Research letter

Topical Janus kinase inhibitors for the treatment of pediatric alopecia areata

JAK inhibitors target specific inflammatory cytokines involved in various inflammatory diseases. Four molecules have been approved for dermatological use: upadacitinib, baricitinib, abrocitinib and topical ruxolitinib. Off-label prescriptions for other dermatological conditions have been reported. We conducted a narrative review of the literature to assess the long-term safety profile of currently approved JAK inhibitors in dermatology, and their off-label use in skin disorders. We performed literature searches with Pubmed and Google Scholar from January 2000 to January 2023, using the keywords “Janus kinase inhibitors”, “JAK inhibitors”, “off-label”, “dermatology”, “safety”, “adverse events”, “ruxolitinib”, “upadacitinib”, “abrocitinib” and “baricitinib”. Our search yielded a total of 37 dermatological disorders with studies supporting the use of these JAK inhibitors. Preliminary studies indicate that JAK inhibitors generally have a favorable safety profile and can be considered as an option in many dermatological disorders.

Los inhibidores de JAK actúan bloqueando la acción de ciertas citoquinas inflamatorias involucradas en varias enfermedades inflamatorias. Cuatro moléculas han sido aprobadas para uso en dermatología: upadacitinib, baricitinib, abrocitinib y ruxolitinib tópico. Se han reportado usos fuera de indicación para diferentes enfermedades dermatológicas. Se realizó una revisión narrativa de la literatura sobre la seguridad a largo plazo de los inhibidores de JAK aprobados en dermatología y su uso fuera de indicación en enfermedades dermatológicas, mediante búsquedas bibliográficas en Pubmed y Google Scholar desde enero de 2000 hasta enero de 2023, incluyendo las palabras clave: «Janus kinase inhibitors», «JAK inhibitors», «off-label», «dermatology», «safety», «adverse events», «ruxolitinib», «upadacitinib», «abrocitinib» y «baricitinib». Se encontraron un total de 37 trastornos dermatológicos con estudios que respaldan el uso de estos fármacos. Los estudios preliminares indican que los inhibidores de JAK tienen un perfil de seguridad generalmente favorable y pueden considerarse una opción en muchas enfermedades dermatológicas.

Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune, nonscarring hair loss disorder with slightly greater prevalence in children than adults. Various treatment modalities exist; however, their evidence in pediatric AA patients is lacking.

To evaluate the evidence of current treatment modalities for pediatric AA.

We conducted a systematic review on the PubMed database in October 2019 for all published articles involving patients <18 years old. Articles discussing AA treatment in pediatric patients were included, as were articles discussing both pediatric and adult patients, if data on individual pediatric patients were available.

Inclusion criteria were met by 122 total reports discussing 1032 patients. Reports consisted of 2 randomized controlled trials, 4 prospective comparative cohorts, 83 case series, 2 case-control studies, and 31 case reports. Included articles assessed the use of aloe, apremilast, anthralin, anti-interferon gamma antibodies, botulinum toxin, corticosteroids, contact immunotherapies, cryotherapy, hydroxychloroquine, hypnotherapy, imiquimod, Janus kinase inhibitors, laser and light therapy, methotrexate, minoxidil, phototherapy, psychotherapy, prostaglandin analogs, sulfasalazine, topical calcineurin inhibitors, topical nitrogen mustard, and ustekinumab.

English-only articles with full texts were used. Manuscripts with adult and pediatric data were only incorporated if individual-level data for pediatric patients were provided. No meta-analysis was performed.

Topical corticosteroids are the preferred first-line treatment for pediatric AA, as they hold the highest level of evidence, followed by contact immunotherapy. More clinical trials and comparative studies are needed to further guide management of pediatric AA and to promote the potential use of pre-existing, low-cost, and novel therapies, including Janus kinase inhibitors.