Recurrence and risk factors in cured patients with vitiligo: A real-life single-center retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: The risk of recurrence after successful repigmentation in vitiligo has attracted attention from both patients and clinicians. OBJECTIVES: The recurrence rate and risk factors in cured patients with vitiligo were analyzed to improve clinical prevention and treatment. METHODS: Clinical records of 76 patients with vitiligo who demonstrated at least 80% repigmentation were analyzed retrospectively. Single-factor analysis of variance and binary logistic regression analysis was employed to screen the risk factors of vitiligo recurrence. RESULTS: Among the 76 cured patients, 26 relapsed (total recurrence rate of 34.2%). Among these, 20 relapsed within one year (recurrence rate of 26.3%). Single-factor analysis of variance revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) with the age of onset (yr), distribution of onset, and oral traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) intake between the recurrence and nonrecurrence groups. Binary logistic regression analysis displayed that the age of onset (yr) (p = 0.015, OR = 1.051), distribution of onset (p = 0.046, OR = 0.194), and oral TCM (p = 0.018, OR = 4.360) are significant risk factors for vitiligo recurrence. CONCLUSION: A total relapse rate of 34.2% was observed in cured vitiligo patients. The age of onset (yr), distribution of onset, and oral TCM are risk factors for vitiligo recurrence. The necessary interventions should be considered on these factors for reducing the recurrence rate of vitiligo.

Biological Control of Patulin by Antagonistic Yeast: A case study and possible model.

The occurrence of patulin in fresh apples and apple products is a great burden from health, safety and economic perspectives. Attempts to prevent patulin accumulation in fruits might lead to the excessive use of fungicides. Therefore, guaranteeing the safety of apple foods is crucial for the international apple industry. Recently, literature revealed that application of antagonistic yeasts and other BCAs have been able to disrupt the process of fungal infection and patulin production in apples. Although, over the years the effect of interaction between BCAs and fungi on patulin production has been reported, the exact mechanism(s) of their action remain unclear. Here, the review focused on toxicology and occurrence of PAT; research advances made over the past few years on the interaction between antagonistic yeast, fruits and patulin-producing fungi; the prevalence of patulin in apple fruits and products and the implications of synthetic-fungicide applications. In addition, attention was focused on the mechanism(s) and the enhancement of the biocontrol efficacy of antagonistic for patulin control.

Ascorbic acid enhances oxidative stress tolerance and biological control efficacy of Pichia caribbica against postharvest blue mold decay of apples.

The effect of ascorbic acid (VC) on improving oxidative stress tolerance of Pichia caribbica and biocontrol efficacy against blue mold caused by Penicillium expansum on apples was investigated. P. caribbica showed susceptibility to the oxidative stress in vitro test, and 250 µg/mL VC treatment improved its oxidative stress tolerance. The higher viability exhibited by VC-treated yeast was associated with a lower intracellular ROS level. The activities of antioxidant enzymes of P. caribbica were improved by VC treatment, including catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX). Additionally, VC-treated yeast exhibited greater biocontrol activity against P. expansum and faster growth when stored at 25 and 4 °C, respectively, compared to the performance of the non-VC-treated yeast. In response to the VC treatment under oxidative stress, several differentially expressed proteins were identified in P. caribbica, and most of the poteins were confirmed to be related to basic metabolism. Therefore, the application of ascorbic acid is a useful approach to improve oxidative stress tolerance of P. caribbica and its biocontrol efficacy on apples.