Contact allergens responsible for eyelid dermatitis in adults.

Allergic contact dermatitis has been established as the most frequent cause of eyelid dermatitis, but it is often misdiagnosed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of patients with eyelid dermatitis who were referred for patch testing. The patients were divided into three subgroups in this retrospective study: patients with only eyelid involvement, patients with involvement of eyelids and other areas, and patients without eyelid involvement. Data was collected on diagnoses, medical history, personal care products and make-up use, occupational dermatitis, and positive allergens. An independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and chi-squared test were used to analyze the data. A total of 427 patients who referred for patch tests were included in the study. Of these, 139 patients had eyelid dermatitis. Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) was the most common diagnosis in all three groups referred for patch tests. Use of shaving cream and hair conditioner was significantly higher in patients with only eyelid involvement and nickel sulfate was the most common allergen among them. Patch testing is the gold standard tool in the evaluation of eyelid contact dermatitis, and it is a necessity in the treatment of eyelid dermatitis, for the accurate identification of responsible allergens.

Stratum corneum hydration in healthy adult humans according to the skin area, age and sex: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Stratum corneum (SC) hydration is one of the most important skin biophysical parameters, which is affected by age, sex and anatomic site. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to provide detailed information on baseline values of SC hydration in healthy human adults, according to the skin area, age and sex. The databases Medline, Embase, Web of Science and Scopus were searched for primary reports, with in vivo corneometry measurements, which were conducted on disease-free skin of human subjects, aged 18+ years in English. Risk of bias was evaluated using the critical appraisal tools for JBI Systematic Reviews, and only low-risk studies were selected. The comparison was performed in each skin area between males and females and also between young- and middle-age subjects. Among 323 Retrieved titles, full texts of 259 articles were read, and 240 studies were excluded due to unclear or insufficient reporting of SC hydration, as well as high or medium risk of bias. 19 studies (including 113 records) providing data about SC hydration in 12 skin areas were included in the final data synthesis. Pooled sample sizes ranged from n = 32 for lips to a maximum of n = 3202 for cheeks. The lowest hydration of 12.5 [95% CI 11.05-13.94] was reported for the back, and the highest hydration of 64.34) [95 CI% 62.07-64.59] for the periorbital area. Facial skin showed higher water content compared with other areas. There were also site-dependent differences in the hydration level of the facial skin. Comparisons between two age groups, and male and female participants, did not show any statistically significant differences. The main limitation was we included studies using only one measurement device. The quality of reporting SC hydration in humans should be increased in future studies.

The efficacy and safety of other cryotherapy compounds for the treatment of genital warts: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Cryotherapy using Wartner compound that contains a mixture of dimethyl ether (75%) and propane (25%) has been recently reported as an effective treatment for warts. The present study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of Wartner in male patients with genital warts. METHODS: A Phase II parallel-randomized clinical trial was performed on 16 Iranian men affected by genital warts who were referred to a dermatology clinic at Tehran University of Medical Sciences. Two genital warts of each patient were selected and randomly assigned to receive either Wartner (intervention) or liquid nitrogen (control). RESULTS: Two weeks after the treatment, the sizes of the lesions in control and intervention groups decreased by 17.87 ± 2.14 mm2 and 15.81 ± 1.80 mm2, respectively (p = .299). Fourteen days after a single session of treatment, 81% of lesions in the control group and 50% in the Wartner group were completely eradicated, however, the difference was not statistically significant (p = .063). CONCLUSIONS: The Wartner compound is as effective as the conventional cryotherapy method for treating genital warts. It is particularly valuable when there are contraindications or no access to common treatment options.

A new selective optode for the determination of iron(III) based on the immobilization of morin on triacetylcellulose: A combined experimental and computational study.

Accurate and fast measurement of the iron ion in biological, pharmaceutical and medical samples is of great applied importance. In this work, a novel optical sensor (optode) for the Fe(III) ion is fabricated based on the immobilization of morin (2',3,4',5,7-pentahydroxyflavone) on a triacetylcellulose membrane. Chemical binding of the Fe(III) ion with the immobilized morin is monitored spectrophotometrically at 334 nm. The prepared optode shows excellent response over a wide range of concentrations from 1.06 × 10-10 to 4.73 × 10-5 M with a detection limit of 4.23 × 10-11 M Fe(III). Effects of the factors determining sensitivity of the optode are studied and optimized. The prepared optical sensor shows good selectivity toward the Fe(III) ion in the presence of a number of other metal ions. The developed sensor is applied successfully and satisfactorily for the determination of iron in three pharmaceutical, one plasma and two serum samples. In addition, concentration of the Fe(III) ion in two tap water samples is measured using standard addition method. Density functional theory (TD) B3LYP/6-311++G** method is used to investigate structure and binding characteristics, and calculate the UV-Vis spectrum of the Fe(III)-morin complex.

