Health and Art (HEART): Integrating Science and Art to Fight COVID-19.

Netting individuals separated from each other by vast distances; the present condition of COVID-19 needs art and its extraordinary capacity to connect human beings and integrate scientific disciplines. We can predict that the COVID-19 pandemic would leave the mind lonely and vulnerable to diseases, for, on the one hand, the COVID-19 pandemic and related problems, in particular social isolation, are itself stressor. On the other hand, studies confirm the potential of COVID-19 to involve the central nervous system by affecting the immune system, either directly or indirectly. The COVID-19 condition, thus, calls for a necessary compensation of loneliness to reduce the psychological impact of the pandemic. Not only art can fulfill this purpose by meeting social affiliation needs, but also its related creativity is a definite achievement of the performer while acting as a motivation facilitator of creation for the observer. Besides, artworks that illustrate effective hygiene behaviors and physical distancing in an easy-to-understand manner could help health information systems to control the spread of COVID-19. The integration of art with biomedical science applied for simulation of the infected population, lung imaging data, and the viral surface has been useful for prediction of the spread of disease and earlier diagnosis of COVID-19 by imaging techniques and might be a contributor to drug discovery for COVID-19. Also, arts admirably influence the immunoemotional regulatory system so that not only would it enable humanity to tolerate quarantine but also enhance antiviral immunity. More interestingly, the effects of dance have been observed in children, elderly, healthcare workers, and pregnant women, which have been of special attention during the COVID-19 pandemic. In summary, arts provide us powerful tools for tolerating the quarantine time and enhancing the immune system, educating behavioral tips for hygiene practices and physical distancing and in psychosocial care of vulnerable populations during the pandemic.

A comparative study of long interspersed element-1 protein immunoreactivity in cutaneous malignancies.

BACKGROUND: Skin cancer is the most common cancer worldwide and commonly classified into malignant melanoma (MM) and Nonmelanoma skin cancers (NMSCs), which mainly include basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The extent to which Long Interspersed Element-1 (LINE-1, L1) ORF1p is expressed in cutaneous malignancies remains to be evaluated. This study aimed to assess LINE-1 ORF1p immunoreactivity in various skin cancer subtypes. METHOD: The expression level of LINE-1 ORF1p was evaluated in 95 skin cancer specimens comprising 36 (37.9%) BCC, 28 (29.5%) SCC, and 31 (32.6%) melanoma using the tissue microarray (TMA) technique. Then the association between expression of LINE-1 encoded protein and clinicopathological parameters was analyzed. RESULTS: We showed that LINE-1 ORF1p expression level was substantially higher in BCC and SCC patients compared with melanoma samples (p < 0.001). BCC cases had a higher LINE-1 histochemical score (H-score) compared with SCC cases (p = 0.004). In SCC samples, a lower level of LINE-1 ORF1p expression was associated with age younger than the mean (p = 0.041). At the same time, no significant correlation was found between LINE-1 ORF1p expression and other clinicopathological parameters (all p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: According to our observation, LINE-1 ORF1p immunoreactivity in various skin tumor subtypes extends previous studies of LINE-1 expression in different cancers. LINE-1ORF1p overexpression in NMSCs compared with MM can be considered with caution as a tumor-specific antigen for NMSCs.

The outcome of arginase activity inhibition in BALB/c mice hosting Leishmania tropica.

Two species of Leishmania (L), L. tropica and L. major, are among the main causative agents of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Arginase (ARG) is an essential enzyme for cell growth, thus an attractive drug target. In this study, we tried to survey the inhibitory impact of ARG by nor-NOHA (N-ω-hydroxy-L-nor-arginine) on in vivo infection caused by L. tropica. BALB/c mice were inoculated with L. tropicaEGFP-LUC (Ltrop) or L. majorEGFP-LUC (Lmj) and then were treated by nor-NOHA. ARG inhibitor only indicated a delay in generation of a cutaneous lesion in inoculated footpad with nor-NOHA-Ltrop and nor-NOHA-Lmj. ARG activity has been significantly reduced in nor-NOHA-Ltrop group. In this group, ARG activity inhibition correlated with increased levels of nitric oxide (NO). In both inoculated mice with Ltrop or Lmj, parasite load showed a significant decrease at later steps during the CL course post-treatment. In vivo bioluminescence intensity did not show any ARG's inhibitory effect on treated-Ltrop. The findings verified that the ARG activity may partially control the L. tropica infection in BALB/c mice through reduction of parasite proliferation and parasite killing through NO generation. This effect is dose-dependent.

