Systemic disease in leukocytoclastic vasculitis: a focus on direct immunofluorescence findings

Abstract Background Direct immunofluorescence (DIF) panels are usually ordered for clinically suspected cutaneous vasculitis, but their positivity rate is variable, and their prognostic significance is not clear to date. Objective The study aims to investigate the systemic involvement rate in leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV) patients and the potential clinical and laboratory associations with systemic involvement, including DIF findings. Methods A retrospective study of patients with histopathologically proven cutaneous LCV examined in the dermatology department between 2013 and 2017 was performed. Results Of the 81 patients (mean age, 50.6 years), 42 (52%) were male. The mean time between the appearance of skin lesions and biopsy was 23.1 days, ranging from 2 to 180 days. DIF showed overall positivity of 90.1%, and C3 was the most frequent immunoreactant (82.7%). Any kind of extracutaneous involvement was present in 47 (58%) of patients, with renal involvement being the most frequent (53.1%), followed by articular (18.5%) and gastrointestinal (11.1%) involvement. The presence of renal disease was associated with the detection of IgG in the lesional skin (p = 0.017), and with the absence of IgM in the lesional skin (p = 0.032). There was a significant association between C3 deposition and joint involvement (p = 0.05). Study limitations This is a single-center study with a retrospective design. Conclusion DIF seems to be a useful ancillary diagnostic tool in the evaluation of cutaneous vasculitis, but the relationship between DIF findings and systemic involvement needs to be further elucidated due to contradictory data in the current literature.

Is cutaneous microbiota a player in disease pathogenesis? Comparison of cutaneous microbiota in psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis with scalp involvement

Background: Knowledge about cutaneous microbiota in psoriasis vulgaris and seborrheic dermatitis is limited, and a comparison of microbiota in the two diseases was not yet previously undertaken. Aims/Objectives: This study aimed to compare the scalp lesional and non-lesional microbiota in psoriasis vulgaris and seborrheic dermatitis with that in a healthy control group. Methods: Fifty samples were taken with sterile swabs from patients’ and controls’ scalps, and 16S rRNA gene sequencing analyses were performed. Results: Alpha and beta diversity analyses showed that bacterial load and diversity were significantly increased in psoriasis vulgaris and seborrheic dermatitis lesions compared to the controls. As phyla, Actinobacteria decreased and Firmicutes increased, while as genera, Propionibacterium decreased; Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Aquabacterium, Neisseria and Azospirillum increased in lesions of both diseases. Specifically, Mycobacterium, Finegoldia, Haemophilus and Ezakiella increased in psoriasis vulgaris and Enhydrobacter, Micromonospora and Leptotrichia increased in seborrheic dermatitis lesions. Mycobacterium, Ezakiella and Peptoniphilus density were higher in psoriasis vulgaris compared to seborrheic dermatitis lesions. The bacterial diversity and load values of non-lesional scalp in psoriasis vulgaris and seborrheic dermatitis lay between those of lesional areas and controls. Limitations: The small sample size is the main limitation of this study. Conclusion: Higher bacterial diversity was detected in lesions of both psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis compared to the controls, but similar alterations were observed when the two diseases were compared. Although these differences could be a result rather than a cause of the two diseases, there is a need to analyze all members of the microbiota and microbiota-host interactions

Comparison of quality of life in patients with androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata

Abstract: Background: Androgenetic alopecia is one of the most common forms of hair loss. Alopecia areata is a common autoimmune disorder which causes hair loss. It has been previously reported that both alopecia disorders can have negative effects on quality of life. However, only a few studies have compared the effects of the two disorders. Objective: The aim is to show the impact of alopecia on patients' quality of life and compare patients with androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata. Methods: 82 androgenetic alopecia and 56 alopecia areata patients were recruited. All patients were evaluated with the Hairdex scale and dermatology quality of life instrument in Turkish (TQL), and the scores were statistically compared according to age, sex, employment and education status, and severity of illness in the two groups. Also, female patients were statistically evaluated according to whether they wore headscarves. Results: Androgenetic alopecia patients had significantly higher total Hairdex scores in terms of emotions, functioning, and symptoms, while self-confidence was significantly higher in the alopecia areata patients. No significant differences were found in stigmatization or TQL scores between groups. The Hairdex scale and TQL scores did not show differences between the groups in terms of wearing headscarves. Study limitations: The validity and reliability of the Hairdex index have not been established in Turkey. Conclusions: Based on the Hairdex scale, our findings revealed that androgenetic alopecia patients are more affected by their disorder than alopecia areata patients. Although androgenetic alopecia is common and neither life-threatening nor painful, it is a stressful disorder with increased need for improvement in the patient's quality of life.

Adenosine deaminase activities in sera, lymphocytes and granulocytes in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis

Adenosine deaminase (ADA) activities in sera, lymphocytes and granulocytes in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis were investigated and compared with control groups. Fifty patients and 50 healthy individuals were studied. The clinical diagnosis was parasitologically confirmed by culture and Giemsa stain. ADA activities were measured by colorimetric method. Serum ADA activities 37.80 ñ 11.90, 18.28 ñ 6.08 IU/L (p<0.0001), lymphocyte specific ADA activities 14.90 ñ 7.42, 8.38 ñ 7.42 U/mg protein (p=0.04), granulocyte specific ADA activities 1.15 ñ 0.73, 1.09 ñ 0.67 U/mg protein (p>0.05) were found in patients and control groups, respectively. ADA activity increases in some infectious diseases were cell mediated immune mechanisms are dominant. In cutaneous leishmaniasis, lymphokine-mediated macrophage activity is the main effector mechanism. Increase in serum and lymphocyte ADA activities in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis may be dependent on and reflects the increase in phagocytic activity of macrophages and maturation of T-lymphocytes.