Discovering allatostatin type-C receptor specific agonists.

Currently, there is no pesticide available for the selective control of the pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa-specific), and conventional methods typically rely on mechanical techniques such as pheromone traps or broad-spectrum larvicidal chemicals. As climate change increases the range and dispersion capacity of crop and forest pests, outbreaks of the pine processionary occur with greater frequency and significantly impact forestry and public health. Our study is carried out to provide a T. pityocampa-specific pesticide targeting the Allatostatin Type-C Receptor (AlstR-C). We use a combination of computational biology methods, a cell-based screening assay, and in vivo toxicity and side effect assays to identify, for the first time, a series of AlstR-C ligands suitable for use as T. pityocampa-specific insecticides. We further demonstrate that the novel AlstR-C targeted agonists are specific to lepidopteran larvae, with no harmful effects on coleopteran larvae or adults. Overall, our study represents an important initial advance toward an insect GPCR-targeted next-generation pesticide design. Our approach may apply to other invertebrate GPCRs involved in vital metabolic pathways.

Monilethrix: improvement with acitretin.

Monilethrix is a rare hereditary disorder that affects the hair and is characterized by shaft anomaly. There is no known treatment that successfully cures the condition. In this report we present a case of monilethrix in a 7-year-old girl treated with oral acitretin. A very good clinical and cosmetic result was obtained while treatment was continued. However, clinical symptoms recurred after discontinuation of acitretin therapy.

Topical 0.05% clobetasol propionate versus 1% pimecrolimus ointment in vitiligo.

Vitiligo is a common skin condition resulting from loss of normal melanin pigments in the skin which produces white patches. Topical corticosteroids are indicated for the treatment of limited areas of vitiligo. Pimecrolimus, which inhibits calcineurin, has recently been shown to be effective for the treatment of vitiligo. We performed a prospective study to evaluate the efficacy of the 0.05% clobetasol propionate and 1% pimecrolimus in the treatment of vitiligo. Ten patients with virtually bilateral symmetrical lesions of vitiligo were included. 0.05% clobetasol propionate was applied twice daily over the lesion on right side of the body, and topical 1% pimecrolimus was applied twice daily over the lesion on left side of the body. It was determined that both treatment modalities resulted in a comparable rate of repigmentation. Response to treatment was varied according to the anatomical location of the lesions where better results were seen on the trunk and extremities. Results from this pilot study indicate that topical 1% pimecrolimus is as effective as clobetasol propionate in restoring skin disfiguring due to vitiligo. For a better conclusive statement further studies involving larger groups of patients should be performed.

Congenital hemihypertrophy with hemihypertrichosis.

The rare condition in which one side of the body seems to grow faster than the other is called hemihypertrophy. This may be accepted as normal, but there are certain serious conditions that may be associated with this type of growth pattern. Congenital hypertrichosis is believed to be a genetic disorder that is inherited or occurs as a result of spontaneous mutation. The incidence of generalised congenital hypertrichosis is about one in a billion. A seven-month-old female case was brought to the hospital with growth and hairiness complaints, which were more apparent in the right side of the face, the right arm and the right leg. Physical examination showed more apparent hypertrophy and hypertrichosis, which covered the entire right side of the body beginning from the face and including the lower extremities and the genitalia. Hypertrichosis was more evident above the right scapula and on the right leg. The diameter of the right upper extremity and the right lower extremity were measured at 13 mm and 14 mm thicker than the left side, respectively. The infant did not have teeth yet and had totally normal nail growth. Skeletal structure, cardiovascular, respiratory, urogenital, central nervous system and eye examinations were all normal. Results of all laboratory analyses, including genetic examination, and those of the imaging techniques were found to be normal. We hereby present the rare co-presence of hemihypertrophy and hemihypertrichosis, for which we could not identify an etiological cause and which is the third such case in the literature.

Activation markers in Behçet's disease.

