Medical Student Research Fellowship for Summer 2006

Mentor: Melissa Costner
Department: Dermatology
Room number: DF2.524
Mail Code: 9190
Phone number: 214-648-5770
E-mail: melissa.costner@ utsouthwestern.edu
Project title: Cutaneous Lupus: Phenotype and Clinical Course of Antimalarial Non-Responders

Human subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable): pending

Animal subjects IRB approved project number (where applicable):

Project Type (patient-based research, animal-based research, or basic research; this characterization is only to permit a general classification for grouping similar types of projects)

Brief Description of Project:

We propose to conduct a retrospective descriptive chart review of all patients with a diagnosis of cutaneous lupus seen at the UT Southwestern Rheumatic Skin Disease Clinic from January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2005. These patients will be found using the ICD-9 codes on billing sheets for systemic and cutaneous lupus which are 710 and 695.4 respectively.

The following information will be collected from the medical record of the patient's initial visit to the clinic: gender, race, age at diagnosis, age at first clinic visit, family history of lupus, lupus serologies, smoking history, type of cutaneous lesions, location of lesions, presence of lupus non-specific skin disease, history of antimalarial use, current systemic lupus medications, systemic lupus medications started at time of visit or within 1 month of visit.

The following information will be collected from the medical record from subsequent visits: development of additional types of cutaneous lupus, development of lupus non-specific skin disease, development of systemic lupus, systemic medication history and treatment response, date of last visit to clinic.

The number of patients requiring systemic therapy beyond anti-malarials to control their skin disease in this cohort will be totaled. The demographics features of these patients will be described including gender, ethnicity, age of onset, and smoking history. The clinical characteristics of these patients will be described at their presenting visit including sub-type of disease and location of lesions. The clinical course of these patients will be described including the development of new areas of skin involvement and the development of systemic lupus erythematosus. Finally, the treatment history of these patients will be described including the number of systemic medications the patient has used and any toxicities experienced from these medications.

The findings will be discussed in context with what has previously been described about cutaneous lupus patients with emphasis on how anti-malarial non-responders may be similar or different. This will then be submitted for publication.

Previous Research Activities or Publications with Medical Students:

1, Boswell JS, Costner MI. Leflunomide Treatment of Dermatomyositis. Accepted for
publication: J Am Acad Dermatol. 2/2006
2. Gammon Bryan L., Costner Melissa I. Imiquimod Induced Flare of Lupus
Erythematosus. Accepted for publication: J Am Acad Dermatol. 3/2006

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