ABSTRACT
Exenatide extended-release was recently developed as an antidiabetic drug; it acts as a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist. A 54-year-old male visited our clinic complaining of a subcutaneous tender nodule on his left thigh that had developed over the course of 1 week. The patient had received exenatide extended-release injections for 5 months to treat diabetes. A histopathologic examination showed septal and lobular panniculitis with lymphohistiocyte and eosinophil infiltration. The patient was diagnosed with eosinophilic panniculitis (EP) due to exenatide extended- release injection. EP is a rare type of panniculitis characterized by a prominent infiltrate of eosinophils in the subcutaneous fat layer. It is a histologic reaction pattern that is associated with various clinical conditions. Among the injection- site reactions reported in exenatide extended-release users, injection-site nodules occur infrequently. Clinicians who treat diabetics who use exenatide extended-release should be aware of the possible occurrence of injection-site nodules.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Alopecia areata (AA), a chronic, relapsing hair-loss disorder, is considered to be a T-cell-mediated autoimmune disease. Cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (CIRP) belongs to a family of cold-shock proteins that respond to cold stress, and has been identified as a damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) molecule that triggers the inflammatory response. Recent studies have shown that high-mobility group box 1, another DAMP molecule, is elevated in serum and scalp tissue of AA patients, suggesting a relationship between DAMP molecules and the pathogenesis of AA. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical significance of serum CIRP levels in AA. METHODS: The serum levels of CIRP were compared between 68 patients with AA and 20 healthy controls. Additionally, the correlation between CIRP level and various clinical parameters was evaluated. RESULTS: The serum CIRP levels were significantly higher in AA patients compared to healthy subjects. Moreover, there was an association between the serum CIRP level and clinical characteristics, such as disease duration and disease activity. However, there was no significant difference in the serum CIRP level among the clinical types of AA (AA multiplex, alopecia totalis, and alopecia universalis). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that CIRP may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of AA and could be a potential biologic marker for monitoring the disease activity of AA.