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Abstract Background: Methotrexate (MTX) is an alternative treatment for patients with moderate/severe atopic dermatitis (AD). Objective: The authors evaluated the effect of MTX on the cutaneous expression of cytokines and chemokines that are involved in the inflammatory response in adult AD patients who received treatment with methotrexate for 24 weeks. Methods: The authors conducted a prospective single-institution cohort study with 12 adults with moderate/severe AD who received oral MTX (15 mg/wk for 24 wks) and 10 non-atopic matched controls. The comparison was made of skin biopsies of lesional and non-lesional skin, pre- and post MTX treatment. The authors analyzed mean epidermal thickness and expression of IL-31, IL-31RA, OSMR, TSLP, Ki67, IL-4 mRNA, IL-6, IL-10, TNF-α, IFN-γ, TARC, and CCL-22. Results: There was a reduction in mean epidermal thickness (p = 0.021), an increase in IL-31RA expression (immunohistochemistry) in the epidermis (p = 0.016) and a decrease in IL-31 gene expression (p = 0.019) on lesional AD skin post-MTX treatment. No significant changes in the cutaneous expression of the other evaluated markers were identified. Study limitations: Small sample size and limited length of follow-up. Conclusions: Treatment with MTX in adults with moderate/severe AD reduced epidermal hyperplasia and changed the cutaneous expression of inflammatory cytokines and receptors that are mainly related to pruritus, including IL-31 and IL-31RA.
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ObjectiveThis study observes the intervention effect of Longmu Piyan prescription on oxidative stress in BALB/c mice with atopic dermatitis （AD） induced by 2，4-dinitrochlorobenzene （DNCB） and explores its mechanism. MethodThe AD model was established using the method of DNCB sensitization on the back skin of BALB/c mice. Forty male BALB/c mice were randomly divided into a blank group， a model group， a vitamin C control group （0.5×10-3 mg·kg-1）， and a Longmu Piyan prescription group （26 g·kg-1）. Except for the blank group， other groups were sensitized with different concentrations of DNCB on the back to induce AD， and the blank group was treated with matrix coating. The gastric administration was started on the seventh day after sensitization with 2% DNCB and on the 24th day after sensitization with 0.2% DNCB continuously for 21 days. The changes in skin lesions of each group were directly observed after the experiment. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） was used to detect the levels of interleukin （IL）-4， tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α， immunoglobulin E （IgE）， and reactive oxygen species （ROS） in the serum of each group. The total antioxidant capacity determination kit-trace method (ABTS method) was used to measure the level of total antioxidant capacity （TAOC） in serum. The Hematoxylin eosin （HE） staining method was used to observe the pathological and morphological changes of the skin lesion site. The immunohistochemical method was used to detect the expression of thymic stromal lymphopoietin （TSLP） in the skin lesion site. Western blot was used to detect the expression of filaggrin （FLG） in the dorsal skin lesions. ResultThe results showed that compared with the blank group， the skin lesion score of the model group mice was significantly increased （P<0.01）， and HE staining showed characteristic pathological changes of AD in the skin lesion site. At the same time， the expression of TSLP in the skin lesion was significantly increased， and that of FLG was reduced （P<0.05）. The levels of TNF-α， IL-4， IgE， and ROS in serum increased， while the activity of TAOC decreased （P<0.01）. Compared with the model group， the Longmu Piyan prescription group showed a significant decrease in skin lesion scores and a significant improvement in skin lesion pathology. At the same time， the expression of TSLP decreased， and the expression of FLG increased in the skin lesions （P<0.05）. In addition， compared with the model group， the serum levels of TNF-α， IL-4， IgE， and ROS also decreased to varying degrees （P<0.05，P<0.01）， and TAOC activity increased in the Longmu Piyan prescription group （P<0.01）. ConclusionThere is a significant correlation among the degree of oxidative stress， the severity of skin lesions in AD， and the levels of inflammatory cytokines. Longmu Piyandu prescription can improve AD-like skin lesions in BALB/c mice by promoting ROS clearance， enhancing TAOC， and inhibiting oxidative stress， thus protecting the skin barrier and reducing inflammation.
