Ixekizumab-Induced Cardiac Sarcoidosis: A Case Report

Psoriasis and Molecular Target Therapies: Evidence of Efficacy in Preventing Cardiovascular Comorbidities

Psoriasis is now considered a systemic disease, and several comorbidities have been described such as cardiovascular diseases, neurologic and psychiatric disorders, chronic inflammatory bowel disease, psoriatic arthritis, etc. Regarding cardiovascular comorbidities, major adverse cardiovascular events have been reported in psoriasis patients by multiple epidemiologic studies. Moreover, smoking, obesity, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes and reduced physical activity are associated with psoriasis, increasing cardiovascular risk. Consequently, several aspects should be considered when making the treatment decision. The aim of this review manuscript was to investigate the effectiveness and safety of biologic drugs acting on molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis in preventing cardiovascular complications.

The dark side of the moon: the immune-mediated adverse events of IL-17A/IL-17R inhibition

As aberrant IL-17 signaling plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis, biologic agents targeting this pathway have become an important weapon against this disease. Some biologic agents such as IL-17 inhibitors (secukinumab and ixekizumab) and the IL-17 receptor (IL17R) inhibitor (brodalumab) are relatively safe, tolerable and efficacious drugs. Nevertheless, side effects of IL-17 pathway inhibition occur. This review focuses on the dermatological manifestations linked to these treatments. Paradoxical psoriasis and atopic-like eczema may be the most common cutaneous adverse events, while manifestations such as neutrophilic dermatoses, hypersensitivity reactions, lichenoid eruptions, vasculitides, bullous diseases, lupus-like reactions, pigmentation disorders, adnexal diseases and granulomatous dermatoses have been described less frequently.

Autophagy and Mitophagy-Related Pathways at the Crossroads of Genetic Pathways Involved in Familial Sarcoidosis and Host-Pathogen Interactions Induced by Coronaviruses

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem disease characterized by the development and accumulation of granulomas, the hallmark of an inflammatory process induced by environmental and/or infectious and or genetic factors. This auto-inflammatory disease mainly affects the lungs, the gateway to environmental aggressions and viral infections. We have shown previously that genetic predisposition to sarcoidosis occurring in familial cases is related to a large spectrum of pathogenic variants with, however, a clustering around mTOR (mammalian Target Of Rapamycin)-related pathways and autophagy regulation. The context of the COVID-19 pandemic led us to evaluate whether such genetic defects may increase the risk of a severe course of SARS-CoV2 infection in patients with sarcoidosis. We extended a whole exome screening to 13 families predisposed to sarcoidosis and crossed the genes sharing mutations with the list of genes involved in the SARS-CoV2 host-pathogen protein-protein interactome. A similar analysis protocol was applied to a series of 100 healthy individuals. Using ENRICH.R, a comprehensive gene set enrichment web server, we identified the functional pathways represented in the set of genes carrying deleterious mutations and confirmed the overrepresentation of autophagy- and mitophagy-related functions in familial cases of sarcoidosis. The same protocol was applied to the set of genes common to sarcoidosis and the SARS-CoV2-host interactome and found a significant enrichment of genes related to mitochondrial factors involved in autophagy, mitophagy, and RIG-I-like (Retinoic Acid Inducible Gene 1) Receptor antiviral response signaling. From these results, we discuss the hypothesis according to which sarcoidosis is a model for studying genetic abnormalities associated with host response to viral infections as a consequence of defects in autophagy and mitophagy processes.