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Results of a randomized, placebo-controlled safety and efficacy study of topical diclofenac 3% gel in organ transplant patients with multiple actinic keratoses


European Journal of Dermatology. Volume 20, Number 4, 482-8, July-August 2010, Therapy

DOI : 10.1684/ejd.2010.1010

Summary  

Author(s) : Claas Ulrich, Antje Johannsen, Joachim Röwert-Huber, Martina Ulrich, Wolfram Sterry, Eggert Stockfleth , Skin Cancer Centre Charité, Department of Dermatology, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Charité-Platz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany.

Summary : Increasing incidence rates of cutaneous malignancies, paralleling rising survival times of grafts and patients in organ transplant recipients, represents an escalating challenge for dermatologists worldwide. Especially, invasive squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) in immuno-compromised patients are characterized by significantly increased morbidity and mortality and characteristically outnumber basal cell carcinoma in this population. Effective management of actinic keratoses (AK) could help to prevent the further development of invasive SCC. Diclofenac in hyaluronic acid has previously shown to be an effective and well tolerated option for the treatment of AK in immuno-competent patients. However, its safety and efficacy in organ-transplant patients has not been evaluated in a controlled study so far. 32 organ transplant patients (kidney (± pancreas), liver, heart) screened at our specialized transplant dermatology outpatient clinic were found eligible and were randomized to either active treatment (24) or vehicle (8). Patients who had stable status of the transplanted graft in the 12 months prior to entering the study and ≥ 3 AK lesions in a contiguous 50 cm 2 area on the face, forehead, hands or balding scalp were eligible for inclusion in the study. Treatment of AK with 3% diclofenac in 2.5% hyaluronic acid or placebo twice daily was conducted over a total of 16 weeks, followed by a final evaluation 4 weeks after last application of the study drug. Biopsies were taken from the treated areas at the final visit to verify clinical clearance. Patients were assessed for safety variables that included adverse events, local skin reactions, laboratory results, dosage of immunosuppressive medication and indication of graft rejection. A 24 months follow up was conducted after the end of treatment. 87% (n \= 28/32) of the patients completed the 16 week treatment phase and presented for final evaluation 4 weeks after end of treatment. In the diclofenac 3% gel treatment group, a complete clearance of AK lesions was achieved in 41% (9/22) compared to 0% (0/6) in the vehicle group. Side effects in most of the patients included a mild erythema and a mild to moderate swelling of the areas treated. No graft rejections or trends for a deterioration of graft function were detected. No meaningful trends were observed in laboratory results. In 55% of the previously cleared patients, new AK developed in the study area after an average of 9.3 months. None of these patients developed invasive SCC in the study area within 24 months of follow-up. This study demonstrated a greater lesion clearance rate of AKs in OTRs treated with diclofenac 3% gel than with vehicle. Despite recurrent AK in 55% of the previously cleared patients, the 24 month results showed no invasive SCC in this group. This study suggests that diclofenac 3% gel is not only an efficient and well tolerated treatment for multiple AKs in OTRs but also may prevent invasive SCC in these high-risk patients.

Keywords : actinic keratoses, diclofenac, hyaluronic acid, organ transplant recipients, safety study

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ARTICLE

Auteur(s) : Claas Ulrich, Antje Johannsen, Joachim Röwert-Huber, Martina Ulrich, Wolfram Sterry, Eggert Stockfleth

Skin Cancer Centre Charité, Department of Dermatology, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Charité-Platz 1, 10117 Berlin, Germany

accepté le 18 Mars 2010

Solid organ transplantation has been performed in over one million patients worldwide and increasing numbers are benefiting from transplantation. As increasingly effective immunosuppressive therapies are developed, the overall survival-times of patients receiving grafts have almost doubled within the last 20 years [1].

Paralleling the increasing survival time under chronic immunosuppression, cancers are among the most frequent complications registered in organ transplant recipients (OTRs). Non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC), especially invasive squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), strongly outnumber all other malignancies in OTRs. A study of renal allograft recipients found the risk of NMSC was 20 times greater compared to the general population, showing a cumulative incidence of NMSC of 7.43% after 3 years post transplantation [2].