Male versus female skin: What dermatologists and cosmeticians should know.

INTRODUCTION: The skin is important for the perception of health and beauty. Knowledge of the physiological, chemical, and biophysical differences between the skin of male and female patients helps dermatologists develop a proper approach not only for the management of skin diseases but also to properly take care of cosmetic issues. The influence of genetic and environmental factors on skin characteristics is also critical to consider. METHODS: A literature search of PubMed and Google was conducted to compare the biophysical and biomechanical properties of the skin of male and female patients using the keywords "skin", "hydration", "water loss", "sebum", "circulation", "color", "thickness", "elasticity", "pH", "friction", "wrinkle", "sex", "male", and "female". RESULTS: A total of 1070 titles were found. After removing duplications and non-English papers, the number was reduced to 632. Of the 632 titles, 57 were deemed suitable for inclusion in this review. The studies show that the skin parameters of hydration, transepidermal water loss, sebum, microcirculation, pigmentation, and thickness are generally higher in men but skin pH is higher in women. CONCLUSIONS: These parameters can be considered as age markers in some cases and are susceptible to change according to environment and life style. Biometrological studies of the skin provide useful information in the selection of active principles and other ingredients of formulations to develop a specific approach for cosmetic treatments.

Automated exploitation of sky polarization imagery.

We propose an automated method for detecting neutral points in the sunlit sky. Until now, detecting these singularities has been done manually. Results are presented that document the application of this method on a limited number of polarimetric images of the sky captured with a camera and rotating polarizer. The results are significant because a method for automatically detecting the neutral points may aid in the determination of the solar position when the sun is obscured and may have applications in meteorology and pollution detection and characterization.

The influence of gender and age on the thickness and echo-density of skin.

BACKGROUND: The more recent use of ultrasound scanning allows a direct measurement on unmodified skin, and is considered to be a reliable method for in vivo measurement of epidermal and dermal thickness. The objective of this study was to assess the influence of gender and age on the thickness and echo-density of skin measured by high frequency ultrasonography (HFUS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was carried out on 30 healthy volunteers (17 female, 13 male) with age range of 24-61 years old. The thickness and echo-density of dermis as well as epidermal entrance echo thickness in five anatomic sites (cheek, neck, palm, dorsal foot, and sole) were measured using two different types of B mode HFUS, 22 and 50 MHz frequencies. RESULTS: The epidermal entrance echo thickness and thickness of dermis in males were higher than females, which was statistically significant on neck and dorsum of foot. The echo-density of dermis was higher in females on all sites, but was only statistically significant on neck. The epidermal entrance echo thickness and thickness of dermis in young age group was statistically higher than old group on sole and dorsal of the foot respectively. Overall, the skin thickness decreased with age. CONCLUSION: High frequency ultrasonography method provides a simple non-invasive method for evaluating the skin thickness and echo-density. Gender and age have significant effect on these parameters. Differences in study method, population, and body site likely account for different results previously reported.

The effects of water exposure on biophysical properties of normal skin.

BACKGROUND: Water exposure is an influential factor in some common dermatoses. It has also been shown that water has an effect on barrier function and biophysical properties of skin. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of water immersion on biophysical properties of normal skin. PARTICIPANTS & METHODS: Twenty healthy volunteers participated in this study. The volar aspect of volunteer's forearm was immersed in tap water for 30 min a day for five consecutive days. Biophysical skin parameters including TEWL, skin pH, capacitance, erythema and sebum content were measured using specific probes before and after the exposure and compared with unexposed other forearm as control. RESULTS: TEWL and pH of the exposed forearm increased significantly after 5 days of consecutive daily exposure to water. CONCLUSION: Water exposure increases the TEWL and pH of normal skin. Future studies evaluating the durability of the increased TEWL through monitoring the time course of events following skin immersion in water and susceptibility of skin to chemical irritants are required.

Fragrance contact allergy in Iran.

BACKGROUND: Fragrances are considered as one of the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis. About 1-4% of the general population suffer from fragrance contact allergy (FCA). OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency of FCA and its clinical relevance in a sample of Iranian patients with history of contact and/or atopic dermatitis from January 2004 to December 2008. METHODS: Standardized patch testing with 28-allergen screening series recommended by the German Contact Dermatitis Research Group and European Standard Series was used at six dermatological clinics in Iran. Fragrance allergens comprised of fragrance mix I (FM I), Myroxylon pereirae (MP; balsam of Peru), Lyral, turpentine and FM II. RESULTS: Fragrance contact allergy was detected in 7.2% of the patients. The frequency of positive reactions to FM I, MP and FM II were 3.7% (41/1105), 2.8% (32/1135) and 1.1% (3/267) respectively. 82.4% of the reactions to fragrance allergens were clinically relevant. The most common involved areas were hands (68.4%) and face (35.4%). Fragrance allergy predominantly affected women aged more than 40 years (P=0.008). Positive reaction to more than two allergens was significantly higher in FCA patients compared with other contact dermatitis patients (P<0.0001), and FM I, nickel and MP were the most frequent allergens in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: Despite less frequency of FCA in comparison with some European countries, its clinical relevance in Iranian patients seems to be high. It mostly affects the hands and the face predominantly in women aged more than 40 years.