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Atopic dermatitis （AD） is a chronic， recurrent， inflammatory， and pruritus skin disease caused by multiple internal and external factors， ranking first in the global burden of skin diseases. Due to the adverse reactions and high costs of conventional treatments and biologics， the development of natural products has attracted much attention. The nuclear factor-κB （NF-κB） signaling pathway is a key pathway for inhibiting inflammation and modulating immunity. This paper summarizes the pharmacological effects and molecular mechanisms of natural products such as flavonoids， alkaloids， phenols， terpenoids， coumarins， glycosides， and anthraquinones via NF-κB signaling pathway， aiming to provide guidance for the development of natural products. Basic studies have shown that natural products have high safety and efficacy. Oral or topical administration of natural products can regulate the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase （PI3K）/protein kinase B （Akt）， mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK）， nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 （Nrf2）， high mobility group box 1 protein （HMGB1）/receptor for advanced glycation endproducts （RAGE）， and nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 （NLRP3） signaling pathways to exert anti-inflammatory， anti-allergy， antioxidant activities， thus reversing the pathological changes of AD. However， it is worth noting that the clinical application of natural products is still insufficient， and more rigorous clinical trials are still needed to verify their effects. The basic experiments and clinical evidence prove that natural products may play a role in alleviating AD， which provide a basis for evaluating the functioning mechanism of natural active substances and enrich the candidates for the development of potential drugs.
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A Dermatite Atópica e a Epidermólise Bolhosa são doenças crônicas que afetam a estrutura morfológica e bioquímica da pele, provocando lesões e alterações sistêmicas nos indivíduos afetados, podendo ocasionar infecções generalizadas. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar e sintetizar as contribuições das pesquisas produzidas sobre os cuidados de enfermagem para crianças com dermatite atópica ou epidermólise bolhosa. Trata-se de uma revisão integrativa, cuja pergunta norteadora foi: "Quais são os cuidados de enfermagem para o paciente pediátrico com dermatite atópica ou epidermólise bolhosa?". Sua busca aconteceu nas bases de dados: Medline; CINAHL; LILACS e CUIDEN. Não houve restrição quanto ao ano de publicação e foram analisados estudos publicados nos idiomas inglês, português e espanhol. Como resultados foram incluídos 23 estudos, dois quais duas categorias foram elencadas: Assistência de Enfermagem às Crianças Portadoras de Dermatite Atópica e a Epidermólise Bolhosa e, Educação em Saúde. Evidenciou-se a necessidade de investimento em pesquisas bem delineadas sobre o tema, pois a raridade da condição, a escassez de referencial e a dificuldade em encontrar pacientes aptos para intervenções são fatores que contribuem neste cenário científico.
The Atopic Dermatitis and Epidermolysis Bullosa are chronic diseases that affect the morphological and biochemical structure of the skin, causing lesions and systemic changes in affected individuals, which can lead to generalized infections. This study aimed to evaluate and synthesize the contributions of research produced on nursing care for children with atopic dermatitis or epidermolysis bullosa. This is an integrative review, whose guiding question was: "What is the nursing care for pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis or epidermolysis bullosa?". Your search took place in the following databases: Medline; CINAHL; LILACS and CUIDEN. There was no restriction on the year of publication and studies published in English, Portuguese and Spanish were analyzed. As results, 23 studies were included, two of which two categories were listed: Nursing Care for Children with Atopic Dermatitis and Epidermolysis Bullosa and Health Education. The need for investment in well-designed research on the topic was highlighted, as the The rarity of the condition, the scarcity of references and the difficulty in finding patients suitable for interventions are factors that contribute to this scientific scenario.
La Dermatitis Atópica y la Epidermólisis Bullosa son enfermedades crónicas que afectan la estructura morfológica y bioquímica de la piel, provocando lesiones y cambios sistémicos en los individuos afectados, que pueden derivar en infecciones generalizadas. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar y sintetizar las contribuciones de las investigaciones producidas sobre los cuidados de enfermería al niño con dermatitis atópica o epidermólisis ampollosa. Se trata de una revisión integradora, cuya pregunta orientadora fue: "¿Cuál es el cuidado de enfermería al paciente pediátrico con dermatitis atópica o epidermólisis ampollosa?". Su búsqueda se realizó en las siguientes bases de datos: Medline; CINAHL; LILAS y CUIDEN. No hubo restricción en el año de publicación y se analizaron los estudios publicados en inglés, portugués y español. Como resultados se incluyeron 23 estudios, dos de los cuales se enumeraron dos categorías: Atención de Enfermería al Niño con Dermatitis Atópica y Epidermólisis Bullosa y Educación para la Salud.Se destacó la necesidad de invertir en investigaciones bien diseñadas sobre el tema, ya que la rareza de la condición, la escasez de referencias y la dificultad para encontrar pacientes aptos para las intervenciones son factores que contribuyen a este escenario científico.