In OTRs, this increased incidence of NMSCs and especially SCC, their multifocal development and increased aggressiveness with a metastasising rate of 6-9% is mainly explained by impaired cutaneous immunosurveillance that allows dysplastic keratinocytes to proliferate and spread at an accelerated rate [3-5]. Because of the great numbers of invasive SCC accumulating from earlier forms of dysplasia in sun exposed areas, adequate tools for the comprehensive clearance of early, subclinical and advanced (actinic keratoses – AK) forms of dysplasia within these “dysplastic fields” are needed to prevent further morbidity and mortality [6].

Diclofenac is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), reducing the production of prostaglandins by inhibiting the inducible cyclo-oxygenase 2 (COX-2) enzyme. Sun-damage, AK and invasive SCC have been linked with increasing levels of prostaglandins and COX-2 activity, paralleling increased levels of dysplasia [7]. Diclofenac has been shown to inhibit murine angiogenesis, regulate apoptosis, induce cell cycle arrest and has a significant anti-tumour effect in murine colon-26 growth [8]. Furthermore, diclofenac may act via an over expression of metalloproteinases, which would have keratolytic and collagenolytic effects [6]. Topical diclofenac 3% gel (SolarazeTM; in 2.5% hyaluronic acid (HA)) is licensed for the treatment of actinic keratoses by the FDA and in many countries in Europe.

Randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled studies have shown, depending on the treatment duration, 30-50% total clearance rates or significant improvement around 80% using topical diclofenac 3% gel (Solaraze™) for the treatment of AK in immuno-competent patients, thus indicating a possible benefit for the use of this drug in OTRs as well [9].

Recently, Nelson et al. presented 12 month follow-up results of diclofenac 3% HA treated immuno-competent patients. 79% of the treated target lesions stayed clear over this period [10].

The aim of this small-size pilot study was to investigate the effect and graft related safety of diclofenac 3% gel on clearance rates of multiple AK lesions in organ transplant patients. The second goal was to evaluate any prophylactic effect against invasive SCC within a 24 month follow up period of the verum group.

Patients and methods

Study design

The primary objective of this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was to evaluate the efficacy, graft related safety and tolerability of diclofenac 3% gel (SolarazeTM; in 2.5% HA, Almirall S.A., Spain) in comparison with vehicle gel for the treatment of AK in organ transplant patients. Patients with one of three organ transplant types (kidney, liver, heart) were randomized 3:1 (active:vehicle) in this vehicle-controlled, double-blind, parallel group design. Patients applied either topical 3.0% diclofenac in 2.5% hyaluronan gel or vehicle as study medication 2 times per day for 16 weeks to a defined treatment area of 50 cm [2]. The complete clearance rate was defined as the proportion of patients at the 4-week post treatment visit who had no evidence of AK on the histology results of a target biopsy lesion site and no clinically visible lesions in the remainder of the treatment area. The partial clearance rate was defined as the proportion of patients at the 4-week post treatment visit who obtained at least 75% reduction in the number of lesions counted at baseline in the treatment area. The clearance rate of individual AK lesions was defined as the percentage reduction of lesions from baseline to the 4-weeks post treatment visit.

Patients

32 out of 40 organ transplant patients screened at our specialized transplant dermatology outpatient clinic were found eligible and were randomized to either active treatment (24) or vehicle (8). Major reasons for the 8 patients’ ineligibility were not meeting the inclusion/exclusion criteria due to abnormal lab values (5), invasive SCC (2) or seborrhoic keratosis (1) in the pre-therapy punch biopsy from the treatment area. This study was conducted in compliance with all applicable national and EU regulations. Local Ethical Committee (Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany) review and approval was obtained and all patients provided written informed consent.

Patient selection

Patients with kidney (± pancreas), liver, or heart transplantation within 3 years and stable status of the transplanted graft in the 12 months prior to entering the study, who had ≥ 3 AK lesions in a contiguous 50 cm2 area on the face, forehead, hands or balding scalp were eligible for inclusion in the study. Criteria for determining the stability of grafts were specific to each transplant type. Immunosuppressive therapy must have been stable within the previous 6 months before enrolment and during therapy with the study drug. Patients were excluded if they had severe renal or hepatic impairment or had any evidence of graft rejection. Ongoing treatments for AK or evidence of invasive skin cancers also were exclusion criteria. Further exclusion criteria were evidence of unstable and severe cardiovascular, immunological, hematologic, hepatic, neurological, renal, endocrine, collagen-vascular, gastrointestinal or non-study related skin abnormalities or disease. In addition, patients could not have malignant tumours of the skin within the treatment area 6 months before enrolling in the study. Any evidence of systemic cancer or any systemic cancer chemotherapy or radiation therapy within 6 months of study treatment initiation were exclusion criteria. Patients could not have received other systemic treatments, including retinoids, interferons or investigational drugs, within 4 weeks of study initiation. Vitamin A usage > 15,000 units per day was also excluded. Females of childbearing potential could not be pregnant or nursing, and must have been willing to use medically accepted methods of contraception. Patients were also excluded if they had a history of hypersensitivity or allergy to any of the ingredients of active drug or vehicle or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Study procedures

