Current views on the pathogenesis and treatment of atopic dermatitis in adults. Experience with the JAK inhibitor baricitinib in patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis

Abstract

Atopic dermatitis is a common, chronic, immunoinflammatory disease, the study of the pathogenesis of which has recently stepped forward and served as the impetus for the development of new drugs. For the last 10–15 years, in clinical practice, the choice of therapy for patients with moderate and severe atopic dermatitis, which would provide a stable positive effect and possess a favorable safety profile for patients, including those with comorbidities, has become a rather pressing problem. The main links in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis and an approach to the management of adult patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis are considered. The role of JAK and the JAK-STAT signaling pathway in the mechanisms of inflammation in atopic dermatitis is discussed. The article presents two clinical cases of successful treatment of patients with moderate to severe atopic dermatitis with the JAK inhibitor baricitinib, who had an insufficient response to standard baseline anti-inflammatory therapy. The first case involved the treatment of a 32-year-old patient, who had been ill since early childhood, followed by a long remission and exacerbation in 2016 when the disease began to have a frequent relapsing character. In the second case, a 45-year-old patient had had frequent relapses since the age of 16. Fast and stable results in both cases were achieved with treatment with baricitinib. The drug showed a favorable safety profile and satisfactory tolerability.