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Abstract Objectives To assess the prevalence and pattern of behavioral problems in children and adolescents with atopic dermatitis (AD) and to study their associations with clinical data and severity. Methods This was a single-center, cross-sectional study of patients (6-17 years) with AD. Assessment of competencies and syndrome scale scores of behavioral problems was performed by applying the Child Behavior Checklist 6-18 (CBCL 6-18) and AD severity using the Eczema Area Severity Index (EASI) score. Results Of the 100 patients with AD, 56% were male, with a mean age of 11±3 years, and 43% had moderate/severe AD. Borderline or abnormal values were found in 75% of the patients for total social competence, 57% for internalization, 27% for externalization, and 18% for aggressive behavior. A higher prevalence of aggressive behavior (27.9% vs. 10.5%; p= 0.02) and sleep disorders (32.6% vs. 15.8%; p= 0.04) was observed in patients with moderate/severe AD than in those with mild AD. Children with current or previous use of immunosuppressants/immunobiological tests had a lower frequency of normal social competence (53% vs. 83%, p= 0.012). Regarding the critical questions, 8% responded affirmatively to suicidal ideation. Conclusion A high prevalence of behavioral problems was observed among children and adolescents with AD, with a predominance of internalizing profiles, mainly anxiety and depression. Children with moderate/severe AD have a higher prevalence of aggressive behaviors and sleep disorders. These findings highlight the importance of multidisciplinary teams, including mental health professionals, in caring for patients with AD.
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La dermatitis atópica (DA) es una enfermedad inflamatoria de la piel de alta prevalencia en pediatría, de acuerdo a estudios internacionales. Existe escasa información sobre las características epidemiológicas en la población pediátrica Argentina. El objetivo fue describir la prevalencia y características clínicas de la DA en una población de niños argentinos atendidos en el servicio de pediatría de un hospital general. Estudio observacional, de corte transversal. Se incluyeron 500 pacientes al azar, media de edad de 10 años (DE 5), el 50 % (250) de sexo femenino, de los cuales 24 presentaron DA. La prevalencia global fue del 5 % (IC95 % 3-7) y 3/24 fueron formas graves. La comorbilidad atópica más frecuente fue asma. La DA es una enfermedad con una prevalencia en nuestra población similar a la de otros países. Nuestro estudio aporta nuevos datos acerca de las características epidemiológicas de la dermatitis atópica en nuestra región
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disease highly prevalent in pediatrics as per international studies. There is scarce information on the epidemiological characteristics of AD in the Argentine pediatric population. The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence and clinical characteristics of AD in a population of Argentine children seen at the Department of Pediatrics of a general hospital. Observational, cross-sectional study. Five hundred patients were randomly included; their mean age was 10 years (SD: 5); 50% (250) were female. A total of 24 had AD. The overall prevalence was 5% (95% confidence interval: 37) and 3/24 were severe forms. The most frequent atopic comorbidity was asthma. The prevalence of AD in our population is similar to that of other countries. Our study provides new data on the epidemiological characteristics of AD in our region.
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Humans , Child , Asthma/epidemiology , Dermatitis, Atopic/epidemiology , Prevalence , Cross-Sectional Studies , Hospitals, GeneralABSTRACT
Granzyme B is a serine protease that can play multiple roles in intracellular and extracellular perforin-dependent or non-perforin-dependent mechanisms. Granzyme B has been found to be an important factor involved in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis and is increased in both skin lesions and peripheral blood of atopic dermatitis patients. In this article, we review the correlation between granzyme B and atopic dermatitis to provide a novel therapeutic targeting option for clinical treatment of the latter.
