3) To correlate them with the severity of the disease.

Subjects and Methods:

A hospital-based case–control study with 61 patients of psoriasis and 61 age- and sex-matched controls was undertaken. A detailed history was taken and examination including body mass index, Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) was done. Estimations of serum vitamin D, serum calcium, and CRP levels were done.

Results:

Mean 25(OH) vitamin D level was not significantly different between persons with and without psoriasis. Mean vitamin D level in cases was 18.41±9.41 and that in controls was 17.24±13.03 (P =0.63). However, vitamin D level were significantly lower in females than in males in both cases (P =0.02) and controls (P =0.006). There was no significant correlation between the severity of psoriasis and serum levels of vitamin D, serum calcium, and CRP.

Conclusions:

Serum level of vitamin D did not correlate with the severity of psoriasis in our study.

Hypoparathyroidism

Hypoparathyroidism is a disease characterized by inadequately low circulating concentrations of parathyroid hormone (PTH) resulting in low calcium levels and increased phosphate levels in the blood. Symptoms of the disease result from increased neuromuscular irritability caused by hypocalcaemia and include tingling, muscle cramps and seizures. The most common cause of the disease is inadvertent removal of, or injury to, the parathyroid glands during neck surgery, followed by genetic, idiopathic and autoimmune aetiologies. Conventional treatment includes activated vitamin D and/or calcium supplements, but this treatment does not fully replace the functions of PTH and can lead to short-term problems (such as hypocalcaemia, hypercalcaemia and increased urinary calcium excretion) and long-term complications (which include nephrocalcinosis, kidney stones and brain calcifications). PTH replacement has emerged as a new treatment option. Clinical trials using human PTH(1-34) and PTH(1-84) showed that this treatment was safe and effective in studies lasting up to 6 years. Recombinant human PTH(1-84) has been approved in the United States and Europe for the management of hypoparathyroidism; however, its effect on long-term complications is still being evaluated. Clinical practice guidelines, which describe the consensus of experts in the field, have been published and recognize the need for more research to optimize care. In this Primer, we summarize current knowledge of the prevalence, pathophysiology, clinical presentation and management of hypoparathyroidism.

The effect of parathyroid hormones on hair follicle physiology: implications for treatment of chemotherapy-induced alopecia

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) influence hair follicles through paracrine and intracrine routes. There is significant evidence that PTH and PTHrP influence the proliferation and differentiation of hair follicle cells. The PTH/PTHrP receptor signalling plays an important role in the hair follicle cycle and may induce premature catagen-telogen transition. Transgenic mice with an overexpression or blockade (PTH/PTHrP receptor knockout mice) of PTHrP activity revealed impaired or increased hair growth, respectively. Some findings also suggest that PTHrP may additionally influence the hair cycle by inhibiting angiogenesis. Antagonists of the PTH/PTHrP receptor have been shown to stimulate proliferation of hair follicle cells and hair growth. A hair-stimulating effect of a PTH/PTHrP receptor antagonist applied topically to the skin has been observed in hairless mice, as well as in mice treated with cyclophosphamide. These data indicate that the PTH/PTHrP receptor may serve as a potential target for new (topical) hair growth-stimulating drugs, especially for chemotherapy-induced alopecia.

A Case of Acute Generalized Pustular Psoriasis of von Zumbusch Triggered by Hypocalcemia

Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease triggered by different conditions in genetically susceptible people. It is characterized by variable cutaneous manifestations including localized or disseminated pustules. Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) has two main clinical forms: von Zumbusch psoriasis, characterized by severe erythrodermia and scaling skin after the resolution of pustules, and the annular form. GPP may also present severe extracutaneous manifestations including pneumonitis, heart failure and hepatitis. Old reports showed a relationship between hypoparathyroidism and hypocalcemia as triggers for GPP highlighting the importance of adequate workup of the patient and possible therapeutic changes in acute situations. Here, we present a case of severe von Zumbusch psoriasis with life-threatening complications triggered by severe hypocalcemia secondary to hypoparathyroidism successfully treated with aggressive calcium reposition.

Psoriasis and bone mineral density: implications for long-term patients

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease associated with several comorbidities. Osteoporosis is defined as a reduction in bone mineral density with impaired bone microarchitecture. Several mechanisms may be implicated as a possible cause for the association between psoriasis and osteoporosis, such as systemic inflammation, anti-psoriatic drug intake and joint dysfunction for psoriatic arthritis (PsA). The aim of the present study was to assess bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with psoriasis, correlating the prevalence of osteopenia/osteoporosis with Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score, mean duration of psoriatic disease, PsA and previous treatments for psoriasis. Forty-three consecutive patients with psoriasis, 19 of whom were affected by the arthropathic form, were enrolled. We evaluated the severity of psoriasis as measured by PASI score, the CASPAR criteria and ultrasounds of the joints to verify the diagnosis of PsA and the age of psoriasis onset to estimate mean disease duration. Patients underwent a bone density scan of the lumbar spine and femoral neck by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to measure BMD. Patients with osteopenia/osteoporosis showed a statistically significant longer average duration of psoriatic disease (17 years), compared to patients affected by psoriasis with normal T-score (8.8 years) (P = 0.04). The linear logistic regression confirms a significant relation between mean psoriatic disease duration and BMD alterations (P = 0.04). Our results suggest the necessity of an early diagnostic evaluation of bone metabolism in patients with psoriasis, especially if characterized by longer disease duration.

[Hand and endocrine diseases]

The whole of hormones likely influence state of hands, modifying colouring and trophicity of the skin and having influence on its muscular, tendineous, osseous, articular components. Thus state of the hands contributes to the recognition of the endocrine diseases: hot and moist hands of the Graves' disease, dry, cold and infiltrated hands in myxoedema, pale and fine hands of hypopituitarism, broad and thick hand of acromegaly, brachymetacarpia in the pseudohypoparathyroidism… Diabetes exposes particularly to tendineous and articular retractions, to whitlows and ungual mycosis.

Dermatologic manifestations of parathyroid-related disorders

Dermatologic manifestations of parathyroid-related disorders, although rare in sporadic cases, are not uncommon in familial syndromes. Patients with familial hyperparathyroidism have several types of skin lesions. In multiple endocrine neoplasia 1, patients commonly have angiofibromas (85%) and collagenomas (70%), lesions that show loss of one 11q13 allele, the molecular abnormality in multiple endocrine neoplasia 1. They can also present with lipomas or café-au-lait spots. Cutaneous amyloidosis, an entity that can occur sporadically, has been described in multiple endocrine neoplasia 2a and is usually localized to the interscapular area. Metastatic calcification is an entity commonly encountered in patients with hyperparathyroidism and renal failure. It can be complicated by infections and necrosis. It is best treated by controlling hypercalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, hyperparathyroidism, antibiotics, and analgesia. Parathyroidectomy is reserved for refractory cases. Hypoparathyroidism presenting in the context of polyglandular failure type 1 is characterized by mucocutaneous candidiasis. Pseudohypoparathyroidism, an inherited disorder with end-organ unresponsiveness to parathyroid hormone, is characterized by Albright hereditary osteodystrophy. Patients present with short stature, round facies, brachydactyly, and short fourth or fifth metacarpals.