INTRODUCTION: One of the main problems in Behçet's disease is the lack of an original laboratory marker that can reflect clinical activity. In this study, laboratory parameters that could be used as indicators of active disease are investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included a total of 40 patients with Behçet's disease, 25 of whom were active and 15 inactive, who applied to Firat University, Firat Medical Center Dermatology, Rheumatology, Physiotherapy, and Ophthalmology outpatient clinics and a control group composed of 30 healthy volunteers. Serum neopterin, C-reactive protein (CRP), and sedimentation rate (ESR) levels were determined in all patients and healthy controls. RESULTS: Serum neopterin, CRP, and ESR levels in active Behçet's disease patients were significantly higher than those in both the inactive group and healthy controls (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: It was contemplated that together with serum CRP and ESR, neopterin could be a useful laboratory parameter in patients in whom disease activation could not be determined.

Benign cutaneous Degos' disease: a case report and review of the literature.

We report a case of benign form of Degos' disease, a rare condition often characterized by multisystemic vasculopathy, and discuss the case by the light of the limited literature available. A 34-year-old male patient was admitted to our clinic with lesions on his neck and back and a history of not getting any benefit from previous acne medications. Dermatological examination revealed erythematous papules with hemorrhagic crusts on their surfaces and many well-defined atrophic scar tissues. Histopathological evaluation of a biopsy obtained from a lesion revealed the findings of Degos' disease. Further evaluation did not reveal any sign of systemic involvement. He was diagnosed with the benign form of Degos' disease.

Idiopathic unilateral hyperhidrosis with Holmes-Adie syndrome: case report.

Hyperhidrosis is a disease that is characterized by excessive sweating due to hyperactivation of eccrine sweat glands. It may be localized or generalized form. Holmes-Adie syndrome is an idiopathic disease with unilateral pupil dilatation and loss of deep tendon reflexes. We present a 37-year-old female patient diagnosed with unilateral hyperhidrosis coincident with Holmes-Adie syndrome because of this unusual presentation.

Psoriasis in childhood and adolescence: evaluation of demographic and clinical features.

BACKGROUND: The present study was aimed to define the gender ratio, familial occurrence, age of onset, precipitating factors, clinical types, nail and joint involvement of psoriasis in childhood and adolescence in Turkey. METHODS: A total of 61 children with psoriasis under 18 years old were evaluated retrospectively, for age, gender, age of disease onset, family history, concomitant disease, the clinical type of psoriasis, clinical localization, nail and joint involvement and treatment modalities. RESULTS: Of the patients, 23 (37.70%) were boys and 38 (62.30%) were girls. Mean age was 9.28 +/- 4.02 years in girls and 11.18 +/- 3.85 years in boys (9.96 +/- 4.03 years in all children). Mean age at the onset of the disease was 6.81 +/- 4.11 years in girls and 7.03 +/- 4.28 years in boys (6.89 +/- 4.14 years in all patients). In 14 (23%) cases, a positive family history was detected. The most frequent probable triggering factors were upper respiratory tract infections (14.8%) and positive throat culture for A group ss-hemolytic streptococcus (21.3%). Frequency of emotional stress and psychiatric morbidity were 54% and 9.8%, respectively. The most frequent localizations at onset were trunk (44.3%), extremities (54.0%), and scalp (36.0%). Three children (4.9%) had a history of dissemination from psoriatic diaper rash. In total, 51 (83.6%) patients presented with psoriasis vulgaris, eight (13.1%) with generalized pustular psoriasis, and the remaining two (3.3%) with erythrodermic psoriasis. CONCLUSION: The incidence of psoriasis among dermatological patients in childhood and adolescence was 3.8%. The disease tends to appear earlier in girls than boys. The authors suggested that stress and upper respiratory infections are the most important triggering factors in childhood and adolescence psoriasis.

Prevalence of psychological factors in chronic dermatoses.

