ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Inflammation, immune system disorders, Demodex infestation, neurovascular dysregulation and oxidative stress are thought to be contributory factors in the pathogenesis of rosacea. AIM: To evaluate the presence of Demodex mites, the morphologic features of the nailfold capillaries, and the systemic oxidative stress status in patients with rosacea. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-one patients diagnosed with rosacea and 37 healthy age- and gender-matched subjects were included in this prospective case-control study. The presence of Demodex infestation, the findings of nailfold capillaroscopy (NFC), and the status of systemic oxidative stress measured by total oxidant capacity (TOC), total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and oxidative stress index (OSI) were evaluated. RESULTS: Demodex infestation rates were significantly higher in rosacea patients than in controls (p = 0.001). Increases in the diameters of the capillaries and the presence of avascular areas and crossing and abnormal structures were significantly more common in rosacea patients than in the healthy controls (p < 0.01, p = 0.016, p = 0.02, p < 0.001, respectively), and hairpin structures were significantly less common in rosacea patients than in the controls (p < 0.001). The presence of crossing capillaries was positively correlated with higher TOC levels (p = 0.05), while abnormal structures were found to be correlated with lower levels of TAC (p = 0.045). CONCLUSIONS: Oxidative status and NFC may play diagnostic and prognostic roles in rosacea, which should be confirmed by studies with larger sample sizes.
ABSTRACT
Background: Melatonin is a hormone that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and has immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory roles. Aims: The aim of this study is to assess melatonin levels and investigate the association with pruritus severity, sleep quality, and depressive symptoms in dermatoses with nocturnal pruritus. Methods: The study was a prospective study with 82 participants, including 41 patients and 41 healthy volunteers. The visual analog scale (VAS), Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were recorded for each patient. To assess the melatonin levels, urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin levels in the first urine in the morning were measured. Results: Melatonin concentrations were significantly lower (P = 0.007), while the BDI (P = 0.001) and PSQI (P = 0.001) scores were significantly higher in the patients with pruritus than in the healthy control subjects. There was an inverse correlation between melatonin levels and PSQI scores (r = -0.355, P = 0.023), and a positive correlation was detected between BDI scores and PSQI scores (r = 0.631, P = 0.001) in the pruritus group. Conclusion: Melatonin levels were found to decrease in relation to sleep quality in nocturnal pruritus patients. Low melatonin levels in these patients may be associated with sleep disorders and pruritus.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: To investigate the efficacy of erbium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Er:YAG) laser in the treatment of solar lentigines. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on patients treated with the only Er:YAG laser. In this study, 14 patients with multiple solar lentigines before treatment were included. Treatment parameters and all side effects were recorded. One independent, blinded dermatologist evaluated the clinical improvement and the patients also scored their satisfaction degree with the treatment. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 41.07±7.16 years. The number of mean treatment session for each patient was 1.79±1.05. At the final visit, excellent improvement (76-100% clearance) was reached in eight (57.1%) patients, while good improvement (51-75% clearance) was achieved in five (35.7%) patients. Ten patients (71.4%) were very satisfied and four (28.5%) patients were satisfied with the results of the treatment. No side effects occurred. CONCLUSION: Er:YAG laser treatment may be an effective and safe optional modality for solar lentigines.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Recent studies that investigated the effect of vitamin D on skin cancer risk have exhibited inconsistent results. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to evaluate vitamin D status in patients with actinic keratosis. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 31 patients with actinic keratosis and 29 healthy controls. Serum vitamin D levels in the study group were determined by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. RESULTS: Serum 25(OH)D levels in patients with actinic keratosis were significantly higher than those of the healthy controls (P=0.04). Prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency was significantly higher in the healthy controls (75.9%) compared to the patients with actinic keratosis (54.8%), but the difference was not statistically significant (P= 0.09). STUDY LIMITATIONS: The cross-sectional design of the study, data on smoking based on patient self-report, and subjects' different dietary habits, which can influence 25(OH)D levels, are the study's limitations. CONCLUSION: Serum vitamin D level can be used as a marker for ultraviolet B radiation from sun exposure; therefore, it can be used in individuals at risk of actinic keratosis. Oral intake of vitamin D through diet or supplements is proposed instead of prolonged ultraviolet exposure to maintain adequate vitamin D serum levels. Further research is needed to elucidate the role of vitamin D in skin carcinogenesis.
Subject(s)
Keratosis, Actinic/blood , Vitamin D/blood , Aged , Biomarkers/blood , Case-Control Studies , Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Tandem Mass SpectrometryABSTRACT
Lupus miliaris disseminatus faciei (LMDF) is a rarely seen, granulomatous disease of the face with an unknown etiology. Clinically, the disease is characterized by monomorphic, reddish-brown, dome-shaped papules symmetrically distributed on the face. Histopathologically, a perifollicular caseating granuloma is the hallmark. A 20-year-old male patient was referred to our outpatient clinic with multiple papules distributed on his face, and he was diagnosed with LMDF based on histopathological examination. The patient was unresponsive to the oral tetracycline treatment; however, he was successfully treated with systemic dapsone and topical tacrolimus. This is a rare case of LMDF, which showed rapid improvement with dapsone therapy.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the present study was to define the accompanying diseases of patients with autoimmune bullous diseases (ABDs). METHODS: One hundred forty-two patients with ABD who were followed up in the dermatology and venereology inpatient clinic of Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital between January 1999 and December 2015 were enrolled in the study. Age, gender, and accompanying diseases of the participants were recorded and compared with the healthy subjects. RESULTS: Eighty patients with pemphigus, 62 patients with pemphigoid, and 217 healthy subjects were included in the study. The pemphigoid group had a statistically significant higher prevalence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery diseases, cataract, malignancy, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and cerebrovascular events relative to the pemphigus and control groups (p<0.01, p<0.01, p=0.001, p<0.01, p=0.02, p=0.008, p=0.001, p=0.001, and p<0.01, respectively). The prevalence of asthma, benign prostatic hyperplasia, and cataract was higher in the pemphigus group than in the controls (p=0.02, p=0.04, and p=0.02, respectively). CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study comparing accompanying diseases between controls and patients with pemphigus and pemphigoid. It is disputable whether the diseases mentioned occur due to some common pathophysiological pathways or coexist just coincidentally. We believe that it is important to evaluate accompanying diseases in patients with ABD.
