Serum levels of hypersensitive-C-reactive protein in moderate and severe acne.

BACKGROUND: Elevation of C-reactive protein (CRP) has been reported to occur in psoriasis, urticaria, acne, rosacea and many other dermatological and nondermatological conditions. Chronic systemic inflammation has been implicated in the development of neuropsychiatric/degenerative disorders, atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus and even carcinogenesis. The present study is designed to determine whether the level of inflammation created by acne vulgaris could be high enough to raise the serum levels of high-sensitive CRP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-two patients with moderate and severe acne vulgaris were enrolled, along with 44 age and sex matched healthy blood donors as controls. Hypersensitive-CRP (Hs-CRP) was measured in both groups. RESULTS: Hypersensitive-C-reactive protein levels in the case group varied between 0 and 28.1 µg/ml with an average of 2.24 ± 4.87 µg/ml (mean ± standard deviation) and a median of 0.6 µg/ml (interquartile range [IQR] =0.3, 1.4 µg/ml). Hs-CRP levels of the control group varied between 0 and 14 µg/ml with an average of 3.12 ± 3.67 µg/ml and a median of 1.5 µg/ml (IQR = 0.55, 5.0 µg/ml). No significant difference of Hs-CRP level between the two groups was seen (t = -0.961, 95% confidence interval: Lower = -2.6942, upper = 0.9377; P = 0.339). Additionally, no significant difference in the level of Hs-CRP was noted between the moderate and severe acne groups (95% confidence interval: Lower = -5.2495, upper = 1.6711; P = 0.165). CONCLUSION: Acne vulgaris, even in its severe grades (excluding acne fulminans and acne conglobata), does not induce significant inflammation at the systemic level.

The effects of fumaria parviflora L extract on chronic hand eczema: a randomized double-blind placebo controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Hand eczema is a common and distressing condition with multiple causes such as atopy, irritant and allergic contact dermatitis. Fumaria parviflora, is known as Shahtareh in Persian, is a folk medicine for eczema. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of alcoholic extract of Fumaria parviflora on hand eczema. METHODS: In a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 44 patients with hand eczema were randomly assigned to apply 4% cream of Fumaria parviflora or vehicle cream to hand twice daily for 4 weeks. RESULTS: The reduction of eczema area and severity index score before and two weeks after therapy was statistically significant between vehicle treated and in treated group. Only one patient showed side effects such as erythema and population. CONCLUSION: Fumaria parviflora appears to be tolerated by most patients and the findings showed that its extract may be considered as an effective agent for treatment of chronic hand eczema.

Is there any relation between serum insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I in non-diabetic patients with skin tag?

BACKGROUND: Skin tags are common benign lesion occurring mainly on the neck and major flexures as a small soft pedunculated protrusion. This study evaluate insulin and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) in non-diabetic ones. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A case-control study was conducted in non-diabetic persons. Comparing insulin and IGF-I between matched cases (n = 40) and controls (n = 40) by radioimmunoassay test. Cases and controls were recruited from patients consecutively seen at an academic outpatient dermatology clinic. RESULTS: The insulin level in patients with skin tags was significantly higher than controls (P = 0.00) but IGF-I level was not significantly different (P = 0.43). CONCLUSION: These results show an increased insulin level in non-diabetics ones and overall importance of insulin effect in pathogenesis of skin tags.

A succinct review of the general and immunological pharmacologic effects of proton pump inhibitors.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPI) are a group of anti-ulcer agents. PPI have selective anti-cancer effects via apoptosis of tumour, sensitization of cancer cell to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Also PPI have anti-malarial and anti-leishmanial activity. Rising of endosomal (P)H inhibits the presentation of antigens that enter cell through endocytosis. PPI can affect transmigration of leucocytes from vessels to inflammatory sites and also can mitigate neutrophile adherence to endothelial cell. PPI increase the intralysosomal (P)H and decrease the expression of intracellular adhesion molecules. Therefore PPI can exert immunomodulation in immunological diseases through hampering antigen processing, antigen presentation, and leucocytes transmigration.

Atypical presentation of Old-World cutaneous leishmaniasis, diagnosis and species identification by PCR.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is traditionally based on microscopic demonstration of amastigote forms in tissue biopsies or smears. However, this method usually presents low sensitivity, and in atypical forms, CL may be overlooked because of similarity to other dermal diseases. Thus, it is necessary to apply specific diagnostic methods as polymerase chain reaction (PCR). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the possible advantage of PCR in the diagnosis and species identification of CL in patients with atypical clinical presentation. METHODS: Fifty-one patients clinically suspected of CL with positive and negative controls were tested. After microscopic examination, extraction of DNA was performed on their smears and analysed by two specific PCR assays for diagnosis and species identification. For these methods, conserved and variable regions of kinetoplastic DNA (KDNA) of Leishmania species have been amplified, respectively. Atypical forms of CL were evaluated among PCR-positive patients. RESULTS: PCR results were positive in 37 out of 51 cases (72.5%), among whom microscopic examination revealed Leishmania amastigotes in only 3 (5.9%). Among these patients, 10 (27%) had atypical presentation of CL; using species-specific primers, 6 patients had Leishmania major, 3 had Leishmania tropica and 1 patient had no species diagnosis. None of the samples of other dermal diseases revealed positive results (specificity, 100%). All patients were successfully treated by CL-specific drug regimens. DISCUSSION: The results showed that KDNA PCR methods have a higher sensitivity compared with microscopic method. Moreover, PCR could identify the parasite species for specific therapy. Microscopic method had low sensitivity and less value in chronic and atypical CL cases.

Summary of the third session of the ICPD Preparatory Committee: 4-22 April 1994.

PIP: The International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) is scheduled to be held September 5-13, 1994, in Cairo. The third session of the ICPD Preparatory Committee (PREPCOM) was held April 4-22, 1994, at United Nations headquarters in New York. Delegates spent three weeks negotiating the draft Program of Action to be adopted at the conference in Cairo. Although they agreed on most elements of the Program of Action, the following issues remain unresolved: definitions of "reproductive and sexual health," "reproductive rights," and "safe abortion;" reproductive health services for adolescents; and resource allocation for population and development policies. A brief history of the ICPD is presented and followed by the complete report from and analysis of the third PREPCOM. The text considers what to expect during the intersessional period.^ieng