The total duration of patient participation in this study was a maximum of 20 weeks. Patient eligibility was determined at the pre-study visit, at which time a 3 mm punch biopsy of a lesion was performed to confirm the presence of AK in the treatment area. Baseline safety and efficacy data were collected, and the patients randomized to study drug. Patients returned to the clinic for evaluations throughout the treatment period (weeks 4, 8, 12, 16). Photographs of the treatment area were taken at each study visit. Final evaluations, including another 3-4 mm punch biopsy, were performed at the 4-week post treatment visit (week 20).

Because safety throughout the whole study time was a primary focus, treatment continued for a full 16 weeks regardless of clinical evidence of lesion clearance. After completing this first part of the study, all patients with AK not responding to the study drug, including those from the vehicle group, were treated with various active, open label therapies such as topical diclofenac 3% in HA, PDT, topical 5-FU or imiquimod 5% cream. Patients successfully completing the verum arm of the study and showing complete response rates were recruited for a 24 month follow up phase of their study areas.

Patient disposition

Among the 24 receiving treatment, 2 patients discontinued treatment, whereas 2 of 8 discontinued from the vehicle arm (table 1).
Table 1 Patient Disposition

Variable

Liver

Kidney

Heart

(Diclofenac n = 5)

(Vehicle n = 1)

(Diclofenac n = 13)

(Vehicle n = 5)

(Diclofenac n = 6)

(Vehicle n = 2)

Sex

Female

1 (20%)

0 (0%)

1 (7.7%)

1 (20%)

0 (0%)

0 (0%)

Male

4 (80%)

1 (100%)

12 (92.3%)

4 (80%)

6 (100%)

2 (100%)

Age (years)

Mean ±SD

64.8 ± 6.06

72

62 ± 8.44

54.2 ± 13.55

65.7 ± 7.84

63.0 ± 9.90

Range

56 - 70

72

49 - 73

39 - 71

54 - 77

56 - 70

Race

White

5 (100%)

1 (100%)

13 (100%)

5 (100%)

6 (100%)

2 (100%)

Treatment Area Location

Face

5 (100%)

0 (0%)

11 (84.6%)

0 (0%)

6 (100%)

2 (100%)

Scalp

0 (0%)

1 (100%)

1 (7.7%)

4 (80%)

0 (0%)

0 (0%)

Hands

0 (0%)

0 (0%)

1 (7.7%)

1 (20%)

0 (0%)

0 (0%)

Completed treatment

5 (100%)

1 (100%)

13 (100%)

3 (60%)

4 (67%)

2 (100%)

Completed post-treatment

5 (100%)

1 (100%)

13 (100%)

3 (60%)

4 (67%)

2 (100%)

Efficacy assessments

At each visit (weeks 4, 8, 12, 16) and the post treatment visit (week 20), a clinical count supported by a transparent grid was made of the number of visible AK lesions in the treatment area. Histological verification was obtained through a 3-4 mm punch biopsy of a target lesion mapped at the initiation visit.

Safety monitoring

Adverse events: Safety variables included transplant rejection status, laboratory results, adverse events, local skin reactions, vital signs measurements, and the dosage of immunosuppressive medications.

Clinical laboratory analysis: All transplant recipients were monitored for their serum levels of immunosuppressive medication in the therapeutic range. Renal transplant recipients were monitored for abnormal levels in serum creatinine, C-reactive protein, and proteinuria. Liver transplant recipients were monitored for levels of gamma glutamyl-transpeptidase, glutamic-pyruvic transaminase, glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase, and bilirubin. Heart transplant recipients were monitored specifically for GOT and GPT, white cell blood count, serum creatinine, hemoglobin, and signs of heart failure.

At the post-treatment visit (week 20 in the study), investigators assessed the skin quality of the treatment area with regard to skin surface, hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation, the degree of scarring, and any atrophy.

