Evaluation of fecal calprotectin as a marker of gastrointestinal inflammation in rosacea: A case-control study.

A higher incidence of gastrointestinal diseases has been well established in patients with rosacea. However, no screening tool has been introduced for gastrointestinal disease development in rosacea. Fecal calprotectin (FC) is a calcium-binding protein, mainly derived from polymorpho-nuclear cells, such as neutrophils. It has been established as a marker of gastrointestinal inflammation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate FC levels in patients with rosacea without any gastrointestinal diseases. A prospective, case-control study was planned to investigate the relationship between rosacea and gastrointestinal involvement by evaluating FC levels and the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS). A total of 47 patients with rosacea and 39 healthy control subjects were included in the study. The FC levels were statistically significantly higher in rosacea group than in the control group (65.96 ± 58.86 ng/mL vs 31.99 ± 20.12 ng/mL, P = .026, respectively). A statistically significant difference was also observed in GSRS values between the patient and the control groups (30.26 ± 12.48 vs 22.62 ± 7.64, P = .001, respectively). A positive correlation was noted between FC levels and the values of GSRS in the study group (r: 0.354; P = .001) and in the rosacea group (r = 0.392, P = .006). The measurement of FC may be useful in the early detection of gastrointestinal system diseases that may accompany rosacea and may provide a pathway to develop treatment strategies targeting both skin and intestinal mucosa.

Evaluation of epicardial fat thickness and the ankle-brachial index in patients with rosacea: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Recent data suggest that rosacea is related to cardiovascular diseases (CVD) due to its inflammatory nature and immune dysregulation. AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the values of epicardial fat thickness (EFT) and the ankle-brachial index (ABI) in patients with rosacea, as indicators of subclinical atherosclerosis and CVD risk. METHODS: This prospective case-control study was carried out on 62 participants, including 31 rosacea patients and 31 controls. The values of EFT and ABI were measured in all subjects. RESULTS: The mean thickness of EFT was statistically higher in rosacea patients (0.54 ± 0.12 mm) than in the controls (0.39 ± 0.05 mm) (P < 0.01). ABI was not significantly different between the subjects with rosacea and the comparison group (1.02 ± 0.1 vs 0.98 ± 0.07; P = 0.131). A total of 29% of the rosacea patients had mitral valve insufficiency (MVI), while 3.2% of the control group had MVI (P = 0.006). A mild degree of tricuspid valve insufficiency (TVI) was present in 45.2% of the rosacea patients, while 19.4% of the controls had TVI (P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Rosacea may be associated with subclinical cardiac dysfunction. EFT measurements in rosacea patients can provide early detection of possible subclinical cardiovascular diseases, which can be life-extending in rosacea. However, further studies with larger sample sizes are required to confirm the present findings.