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Introducción: La alergia es el desorden más común del sistema inmunitario. En las últimas décadas, la prevalencia de las enfermedades alérgicas ha aumentado de forma considerable en todos los países. Objetivo: Describir el contexto actual de la alergia ocular para la realización de un diagnóstico precoz, una identificación temprana de los subtipos, un adecuado manejo terapéutico y un control de la severidad. Métodos: Se realizó una búsqueda sistemática de la literatura científica de mayor impacto con el uso de las palabras clave. Se limitó la búsqueda por tipo de diseño (revisiones, series de casos, estudios descriptivos, analíticos y experimentales, metaanálisis). No se tuvo en cuenta el idioma de la publicación. Las bases de datos utilizadas fueron: PubMed, Ebsco Host, Lilacs y Science Direct. Se identificaron y se evaluaron 114 artículos, de los cuales se seleccionaron 24 por su pertinencia para el estudio. Conclusiones: La alergia ocular es uno de los trastornos oculares más comunes encontrados en las consultas pediátricas y oftalmológicas. Si bien en la mayoría de los casos se trata de formas leves, estas pueden interferir en la calidad de vida del paciente. Es importante que estos pacientes con manifestaciones oftalmológicas de alergia se remitan al alergólogo para detectar otra patología, que, asociada al padecimiento alérgico, origine los síntomas que suelen ser graves, con una duración y frecuencia importantes(AU)
Introduction: Allergy is the most common disorder of the immune system. In recent decades, the prevalence of allergic diseases has increased considerably in all countries. Objective: To describe the current context of ocular allergy in order to make an early diagnosis, an early identification of subtypes, establish an adequate therapeutic management and control of severity. Methods: A systematic search of the scientific literature with the highest impact was performed using keywords. The search was limited by type of design (reviews, case series, descriptive, analytical and experimental studies, meta-analysis). The language of the publication was not taken into account. The databases used were: PubMed, Ebsco Host, Lilacs and Science Direct. A total of 114 articles were identified and evaluated, of which 24 were selected for their relevance to the study. Conclusions: Ocular allergy is one of the most common ocular disorders encountered in pediatric and ophthalmology consultations. Although in most cases these are mild forms, they can interfere with the patient's quality of life. It is important that these patients with ophthalmologic manifestations of allergy are referred to the Allergist to detect other pathology, which associated with the allergic condition originate the symptoms that are usually severe, with a significant duration and frequency(AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Keratoconjunctivitis/etiology , Review Literature as Topic , Databases, BibliographicABSTRACT
A educação dos cuidadores dos pacientes com dermatite atópica (DA) pode possibilitar a melhora da qualidade de vida e minimizar a gravidade da doença, já que esta tem um imensurável impacto emocional, social e financeiro nas famílias dos doentes. Entretanto, não há um consenso de qual o escopo ideal e frequência para a entrega das informações educativas sobre a patologia e terapêutica. Esta é uma revisão integrativa de literatura cujo objetivo foi avaliar estudos sobre a eficácia de intervenções educativas para pais e pacientes pediátricos com DA na gravidade da doença e na qualidade de vida. Foi realizada uma busca nas bases de dados do PubMed e MEDLINE, em acesso realizado em 08/08/2022, incluindo publicações de 2000 a 2022, nos idiomas português e inglês, incluindo os termos: "atopic dermatitis", "education program", "therapeutic education". Foram incluídos 15 artigos nesta revisão. As metodologias dos estudos são diversas e as ferramentas utilizadas pelos pesquisadores também são heterogêneas, o que dificulta a comparação dos resultados. Dos temas abordados, o cuidado da pele e/ou rotinas básicas foram temas sempre incluídos. E, apesar da literatura demonstrar melhora na gravidade da doença e na qualidade de vida dos cuidadores e pacientes com DA após as intervenções, isso não foi um consenso entre os autores. A educação terapêutica pode ser útil para aumentar a adesão ao tratamento e prevenção de complicações; porém, estudos prospectivos com casuística maior são primordiais para esclarecer qual o escopo ideal e frequência para a entrega destas informações.
Educating the caregivers of patients with atopic dermatitis may lead to improved quality of life and help minimize disease severity, since the pathology has an immeasurable emotional, social, and financial impact on the patient's families. However, there is no consensus on the ideal scope and frequency for providing educational information about atopic dermatitis and its treatment. The purpose of this integrative literature review was to evaluate studies on the effectiveness of educational interventions for parents and pediatric patients with atopic dermatitis regarding disease severity and quality of life. On August 8, 2022, we searched the PubMed and MEDLINE databases for studies published between 2000 and 2022 in Portuguese or English that included the terms: "atopic dermatitis", "education program", and/or "therapeutic education". A total of 15 articles were included in this review. The studies' methodologies and tools were heterogeneous, impeding comparison of the results. Of the covered topics, skin care and/ or basic routines were always included. Although the literature showed that therapeutic education improved disease severity and quality of life for both caregivers and patients, there was no consensus among the authors. Therapeutic education may help increase treatment adherence and prevent complications. However, prospective studies with larger populations are essential for clarifying the ideal scope and frequency of education programs.
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Humans , Infant, Newborn , Infant , Child, Preschool , Child , AdolescentABSTRACT
Introduction: Atopic dermatitis, also known as eczema or atopic eczema, is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder characterized by the presence of pruritus accompanied by itching. In Colombia, epidemiological and healthcare resource utilization information regarding this pathology is limited. Objective: To describe atopic dermatitis epidemiological characteristics and healthcare resource utilization patterns in Colombia. Materials and methods: A retrospective database study using real-world data obtained from the national claims database SISPRO (Sistema de Información para la Protección Social) for the 2015-2020 period was carried out. Sociodemographic (age, and health services delivery), epidemiological (incidence, prevalence, and comorbidities), and healthcare resource utilization data were extracted from the SISPRO database. Results: The epidemiological results showed increased incidence and prevalence of atopic dermatitis in Colombia in the 2018-2019 period compared to 2015-2017. Accordingly, the number of medical consultations (particularly with specialists), the number of procedures, and the number of hospitalizations of patients with atopic dermatitis increased. Topic and systemic corticoids were the most frequently prescribed drugs. Conclusions: Diagnoses of atopic dermatitis in Colombia increased with a concomitant increase in healthcare resource utilization during 2015-2020, which was possibly slowed down by the arrival of the Covid-19. This study may help physicians gaining a better understanding of the disease, improving atopic dermatitis patient management.
