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Evaluation of Combination Therapy With Etanercept and Systemic Corticosteroids for Stevens-Johnson Syndrome and Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis: A Multicenter Observational Study

Zhang J, Lu CW, Chen CB, Wang CW, Chen WT, Cheng B, Ji C, Chung WH

The journal of allergy and clinical immunology. In practice, 2022

242 participants

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Stevens-Johnson syndrome-toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS-TEN) are fatal severe cutaneous adverse reactions, without consensus on the medical treatment. The use of systemic corticosteroids or intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) remains debatable. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors are potentially effective.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of combination therapy using etanercept combined with corticosteroids or IVIG combined with corticosteroids versus corticosteroid monotherapy for patients with SJS-TEN.

METHODS: We retrospectively enrolled SJS-TEN patients from Taiwan and the Chinese mainland, during 2014 to 2019. Patients enrolled were treated with corticosteroid monotherapy, or combinations with IVIG or etanercept. We analyzed the clinical characteristics, skin healing time, mortality, and adverse events among these treatment groups.

RESULTS: Among the 242 patients (187 with SJS or SJS-TEN overlapping and 55 with TEN), patients who received combination therapy with etanercept and corticosteroids had lower actual mortality than those with corticosteroid monotherapy and those with IVIG combined with corticosteroids, respectively (0% vs 6.63% and 4.76%). There was a tendency of reducing standardized (observed/predicted) mortality rate (SMR) based on the Score of Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis in etanercept combined with corticosteroids compared with corticosteroid monotherapy and IVIG combined with corticosteroids therapy (SMR [95% CI] 0…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 242 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

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