Statistical analysis

Sample size for the study was based on the assumption that 0-1 spontaneous rejection events might be expected to occur in 40 patients observed over the length of the study. All patients were included in the safety population. Efficacy analysis was performed on the per-protocol population. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the safety variables for transplant rejection status, local skin reactions, adverse events, laboratory values and skin quality and the efficacy variables for complete and partial clearance rates by transplant type and treatment. No formal statistical comparisons between transplant types or treatment groups were made.

Results

87% (n = 28/32) of the patients completed the 16 weeks treatment phase and presented for final evaluation 4 weeks after the end of treatment (table 1, figures 1,2, 3).

The immunosuppression was kept stable regarding type and dosage throughout the whole time of the study.

Safety

No patient in either the diclofenac 3% gel group or the vehicle group experienced a systemic reaction or impaired transplant function relatable to the study drug. No meaningful trends were observed in laboratory results in creatinine, transaminases and C-reactive protein in the treatment group. Fluctuation in creatinine, being of specific importance in all patients with exposure to COX-inhibitors and potentially impaired renal function, was within 9% of pre-study baseline. However, in one patient an initially unexplainable increase of the creatinine level in week 4 was the reason to exclude him from the study. A workup of the case showed that the creatinine-increase was related to a previously unperceived calcineurine-toxicity related nephropathy. The most commonly reported adverse event was an application site reaction which seemed not to be related to an increased level of clinical clearance. Local side effects in the treatment area, including erythema and erosion, were mild in most patients (figure 2). In two patients of the treatment-group, itching and discomfort in the treatment area were the reasons for stopping the therapy after 4 weeks of application. Another patient stopped the study shortly after week 12 due to personal reasons. A kidney transplant patient in the diclofenac-group developed a basal cell carcinoma within the study area.

All patients in the treatment group had excellent and cosmetically appealing results 4 weeks after the end of the study.

Efficacy

Treatment outcome

In the diclofenac 3% gel treatment group, a complete clearance of AK lesions was achieved in 4/13 (30.7%) of patients in the kidney transplant group, 2/5 (40%) of patients in the liver transplant group and 3/4 (75%) of patients in the heart transplant group. The overall complete clearance result in the diclofenac-arm of our study was 41% (9/22) compared to 0/6 (0%) in the vehicle group (figure 3).

In the diclofenac treatment group, partial clearance – as defined as a clearance rate of ≥ 75% of baseline lesions – was achieved in 7/13 (53.8%) of patients in the kidney transplant group, 2/5 (40%) of patients in the liver transplant group and 4/4 (100%) of patients in the heart transplant group. Combining the transplant group results, diclofenac 3% gel partial clearance rate was 59% (13/22) compared to 1/6 (16%) in the vehicle group (figure 4).

When comparing lesion counts made at baseline to lesion counts made at the 4 week post treatment visit, an average 53% reduction in the individual lesion count was observed in all of the patients treated with diclofenac 3% gel, whilst among patients randomized to vehicle, the number of lesions increased during the course of the study by 17% in average (figure 5).

Follow-up outcome

45% of the previously cleared patients stayed completely free of new non-melanoma skin cancer, including AK, in the treated area for the whole 24 month follow-up period. After an average of 9.3 months, 55% of the previously completely cleared patients developed new AK (histological type I/II) in the study area. However, none of these patients developed AK histological type III or invasive SCC within 24 months of follow-up in the previously treated study area. In a representative area outside the study area, 63% of these patients developed AK (II + III), 5% Bowen's disease, 15% invasive SCC and 21% BCC.

Discussion

To our knowledge this is the first double blinded study examining the safety and efficacy of diclofenac 3% gel for the local treatment of AK lesions in organ transplant recipients. Unlike clinical observations in immuno-competent patients, immuno-suppressed patients appear to have a highly accelerated rate of AK development and progression. This is also shown in this study, where the number of AK lesions increased on average by 17% in the placebo arm. Aggressive treatment of AK is essential to prevent its progression into invasive SCC [11]. AK and subsequently resulting invasive SCC usually develop in large numbers in sun exposed areas (“field carcinogenesis”). Unspecific, destructive, lesion-directed therapies are applied only to clinically visible AK and leave out fields of subclinical dysplasia. They therefore usually fail to clear the complete area of substantial photodamage, including subclinical AK, resulting in comparable high recurrence rates in the treatment areas. This simple observation might help to explain the significantly increased risk of AK reoccurrence after cryotherapy, laser or curettage, leading towards steadily increasing preferences for field-adaptable therapies. The ideal therapy for NMSC, as suggested by Stasko and colleagues, would selectively target both malignant and pre-malignant lesions, should be easy and unobtrusive to use, cause no treatment-related morbidity, have no deleterious effects on the user's health – including the viability of the grafted organ – would not interfere with other medications or therapies, and would have a perfect clearance rate of cancerous and precancerous lesions with no subsequent recurrences [12].