Cutaneous Granulomatosis and Class Switching Defect as a Presenting Sign in Ataxia-Telangiectasia: First Case from the National Iranian Registry and Review of the Literature.

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a rare autosomal recessive syndrome characterized by progressive cerebellar ataxia, oculocutaneous telangiectasia, immunodeficiency and cancer predisposition, caused by mutations in the ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene. The clinical and immunological manifestations of A-T are very heterogeneous, especially at an early age, leading to frequent misdiagnosis. Cutaneous granulomas with unknown pathogenesis occur uncommonly in a minority of A-T patients. We herein report an unusual case of a 13-year-old girl with A-T who presented severe clinical manifestations, including multiple granulomatous lesions of the skin and a class switch defect phenotype. This patient is the first Iranian A-T case with cutaneous granulomatosis and immunodeficiency. In addition, the literature on skin granulomas in all previously reported A-T patients is reviewed indicating an increased frequency of elevated IgM level and female dominancy in this selected group of patients.

Aleukemia cutis: Clinicopathological and molecular investigation of two cases.

We describe two cases of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) who presented with cutaneous manifestations. Leukemia cutis (LC) is the cutaneous presentation of any type of leukemia and occurs in 10% to 15% of patients with AML, but cutaneous infiltration of AML rarely precedes the involvement of the bone marrow or peripheral blood and is called "aleukemia cutis." Our first case presented with facial skin thickening, a manifestation which is known as lionization and his initial clinical diagnosis was nonspecific allergic reaction. Our second case presented with urticaria-like lesions with the initial clinical and histomorphologic diagnoses of leukocytoclastic vasculitis. Histopathologic examination of skin biopsy specimens in both patients showed diffuse infiltration of the dermis with a monotonous population of intermediate-sized mononuclear cells by open chromatin and promonocytic features. Bone marrow aspiration leukocyte karyotyping showed normal cytogenetics, and molecular investigation revealed mutations of NPM1 and FLT3 genes. Somatic CEBPA gene mutation was negative in both patients. LC as the first manifestation of leukemia is very rare and could result in delayed diagnosis and affect patient prognosis.

Self-limited acne agminate-like granulomatous reaction to facial laser rejuvenation in a patient with comedonal acne vulgaris.

Minimally invasive fractional rejuvenation was developed to overcome the drawbacks of the traditional ablative laser. The Fotona 4D laser is one of these lasers used for face lifting. This laser uses two wavelengths such as Nd-YAG 1064 and Er-YAG 2940 nm in four different modes of non-ablative and ablative fractional laser to induce bulk heating in different tissue layers of facial skin. Although the overall rate of fractional laser complications is much lower than that of traditional techniques, recent studies have shown that fractional lasers can cause complications such as acne, milia, prolonged erythema, infections, and pigmentary alterations.In this report, we present a very unique case of a 41-year-old female patient with mild comedonal acne who developed severe acne agminate-like granulomatous reaction following fractional rejuvenation laser therapy that resolved spontaneously within 2 months after laser therapy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of acne agminate as a side effect of rejuvenation laser therapy.As ruptured hair follicles are proposed as a pathogenic factor in both acne agminate and developing acne following fractional laser therapies, it is recommended to cautiously use resurfacing fractional lasers or to thoroughly treat acne before laser therapy due to the risk of developing a granulomatous reaction.

C4d immunohistochemical stain of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue as a sensitive method in the diagnosis of bullous pemphigoid.

