Exploring a New Pathophysiological Association in Acne Vulgaris and Metabolic Syndrome: The Role of Biogenic Amines and Glutathione Peroxidase.

Background and Objectives: Metabolic disorders cause many skin issues, including acne vulgaris. This research investigated the function of glutathione peroxidase (GTPx) and biogenic amines as a potential novel pathophysiological link between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and acne vulgaris. Materials and Methods: The patients were distributed into two groups: metabolic precondition (MPG, n = 78) and control (CG, n = 81). To determine the extent of acne and metabolic preconditioning, patients were subjected to extensive clinical/paraclinical investigations. Additionally, catecholamine levels in urine and GTPx levels in blood were measured. Results: Mild acne was more common in the CG (32.1 vs. 6.4, p < 0.001), and severe acne was more common in the MPG (61.54 vs. 25.9, p < 0.001), with the average age being substantially higher in the MPG (23.81 vs. 21.05, p = 0.002). Significant variations were observed in the paraclinical levels for catecholamines (p < 0.05). In the MPG, most severe acne patients were overweight (52.1%), insulin-resistant (48.8%), or obese (47.9%). Moderate acne was most often linked to obesity (56%), overweight (44%), and insulin resistance (20%). Patients with severe acne (48.83%) had a considerably greater incidence of insulin resistance syndrome (p = 0.039) than those with moderate or severe acne (20%). The presence of two or three metabolic disorders considerably raised the risk of severe acne. Significant differences between groups were observed only in the subgroup of patients with severe acne, with lower values in the MPG (p = 0.015). Significant differences between groups were observed regarding the subgroup of patients with severe acne, with lower DTPx values in the MPG. At the group level, only CG patients with severe acne had reduced GTPx levels. Significant differences in catecholamine values were seen between groups (p < 0.05), independent of acne severity, except for adrenaline in mild acne patients (p = 0.059). Conclusions: The complex connection between GTPx and catecholamines in MetS suggests a significant role of these factors in the pathogenesis of acne associated with this condition, opening new perspectives in the research and treatment of acne in the context of MetS.

Insights into the Medical Evaluation of Ekbom Syndrome: An Overview.

Ekbom syndrome, also known as delusional parasitosis (DP) or delusional infestation, is an uncommon psychiatric disorder distinguished by an enduring conviction of parasitic infestation, persisting notwithstanding the presence of medical evidence to the contrary. Primarily affecting middle-aged women, DP can manifest either as isolated psychological distress or as a component within a more intricate psychiatric framework, substantially influencing the quality of life for affected individuals. Its pathophysiological mechanism involves uncertain dopaminergic imbalances and dysfunction in the dopamine transporter system. Dermatologists often play a pivotal role in diagnosis, as patients first seek dermatological assessments of their signs and symptoms. However, DP frequently originates from underlying psychiatric disorders or medical variables, manifesting with neurological and infectious causative factors. The diagnostic complexity is attributed to patients' resolute convictions, leading to delayed psychiatric intervention. First-line DP treatment involves antipsychotics, with newer agents demonstrating promising prospects, but the lack of standardized protocols poses a significant therapeutic challenge. In this narrative review, both a comprehensive approach to this uncommon pathology and an update on the state of knowledge in this medical subfield focused on optimizing the management of DP are provided. The complexity of DP underlying its uncommon nature and the incomplete understanding of its pathophysiology highlight the need for further research through multicenter studies and multidisciplinary teams to enhance therapeutic efficacy and safety.

Micropulse Laser Therapy as an Integral Part of Eye Disease Management.

