Whole transcriptome-based skin virome profiling in typical epidermodysplasia verruciformis reveals α-, ß-, and γ-HPV infections.

HPVs are DNA viruses include approximately 450 types that are classified into 5 genera (α-, ß-, γ-, µ-, and ν-HPV). The γ- and ß-HPVs are present in low copy numbers in healthy individuals; however, in patients with an inborn error of immunity, certain species of ß-HPVs can cause epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV), manifesting as recalcitrant cutaneous warts and skin cancer. EV presents as either typical or atypical. Manifestations of typical EV are limited to the skin and are caused by abnormal keratinocyte-intrinsic immunity to ß-HPVs due to pathogenic sequence variants in TMC6, TMC8, or CIB1. We applied a transcriptome-based computational pipeline, VirPy, to RNA extracted from normal-appearing skin and wart samples of patients with typical EV to explore the viral and human genetic determinants. In 26 patients, 9 distinct biallelic mutations were detected in TMC6, TMC8, and CIB1, 7 of which are previously unreported to our knowledge. Additionally, 20 different HPV species, including 3 α-HPVs, 16 ß-HPVs, and 1 γ-HPV, were detected, 8 of which are reported here for the first time to our knowledge in patients with EV (ß-HPV-37, -47, -80, -151, and -159; α-HPV-2 and -57; and γ-HPV-128). This study expands the TMC6, TMC8, and CIB1 sequence variant spectrum and implicates new HPV subtypes in the pathogenesis of typical EV.

Multiple COVID reinfections in a vaccinated psoriatic patient receiving adalimumab.

Currently, psoriasis patients are advised to follow their standard therapeutic regimen, and are advised to be vaccinated against Covid-19. However, the data about the antibody responses, induced by the various kinds of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in psoriasis patients who require systemic immunosuppressive treatment is scant. In this case report, we describe antibody responses induced by COVID-19 vaccine, in a 26-year-old male patient with psoriasis being treated with anti-TNF biotherapy, adalimumab biosimilar every two weeks. The patient was vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the national protocol. He experienced three episodes of symptomatic COVID-19. His first and second exposures did not result in antibody production. After the third episode of COVID-19, The SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike antibody (IgG) was more than 100 Ru/mL (ELISA; ≥8 Ru/mL is considered positive), and SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody (total) was more than 40 micg/mL (ELISA; ≥2.5 micg/mL is considered positive). This is the first case with weak antibody response to vaccination and multiple episodes of COVID infection in a psoriatic patient with adalimumab biosimilar. However, we cannot assume causality due to the treatment.

The impact of underlying diseases-related drugs on the chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus in hemodialysis patients.

Background: Uremic pruritus or chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus (CKD-aP) is a frequent compromising symptom in end-stage renal disease. Despite the little attention paid to drugs used among hemodialysis (HD) patients, investigating medications used in this population of patients and examining the status of CKD-aP may lead to the identification of medications that improve or worsen the pruritus condition. We aimed to assess the role of underlying diseases-related drugs on CKD-aP in HD patients. Materials and Methods: We performed a case - control study on HD patients aged over 18 years old. The demographic data and clinical parameters including HD parameters, drug history, dermatologic assessments, and laboratory examination were assessed. Results: We compared 128 patients with CKD-aP as cases and 109 patients without CKD-aP as controls. Cases were on the longer course of dialysis (44.69 ± 43.24 months for cases vs. 38.87 ± 50.73 months for controls; P = 0.02). In multiple analyses of variables related to CKD-aP, backward LR logistic regression revealed that only atorvastatin (P = 0.036) was considered to be a predictive factor associated with CKD-aP. Thus, the use of atorvastatin reduced the index of CKD-aP (95% confidence interval: 0.256-0.954, odd's Ratio = 0.494). Conclusion: Atorvastatin was associated with decreased frequencies of CKD-aP among HD patients in our study. This knowledge may guide further clinical trials to evaluate atorvastatin's immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects on the CKD-aP in HD populations.

Rhabdomyomatous mesenchymal hamartoma presenting as telangiectasia in a 57-year-old man.

