ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The serum concentrations of somatotrophin axis hormones (growth hormone--GH, insulin-like growth factor-I--IGF-I and insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3--IGFBP-3) in the patients with psoriasis in its active stage have been evaluated in relation to the control group consisting of healthy people in order to see whether these hormones may play a role in the psoriasis aetiopathogenesis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The subjects included 85 psoriatic patients (mean age 36.9 +/- 11.2 years) in the active state of disease and 20 healthy persons (mean age 35.6 +/- 6.6 years) as a control group. GH and IGFBP-3 concentrations in serum were determined by immunoradiometric assay (IRMA), IGF-I concentrations--by radioimmunological assay (RIA). Evaluation of the dermatological state also included a determination of psoriasis area and severity index (PASI). RESULTS: In the patients with psoriasis the concentration of the growth hormone was found to be significantly higher than in the healthy people at the simultaneously much lower concentrations of the insulin-like growth factor-I and its binding protein-3. IGF-I concentrations correlated negatively to PASI value. CONCLUSION: In the psoriatic patients the somatotrophin axis activity is disturbed and these disturbances may effect the psoriasis process modulation. However, it is impossible to determine if the disturbances are of the primary, i.e. aetiological, importance for the disease pathogenesis, or only of the secondary--psoroid character.
Subject(s)
Growth Hormone/blood , Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3/blood , Insulin-Like Growth Factor I/analysis , Psoriasis/blood , Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Reference Values , Severity of Illness Index , Statistics, NonparametricABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The objective of our study was to determine therapeutic response to photodynamic therapy (PDT) and adverse reaction of PDT in 126 patients with 141 lesions: 36 patients with 41 lesions of superficial basal cell carcinoma (BCC), 35 patients with nodular BCC, 42 patients with ulcerated BCC, four patients with 14 lesions of actinic keratoses, five with superficial squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and four with Bowen's disease. METHODS: Patients with skin malignancies were treated using 20% aminolevulinic acid (ALA) (Medac GmbH, Wedel, Germany) topically and light from an argon-pumped dye laser. RESULTS: A complete response was achieved in 81.5% treated lesions. A partial response after PDT in 10.6% treated lesions, no response in 7.8% treated lesions and 11.3% lesions recurrences during 10-36 months follow-up were observed. Following light exposure skin lesions became necrotic and showed hemorrhagic crusts and the cosmetic outcome was excellent or good in 97 of the completely responding lesions (84.3%). CONCLUSIONS: Clinical studies reported by other groups have shown similar high percentages of clinical cure. PDT appears to be a more feasible alternative to conventional therapy of skin malignancies.
ABSTRACT
Infectious non-venereal diseases are divided into contagious and non-contagious skin diseases, that have sometimes different and unexplained aetiology. Some diseases caused by viruses, fungi, bacteria, Candida albicans and parasites are the contagious skin diseases. The non-contagious diseases include: contact dermatitis, erythema fixum, lichen sclerosus et atrophicus, Reiter's disease and some pre-neoplasmatic lesions. The aim of the study was to demonstrate some skin lesions commonly located on external genital organs in both sexes, that should be differentiated with skin lesions in sexually transmitted diseases.