Biophysical characteristics of skin in diabetes: a controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous complications are common in diabetes. Previous assays suggest that hyperglycemia and decreased insulin signal are involved in the impairment of skin function. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biophysical characteristics of skin in patients with diabetes mellitus and compares them with healthy non-diabetic controls. OBJECTIVE: To measure biophysical characteristic of skin including transepidermal water loss (TEWL), water content, sebum and skin elasticity in patients with diabetes mellitus and compare them with healthy non-diabetic controls. METHODS: This case-control study was conducted on 38 patients with diabetes and 40 age- and sex-matched healthy people. The biophysical properties of skin including stratum corneum (SC) hydration, sebum content, TEWL and skin elasticity were measured and compared between the two groups at three different locations of the body. RESULTS: The measurement of SC hydration and TEWL showed no significant difference between diabetics and controls. The skin surface lipids on the forehead but not other sites were significantly lower in the diabetics than in the controls. Acoustic wave propagation speed, a measurement related to skin elasticity, was significantly lower in forearm and forehead of diabetics. CONCLUSION: Diabetes affects some functional properties of epidermis and dermis that may responsible for many cutaneous manifestations of diabetes. These results suggest that patients with diabetes mellitus tend to show a normal hydration state of the SC together with decreased sebaceous gland activity and impaired skin elasticity, without any impairment of the SC barrier function.

Desmoglein 1 and 3 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in Iranian patients with pemphigus vulgaris: correlation with phenotype, severity, and disease activity.

BACKGROUND: Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a chronic autoimmune blistering disorder of the skin and mucosa characterized by the presence of autoantibodies against desmoglein3 (Dsg3). Some patients also have antibodies against desmoglein1 (Dsg1). The aims of this study were to evaluate the diagnostic value of Dsg enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in Iranian PV patients, to assess its correlation with the clinical phenotype and severity of disease and to investigate the changes of these antibodies after treatment. METHODS: Seventy-three patients with PV (29 men, 44 women) presenting to the Pemphigus Research Unit at Razi Hospital, Tehran, Iran were enrolled. ELISAs were used to detect IgG autoantibodies reactive with the ectodomains of Dsg1 and Dsg3, and the correlation of antibodies with the clinical phenotype as well as oral and skin disease severity was assessed. In addition, the tests were repeated in 18 patients after treatment and the resulting remission. RESULTS: Anti-Dsg1 and anti-Dsg3 were detected in 56 (76.7%) and 69 (94.5%) patients, respectively. Anti-Dsg1 and anti-Dsg3 antibodies were present in 48 (94.1%) and 50 (98%) patients with mucocutaneous type, in 2 (12.5%) and 15 (93.7%) patients with mucosal type, and in 6 (100%) and 4 (66.7%) patients with cutaneous PV, respectively. The mean anti-Dsg1 index values were significantly higher in cutaneous and mucocutaneous phenotypes than mucosal PV (P < 0.001). The mean anti-Dsg3 index values were significantly lower in cutaneous and mucosal phenotypes than mucocutaneous PV (P < 0.01). The severity of skin lesions (but not oral lesions) was correlated with anti-Dsg1 antibody level (P < 0.001); on the other hand, the severity of oral lesions (P < 0.01) as well as skin lesions (P < 0.001) was significantly correlated with anti-Dsg3 antibody levels. Both anti-Dsg1 and anti-Dsg3 levels were significantly reduced after treatment and clinical remission (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Dsg ELISA is not only a sensitive tool for the diagnosis of PV, it can also serve as a predictive means for assessing the severity as well as for monitoring the disease activity. Although, in general, the clinical phenotype is related to the antibody profile, there are occasional cases with discordant phenotype and antibody profile. These discrepancies might be explained by genetic variations or the presence of possible minor antigens involved in the pathogenesis of pemphigus.

Striae gravidarum: associated factors.

BACKGROUND: Striae gravidarum (SG) is the most common change in connective tissue of pregnant women and may cause cosmetic concerns. OBJECTIVES: To determine the frequency of SG in Iranian pregnant women and its possible associations with the characteristics of themselves and their newborns. METHODS: One hundred and eighteen primigravid pregnant women were included in this prospective observational study at their first prenatal visit, among them 114 completed the study and gave birth. RESULTS: One hundred (87.7%) of 114 women developed SG with a mean Davey's score of 4.04 +/- 2.47. The mean gestational age at which SG first appeared was 27.57 +/- 5.38 weeks. Family history of SG in mother, baseline and delivery body mass index, greatest abdominal and hip girths, newborn weight, height and head circumference were significantly associated with the presence of SG. All of these factors were also correlated with Davey's score. CONCLUSION: Genetic and physical risk factors may be involved in the development of SG in primigravid women.