Rhabdomyomatous mesenchymal hamartoma (RMH) is a rare congenital malformation of the dermis and subcutaneous tissue. Usually, RMH occurs in the midline of the face and neck region. We described a case of RMH presenting as telangiectasia in a 57-year-old man with a history of pityriasis lichenoides chronicus. Histopathological examination revealed a subepidermal haphazard proliferation of striated muscular tissue perpendicular to the epidermis. These bundles of striated muscular tissue were admixed with adnexal structures. The diagnosis was consistent with RMH. RMH is more common in the neonatal period or in young children, but we should consider it as part of a differential diagnosis in older adults as well.

Treatment concerns for bullous pemphigoid in the COVID-19 pandemic era.

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is the most common autoimmune blistering disease with subepidermal involvement, typically affecting the elderly. It has spontaneous remissions and exacerbations with significant morbidity. A novel coronavirus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the new universal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The pandemic made concerns, especially about immunosuppressive therapy. In this article, we reviewed the management of BP in the COVID-19 pandemic era. The data about the best management of autoimmune bullous diseases like BP, during the outbreak of COVID-19, are evolving and updated every day.

Postherpetic abdominal pseudohernia: An uncommon complication of herpes zoster.

Herpes zoster, a common inflammatory viral disease, results in several complications. Pain and sensory disorders are the main symptoms of herpes zoster. We reported a case of segmental abdominal zoster with progression to motor involvement and pseudohernia.

Dermoscopic features of lichen planopilaris in Northern Iran: a prospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Dermoscopy can be helpful in assessing nonpigmented lesions and inflammatory processes like lichen planopilaris (LPP). MATERIAL & METHODS: In this observational prospective study, 81 patients with a cicatricial alopecic patch on their scalp were included and underwent dermatologic examination. A biopsy was taken from the active part of the lesion based on dermoscopy evaluation. RESULTS: Analysis of 44 patients with definite diagnosis of LPP revealed that the mean age at the time of presentation was 44.05 ± 12.62 years. More than 77% of patients had at least one form of the follicular opening disorder. About 75% of patients had shaft disorders. The most common pattern of pigmentation was milky-red (97.73%). The irregular and ectatic vascular network were seen in 59.09% of patients. Patients with coiled and twisted hairs, small yellow dots, large yellow dots, and peripilar sign were more likely to have shorter disease duration (P < 0.05). Those with overall shaft disorders were younger (P = 0.02). Small yellow dots (P = 0.025) and peripilar sign (P = 0.039) were more common in female patients. CONCLUSION: Dermoscopy can be a helpful diagnostic tool in differentiating LPP among patients with primary cicatricial alopecia (PCA). Larger cohort studies are recommended to find the role of demographic factors in predicting the dermoscopic patterns among LPP patients.

Chronic generalized pruritus without primary skin lesions: a longitudinal prospective observational study.

Pruritus is among the most common complaints in the field of dermatology. It is also a disturbing symptom of many systemic disorders. Chronic pruritus (CP) refers to the cases of the symptom which last longer than 6 weeks. We conducted a prospective analysis of patients with generalized pruritus without primary skin lesions. All patients underwent primary evaluations and then were followed from 12 to 18 months for further evaluations. Of the 5,127 patients referred to our dermatology clinic, 49 patients with generalized pruritus without primary skin lesions were evaluated. Most of the patients (44%) were in the age group of 40-60 years and female (58%). The duration of pruritus was 37.04 ± 30.4 weeks. Fifty percent of the patients with generalized pruritus had a systemic cause of pruritus. The most common underlying diseases were thyroid disorders (16.67%), diabetes mellitus (12.5%), and malignancy (8.33%). There were no significant statistical differences among the patients in terms of their age, gender, and disease duration with the underlying diseases (P = 0.47, P = 0.99, P = 0.816, respectively). However, the average age of the onset of pruritus was 12 years earlier in the women regardless of the underlying diseases (P = 0.011). Based on the findings of the study, we recommend considering endocrine disorders and malignancies as the most common underlying diseases leading to chronic pruritus without primary skin lesions.

A 36-Year-Old Renal Transplant Recipient Female with Leg Ulcer: A Case Report and Brief Review.