BACKGROUND: Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is the most common type of subepidermal bullous disease. Direct immunofluorescence (DIF) is the gold standard for diagnosis, but it requires a fresh tissue specimen. This study was conducted to evaluate the accuracy of using immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis for the detection of C4d in paraffin-embedded tissue of BP cases. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed on 30 BP cases (confirmed by Hematoxylin and eosin [H&E] and DIF) and 30 controls. IHC studies were performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues. RESULTS: Of 30 BP patients (11 male and 19 female), 27 (90%) were C4d positive and three patients (10%) were C4d negative. The C4d deposits were seen as linear brown stain along the dermoepidermal junction (18 cases), around basal keratinocytes (eight cases), or Civatte-like (three cases). Two cases revealed more than one pattern in IHC staining. Of 30 control specimens, 26 (86%) cases were C4d negative and four (13.4%) were positive for granular deposits of C4d which were diagnosed as dermatitis herpetiformis. CONCLUSION: C4d IHC study is a valuable diagnostic tool with sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 86.7%, and is especially useful in cases in which frozen specimens are not available or FFPE specimens are the only available material for analysis.

Occurrence of Mycosis Fungoides in an Iranian Chemical Victim of the Iran-Iraq War with a Long-term Follow-Up: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Persistent antigenic stimulation has been claimed to play a role in the development of this malignancy. We aimed to show the role of sulfur mustard in the pathogenesis of MF. A 45-year-old man with MF is introduced herein. He was a victim of chemical exposure in 1987 during the Iran-Iraq war. He developed skin lesions 3 years after exposure to sulfur mustard gas at the age of 21. Seven years after his exposure to sulfur mustard gas, a biopsy from the posterior distal part of his calf, which was injured and had bulla, revealed MF. Later, he developed more lesions on his extremities, trunk, and abdomen. On his previous admission, his left eyebrow was involved. A punch biopsy specimen was obtained from his eyebrow lesion, which rendered diffuse infiltration of atypical lymphocyte cells with some convoluted nuclei and scant cytoplasm admixed with lymphocytes, histiocytes, and mast cells compatible with the nodular stage of MF. At his last admission, a biopsy was obtained from the plaque lesions on his left thigh, and a TCR-γ gene rearrangement of the paraffin block of the plaque lesions revealed positive monoclonality. All the findings supported the MF diagnosis. We concluded that sulfur mustard could be a risk factor for MF development.

Discriminative Features in Three Autosomal Recessive Cutis Laxa Syndromes: Cutis Laxa IIA, Cutis Laxa IIB, and Geroderma Osteoplastica.

Cutis laxa is a heterogeneous condition characterized by redundant, sagging, inelastic, and wrinkled skin. The inherited forms of this disease are rare and can have autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, or X-linked inheritance. Three of the autosomal recessive cutis laxa syndromes, namely cutis laxa IIA (ARCL2A), cutis laxa IIB (ARCL2B), and geroderma osteodysplastica (GO), have very similar clinical features, complicating accurate diagnosis. Individuals with these conditions often present with cutis laxa, progeroid features, and hyperextensible joints. These conditions also share additional features, such as short stature, hypotonia, and congenital hip dislocation, but the severity and frequency of these findings are variable in each of these cutis laxa syndromes. The characteristic features for ARCL2A are abnormal isoelectric focusing and facial features, including downslanting palpebral fissures and a long philtrum. Rather, the clinical phenotype of ARCL2B includes severe wrinkling of the dorsum of the hands and feet, wormian bones, athetoid movements, lipodystrophy, cataract and corneal clouding, a thin triangular face, and a pinched nose. Normal cognition and osteopenia leading to pathological fractures, maxillary hypoplasia, and oblique furrowing from the outer canthus to the lateral border of the supraorbital ridge are discriminative features for GO. Here we present 10 Iranian patients who were initially diagnosed clinically using the respective features of each cutis laxa syndrome. Each patient's clinical diagnosis was then confirmed with molecular investigation of the responsible gene. Review of the clinical features from the cases reported from the literature also supports our conclusions.

