Severe Scalp Psoriasis Microbiome Has Increased Biodiversity and Relative Abundance of Pseudomonas Compared to Mild Scalp Psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease associated with various factors. Recently, alterations in the gut and skin microbiomes have been shown to interact with host immunity, affect skin barrier function, as well as development and progression of psoriasis. We aimed to analyze the microbiota of the scalp of patients with psoriasis and determine the characteristics of the microbiome according to disease severity. We investigated the scalp microbiome of 39 patients with psoriasis scalp lesions and a total of 47 samples were analyzed. The patients were divided into mild, moderate, and severe groups according to the European recommendations for scalp psoriasis. For bacterial identification, we utilized the SILVA database targeting the V3 region of the 16 S rRNA gene. The mean Shannon index escalated along with disease severity, and the diversity of the scalp microbiome tended to increase with disease severity (R = 0.37, p < 0.01). The relative abundance of Pseudomonas was increased in severe scalp psoriasis (0.49 ± 0.22) compared to the mild group (0.07 ± 0.03, p = 0.029), and Diaphorobacter was enriched in the mild group (0.76 ± 0.16%) compared to the severe group (0.44 ± 0.22, p < 0.001). We identified that increased diversity of the scalp microbiome and the relative abundance of Pseudomonas are associated with the severity of scalp psoriasis.

Actinic keratosis and diabetes complications: A nationwide population-based study in South Korea (2009-2015).

AIM: As the associations between actinic keratosis (AK) and diabetes complications in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) have never been investigated, this study aimed to evaluate any such associations in patients with DM. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study analyzed clinical data for DM patients aged>40 years who had undergone the health examination recommended by the South Korea National Health Insurance Program between 2009 and 2012 (n=2,056,580). All of these patients were classified according to the presence of diabetic retinopathy (DR), end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and history of DVD; myocardial infarction, stroke, transient ischaemic attacks. Newly diagnosed AK was identified using claims data from baseline to the date of diagnosis or 31 December 2015, whichever came first. RESULTS: Of the 2,056,580 patients with DM, 6404 (0.31%) developed AK. Those patients in the DR, ESRD and CVD groups were more likely to be diagnosed with AK (P<0.001, by log-rank test). After adjusting for age and gender, the risks for AK were significantly higher in the DR, ESRD and CVD groups: HR (95% CI): 1.29 (1.21-1.39), HR: 4.24 (3.28-5.47) and HR: 1.22 (1.13-1.31), respectively. CONCLUSION: This study has revealed that the incidence of AK is higher in diabetes patients with ocular, renal and cardiovascular complications.

Association of Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor Polymorphisms with Total Plasma IgE Levels in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis in Korea.

The macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) gene is located on human chromosome 22q11.2 and is linked to atopic phenotypes. Plasma MIF and log [total IgE] levels are significantly elevated in atopic dermatitis (AD) patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between two MIF polymorphisms, -173 G to C and -794 CATT5-8, and total plasma IgE levels in AD patients in Korea. We performed PCR-RFLP analysis in 178 AD patients and 80 control subjects to determine whether MIF SNPs are associated with susceptibility to AD. Plasma total IgE and MIF levels were determined, and then logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the associations between a SNP or haplotype and plasma total IgE or MIF levels. The -173 G/C polymorphism, located in the MIF promoter, was significantly associated with AD; the odds ratios (ORs) for the CC homozygotes and GC heterozygotes were 9.3 and 2.5, respectively. The MIF C/5-CATT and the MIF C/7-CATT haplotypes were significantly associated with AD; the ORs for the MIF C/5-CATT and MIF C/7-CATT haplotypes were 9.7 and 4.5, respectively. Log [total IgE] levels were highly associated with the MIF -794 7-CATT polymorphism. Notably, the MIF C/7-CATT haplotype was associated with a decrease in plasma log [total IgE] levels in a gene dose-dependent manner. Although log [MIF] levels were not associated with the MIF polymorphisms, the frequencies of the MIF C/5-CATT haplotype-containing genotypes decreased in order of MIF levels. Our results demonstrate that MIF promoter polymorphisms in the -173 C allele and the MIF C/5-CATT and C/7-CATT haplotypes were significantly associated with an increased risk for AD. In particular, the -794 7-CATT locus and the MIF C/7-CATT haplotype were significantly associated with decreased total IgE levels in the plasma, suggesting that these polymorphisms might be a marker for intrinsic AD rather than extrinsic AD that shows high total IgE levels and presence of allergen-specific IgE.

Morphometric assessment of nuclei in Bowen's disease and bowenoid papulosis.

BACKGROUND: Occasionally, Bowen's disease and bowenoid papulosis cannot be distinguished in microscopic finding. Their clinical presentations are quite different from one another. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the histological differences in Bowen's disease and bowenoid papulosis, by comparing the size and shape of nuclei, using image analysis system. METHODS: We performed morphometric assessment on 13 specimens of Bowen's disease and eight specimens of bowenoid papulosis using an image analysis system, and the following parameters were calculated, such as nuclear contour index (NCI), irregularities of nucleus (IN), form factor (form AR) and circulatory factor (form PE). RESULTS: For NCI, there were significant differences between the Bowen's disease and bowenoid papulosis, and IN also shows significant differences between these two dis-eases, showing that Bowen's disease has more corrugated or indented nucleus contour than bowenoid papulosis. In the parameter of form PE, there were significant differences between the two diseases, indicating that Bowen's disease has more oval-shaped nuclei than bowenoid papulosis. There were no significant differences in form factor between Bowen's disease and bowenoid pupulosis. CONCLUSIONS: Significant differences were found in the morphometric evaluation between Bowen's disease and bowenoid papulosis. The nuclei were larger, more oval and more irregular margins in Bowen's disease than bowenoid papulosis.

Skin disease among staff in a large Korean nursing home.

Although previous studies have documented reasonably high rates of skin disease among nursing home staff, the prevalence among Korean workers is not well known. For this investigation we selected a large Korean nursing home and distributed a skin disease questionnaire to all staff. Questions included job title, job description, employment history, working hours, patient contact and the occurrence of skin disease over the past 12 months. Workers who reported a dermatological problem then underwent skin examinations conducted by specialist occupational physicians and a dermatologist. Contact dermatitis was the most common skin disease detected, with 4.8% of staff currently suffering from it and 6.0% reporting it in the previous 12-month period. Tinea pedis was another common condition, affecting 3.6% on our examination day. However, only two-thirds of them (2.4%) recounted a past history of tinea pedis. Scabies was diagnosed among 2.4% of staff and reported as a previous infection by 6.0%. Overall, the prevalence of dermatitis and scabies were quite low when compared to previous studies, while fungal infection rates were similar to other investigations. Further research into this growing occupational demographic is indicated.