Topical methotrexate in dermatology: a review of the literature

References

• Roenigk HH, Jr., Auerbach R, Maibach H, et al. Methotrexate in psoriasis: consensus conference. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1998;38(3):478–485.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Royer M, Bodemer C, Vabres P, et al. Efficacy and tolerability of methotrexate in severe childhood alopecia areata. Br J Dermatol. 2011;165(2):407–410.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Spring P, Gschwind I, Gilliet M. Prurigo nodularis: retrospective study of 13 cases managed with methotrexate. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2014;39(4):468–473.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Schram ME, Roekevisch E, Leeflang MM, et al. A randomized trial of methotrexate versus azathioprine for severe atopic eczema. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2011;128(2):353–359.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Kasteler JS, Callen JP. Low-dose methotrexate administered weekly is an effective corticosteroid-sparing agent for the treatment of the cutaneous manifestations of dermatomyositis. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1997;36(1):67–71.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Baughman RP, Winget DB, Lower EE. Methotrexate is steroid sparing in acute sarcoidosis: results of a double blind, randomized trial. Sarcoidosis Vasc Diffuse Lung Dis. 2000;17(1):60–66.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Wenzel J, Brahler S, Bauer R, et al. Efficacy and safety of methotrexate in recalcitrant cutaneous lupus erythematosus: results of a retrospective study in 43 patients. Br J Dermatol. 2005;153(1):157–162.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Alarcon GS, Tracy IC, Blackburn WD. Jr. Methotrexate in rheumatoid arthritis. Toxic effects as the major factor in limiting long-term treatment. Arthritis Rheum. 1989;32(6):671–676.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Wang W, Zhou H, Liu L. Side effects of methotrexate therapy for rheumatoid arthritis: A systematic review. Eur J Med Chem. 2018;158:502–516.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Weinstein GD, McCullough JL, Olsen E. Topical methotrexate therapy for psoriasis. Arch Dermatol. 1989;125(2):227–230.
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Belisario JC. Topical cytotoxic therapy for cutaneous cancer and precancer. Arch Dermatol. 1965;92(3):293–302. discussion 302–293.
   Google Scholar
• Cronstein BN. Molecular therapeutics. Methotrexate and its mechanism of action. Arthritis Rheum. 1996;39(12):1951–1960.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Elango T, Dayalan H, Gnanaraj P, et al. Impact of methotrexate on oxidative stress and apoptosis markers in psoriatic patients. Clin Exp Med. 2014;14(4):431–437.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Fry L, McMinn RM. Topical methotrexate in psoriasis. Arch Dermatol. 1967;96(5):483–488.
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Bjerring P, Beck HI, Zachariae H, et al. Topical treatment of psoriatic skin with methotrexate cream: a clinical, pharmacokinetic, and histological study. Acta Derm Venereol. 1986;66(6):515–519.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Van Scott EJ, Reinertson RP. Morphologic and physiologic effects of chemotherapeutic agents in psoriasis. J Invest Dermatol. 1959;33:357–369.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Nurse DS. Effect of antimetabolites on epidermal structures. Arch Dermatol. 1963;87:258–265.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Stewart WD, Wallace SM, Runikis JO. Absorption and local action of methotrexate in human and mouse skin. Arch Dermatol. 1972;106(3):357–361.
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Wohlrab J, Neubert RH, Michael J, et al. Methotrexate for topical application in an extemporaneous preparation. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2015;13(9):891–901.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• McCullough JL, Weinstein GD, Hynes JB. In vitro screening of biochemical activity of folic acid antagonists in skin. J Invest Dermatol. 1977;68(6):362–365.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Syed TA, Hadi SM, Qureshi ZA, et al. Management of psoriasis vulgaris with methotrexate 0.25% in a hydrophilic gel: a placebo-controlled, double-blind study. J Cutan Med Surg. 2001;5(4):299–302.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Sutton L, Swinehart JM, Cato A, et al. A clinical study to determine the efficacy and safety of 1% methotrexate/Azone (MAZ) gel applied topically once daily in patients with psoriasis vulgaris. Int J Dermatol. 2001;40(7):464–467.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Alvarez-Figueroa MJ, Blanco-Mendez J. Transdermal delivery of methotrexate: iontophoretic delivery from hydrogels and passive delivery from microemulsions. Int J Pharm. 2001;215(1–2):57–65.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Demierre MF, Vachon L, Ho V, et al. Phase 1/2 pilot study of methotrexate-laurocapram topical gel for the treatment of patients with early-stage mycosis fungoides. Arch Dermatol. 2003;139(5):624–628.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Kumar B, Sandhu K, Kaur I. Topical 0.25% methotrexate gel in a hydrogel base for palmoplantar psoriasis. J Dermatol. 2004;31(10):798–801.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Wong TW, Zhao YL, Sen A, et al. Pilot study of topical delivery of methotrexate by electroporation. Br J Dermatol. 2005;152(3):524–530.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Lee WR, Shen SC, Fang CL, et al. Topical delivery of methotrexate via skin pretreated with physical enhancement techniques: low-fluence erbium:YAG laser and electroporation. Lasers Surg Med. 2008;40(7):468–476.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Ali MF, Salah M, Rafea M, et al. Liposomal methotrexate hydrogel for treatment of localized psoriasis: preparation, characterization and laser targeting. Med Sci Monit. 2008;14(12):PI66–74.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Ravi Kumar BC, Kaur I, Kumar B. Topical methotrexate therapy in palmoplantar psoriasis. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 1999;65(6):270–272.