BACKGROUND: Opportunistic infections are common in organ transplant recipients. After 6 months of transplantation, patients have the highest risk of opportunistic infections such as cryptococcosis. CASE PRESENTATION: The report presents the case of a 36-year-old female renal transplant recipient, with complaints of few subcutaneous painful and warm nodules and large, warm, erythematous, nontender plaques on the mildly edematous right leg and ankle. Incisional biopsy of the subcutaneous nodule over the leg showed panniculitis with small- to medium-sized vasculitis associated with round yeast forms, and culture of the fragments revealed C. neoformans var. grubii. CONCLUSIONS: This article also reviews in brief the treatment of this rare complication. Reviewing the literature showed that since the cryptococcal cutaneous lesions are often nonspecific, the clinical picture solely is not enough to construct a definite diagnosis and there must be a high clinical suspicion.

Nail Involvements as an Indicator of Skin Lesion Severity in Psoriatic Patients.

Psoriasis is a recurrent chronic inflammatory skin disease with various mild to severe clinical manifestations. The relationship between severity of the skin lesions and nail involvement has always been underestimated. Aim of the study was to evaluate the severity of skin involvement in psoriatic patients with and without nail manifestations. In this analytic cross-sectional study, patients with psoriasis referred to Razi University Hospital of Rasht from November 2015 to March 2016 were enrolled. Demographical features (i.e. age, gender) were obtained. Psoriasis severity and nail involvement criteria were assessed by Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) and Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (NAPSI), respectively. All the gathered data were analyzed by SPSS software. In this study, 71 psoriatic patients with a mean age of 39.23±17.9 years (mean ± Standard Deviation; range: 4 to 77 years old) were studied. 22 patients (31%) had nail involvements. PASI scores were 11.7±5.7 and 5.7±4.5 in the two groups with and without nail involvements, respectively (P<0.001). There were no significant differences between age, age of onset, and duration of the disease between the two groups (P>0.05).The correlation coefficient between PASI and NAPSI was 0.367, which was statistically significant (P<0.001). Based on the findings of our study, nail involvement is an important criterion in determining the severity of skin manifestations in psoriatic patients. Additionally, a high percentage of such patients probably manifest both skin and nail manifestations. Therefore it is highly recommended to consider nail involvement when evaluating psoriasis.

Bowen's Disease Associated With Two Human Papilloma Virus Types.

Bowen's disease (BD) is an epidermal in-situ squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Most Human Papilloma Viruses (HPV)-positive lesions in Bowen's disease are localized to the genital region or distal extremities (periungual sites) in which HPV type-16 is frequently detected. Patient was a 64-year-old construction worker for whom we detected 2 erythematous psoriasiform reticular scaly plaques on peri-umbilical and medial knee. Biopsy established the diagnosis of Bowen's disease and polymerase chain reaction assay showed HPV-6, -18 co-infection. Patient was referred for surgical excision.

Inoperable infiltrative basal cell carcinoma successfully treated with vismodegib.

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common skin cancer but usually has a good prognosis. However, there is a subset of BCC cases with a less favorable prognosis. For patients with locally advanced, recurrent or metastatic BCCs who are not suitable for surgery or radiotherapy, small-molecule drug inhibitors of hedgehog pathway are a new therapeutic opportunity. Here, we present a case of infiltrative BCC with multiple recurrences. Wide excision with reconstructive plastic surgery was performed initially with adjuvant radiotherapy. Due to multiple recurrences afterward, radiotherapy, topical imiquimod and oral itraconazole were used but were not effective. Finally, the patient was treated with vismodegib which led to a complete response. Moreover, the patient's symptoms due to the locally diffused cancer resolved.

Nodular colloid milium mimicking keloid.

Colloid milium is a rare cutaneous deposit disease that usually presents clinically by the development of yellowish translucent or flesh-colored papules or plaques on sun-exposed skin. Histologically, it is characterized by the presence of colloid in the dermal papillae. In this case report, we present a 52-year-old man who presented with a nodule on his upper lip that mistakenly was diagnosed and treated as keloid.

The association between atorvastatin administration and plasma total homocysteine levels in renal transplant recipients.