Introducción. La dermatitis atópica, también conocida como eczema o eczema atópico, es un trastorno inflamatorio crónico de la piel caracterizado por la presencia de prurito acompañado de picor. En Colombia, la información epidemiológica y de utilización de recursos sanitarios sobre esta enfermedad es limitada. Objetivo. Describir las características epidemiológicas y los patrones de utilización de recursos sanitarios para la dermatitis atópica en Colombia. Materiales y métodos. Se trata de un estudio retrospectivo en el cual se utilizan datos de la práctica clínica real obtenidos del registro nacional SISPRO (Sistema de Información para la Protección Social) en el período 2015-2020. Se extrajeron datos sociodemográficos (incluida la edad y la prestación de servicios de salud), epidemiológicos (incluidos la incidencia, la prevalencia y las comorbilidades) y los correspondientes a la utilización de los recursos sanitarios. Resultados. Los resultados epidemiológicos han demostrado un aumento de la incidencia y prevalencia de la dermatitis atópica en Colombia en el periodo 20182019, en comparación con el periodo 2015-2017. Aumentó el número de consultas médicas (particularmente, con especialistas) de pacientes con dermatitis atópica, el de procedimientos y el de hospitalizaciones. Los corticoides tópicos y sistémicos fueron los medicamentos más prescritos. Conclusiones. Los diagnósticos de dermatitis atópica en Colombia aumentaron con un incremento concomitante en la utilización de recursos sanitarios durante 2015-2020, que posiblemente se vio atenuado por la llegada del Covid-19. Este estudio puede ayudar a los médicos a tener un mejor conocimiento de la enfermedad y, por lo tanto, mejorar el tratamiento de los pacientes con dermatitis atópica.
Subject(s)
Dermatitis, Atopic/epidemiology , Utilization Review , Colombia , Drug Therapy , COVID-19ABSTRACT
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is an inflammatory skin disease characterized by itch. Transient receptor potential vanilloid (TRPV) receptor subtype channel can be activated by different ranges of harmless temperature, and plays an important role in the warm itching in AD. Inhibitors of TRPV channel can alleviate the symptoms of AD, and may be used as a new target for treatment. This paper introduces the role of thermosensitive TRPV channel in the alienation of itching sensitized by warm in AD.
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Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, relapsing, inflammatory dermatosis with a variety of clinical manifestations and difficult to cure. Currently, many AD drug candidates have entered the research and development pipeline. In order to provide technical specifications for the clinical development of AD drugs, the Center for Drug Evaluation of National Medical Products Administration released the "Technical Guidelines for Clinical Trials of Drugs for AD Treatment" (Draft for Comments) in November 2022. Non-clinical pharmacodynamics evaluation is an important research before the drug enters clinical trials. Oxazolone (OXA)- and 2,4-dinitro-fluorobenzene (DNFB)-induced models are the most popular classical hapten-induced AD murine models, but variations of modeling are existing in the methods from different studies, including sensitization sites, haptens' dosages, the period of challenges, and the skin lesions severity evaluation as well. In this study, the investigation of OXA- and DNFB-induced AD murine models with various conditions of modeling was performed to compare the characteristics of hapten-induced AD murine models in the pathological process and severity according to the appearance of AD patients, and the guidance of pharmacodynamics evaluation of AD-therapeutic drugs in clinical trials as well, which may provide a proposal for AD treatment drug candidates in the non-clinical pharmacodynamics evaluation. All animal experiments were approved by the Animal Care & Welfare Committee of Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College (approval No.: 00007782 and 00007784).