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Eskicirak B, Zemheri E, Cerkezoglu A. The treatment of psoriasis vulgaris: 1% topical methotrexate gel. Int J Dermatol. 2006;45(8):965–969.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Ramez SA, Soliman MM, Fadel M, et al. Novel methotrexate soft nanocarrier/fractional erbium YAG laser combination for clinical treatment of plaque psoriasis. Artif Cells Nanomed Biotechnol. 2018;46(sup1):996–1002.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Wang Y, Thakur R, Fan Q, et al. Transdermal iontophoresis: combination strategies to improve transdermal iontophoretic drug delivery. Eur J Pharm Biopharm. 2005;60(2):179–191.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Yang DF, Lee JW, Chen HM, et al. Topical methotrexate pretreatment enhances the therapeutic effect of topical 5-aminolevulinic acid-mediated photodynamic therapy on hamster buccal pouch precancers. J Formos Med Assoc. 2014;113(9):591–599.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Muller RH, Petersen RD, Hommoss A, et al. Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLC) in cosmetic dermal products. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2007;59(6):522–530.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Lin YK, Huang ZR, Zhuo RZ, Fang JY. Combination of calcipotriol and methotrexate in nanostructured lipid carriers for topical delivery. Int J Nanomedicine. 2010;5:117–128.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Ferreira M, Chaves LL, Lima SA, Reis S. Optimization of nanostructured lipid carriers loaded with methotrexate: A tool for inflammatory and cancer therapy. Int J Pharm. 2015;492(1-2):65–72.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Singka GS, Samah NA, Zulfakar MH, et al. Enhanced topical delivery and anti-inflammatory activity of methotrexate from an activated nanogel. Eur J Pharm Biopharm. 2010;76(2):275–281.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Byamba D, Kim DY, Kim DS, et al. Skin-penetrating methotrexate alleviates imiquimod-induced psoriasiform dermatitis via decreasing IL-17-producing gamma delta T cells. Exp Dermatol. 2014;23(7):492–496.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Bessar H, Venditti I, Benassi L, et al. Functionalized gold nanoparticles for topical delivery of methotrexate for the possible treatment of psoriasis. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces. 2016;141:141–147.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Fratoddi I, Benassi L, Botti E, et al. Effects of topical methotrexate loaded gold nanoparticle in cutaneous inflammatory mouse model. Nanomedicine. 2019;17:276–286.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Lakshmi PK, Devi GS, Bhaskaran S, et al. Niosomal methotrexate gel in the treatment of localized psoriasis: phase I and phase II studies. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2007;73(3):157–161.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Bloom BS, Brauer JA, Geronemus RG. Ablative fractional resurfacing in topical drug delivery: an update and outlook. Dermatol Surg. 2013;39(6):839–848.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Taudorf EH, Lerche CM, Vissing AC, et al. Topically applied methotrexate is rapidly delivered into skin by fractional laser ablation. Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2015;12(7):1059–1069.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Taudorf EH, Lerche CM, Erlendsson AM, et al. Fractional laser-assisted drug delivery: Laser channel depth influences biodistribution and skin deposition of methotrexate. Lasers Surg Med. 2016;48(5):519–529.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Alvarez-Figueroa MJ, Delgado-Charro MB, Blanco-Méndez J. Passive and iontophoretic transdermal penetration of methotrexate. Int J Pharm. 2001;212(1):101–107.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Prasad R, Anand S, Koul V. Biophysical assessment of DC iontophoresis and current density on transdermal permeation of methotrexate. Int J Pharm Investig. 2011;1(4):234–239.
   PubMedGoogle Scholar
• Haseena K, George S, Riyaz N, et al. Methotrexate iontophoresis versus coal tar ointment in palmoplantar psoriasis: a pilot study. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2017;83(5):569–573.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Lajevardi V, Ghodsi SZ, Hallaji Z, et al. Treatment of erosive oral lichen planus with methotrexate. J Dtsch Dermatol Ges. 2016;14(3):286–293.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Krafchik BR. Localized morphea in children. Adv Exp Med Biol. 1999;455:49–54.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Nayeemuddin F, Yates VM. Lichen sclerosus et atrophicus responding to methotrexate. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2008;33(5):651–652.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar
• Bulbul Baskan E, Yazici S. Treatment of lichen planopilaris: methotrexate or cyclosporine a therapy? Cutan Ocul Toxicol. 2018;37(2):196–199.
   PubMed Web of Science ®Google Scholar