Downregulation of S100a7a antimicrobial peptide in acne vulgaris patients after isotretinoin therapy.

The S100a7a protein is expressed in keratinocytes, its level is increased in acne condition. As isotretinoin therapy is known to alter some of S100 peptides, these could be important specific targets for acne therapy and may have an important role in clinical remission. A randomized controlled trial was held in a dermatology clinic in Baghdad, where 30 patients with moderate to severe acne vulgaris condition aged 16-31 years were enrolled. Five milliliters of venous blood samples were taken before and after 6 weeks of isotretinoin therapeutic trial. A placebo-control group of 26 acne patients was also enrolled. The S100a7a peptide was measured in both groups using the ELISA technique before and after the trial. High levels of serum S100a7a were found in acne patients of both groups before therapeutic trial. Following the trial, a significant statistical difference (p = .0003) was noticed between mean S100a7a protein level of study and control groups. By comparing the mean S100a7a protein level before and after isotretinoin therapy in the study group, a highly significant statistical difference was also found (p = .001). The current study showed a downregulatory effect of isotretinoin therapy on the S100a7a peptide mean level.

Treatment of primary perniosis with oral pentoxifylline (a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized therapeutic trial).

Primary perniosis is an annoying cold-induced dermatosis. Many therapeutic agents have been tried with either unsatisfactory or controversial results. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of oral pentoxyfylline in the treatment of primary perniosis. A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized therapeutic study conducted in dermatology department of Al-Yarmouk Teaching Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq during four winter seasons between 2010 and 2014. The patients were randomly allocated into two equal groups: group A patients were given oral pentoxyfylline 400 mg thrice daily whereas patients in group B were given an identical placebo tablet thrice daily for 3 weeks. Therapeutic response of both groups was clinically assessed weekly for 3 weeks and side-effects were recorded. A total of 110 patients with chilblains completed this therapeutic trial. The mean age was 24.98 ± 9.17 year. Male to female ratio was 1:2.4. All patients presented with erythematous papules, plaques or nodules. Very good therapeutic response was significantly better for group A than that of group B at 7th, 4th, and 21st days of the trial (p-value: 0.0148, 0.0000004, and 0.0000000, respectively). No side effects were encountered in both groups. Pentoxyfylline is an effective and safe drug for treatment of primary perniosis.