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Vol. 108. Issue 2.
Pages 168-170 (March 2017)
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Vol. 108. Issue 2.
Pages 168-170 (March 2017)
Case and Research Letter
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A Case Series of Patients With Psoriasis Exposed to Biologic Therapy During Pregnancy: The BIOBADADERM Register and a Review of the Literature
Serie de casos de pacientes psoriásicas expuestas a terapia biológica durante el embarazo. Registro BIOBADADERM y revisión de la literatura
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B. Echeverría-Garcíaa, A. Nuño-Gonzálezb, E. Daudenc, F. Vanaclochad, R. Torradoe, I. Belinchónf, B. Pérez-Zafrillag,h,
Corresponding author
, Grupo de estudio BIOBADADERM
a Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada, Madrid, Spain
b Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital Universitario Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain
c Servicio de Dermatología IIS-IP, Hospital Universitario La Princesa, Madrid, Spain
d Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
e Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Dr. Negrín, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
f Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital General Universitario de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
g Unidad de Investigación, Fundación Academia Española de Dermatología y Venereología, Madrid, Spain
h Unidad de Investigación, Gerencia de Atención Integrada de Albacete, Albacete, Spain
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Tables (2)
Table 1. Pregnancies Recorded in the BIOBADADERM Register.
Table 2. Review of Cases in the Literature.
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To the Editor:

Biologic therapy has been a step forward in the control of moderate and severe psoriasis. However, major issues remain, including a better understanding of the risks associated with the use of this therapy during pregnancy. This information is usually obtained from the description of cases of accidental exposure in clinical trials, in observational studies, in clinical practice, or in patient registers such as BIOBADADERM, the methodology of which has been described previously. Based on a review of cases in BIOBADADERM and in the literature, our aim has been to define the risk of exposure to biologic agents during pregnancy.

In addition to the data in BIOBADADERM, specific information was gathered on the presence or absence of fetal abnormalities. The estimated duration of fetal exposure was calculated using the date of the final dose administered and the date of the last menstrual period.

The search for studies to review was performed on the Medline (via OVID) and Embase databases up to March 2016, with no language limits, combining 3 groups of terms: (psoriasis) AND (pregnancy) AND (infliximab, etanercept, adalimumab, ustekinumab, tumor necrosis factor-alpha/adverse effects, tumor necrosis factor-alpha/antagonists and inhibitors, tumor necrosis factor-alpha/contraindications, tumor necrosis factor-alpha/drug effects and interleukin-12,23 p40 subunit/antagonists and inhibitors). All terms were used as MeSH and as free terms

We present 7 cases of patients with moderate or severe psoriasis directly exposed to biologic therapy either during gestation or at conception as accidental exposure to the drug (Table 1). Two of the patients had 2 pregnancies with healthy children.

Table 1.

Pregnancies Recorded in the BIOBADADERM Register.

Patient  TreatmentComplicationsMaternal age, y 
  Biologic agent  Duration of Exposure, wks  Traditional Systemic Agenta  Duration of Exposure, wks  Pregnancy  Deliver   
1b  Etanercept  Prednisone 40mg/d, Ciclosporin 300mg/d  16  Deterioration of the psoriasis  No  33 
1c  Etanercept  Ciclosporin 300mg/d  20  No  No  35 
Adalimumab  Azathioprine 100mg/d, Prednisone 5mg/d  40 and 8  No  No  37 
Adalimumab  No    No  No  21 
Adalimumab  12  No    Systemic hypertension  Respiratory distress of the newborn  32 
5b  Etanercept  No    No  No  39 
5c  Etanercept  No    Sciatic pain, erythema nodosum, nausea, asthenia, dizziness and vaginal infection  Detachment of the amniotic sac  41 
Ustekinumab  16  No    No  No  35 
Etanercept  No    Induced abortion  25 
a

The traditional systemic agents were administered after the systemic biologic agents.

b

First pregnancy.

c

Second pregnancy.

In patients 1A, 1B, and 2, the biologic was administered during the first weeks of pregnancy and was discontinued when the situation became known. Deterioration of the patient's psoriasis during the second or third trimester of pregnancy subsequently made it necessary to administer treatment with traditional systemic drugs.

Complications or adverse events were recorded during the pregnancy in 3 of the 7 patients: deterioration of the psoriasis (case 1A); systemic hypertension at the first obstetric appointment (case 4); and sciatic pain, erythema nodosum, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, and vaginal infection (case 5B). Voluntary interruption of pregnancy was performed in a patient exposed to etanercept for 4 weeks and with a previous daughter with Down syndrome (case 7). Complications during labor were reported in 2 of the pregnancies carried to term: respiratory distress in the newborn (case 4) and detachment of the amniotic sac (case 5B) (Table 1). No fetal abnormalities were observed in either case.

The results found in the literature are presented in Table 2. Ten patients with psoriasis were treated with biologic therapy during gestation. Six of these patients received ustekinumab: 1 with impetigo herpetiformis was treated up to week 26,1 1 with recalcitrant pustular psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis received treatment for practically her whole pregnancy,2 and the remaining 4 received ustekinumab accidentally during the first weeks of pregnancy.3,4 One of the patients was treated with adalimumab5 and another with etanercept6 during the initial weeks of pregnancy, and 2 patients were prescribed treatment with infliximab throughout pregnancy.7,8 A normal pregnancy and delivery were observed in all but 2 patients: 1 with a spontaneous abortion,9 and 1 with collodion baby.8

Table 2.