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@#Introduction: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is not only a cosmetic nuisance but is also associated with a significant impact on mental health and quality of life. Psychological symptoms are highly related to poor treatment adherence and recovery, more comorbidities, and a significant overall socioeconomic burden. Identifying the factors associated with anxiety and depression among patients with AD is important to modify and reduce the risk of developing these psychiatric complications. Methods: This was correlational research conducted in the dermatology clinic of four hospitals in Klang Valley, namely Hospital Kuala Lumpur, Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Klang, Hospital Selayang, and Hospital Ampang. By using a purposive sampling method, 128 samples (n=128) of adult patients with AD aged 18-65 were included. A questionnaire was administered regarding sociodemographic background, illness characteristics of AD, the Investigator’s Global Assessment (IGA), Malay version of the Automatic Thought Questionnaire-17, GAD-7, and PHQ-9. Results: The prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms among adult patients with AD is 31.3% and 46.9% respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that age and personal maladjustment (PM) predict anxiety symptoms, while only negative self-concept/expectation (NSNE) predicts depressive symptoms. The hierarchical logistic regression model explained 51% (Nagelkerke’s R2) of the variance in anxiety symptoms and 56% (Nagelkerke’s R2) of depressive symptoms. Conclusion: There is a high proportion of anxiety and depressive symptoms among adult patients with AD which is associated with negative automatic thoughts. In the management of adult patients with AD, clinicians should consider mental health symptom screening and monitoring.
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Objective:To determine the expression of transglutaminase 2 (TGM2) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), and to analyze its correlation with AD-related inflammatory factors and disease severity.Methods:A total of 29 AD patients and 15 healthy controls were collected from the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University from July 2020 to January 2021. Ten milliliters of peripheral blood samples were collected from each subject, so was the clinical information, including age, gender, course of disease, eosinophil counts, basophil counts, total IgE levels, Scoring AD index (SCORAD), etc. PBMCs were isolated by density gradient centrifugation. Fluorescence-based quantitative PCR was performed to determine the mRNA expression of TGM2 and AD-related inflammatory factors (interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13, IL-17, thymic stromal lymphopoietin [TSLP], P2RX7 [purinergic receptor P2X, ligand-gated ion channel, 7], etc.) in PBMCs from 29 AD patients and 15 healthy controls, and flow cytometry to determine TGM2 protein expression on PBMCs. Mann-Whitney U test was used to analyze differences between groups, and Spearman correlation analysis to evaluate the correlation. Results:The relative mRNA expression of TGM2 in PBMCs did not differ between the AD group and control group ( M[ Q1, Q3]: 0.509 [0.325, 0.958] vs. 0.475 [0.328, 1.051], U = 210.50, P = 0.872). Compared with the control group, the AD group showed significantly decreased IL-4 mRNA expression (0.171[0.049, 0.449] vs. 0.824 [0.397, 1.378], P < 0.001), but significantly increased mRNA expression of IL-8 and IL-13 ( P = 0.011, 0.006, respectively). Spearman correlation analysis showed that the mRNA expression level of TGM2 in PBMCs was positively correlated with the mRNA expression levels of IL-4 and P2RX7 in the AD group ( rs = 0.42, 0.40, P = 0.024, 0.034, respectively), while there were no correlations between TGM2 mRNA expression and AD severity-related indicators (all P>0.05), such as age (21[16, 29] years), course of disease (4[1,10] years), eosinophil counts (0.33[0.18, 0.65] × 10 9/L), basophil counts (0.04[0.03, 0.06] × 10 9/L], SCORAD scores (60.5[46.98, 66.13] points), and serum total IgE levels (373 [40, 1 815] IU/ml). The relative protein expression levels of TGM2 on the surface of PBMCs did not differ between the AD group and control group (54.9 [47.6, 62.8] vs. 55.55 [51.5, 60.25], U = 112.00, P = 0.922) ], and no correlations were observed between the protein expression of TGM2 on PBMCs and AD severity-related indicators in the AD group (all P > 0.05) . Conclusion:No significant differences were observed in TGM2 mRNA expression in PBMCs or TGM2 protein expression on the surface of PBMCs between the AD patients and healthy controls, and there were no correlations between the TGM2 mRNA and protein expression and AD severity.