Sun protection in Iranian kidney transplant recipients: knowledge, attitude and practice.

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplant recipients (KTR) are at increased risk of developing skin cancer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practices of KTRs regarding skin cancer after transplantation and to identify the role of education in motivating these patients to practice sun-protective behaviours. METHODS: Two hundred and fifty KTRs in a referral hospital were interviewed using a questionnaire. All patients received a skin cancer information booklet after completion of the questionnaire. Six months later, these patients were invited and interviewed again about their skin cancer-prevention practices. RESULTS: The patients consisted of 153 men and 97 women patients with a mean age of 35.9 +/- 14.2 years and mean of 49.7 +/- 53.1 months after their transplantation. A total of 102 patients (40.8%) mentioned receiving skin care advice after transplantation. Nonetheless, the majority of patients did not have appropriate skin cancer-prevention practices. Patients who had received advice on skin care after transplantation were significantly more likely to do skin self-examination (chi-squared test; P < 0.001) and have less sun exposure daily (Mann-Whitney test; P = 0.019) than those who did not. Half of the patients (125 patients) participated in the second part of the study 6 months after the first interview and providing skin care instruction booklet. Although regular skin self-examination and sunscreen use was significantly increased (P = 0.006 and P = 0.001, respectively), but daily sun exposure was not changed significantly (P = 0.64). CONCLUSIONS: Post-transplantation education does not necessarily lead to patients' awareness about their increased risk of skin cancer, and subsequent motivation to practice effective sun protection. Health professionals and dermatologists in particular need to establish better methods of dissemination of information, repeatedly and at the proper time.

Invariants of polarization transformations.

The use of polarization-sensitive sensors is being explored in a variety of applications. Polarization diversity has been shown to improve the performance of the automatic target detection and recognition in a significant way. However, it also brings out the problems associated with processing and storing more data and the problem of polarization distortion during transmission. We present a technique for extracting attributes that are invariant under polarization transformations. The polarimetric signatures are represented in terms of the components of the Stokes vectors. Invariant algebra is then used to extract a set of signature-related attributes that are invariant under linear transformation of the Stokes vectors. Experimental results using polarimetric infrared signatures of a number of manmade and natural objects undergoing systematic linear transformations support the invariancy of these attributes.

Passive three-dimensional imaging using polarimetric diversity.

The results of experiments in developing a method for extracting three-dimensional information from a scene by means of a polarimetric passive imaging sensor are summarized. This sensor provides a full Stokes vector at each sensor pixel location from which degree and angle of linear polarization are computed. The angle of linear polarization provides the azimuth angle of the surface normal vector. The depression angle of this surface normal vector is obtained in terms of the emitting object's index of refraction from the solution of an equation derived from Fresnel equations, Snell's law, and percent of linear polarization. Results of the application of this approach to simulated infrared polarimetric data are provided.

Adaptive polarimetric sensing for optimum radar signature classification using a genetic search algorithm.

An automated technique for adaptive radar polarimetric pattern classification is described. The approach is based on a genetic algorithm that uses a probabilistic pattern separation distance function and searches for those transmit and receive states of polarization sensing angles that optimize this function. Seven pattern separation distance functions--the Rayleigh quotient, the Bhattacharyya, divergence, Kolmogorov, Matusta, Kullback-Leibler distances, and the Bayesian probability of error--are used on real, fully polarimetric synthetic aperture radar target signatures. Each of these signatures is represented as functions of transmit and receive polarization ellipticity angles and the angle of polarization ellipse. The results indicate that, based on the majority of the distance functions used, there is a unique set of state of polarization angles whose use will lead to improved classification performance.

Target-adaptive polarimetric synthetic aperture radar target discrimination using maximum average correlation height filters.

We report the development of a technique for adaptive selection of polarization ellipse tilt and ellipticity angles such that the target separation from clutter is maximized. From the radar scattering matrix [S] and its complex components, in phase and quadrature phase, the elements of the Mueller matrix are obtained. Then, by means of polarization synthesis, the radar cross section of the radar scatters are obtained at different transmitting and receiving polarization states. By designing a maximum average correlation height filter, we derive a target versus clutter distance measure as a function of four transmit and receive polarization state angles. The results of applying this method on real synthetic aperture radar imagery indicate a set of four transmit and receive angles that lead to maximum target versus clutter discrimination. These optimum angles are different for different targets. Hence, by adaptive control of the state of polarization of polarimetric radar, one can noticeably improve the discrimination of targets from clutter.