Trichoscopy of Discoid Lupus Erythematosus in the Black Scalp: A Literature Review.

Discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE) is the most common type of chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus. It is more frequent in adult women, particularly black race. Scalp DLE has an earlier onset and a more severe clinical course in black patients compared to Caucasians. Nevertheless, studies on this population remain scarce. The aim of this study was to review the literature and summarize the most frequent trichoscopic findings of scalp DLE among patients with a higher phototype. The main trichoscopic findings of DLE on black scalp are interruption of the honeycomb pattern, reduction, or absence of pinpoint white dots, keratotic follicular plugs and peripilar casts, blue-gray dots in a speckled pattern, and large tortuous arboriform vessels. Knowledge of these and other changes enables an early diagnosis of these individuals, preventing cicatricial sequelae and reducing its impact on quality of life.

Comedonic lupus, a rare variant of chronic cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CCLE): case series and literature review.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) is an autoimmune disease with several clinical presentations. The chronic form predominantly presents as discoid rashes but may present with less common morphological findings that can sometimes make diagnosis difficult. Comedonic lupus is a rare and underdiagnosed variant, with unknown etiology and still poorly defined treatment. METHODS: The report illustrates a series of five cases of patients diagnosed with comedonic lupus, and it reviews 18 cases previously published in the literature. RESULTS: The clinical presentation is of comedonal lesions, mostly located on the face, making a differential diagnosis with other benign conditions such as acne vulgaris, Favre-Racouchot syndrome, and syringoma, emphasizing the importance of clinical practice and histopathology for diagnostic confirmation. CONCLUSIONS: There is scarcity in the literature regarding the condition and therapeutic possibilities for these cases of comedonic lupus.

Dactylitis and Ungual Tuberculosis: An Atypical Presentation of the Disease.

Introduction: Tuberculosis is a common infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis in developing countries. Among the extrapulmonary forms of tuberculosis, cutaneous tuberculosis is rare, and even dermatologists are less familiar with its ungual manifestations. Case Presentation: We present an exuberant case of ungual tuberculosis in a patient with no personal or family history of immunosuppression, which is the first manifestation of the disseminated form of the disease. Conclusion: In our patient, the initial manifestation was related to the nail, probably originating from the progression of bone TB focus, which further progressed with respiratory symptoms and involvement of other organs. We believe this is the first case in which the ungual presentation allowed the diagnosis of disseminated tuberculosis.

Ultra-Processed Foods Elicit Higher Approach Motivation Than Unprocessed and Minimally Processed Foods.

Background: Ultra-processed foods (UPF) are becoming extensively available in the food environments. UPF are industrial formulations that are designed to maximize palatability and consumption through a combination of calorie-dense ingredients and chemical additives. UPFs are also aggressively marketed, which may make them more attractive than unprocessed/minimally processed foods (UMPF). Since consumers' purchase decisions are guided by food-evoked emotions, we aimed to provide evidence that UPF visual cues trigger higher emotional responses and approach motivation than UMPF visual cues, with potential impacts on individuals' intention to consume the UPF over the UMPF. Methods: Participants (n = 174; 144 women; mean age = 20.7 years; standard deviation = 4.35) performed two tasks. In the first task, 16 pictures of foods (8 UPF and 8 UMPF), and 74 pictures from other affective categories, were presented. After viewing each picture, the participants rated it along two basic dimensions of emotion through the Self-Assessment Manikin scale: pleasantness and arousal. In the second task, the participants viewed the same food pictures, and they rated their intention to consume the foods depicted in the pictures. Each picture was plotted in terms of its mean pleasantness and arousal ratings in a Cartesian plane, which resulted in an affective space. Results: Pictures of UPF and UMPF were positioned in the upper arm of the boomerang-shaped affective space that represents approach motivation. Pictures containing UPF triggered higher approach motivation and intention to consume than pictures containing UMPF. We also found a stronger association between emotional responses and intention to consume UPF relative to UMPF. Conclusion: These results shed new light on the role of ultra-processed foods evoked emotions that contribute to less healthy and sustainable food environments.

Fermentation of soybean meal improves isoflavone metabolism after soy biscuit consumption by adults.

BACKGROUND: Urinary excretion of isoflavones and their metabolites after the consumption of soybean meal (SBM) and fermented soybean meal (FSBM) biscuits was investigated in humans in a randomized double-blinded crossover clinical trial. RESULTS: Aglycones were the most abundant metabolites in urine in both treatments. After FSBM consumption, total urinary excretion of aglycones and metabolites was 54% higher when compared to SBM biscuits. All metabolites were more rapidly excreted after FSBM biscuit consumption when compared to SBM biscuits. Urinary recovery of isoflavones was higher after FSBM biscuit consumption, reaching 67%. Women excreted higher amounts of colonic metabolites and lower amounts of aglycones than men. The prevalence of O-demethylangolensin-producer, equol-producer and nonproducer metabotypes was 56%, 11% and 36% after SBM consumption and 72%, 11% and 17% after FSBM consumption, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Together, our findings indicate that fermentation improves isoflavone bioavailability and possibly reduces the impact of gut microbiota on the metabolism of isoflavones. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.