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Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of omalizumab in the treatment of patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria accompanied by other allergic diseases.Methods:Clinical data were retrospectively collected from 74 patients, who were clinically diagnosed with chronic spontaneous urticaria and other allergic diseases, and received subcutaneous injections of omalizumab in the Department of Allergy, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital from June 2020 to September 2022. Types of allergic diseases, serum total IgE (tIgE) and allergen-specific IgE (sIgE) levels before treatment, treatment outcomes and adverse drug reactions were analyzed. Differences before and after treatment were assessed using paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank sum test. Results:A total of 74 patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria were involved, including 29 with complicated allergic asthma (39.2%) , 61 with complicated allergic rhinitis (82.4%) , 6 with complicated atopic dermatitis (8.1%) , and 4 with food allergy (5.4%) . Before treatment, elevated serum tIgE or sIgE levels were observed in 44 (59.5%) patients. After the first omalizumab treatment, the urticaria control test (UCT) score significantly increased compared with that before treatment (16.00 [13.0.0, 16.00] vs. 6.00 [5.75, 9.00], Z = 7.39, P < 0.001) ; after 4 sessions of the omalizumab treatment, 82.5% (33/40) of the patients achieved complete control of urticaria symptoms or showed complete response. After omalizumab treatment, asthmatic attacks were decreased in 29 patients with allergic asthma, and asthma control test (ACT) scores significantly increased compared with those before treatment (21.07 ± 2.88 points [after the first treatment] vs. 18.48 ± 3.20 points [before treatment], t = 8.87, P < 0.001) ; among 61 patients with allergic rhinitis, global rhinitis symptom-based visual analog scale (VAS) scores (before treatment: 5.89 ± 1.29 points; after the first treatment: 3.28 ±1.46 points) and rhinoconjunctivitis quality of life questionnaire (RQLQ) scores (before treatment: 60.10 ± 20.53 points; after the first treatment: 37.26 ± 18.83 points) both significantly decreased after the first treatment ( t = 15.04, 10.01, respectively, both P < 0.001) , and rhinitis symptoms were relieved at the same time; skin itching was relieved in 4 patients with atopic dermatitis, and allergic symptoms after contact with food allergens were also relieved in the 2 patients with food allergy after omalizumab treatment. During the treatment, only 1 patient experienced erythematous swelling, induration, and pain at the injection site. Conclusions:In the treatment of chronic spontaneous urticaria accompanied by allergic diseases, the use of omalizumab not only effectively improved urticaria symptoms, but also well controlled allergic diseases, with a good safety profile. Multiple benefits may be achieved by the use of omalizumabin in patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria accompanied by other allergic diseases.
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Staphylococcus epidermidis can exhibit both protective and opportunistic pathogenic effects on the skin: on the one hand, it suppresses pathogenic bacteria and inflammation, assists the innate immune system of the skin, and maintains homeostasis of skin microenvironment; on the other hand, it exhibits pathogenic potential. How Staphylococcus epidermidis affects human skin conditions depends not only on itself, but also on the communication among it, the host immune system, other microorganisms and environment factors. The balance of this interaction is the symbiotic homeostasis of Staphylococcus epidermidis, and when the homeostasis is disrupted, a variety of skin diseases such as acne vulgaris, atopic dermatitis, rosacea and melanoma can occur. Factors affecting the symbiotic homeostasis of Staphylococcus epidermidis include environmental conditions such as temperature, oxygen content and nutrition, antibiotics, the number of other microorganisms, microecological diversity, etc. This review summarizes recent research progress in symbiotic homeostasis of Staphylococcus epidermidis.
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Quorum-sensing system is a way of communication between cells that depends on changes in population density of microorganisms, and is closely associated with variety and pathogenicity of skin microbiota. The synthesis of virulence factors of Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus) is regulated by the accessory gene regulator (Agr) quorum-sensing system. Various skin commensals such as coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and Corynebacterium can inhibit the Agr quorum-sensing system of S. aureus, thus decrease the synthesis of virulence factors and attenuate skin inflammation. This review summarizes the mechanism of action of microbial quorum-sensing system in skin inflammation and various quorum-sensing inhibitors.
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Objective:To analyze measurement results of serum allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) in patients with eczema/dermatitis.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on serum allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels in 3 051 patients with eczema/dermatitis, who visited the allergy clinic of Huashan Hospital from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022. The serum allergen-specific IgE level was detected by using the Phadia allergen detection system, and positive rates of allergens were calculated to determine common inhaled allergens and food allergens in patients with eczema/dermatitis. Comparisons of enumeration data between groups were performed by chi-square test.Results:Among the 3 051 patients with eczema/dermatitis, there were 1 412 with atopic dermatitis and 1 639 were other eczema/dermatitis. Detection of serum allergen-specific IgE showed that 1 629 (53%) patients were positive for allergens, and the number of positive allergen-specific IgEs in each patient was 3.0 ± 1.6. The top 3 common inhaled allergens in patients with eczema/dermatitis were Dermatophagoides farinae (904/1 522, 59%) , Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (891/1 513, 59%) and Alternaria alternata (206/1 068, 19%) , and the top 3 common food allergens were shrimps (251/1 432, 18%) , egg white (165/992, 17%) and cow milk (149/994, 15%) . Among the 3 051 patients, 25 (1%) were aged < 2 years, 571 (19%) aged 2 - 12 years, 285 (9%) aged 12 - 18 years, and 2 170 (71%) were aged > 18 years. The most common food allergens were both egg white in the age groups of < 2 years and 2 -12 years (77%, 37%, respectively) , and were both shrimps in the age groups of 12 - 18 years and > 18 years (31%, 17%, respectively) . Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Dermatophagoides farina were the top 2 common inhaled allergens in all age groups, with the positive rate ranging from 36% to 84%; in addition, the positive rate of molds was relatively high in the age group of 2 - 12 years (mold mixture: 37%; Alternaria alternata: 27%) . From April 2021 to March 2022, the positive rate of outdoor allergens ranged from 10% to 15% among outpatients in every month; the positive rates of tree pollen and grass pollen increased from April 2021, and peaked in October 2021. The patients with atopic dermatitis showed a significantly increased positive rate of allergens (73%) compared with those with other eczema/dermatitis (37%, χ2 = 389.36, P<0.001) , and the rank of common allergens in the patients with atopic dermatitis was basically the same as that in those with eczema/dermatitis. Conclusions:The common allergens were Dermatophagoides farina, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and Alternaria alternata in the patients with eczema/dermatitis. Food allergy was more common in infant patients, and inhalation allergy was more common in child, adolescent and adult patients. The positive rate of allergen-specific IgEs was markedly higher in the patients with atopic dermatitis than in those with other eczema/dermatitis.
