Evaluation of Serum Paraoxonase, Arylesterase, Prolidase Activities and Oxidative Stress in Patients with Alopecia Areata.

BACKGROUND: Alopecia areata (AA) is a disease characterized by the hair loss sharply limited in any part of the body, especially on the scalp, in circular or oval areas. The purpose of this study is to search the serum paraoxonase 1 (PON1), arylesterase and oxidative status with serum prolidase activities in people with AA. METHODS: The study included 60 AA and 50 healthy control subjects. In both groups, serum PON1, prolidase, arylesterase activities, total oxidative status (TOS) and total antioxidant capacity (TAS) levels and oxidative stress index (OSI) were calculated. RESULTS: TOS, OSI levels and prolidase activity in patients with AA were found to be significantly higher compared to the control group (p = 0.02, p = 0.004, p < 0.001, respectively), whereas PON1 and arylesterase activities were significantly lower (p < 0.001, p = 0.005, respectively). There was no difference in serum TAS levels between the two groups. CONCLUSION: This comprehensive work shows that the role of oxidative stress is very important in the pathogenesis of AA. In this study, we believe that we clarified the pathogenesis of oxidative stress for AA patients by investigating the TAS, TOS, OSI levels, PON1, arylesterase and prolidase enzyme activity parameters.

An Uncommon Side Effect of Bupropion: A Case of Acute Generalized Exanthematous Pustulosis.

Acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP) is a rare inflammatory dermatosis characterized by multiple nonfollicular pustules that occur on erythematous skin. Despite its similarity to pustular psoriasis and association with fever and leukocytosis, AGEP typically heals quickly. Etiologically, drugs and viruses have been suspected in most cases. Here, we present a case of AGEP, in a woman, that developed 1 day after starting bupropion for smoking cessation, as a rare side effect of the treatment.

A comparison of a 5% potassium hydroxide solution with a 5-fluorouracil and salicylic acid combination in the treatment of patients with anogenital warts: a randomized, open-label clinical trial.

Anogenital warts are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), over 30 types of which are infectious for the anogenital tract. Without treatment, warts may regress spontaneously, remain unchanged, or increase in number and size. This study compared the efficacy of a topical 5% potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution with that of a topical 0.5% 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and 10% salicylic acid (SA) combination in the treatment of anogenital warts. Sixty patients were randomly assigned to receive topical KOH or 5-FU + SA. Both groups demonstrated a significant decrease in numbers of lesions (P < 0.05), but this difference was not significant at week 12 (P > 0.05). The mean number of lesions decreased from baseline to week 12 from 17.03 ± 12.64 to 3.73 ± 7.30 and from 16.13 ± 12.97 to 3.10 ± 4.90 in the KOH and 5-FU + SA groups, respectively (P < 0.001). Excellent clearance was achieved by 70.0 and 76.7% of patients in the KOH and 5-FU + SA groups, respectively. Marked improvement was seen in 13.3 and 20.0% of patients in the KOH and 5-FU + SA groups, respectively. At week 16, relapse was observed in two patients in the KOH group and three in the 5-FU + SA group (P > 0.05). No serious adverse events were reported. Neither treatment was more efficacious. Safety and ease of application are important goals in treatments for anogenital warts. A 5% KOH solution is a promising alternative treatment because it is effective and inexpensive and causes minimal side effects.

Prevalence of skin diseases in a dermatology outpatient clinic in Turkey. A cross-sectional, retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Dermatologic diseases vary widely as a result of geographic location, climate, socioeconomic status, and personal habits, and internal factors, such as age, gender, and heredity. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the main causes for outpatient visits in a dermatology outpatient clinic in Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The outpatient clinic records of the Dermatology Department of Eskisehir Yunus Emre Government Hospital, dated between 1 January 2011 and 1 January 2012, were retrospectively assessed. Patients were grouped according to age, gender and clinical diagnosis. RESULTS: A total of 11,040 new patients with 12,174 skin problems were included in the study. The study group was 55.7% female and 44.3% male. The age range was between 1 and 99 years. The most commonly encountered diseases were: acne (13.1% of patients), fungal infections (8.5%), contact dermatitis (8.5%), urticaria (8.3%), psoriasis (5.5%), viral warts (4.1%), lichen simplex chronicus (3.0%), callus, atopic dermatitis, and seborrheic dermatitis (2.2% each). CONCLUSIONS: It appears that certain skin diseases acne, fungal infections, contact dermatitis and urticarial cause serious health problems. Public health policies should be implemented in order to manage these problems rationally.