Patient perspectives of atopic dermatitis: comparative analysis of terminology in social media and scientific literature, identified by a systematic literature review
Atopic dermatitis is a chronic skin condition that has a huge impact on patients and their quality of life. It is unclear if both patients and clinicians have the same perception and understanding of this burden.
For this study, the authors looked at the overlooked needs of patients and the burden that atopic dermatitis can cause. To evaluate this, the authors compared social media terminology with the terminology used in scientific literature. Social media terminology for atopic dermatology was identified by using the NetBase platform and natural language processing was also carried out.
The authors evaluated words and topics associated with negative responses, both generally and in relation to specific symptoms. They also carried out a systematic review of scientific literature in publications that included atopic dermatitis and quality of life terms. These were taken from PubMed. Term analysis of titles and abstracts was carried out via natural language processing.
The authors found over 3million social media mentions between 2018 and 2020 and 1519 scientific publications between 2000 and 2020. These were assessed and featured in the study. They found that, on social media, there were significantly more negative than positive mentions. Furthermore, flare-ups and pain were two of the most common symptoms that were driving the negative attitude. The face and hands were also key drivers of the negative feelings in relation to atopic dermatitis symptoms on social media.
The authors noted that, in the evaluated literature, pruritus and depression were the two most frequently occurring symptoms noted. They also highlighted that pruritus was the most common atopic dermatitis symptom co-occurring with quality of life terms in the evaluated literature.
The authors concluded that the analysis of social media provided a unique understanding of patients' experiences of atopic dermatitis.
The authors feel that including patients' perspectives may better the understanding and management of atopic dermatitis.
Efficacy and safety of N-acetyl-GED-0507-34-LEVO gel in patients with moderate-to severe facial acne vulgaris: a phase IIb randomized double-blind, vehicle-controlled trial
Affecting over 85% of adolescents and equating to 650 million people, acne is one of the most common skin conditions across the globe.
Hormonal changes, abnormally rapid skin cell shedding and alterations to sebaceous gland activity are all causes of acne. Moderate-to-severe acne can be treated with oral medications, including isotretinoin or antibiotics. However, these are linked with severe side effects.
For this clinical trial, the authors tested N-acetyl-GED-0507-34-LEVO (NAC-GED), a newly established acne treatment that acts on sebaceous glands via a special receptor involved in lipid metabolism.
This study included 36 clinics based in Germany, Italy and Poland, with a total of 450 patients aged 12–30 years. The patients were chosen randomly to receive either NAC-GED 5%, NAC-GED 2% or a placebo gel once a day. The patients applied the gel to their faces for 12 weeks and were observed frequently.
The authors evaluated the efficacy of NAC-GED by determining changes to the patients' acne lesions (comedones, papules, pustules and nodules).
The authors determined the percentage change in total lesion count from baseline and the decreases in acne severity scores after 12 weeks. To evaluate the treatment's safety, they noted any side effects and evaluated tolerability.
The authors found that using NAC-GED 5% gel considerably improved acne lesions. Both active formulations (NAC-GED 5% and NAC-GED 2% gel) were better than the placebo but just as safe and well tolerated. This study shows that NAC-GED is a ‘new and promising’ acne medication that should be assessed more in future clinical trials.
Biomarkers of disease progression in people with psoriasis: a scoping review
Psoriasis affects around one in every 50 people and causes uncomfortable, scaly patches on the skin. It is also associated with joint disease, obesity, heart attack and low mood.
Biomarkers are chemicals that naturally occur within the human body and are frequently present at different levels in patients who are more negatively impacted by a condition. Identifying the biomarkers that are strongly associated with the negative effects of psoriasis can assist in doctors predicting which patients may be more adversely impacted. Thus, physicians could proactively employ preventative actions that could lessen the effect that psoriasis has on those who are severely impacted.
This topic has been the focus of intense research over the years, and hundreds of studies have been performed to progress this effort. The authors wished for this study to further assist in future research. They studied systematically searched scientific literature databases and the results were assessed by an expert group of doctors and scientists from several research centres.
A total of 181 studies were identified while researching biomarkers associated with more extensive psoriasis and/or other linked health conditions. Following a detailed examination of the studies, several common limitations of methods were investigated.
The results showed that there were 22 promising biomarkers identified following an assessment of higher-quality studies. However, there were no biomarkers supported by adequate evidence to enforce their use in current practice without further examination.
The authors concluded that these findings can improve future research efforts to accelerate promising biomarkers being used in clinical practice.
The effect of screening on melanoma incidence and biopsy rates
Melanomas are common skin cancers found in white populations that, if left untreated, can be fatal. Over 16000 melanomas are diagnosed in the UK each year, and more than 2000 people die from this disease. To reduce the number of fatal melanomas, early detection is promoted as a health strategy. However, this screening process can also uncover ‘indolent’ tumours. These are tumours that grow slowly and may never be harmful. This is known as overdiagnosis, and the true magnitude is unknown.
To carry out this study, the authors explored this concern by using 7 years of follow-up data from a study of 38000 residents of Queensland, Australia.
At baseline, the participants completed a thorough melanoma risk factor survey and were asked whether they had been examined by a doctor in the past 3 years. The authors of this study then linked the participants' data to the population-based cancer registry and assessed the rates of melanoma diagnosis and rates of skin biopsies among those who had been screened with those who had not.
The authors found that those who underwent skin screening subsequently had almost twice the number of biopsies, and nearly 30% higher rates of melanoma, than people who did not undergo skin screening, even after modifying for all known risk factors.
The authors noted that the effect of screening over time suggests that skin inspection leads to a relative amount of melanomas being diagnosed that otherwise may not have been detected.
In conclusion, heightened detection may partially explain the rising occurrence of melanoma.