There is increasing evidence that cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) plays an important role during the development and progression of non-melanoma skin cancers [13]. COX-2 is normally undetectable in most epithelial tissues. However, growth factors and pro-inflammatory cytokines both may result in its overexpression as it has been documented in actinic keratoses and invasive squamous cell carcinoma [14, 15]. In a retrospective paired immunohistochemical analysis of normal skin, actinic keratosis (AK), Bowen's disease (BD) and invasive SCC among 35 individuals, Nijsten et al. found the COX-2 expression and angiogenesis increased from 0% (normal epidermis), 31% (AK), 22% (BD) and up to 40% (SCC) in this multistage continuum leading towards invasive SCC [16]. The authors were furthermore able to show COX-2 immuno-positivity correlates with hypoxia and higher proliferating endothelial cell fractions, indicating an involvement of COX-2 in skin tumour angiogenesis. A correlation between COX-2 levels with vascular endothelial growth factor expression and tumour vascularization has previously been shown [17, 18]. Most interestingly, studies on human cell lines revealed a causal, Bcl-2 dependent linkage, between COX-2 inhibition and anti-apoptosis which, especially for pre-invasive SCC, could be of specific importance [18]. Interestingly, no COX-2 expression was found in basal cell carcinoma [19]. Various observational studies have shown an association between regular consumption of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and lower incidences of gastrointestinal cancers but also SCC of the lung and esophagus [20, 21]. A series of placebo controlled studies on topical application of diclofenac 3% gel for the treatment of AK has shown total clearance rates up to 50%. In a recently published study, topical diclofenac 3% gel showed similar efficacy comparable with the topical chemotherapeutic agent – 5-fluorouracil 5%, which, despite significant side effects, is still one of the most popular topical forms of field management worldwide [22, 23]. The observation that the number of AK lesions increased under placebo treatment in our study underpins the mode of action of diclofenac, also inducing a certain preventive effect. This should be evaluated in further studies. Reported adverse events of diclofenac 3% gel were mild to moderate eczemateous reactions with pruritus in our study, as well as the studies published so far. To our knowledge, systemic adverse events of the topical use of diclofenac 3% gel have not been observed. In our study no systemic side effects, especially renal or cardiovascular complications, were observed. Laboratory parameters were carefully checked throughout the whole study period and were found to be generally stable and unaffected by the study drug. However, further studies are needed before recommending NSAIDs for use on skin areas exceeding the study areas tested in this trial.

The accelerated skin carcinogenesis seen in immuno-compromised patients makes them the ideal population to study short term efficacy rates in the clearance of AK and long term prevention of invasive squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Our study adds to the findings of other trials that show the benefits of so called “field or topical therapies” compared with non-topical therapies (e.g. cryotherapy) that are unspecific, more destructive and provide limited, short term efficacy in immunosuppressed patients with actinic “field dysplasia”. In addition, this study suggests that the transplant population would benefit from a self-applied effective, convenient and safe method to treat clinical and subclinical AKs. Our 24-month follow-up of these patients suggests that field therapies of actinic dysplasia may not only provide initial relief from clinical signs of AK but also may delay or even prevent severe forms of AK and resulting invasive SCC in this high-risk patients.

The findings of this study on OTRs are also likely to have significance for other diseases with either therapeutically induced, or directly disease-related lack of immunosurveillance, like HIV; therapeutically-induced immunosuppression in rheumatic and other auto-immune disorders; chemotherapy for systemic-malignancies where high levels of NMSC may represent a significant complication [24, 16]. The management of skin diseases in OTRs remains an exciting and interesting area providing rewarding opportunities for dermatologists within the field of transplant medicine. Furthermore, organ transplant recipients represent an excellent target population to study the efficacy and sustainability of established as well as novel forms of therapy for field management of actinically damaged skin areas.

Acknowledgements

This paper and the study were supported by a scientific grant from Shire Pharmaceuticals. Conflict of interest: none.

References

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