Review of Cases in the Literature.

Author  Age, y  Diagnosis  Implicated Drug  Exposure  Outcome 
Puig et al., 20107  24  Severe psoriasis  Infliximab  Throughout pregnancy  Normal pregnancy/normal delivery 
Borrego, 20106  40  Psoriasis and psoriatic arthropathy  Etanercept  Final dose: wkNormal pregnancy/normal delivery 
Dessinioti et al., 20115  34  Psoriasis  Adalimumab  Final dose: wkNormal pregnancy/delivery: low birth weight 
Andrulonis et al., 20122  22  Recalcitrant pustular psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis  Ustekinumab  Throughout pregnancy  Normal pregnancy/normal delivery 
Fotiadou et al., 20129  35  Psoriasis  Ustekinumab  Final dose: 4wks preconception  Spontaneous abortion 
Sheeran et al., 20144  34  Recalcitrant psoriasis  Ustekinumab  Final dose: wkNormal pregnancy/normal delivery 
Sheeran et al., 20144  21  Psoriasis  Ustekinumab  Final dose: wkPregnancy: outbreak of psoriasis in wk 34/normal delivery 
Offiah et al., 20148  Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis  Infliximab  Throughout pregnancy  Normal pregnancy/delivery: collodion baby 
Rocha et al., 20153  25  Severe psoriasis  Ustekinumab  Final dose: 18d preconception  Normal pregnancy/normal delivery 
Alsenaid et al., 20161  24  Psoriasis/impetigo herpetiformis  Ustekinumab  Final dose: wk26  Normal pregnancy/normal delivery 

Many reports have been published on pregnant patients with psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, or Crohn disease treated with biologic agents, but no previous case series or reviews have been published on patients with psoriasis treated with biologic therapy. Extrapolation of the results obtained in previous studies to patients with psoriasis would not appear wholly appropriate, as the characteristics, comorbidities, and idiosyncrasies of the diseases are different.

In 2009, a review was published of cases of congenital abnormalities reported to the FDA in children born to mothers who had received infliximab, etanercept, or adalimumab during pregnancy, independently of the underlying disease.10 Among the 120000 reported adverse reactions to these 3 drugs, the authors detected 41 cases of children born with congenital abnormalities. The main limitation of that study was that it did not enable incidences to be calculated, as the numerator (number of reported cases) was known but not the denominator (total population of pregnant women exposed to the drugs).

The results obtained in this review indicate a probable low risk of complications in women exposed to biologic agents during pregnancy, making the study somewhat reassuring for women accidentally exposed to these drugs. The decision to use this type of therapy during pregnancy must be made after appropriate evaluation of each case and determination of the risk-benefit ratio, that is, the balance between the importance of maintaining adequate control of the disease and the potential risk of fetal harm.

Funding

BIOBADADERM is funded by the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, by the Spanish Agency for Medicines and Healthcare Products, and by the pharmaceutical industry (Abbott, Merck-Schering Plough, and Pfizer-Wyeth). The participating companies each provide similar financial support and do not participate in the analysis or interpretation of results.

Conflicts of Interest

A. Nuño-González has given lectures for Janssen Cilag, Roche, and IFC Cantabria.

F. Vanaclocha has given lectures for Abbott, Pfizer, MSD, and Janssen.

E. Daudén has undertaken the following activities: member of the Advisory Board, consultant, reception of grants, research support, participation in clinical trials, and receipt of fees for lectures given for the following pharmaceutical companies: Abbvie/Abbott, Amgen, Janssen Cilag, Leo Pharma, Novartis, Pfizer, MSD-Schering-Plough, Celgene, and Lilly.

M. Alsina has acted as a consultant for Pfizer, Abbvie, Jannsen, and MSD.

B. Pérez-Zafrilla has given lectures for Pfizer-Wyeth.

I. Belinchón has acted as a consultant for Pfizer-Wyeth; Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., MSD, Almirall SA, and Leo-Pharma, and has given lectures for AbbVie, Pfizer-Wyeth, Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., and MSD.

J. Sánchez-Carazo has acted as a consultant for AbbVie Laboratories, Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., MSD, and Pfizer-Wyeth.

The remaining authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Acknowledgments

To all the participants collaborating in the BIOBADADERM register.

Annex 1
The BIOBADADERM Study Group

Gregorio Carretero, Carlos Ferrandiz, José Manuel Carrascosa, Raquel Rivera, Francisco José Gómez García, Pablo de la Cueva, Enrique Herrera, José Luis López Estebaranz, Mercè Alsina, José Luis Sánchez Carazo, and Marta Ferrán.

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Please cite this article as: Echeverría-García B, Nuño-González A, Dauden E, Vanaclocha F, Torrado R, Belinchón I, et al. Serie de casos de pacientes psoriásicas expuestas a terapia biológica durante el embarazo. Registro BIOBADADERM y revisión de la literatura. Actas Dermosifiliogr. 2017;108:168–170.

The names of the members of the BIOBADADERM Study Group are listed in Appendix A.

Copyright © 2016. Elsevier España, S.L.U. and AEDV
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