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Objective:To evaluate clinical efficacy and safety of dupilumab in the treatment of moderate and severe atopic dermatitis (AD) in the elderly.Methods:An observational study was conducted, and a total of 42 elderly patients with moderate to severe AD were collected from Department of Dermatology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from September 2021 to June 2022. These patients all received subcutaneous injection of dupilumab at an initial dose of 600 mg, followed by every-2-week injections at a dose of 300 mg, and the total course of treatment was 16 weeks. Clinical indicators, including eczema area and severity index (EASI) , numerical rating scale (NRS) , dermatology life quality index (DLQI) and investigator′s global assessment (IGA) , were recorded at weeks 0, 4, 8, 12 and 16, and the proportion of patients achieving more than 50% (EASI-50) and 75% (EASI-75) improvement in EASI scores were calculated; related laboratory indicators, including total serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels and eosinophil counts, were recorded at weeks 0, 4 and 16. During the treatment, adverse events were recorded. Statistical analysis was carried out by using chi-square test, one-way analysis of variance and t test with SPSS27 and GraphPad Prism 9.0 software. Results:Among the 42 patients, there were 25 males (59.5%) and 17 females (40.5%) , and their age was 71.82 ± 16.81 years. Among them, 17 patients (40.5%) presented with generalized eczema phenotype, 15 (35.7%) with flexor eczema phenotype, and 10 (23.8%) with prurigo nodularis phenotype. At weeks 4 and 16 after start of the treatment, the mean EASI score significantly decreased by 38.4% and 73.3% respectively, the mean NRS score significantly decreased by 53.0% and 77.4% respectively, and the mean DLQI score significantly decreased by 58.2% and 93.8% respectively compared with the corresponding scores before the treatment ( P < 0.05 or 0.001) . At weeks 4 and 16, the proportions of patients achieving an IGA score of 0 or 1 were 11.9% and 61.9% respectively, the proportions of patients achieving EASI-50 were 11.9% and 76.2% respectively, and the proportions of patients achieving EASI-75 were 2.4% and 57.1% respectively. Compared with the baseline levels, the mean total serum IgE level decreased by 23.1% and 38.2% at weeks 4 and 16 respectively ( P = 0.274, 0.395, respectively) , and the mean eosinophil count decreased by 24.4% and 37.5% at weeks 4 and 16 respectively ( P = 0.059, 0.735, respectively) . During the treatment, mild adverse events occurred in 6 (14.3%) patients, including conjunctivitis (3 cases) , fungal infection of the head and face (2 cases) , and psoriasiform dermatitis (1 case) , which subsided after symptomatic treatment. Conclusion:Dupilumab exhibited a rapid onset and marked efficacy in the treatment of moderate and severe AD in the elderly, with few and mild adverse events; however, some patients had not achieved EASI-50 or EASI-75 after 16-week treatment, and maintenance treatment was required.
ABSTRACT
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a highly heterogeneous skin disease with various clinical manifestations. Early studies mainly focused on infant-onset AD, which is characterized by typical skin lesions such as eczematous dermatitis on the flexor sites accompanied by genetic predisposition to other allergic diseases; however, atypical manifestations and distributions of skin lesions are common among adult AD and elderly AD, e.g., distribution mainly on the extensor sites and polymorphic rashes such as prurigo nodularis. Many dermatologists are not familiar with atypical manifestations of AD, including atypical manifestations and distributions of skin lesions as well as atypical age at onset, which decreases the diagnostic rate of AD to a certain extent. This article delineates clinical features of AD with typical and atypical manifestations, in order to promote the understanding of AD among Chinese dermatologists.