Aim To investigate, retrospectively, psychiatric consultation results of inpatients staying in Firat University Dermatology Clinic. Materials and method Records of 520 inpatients who were treated in Firat University Dermatology Clinic between May 2000 and May 2003 were examined and their psychiatric consultation reports were retrospectively evaluated. Results Of the 520 patients who were included in the study, 272 were female and 248 were male. Ninety-two patients were asked to have psychiatric consultation and when consultation results of these patients were examined it was seen that 67 of them (61.7%) were given a psychiatric diagnosis. Of the 67 patients who were given a psychiatric diagnosis, 34 (50.7%) were female and 33 (49.3%) were male. Mean age of the patients was 39.4 (the youngest being 24 and the oldest 63). It was established that 35.9% of patients (24 individuals) were diagnosed as depressive disorder, 29.8% (20 individuals) as anxiety disorder, 13.4% (nine individuals) as mixed depressive anxiety disorder, 13.4% (nine individuals) as borderline personality disorder and 7.5% (five individuals) as obsessive-compulsive disorder, and that psychiatric treatment was started in 91% of patients. Dermatological diagnoses of patients who were given psychiatric diagnoses were as follows in order of frequency: psoriasis in 22 patients (32.9%), urticaria in 31 patients (46.2%), prurigo nodularis in five patients (7.4%) and others in nine patients (13.5%), respectively. Conclusions Dermatological diseases and psychiatric disorders frequently go together. Psychiatric treatment was started in a high number of patients who were given psychiatric diagnoses and had dermatological problems in the present study. Referring patients with chronic dermatological problems to the psychiatry clinic with a view to supporting their dermatological treatments, we believe, will increase the success rate of dermatosis treatment.

Assessment of salivary and serum antioxidant vitamins and lipid peroxidation in patients with recurrent aphthous ulceration.

Recurrent aphthous ulceration (RAU) is a common oral mucosal disorder characterized by recurrent, painful oral aphthae. Although the exact cause of RAU is not known, local trauma, microorganisms, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal changes, genetics, and immunological factors have been suggested to contribute to its pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to assess the level of lipid peroxidation and status of antioxidant vitamins in patients with RAU. Thirty patients with RAU and 20 healthy controls were recruited. Vitamins A, E, and C and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured in both serum and saliva of patients with RAU and control subjects by high performance liquid chromatography. Levels of vitamins A, E and C in both fluids were significantly lower (p < 0.05 for vitamins A and E, and p < 0.005 for vitamin C, respectively) in patients with RAU than in healthy control subjects. Conversely, the levels of MDA in serum and saliva were significantly higher (p < 0.005) in patients with RAU than in the control group. Furthermore, strong and highly significant correlation was found between serum and salivary levels of vitamins A, E and C, and MDA in patients with RAU (r > or = 0.90, p < 0.0001). The present study demonstrates that the serum and saliva levels of selected antioxidant vitamins are lower, while the degree of lipid peroxidation, as judged by the MDA levels, is higher in patients with RAU than in the control subjects. This is the first to measure specific antioxidant levels in both saliva and blood in the same patients, and indicates that the non-enzymatic anti-oxidant ability is impaired in patients with RAU.

Multiple metastatic tuberculosis abscesses in a patient with Pott disease and lung tuberculosis: a case report.

The incidence of tuberculosis in Western countries is rising, and continued vigilance together with an awareness of its protean manifestations is essential. Cutaneous tuberculosis is a relatively rare manifestation of the disease, accounting for only 1% of extrapulmonary cases of tuberculosis and 0.14% of all reported cases of tuberculosis. A 19-year-old male patient was admitted to our clinic with skin lesions both at the front and at the back of his body. With clinical findings, histopathology, polymerase chain reaction, PA lung graph, and computerised tomography, the patient was diagnosed with metastatic tuberculosis abscess associated with lung tuberculosis and Pott's disease. Antituberculosis drugs were administered. An increased awareness of the re-emergence of cutaneous tuberculosis will allow for the proper diagnosis and management of this increasing common skin disorder.

Sporotrichosis successfully treated with terbinafine and potassium iodide: case report and review of the literature.

Sporotrichosis is rare in Turkey. We report a 40-year-old woman who had subcutaneous sporotrichosis caused by sporothrix schenckii that was successfully treated with terbinafine (250 mg, twice a day) for a period of 6 months. She received a saturated solution of potassium iodide orally for two months. Terbinafine and potassium iodide are suggested to be the agents of choice for treatment of subcutaneous sporotrichosis.