ABSTRACT
CONTEXT: Sulfur mustard (SM) was used during the Iraq-Iran war (1980-1988). Exposed veterans continue to suffer from its ocular, skin, and respiratory complications. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate associations between early (at the time of acute exposure) and decades later skin manifestations in individuals with severe ophthalmologic complications secondary to sulfur mustard exposure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred forty-nine veterans with severe ocular injuries were evaluated for acute and chronic skin complications. Logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between early and late skin manifestations. RESULTS: Late skin complaints were observed in nearly all survivors who had early skin lesions (131 out of 137; 95.62%). Seven out of 12 patients (58.33%) who did not have early skin lesions ultimately developed late skin complications. There was a significant relationship between the presence of lesions at the time of exposure and developing late skin complaints (two-sided Fisher's exact test, OR = 15.59, p < 0.001). There was an association between having at least one early skin lesion and occurrence of late skin complications. Survivors with blisters at the time of chemical exposure were more likely to complain of itching (95% CI: 3.63-25.97, p < 0.001), burning (OR = 11.16; 95% CI: 2.97-41.89, p < 0.001), pigmentation changes (OR = 10.17; 95% CI: 2.54-40.75, p = 0.001), dryness (OR = 6.71, 95% CI: 1.22-37.01, p = 0.03) or cherry angioma (OR = 2.59; 95% CI:1.21-5.55, p = 0.01) during the late phase. Using multivariate logistic models, early blisters remained significantly associated with latent skin complaints. Of note, the genitalia and great flexure areas were the most involved anatomical sites for both early and late skin lesions in SM exposed survivors. CONCLUSION: According to this study, the presence of blisters at the time of exposure to SM is the most important predictor of developing dermatologic complications decades later in patients with severe ophthalmologic complications from sulfur mustard exposure.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Prolactin (PRL) level is proposed to be associated with the severity of psoriasis although the previous studies reported different results. OBJECTIVE: To find the association between PRL levels and severity of psoriasis before and after treatment. In addition, we aimed to find a difference in prolactin, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroid hormones (T3 and T4), and cortisol levels between patients with psoriasis and normal controls. METHODS: First, the levels of hormones were measured in 30 patients with psoriasis and 30 matched controls. The severity was assessed by psoriasis area and severity index (PASI). Then, patients were treated, and PASI was assessed every week until achieving PASI-75 response. At this time, the hormones were measured again and compared to the baseline. RESULTS: No statistical significant difference was observed in the mean PRL, T3, T4, TSH, and cortisol levels between cases and controls. Comparing to the baseline, a significant decrease in PRL levels and a significant increase in T3 and serum cortisol levels were observed after treatment (P < 0.05), while the changes in other hormones were not significant. CONCLUSION: After treatment, PRL significantly decreased, and T3 and cortisol levels significantly increased. No correlation between hormone levels and improvement of PASI score existed.