BACKGROUND: Statins improve prognosis in patients with coronary heart diseases by decreasing the incidence of vascular events. Excess prevalence of hyperhomocysteinemia, an independent risk factor of cardiovascular diseases, has been observed in stable renal transplant recipients (RTRs). OBJECTIVES: The objective of our study was to evaluate the association between atorvastatin administration and plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) levels in RTRs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study in 148 cyclosporine A (CsA) treated stable RTRs. We compared tHcy level and other demographic and clinical variables in RTRs with and without atorvastatin. RESULTS: 58.1% of the 148 RTRs were treated with atorvastatin (20-40 mg/day). Mean tHcy levels were lower in patients treated with atorvastatin compared to nonusers (14.80 ± 5.13 µmol/l versus 16.95 ± 7.87 µmol/l, P = 0.04). The comparison of 85 patients treated with atorvastatin and 61 non-users revealed that those subjects with atorvastatin were older, with higher estimated creatinine clearance and elevated body mass index (BMI). They were more likely to have higher systolic blood pressure and CsA trough level (C0). The association between lower tHcy levels and atorvastatin use was confirmed in the multivariate regression model (P = 0.004). However tHcy levels were independently and negatively associated with serum folate (P = 0.0001) and vitamin B12 levels (P = 0.001) and positively with serum BUN (P = 0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.024) as well. CONCLUSIONS: These data support the association between lower tHcy levels and atorvastatin administration in RTRs. Further clinical trials are recommended to clarify homocysteine lowering effect of atorvastatin.

Allergic Rhinitis in Adults with Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is considered one of the most common causes of acquired hearing impairment in developing countries. CSOM is a multifactorial persistent inflammatory disease of the middle ear. A distinct pathophysiologic mechanism linking allergic rhinitis (AR) and CSOM remains to evolve. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between AR and CSOM in adults.This was a case-control study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The subjects were 62 adults (23 male, 39 female) with established CSOM and 61 healthy controls. CSOM was diagnosed when there was a history of chronic (persisting for at least 3 months) otorrhea, accumulation of mucopurulent exudates in the external auditory canal or middle ear and/or perforated tympanic membrane on otoscopy. All participants were evaluated for the presence of AR by clinical evaluation of allergic symptoms, and underwent a skin-prick test for 23 common regional allergens. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 16. RESULTS: The prevalence of clinical rhinitis (allergic and non-allergic) was significantly higher among the cases compared with controls (62.5% vs. 37.5%, P=0.02). The prevalence of AR (proven by positive skin-prick test) was also significantly higher among affected adults than controls (24.6% and 13.8%, respectively). Adjusting for age, a logistic regression model showed that there was a significant difference between the two groups. Patients with AR and non-AR were at 3.27- (95% CI=1.15-9.29; P=0.036) and 2.57-(95% CI=1.01-6.57; P=0.048) fold increased risk of developing CSOM, respectively, compared with healthy individuals. CONCLUSION: The study showed a higher prevalence of AR in CSOM patients than in controls. It may be valuable to evaluate and control this factor in these patients.

Hyperhomocysteinemia and assessment of its associated factors in renal transplant recipients: a single-center study in northern Iran.

INTRODUCTION: Hyperhomocysteinemia (hyperHcy) is an important risk factor for atherosclerosis, which is currently a major cause of death in renal transplant patients (RTRs). The aim of this study was to determine the associated factors of hyperHcy in RTRs in northern Iran. METHODS: In 148 stable RTRs, total serum homocysteine (tHcy) level, folate, serum albumin and creatinine, creatinine clearance, lipid status, body mass index (BMI), and blood cyclosporine levels (C0 and C2) were determined. The mean doses of cyclosporine A (mg/kg/day) were recorded. RESULTS: In this analytic cross-sectional study the prevalence of hyperHcy was 70.3%. Hyperhomocysteinemia was defined as total serum homocysteine of 12 µmol/L or greater. The comparison of the group of 44 patients with tHcy level less than 12 and the group of 104 patients with tHcy level of 12 µmol/L or greater revealed that those subjects with hyperHcy were mostly younger, male, with lower BMI, history of glomerulonephritis, higher serum level of uric acid, and blood cyclosporine trough level (C0) and used higher doses of cyclosporine A. Significant correlation was found between tHcy level and recipients age, serum creatinine, BUN, folate concentrations, and creatinine clearance. However, multivariate analysis indicated that serum folate (P=0.01), vitamin B12 (P=0.05), creatinine (P=0.03), and BUN (P=0.05), and blood cyclosporine trough level (C0, P=0.005) were independently associated with tHcy levels. CONCLUSION: HyperHcy persists after successful kidney transplantation in the majority of RTRs. Serum creatinine, BUN, folate and vitamin B12, and blood cyclosporine trough level (C0) are independently associated with tHcy levels.