Psoriasiform mycosis fungoides: a rare form of the disease with review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Mycosis fungoides (MF) typically presents as erythematous scaly patches or plaques that may progress to cutaneous tumors. Although MF may be presented like other dermatoses, initial presentation as psoriasiform plaques simulating psoriasis is rare. Differentiating MF from psoriasis is important because systemic therapies used for psoriasis can worsen MF. We describe a case of psoriasiform MF and we also review the clinicopathological features of similar cases in the literature. CASE: A 46-year-old woman was referred to our clinic with a history of psoriasiform plaques for 13 years. She had multiple, generalized, indurated plaques with thick psoriasiform scales that were unresponsive to topical treatments. The histopathology showed marked psoriasiform epidermal hyperplasia with epidermotropic atypical lymphocytes compatible with MF. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining showed that atypical lymphocytes were positive for CD3, CD4, CD8, and CD5. Of note, upper dermal and intraepidermal large atypical lymphocytes were CD30 positive. The review of similar psoriasiform MF cases revealed that they had all been treated as psoriasis for many years and finally diagnosed as MF especially after deterioration induced by immunosuppressive therapies. CONCLUSIONS: In presumed cases of psoriasis that are unresponsive to treatment, progressive, or ulcerative, biopsy should be considered to rule out MF, particularly before starting a potent immunosuppressive agent.

Common malignant cutaneous conditions among albinos in Kenya.

Background: Albinos in Africa are at constant risk of developing skin cancer due to the damage caused by ultra-violet exposure. This study identifies the common skin conditions among albinos in Kenya as a country located along the equator. Methods: In this descriptive study on albino patients who were admitted to Mbagathi District Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya the census method was used for sampling and a total of 151 albinos were registered. All necessary data including age, gender, type, site and the number of skin lesions were recorded. Suspected patients with malignant and premalignant lesions were studied individually through skin biopsy and histopathological investigation. Finally, the collected data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results: Albinos with serious skin lesions were 121(80%) patients. Females were 64 (52.9%). The frequency of the following premalignant and malignant skin lesions including actinic-cheilitis, solar elastosis, actinic keratosis (AK), basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) were 17.88%, 11.92%, 37.08%, 7.94% and 5.29%, respectively. Hands (20.52%), face (19.20%), head (18.18%), shoulder (14.56%) and neck (7.94%) were the most affected areas by malignant and premalignant lesions. Conclusions: BCC was the most common type of cutaneous malignancy on the face and shoulders while AK was the most common cutaneous pre-malignancy on the hands and face in albinos in Kenya. Therefore, appropriate physical protection, avoiding any trauma when carrying sharp, heavy or rough instruments by the shoulder and hands, and finally urgent and quality treatment for any lesion even a small erosion and ulcer, especially on exposed areas in albinos, are recommended.

Hydroa vacciniforme with eye involvement: report of two cases.

We herein report two patients with hydroa vacciniforme and concomitant ophthalmic involvement, primarily in the form of keratoconjunctivitis leading to corneal opacity. Awareness of this occasional manifestation may help to prevent severe complications.

Paraneoplastic pemphigus associated with inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour of the mediastinum: A favourable response to treatment and review of the literature.

Paraneoplastic pemphigus (PNP) is an autoimmune blistering disorder that occurs in association with an underlying neoplasm. Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour (IMT) is a rare low-grade sarcoma of fibroblasts and myofibroblasts associated with inflammatory cells, most commonly occurring in the lung. In this study, a case of PNP associated with IMT of the mediastinum is reported. The patient had a favourable outcome following surgical resection and treatment with a systemic steroid, azathioprine, and i.v. immunoglobulin. The occurrence of PNP with sarcomas, specifically IMT, is noteworthy although it is not well studied in the existing literature.

Adenolipoma of the breast.

Adenolipoma of the breast is an uncommon mammary lesion classified as a hamartomatous lesion, presenting as a soft, mobile and well-defined mass. The typical mammographic findings is of a well-circumscribed lesion containing both fat and soft tissue surrounded by a capsule. Microscopically, adenolipoma exhibits a hamartomatous mixture of ducts and lobules intermingled with adipose and fibroconnective tissue. Enucleation is the standard treatment and recurrences are rare. We report a 29-year-old woman with a mobile, tender and firm mass, 6x5 cm, in the upper inner quadrant of the right breast of 1 month duration. Mediolateral mammography images demonstrated a well-defined mass with mixed granular and fat density. Histopathology of the excised mass revealed well-circumscribed lobules of ducts and glandular structures haphazardly embedded in mature fatty tissue. Breast hamartoma should be differentiated from other benign lesions of the breast. Awareness among radiologists and pathologists of this benign lesion would help avoid an incorrect diagnosis and unnecessary intervention.