Evaluation of complete blood cell and inflammatory parameters in patients with alopecia areata: Their association with disease severity.

BACKGROUND: Alopecia areata (AA) is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by non-cicatricial hair loss. The cause of the disease is still unknown. It can appear at any age and occurs in 0.2% of the general population. Red cell distribution width (RDW), mean platelet volume (MPV), plateletcrit (PCT), the ratio of neutrophils to lymphocytes (NLR), and the ratio of platelets to lymphocytes (PLR) have all been reported as inflammatory markers in recent studies. However, these parameters have not been investigated in AA patients. AIM: We investigated the haematological and inflammatory parameters of AA and considered their association with disease severity. PATIENTS/METHODS: One hundred and five patients with AA and 108 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. RDW, MPV, PCT, NLR, PLR, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were studied retrospectively. Disease severity was evaluated by using the Severity of Alopecia Tool (SALT) score. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between RDW, MPV, PCT, NLR, and PLR levels in AA patients and in healthy controls. Only the CRP values were significantly higher in the AA group. CONCLUSION: Complete blood count (CBC) parameters are low-cost tests that can be used to define inflammation levels in inflammatory diseases. Our study shows that CRP can be used as a marker in diagnosing AA.

A case of recalcitrant acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis with Sjogren's syndrome: Successfully treated with low-dose cyclosporine.

Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP) is a reaction attributed mainly to drugs. Hydroxychloroquine is a rare cause of AGEP especially used in rheumatology and dermatology. Systemic corticosteroids are the first-line treatment agents in AGEP. But cyclosporine can be a good choice for patients resistant to systemic corticosteroid treatment in AGEP.

Second-to-fourth digit ratio and seborrheic dermatitis in males: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Seborrheic dermatitis is a common disease characterized by the erythematous plaques with oily-yellow desquamation. Increased sebaceous gland activity by androgenic hormones has played a role in the etiology of the disease. The second-to-fourth digit (2D:4D) ratio is thought to be a marker of prenatal androgen exposure. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the association between 2D:4D ratios and seborrheic dermatitis in a male population. METHODS: Healthy male controls and patients with seborrheic dermatitis were included in this study. One hundred seborrheic dermatitis patients and 120 healthy controls, aged 17-59, were enrolled. A digital Vernier caliper was used to measure the finger lengths. Seborrheic dermatitis severity was assessed using the Seborrheic Dermatitis Area and Severity Index (SDASI). RESULTS: The 2D:4D ratios of the patients (x = 0.977) were significantly lower than those of the controls (x = 1.050) for right hands (t = 6.948; p = 0.000; > 0.05). No similar relationship was found between the 2D:4D ratio for left hands (t = 0.901; p = 0.368; > 0.05). Seborrheic dermatitis severity was negatively correlated with 2D:4D ratios of right hands (r = -0.391; p = 0.000-0.05). STUDY LIMITATIONS: One of the main limitations of this study was the small sample, which got a head of us from acquiring certain findings about the 2D:4D ratio and seborrheic dermatitis. The other limitation is that the patient selection did not reflect the general population, as a single clinic was studied. CONCLUSION: To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study examining the relationship between 2D:4D ratios and seborrheic dermatitis. The result of this study may indicate a line of investigation and can support the theory of prenatal androgen exposure.

Effects of isotretinoin on the hair cycle.

BACKGROUND/ OBJECTIVES: Isotretinoin is a synthetic vitamin A agent that affects all of the pathogenic factors that suppress sebum production and play a role in the formation of acne. It is frequently used in the treatment of moderate-severe acne vulgaris. However, there are some mucocutaneous and systemic side effects that limit the use of isotretinoin. In this study, we aimed to determine the effect of isotretinoin on hair growth parameters. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Isotretinoin treatment at 0.5 mg/kg per day dose was started to patients with moderate-severe acne vulgaris, and hair growth parameters were evaluated before treatment and after 3 months of treatment. Parameters were measured by Fotofinder dermatoscopy device using the TrichoScan Professional program. RESULTS: In the TrichoScan analysis, the total hair count, hair density, percentage of anagen and telogen hair, density, count, and ratio of vellus and terminal hairs in the 0.73 area were calculated. As a result, there were differences in some values between the first analysis and the second analysis. However, these differences were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Our study was based on the mucocutaneous side effects of isotretinoin which are telogen effluvium and thinning hair. Our results support that the drug does not alter hair growth parameters in the short term and when very high doses are not used.

Is there an association of ABO blood groups and Rhesus factor with alopecia areata?

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disease characterized by noncicatricial hair loss localized on hair, beard, mustache, eyebrow, eyelash, and sometimes on the body. Although etiopathogenesis is not fully understood, many studies show remarkable associations between various diseases and ABO blood groups. However, there is no study with AA and blood groups. METHODS: Healthy people and patients with AA were included in this study. A total of 155 patients with AA and 299 healthy controls were included in the study. RESULTS: ABO blood group distribution in patients with AA and distribution of healthy donors were similar. However, Rhesus factor positivity in the AA group was significantly higher than in healthy donors. The relationship between stress and AA was high as known. But, ABO blood group and Rhesus factor were not in a significant connection with stress. CONCLUSION: We conclude that there was no association between ABO blood group and AA, but the observed distribution of Rhesus blood group differed slightly but significantly from that of the healthy population. The result of the study shows a small but statistically significant difference in the Rh blood group between patients with AA and the healthy population blood groups. This result is important because it suggests that genetic factors may influence the development of AA. The role of blood groups in the development of AA remains to be determined. We believe that the studies which will be carried out in other centers with wider series will be more valuable to support this hypothesis.