Ocular diseases can significantly impact vision and quality of life through pathophysiological alterations to the structure of the eye. The management of these conditions often involves a combination of pharmaceutical interventions, surgical procedures, and laser therapy. Laser technology has revolutionized many medical fields, including ophthalmology, offering precise and targeted treatment options that solve some of the unmet needs of other therapeutic strategies. Conventional laser techniques, while effective, can generate excessive thermal energy, leading to collateral tissue damage and potential side effects. Compared to conventional laser techniques, micropulse laser therapy delivers laser energy in a pulsed manner, minimizing collateral damage while effectively treating target tissues. The present paper highlights the advantages of micropulse laser therapy over conventional laser treatments, presents the implications of applying these strategies to some of the most prevalent ocular diseases, and highlights several types and mechanisms of micropulse lasers. Although micropulse laser therapy shows great potential in the management of ocular diseases, further research is needed to optimize treatment protocols, evaluate long-term efficacy, and explore its role in combination therapies.

Exploring New Therapeutic Avenues for Ophthalmic Disorders: Glaucoma-Related Molecular Docking Evaluation and Bibliometric Analysis for Improved Management of Ocular Diseases.

Ophthalmic disorders consist of a broad spectrum of ailments that impact the structures and functions of the eye. Due to the crucial function of the retina in the vision process, the management of eye ailments is of the utmost importance, but several unmet needs have been identified in terms of the outcome measures in clinical trials, more proven minimally invasive glaucoma surgery, and a lack of comprehensive bibliometric assessments, among others. The current evaluation seeks to fulfill several of these unmet needs via a dual approach consisting of a molecular docking analysis based on the potential of ripasudil and fasudil to inhibit Rho-associated protein kinases (ROCKs), virtual screening of ligands, and pharmacokinetic predictions, emphasizing the identification of new compounds potentially active in the management of glaucoma, and a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the most recent publications indexed in the Web of Science evaluating the management of several of the most common eye conditions. This method resulted in the finding of ligands (i.e., ZINC000000022706 with the most elevated binding potential for ROCK1 and ZINC000034800307 in the case of ROCK2) that are not presently utilized in any therapeutic regimen but may represent a future option to be successfully applied in the therapeutic scheme of glaucoma following further comprehensive testing validations. In addition, this research also analyzed multiple papers listed in the Web of Science collection of databases via the VOSviewer application to deliver, through descriptive analysis of the results, an in-depth overview of publications contributing to the present level of comprehension in therapeutic approaches to ocular diseases in terms of scientific impact, citation analyses, most productive authors, journals, and countries, as well as collaborative networks. Based on the molecular docking study's preliminary findings, the most promising candidates must be thoroughly studied to determine their efficacy and risk profiles. Bibliometric analysis may also help researchers set targets to improve ocular disease outcomes.

Simulation-Based Research on Phytoconstituents of Embelia ribes Targeting Proteins with Pathophysiological Implications in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a heterogeneous inflammatory disease with an autoimmune origin and an incompletely elucidated pathophysiological mechanism. RA pharmacotherapy is based on chemically or biologically active substances that provide clinical alleviation and remission, but the disease is still incurable. As a result, there remains a need for significant therapeutic development, and adjuvant therapies may play an essential role in the search for novel RA treatment strategies. The aim of the present study was to investigate potential phytocompounds and phytocompound derivates as RA treatment agents, using in silico methodologies. In this regard, five phytoconstituents identified in different structures of Embelia ribes were evaluated by in silico methods for their potential action on target proteins of therapeutic interest in RA. The methodology involved identifying the phytocompound with the highest binding toward the target protein via molecular docking using AutoDock Vina 1.5.7, followed by a ligand-based virtual screening based on the structure of the most promising phytocompound using SwissSimilarity. This process led to the identification of ligands that are not currently utilized in medical practice, but that might have the potential to be used in the management of RA after further extensive experimental endorsements. ZINC000004024651 showed the highest binding affinity for the Bruton's tyrosine kinase protein, followed by ZINC000000434197 for p38 mitogen-activated protein kinases, ZINC000087606977 for interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase 4, and ZINC000014728393 for matrix metallopeptidase 9, the latter two showing higher affinity than the co-crystallized compound. The relatively high affinities to target proteins and the pharmacokinetic data obtained by in silico studies using SwisADME suggest a first step for the inclusion of promising new compounds in various more advanced studies, leading to the evaluation of efficacy and safety profiles.