Pharmacological interventions for periorificial (perioral) dermatitis in children and adults: a systematic review.

The plethora of pharmacologic treatments used for periorificial dermatitis (POD) makes clinical decision-making challenging. The objectives of this review were to assess the efficacy and safety of pharmacological interventions for POD in children and adults. The search was performed on 2 February 2021 and included seven databases and trial registries, with no date or language restrictions Study selection, data extraction and risk of bias assessments were performed independently and in duplicate by two authors, in accordance with a prespecified protocol. Meta-analyses were performed and reported in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Where meta-analysis was not possible, a narrative synthesis was performed and reported in accordance with SWiM guidelines. The certainty of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. Eleven studies representing 733 participants were included. Oral tetracycline may improve physician-reported severity of POD from day 20 onwards (low certainty evidence). Adverse effects may include abdominal discomfort, facial dryness and pruritus. Pimecrolimus cream may improve physician-reported severity slightly after 4 weeks of treatment (MD -0.49, 95% CI -1.02 to 0.04, n = 164, low certainty evidence). Adverse effects may include erythema, herpes simplex virus infection, burning and pruritus. Azelaic acid gel may result in no change in either physician- or patient-reported severity after 6 weeks of treatment. The evidence is very uncertain about the effect of praziquantel ointment on physician-reported severity and skin-related quality of life after 4 weeks of treatment. The evidence is also very uncertain about the effect of topical clindamycin/benzoyl peroxide on physician-reported severity. The body of evidence to inform treatment of POD currently consists of low and very low certainty evidence for important outcomes. Well-designed trials are needed to further investigate treatment options. Data are required for children and from low-middle income countries to improve external validity. Future trials should also include adequate post-treatment follow-up and standardized outcome measures.

Zinc and atopic dermatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Zinc plays a central role in skin integrity via barrier and immune mechanisms and may also be relevant in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD). However, little is known about the relationship between zinc and AD. We performed a systematic review to determine (i) the association between zinc levels or zinc deficiency and AD and (ii) the efficacy of oral zinc supplementation in the treatment of AD. We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and article references for observational studies on zinc levels or zinc deficiency in participants with AD vs. controls and for randomized control trials (RCTs) on zinc supplementation in AD. For observational studies, we calculated pooled standardized mean differences (SMDs) or odds ratios (ORs) along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a random effects model. We included 14 observational studies and two RCTs. The pooled SMD demonstrated significantly lower serum (SMD 0.66, 95% CI 0.21-1.10, P = 0.004), hair (SMD 0.95, 95% CI 0.38-1.52, P = 0.001) and erythrocyte (SMD 0.95, 95% CI 0.38-1.52, P = 0.001) zinc levels in participants with AD compared to controls. Pooled unadjusted data from three studies showed a non-significant increased odds of AD in those with zinc deficiency compared with those without zinc deficiency (OR = 1.50, 95% CI 0.71-3.16, P = 0.28). One RCT of oral zinc supplementation among AD patients with zinc deficiency showed improvement in extent and severity of AD, while another RCT among all AD patients showed no significant improvement. All the studies were of low or moderate quality. We conclude that low serum, hair and erythrocyte zinc levels are associated with AD. However, the poor quality of included studies makes interpretation of these results problematic. High-quality observational studies are needed to confirm the association between low zinc levels and AD, and RCTs are required to evaluate the merit of zinc supplementation for the treatment or prevention of AD.

Higher concentrations of dithranol appear to induce hair growth even in severe alopecia areata.

Alopecia areata (AA) is the commonest autoimmune cause of non-scarring alopecia. Topical treatments including corticosteroids and irritants maybe beneficial. Studies report variable hair regrowth with dithranol (anthralin) but all used low concentrations (0.1-1.25%) and inconsistent measurements of AA severity. We report retrospective data (2005-2014) of 102 patients who had failed ultra-potent topical steroids and were referred to a specialist hair clinic for treatment with dithranol up to 3%. The severity of alopecia areata tool was used and participants graded as mild (<25%), moderate (>25 to 75%), and severe (>75%) hair loss. Compared with baseline any and at-least 50% hair regrowth [72%, 68%, 50% and 61.5%, 48.4%, 37.5%, in mild, moderate and severe AA respectively] occurred in all groups (median treatment duration 12 months). Twenty-nine patients (28.4%) were discharged with complete regrowth; with no difference in proportions in severity groups (33.3%, 29%, and 21.9%) but in the period to discharge [7.9, 6.3, and 29.4 months (p-values <.05)] for mild, moderate, and severe AA. Treatment trials of 12 months with dithranol at higher concentrations may be an option in patients who failed potent topical or intra-lesional steroids) regardless of AA severity. Randomized trials (of less staining formulations) of dithranol are warranted.

Kidney disease health literacy among new patients referred to a nephrology outpatient clinic.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge about kidney disease among the general population is poor but has not been assessed in the population selected for referral to nephrology care. AIM: This study aimed to determine patients' understanding of chronic kidney disease (CKD) when first presenting to a nephrology clinic. METHODS: Newly referred patients to a nephrology clinic were surveyed with open-ended questions about their understanding of CKD causes, symptoms and management. RESULTS: Two hundred and ten patients were surveyed. Median age was 66.5 years (interquartile range 52-77), 50.5% female and mean body mass index 29.7 ± 6.8 kg/m(2) . Prevalence of risk factors for CKD included 31% diabetic, 62% hypertension, 19% family history of CKD and 2% Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. CKD stage prevalence was 0 (8%), 1 (24%), 2 (11%), 3 (38.5%), 4 (18%) and 5 (0.5%). Eighty-two per cent were referred by their primary care physician and 29% had seen a nephrologist previously. Kidney Health Australia was mentioned by 2.4%. Sixteen per cent were unsure why they had been referred. CKD causes identified by patients were unsure (40%), alcohol (29%), hypertension (16%) and diabetes (14%). Symptoms identified included asymptomatic (16%), kidney pain (17%) and other (42%). Management suggested by patients was uncertain (51%), dialysis (32%) and anti-hypertensive medication (16%). Eighty-two per cent reported unsatisfactory education from their primary care physician. CONCLUSIONS: New patients referred to a renal outpatient department had poor knowledge about kidney disease. Education of patients should begin in primary care prior to referral. For most patients, education programmes need to be targeted at a simplistic level.

Dialysis in public and private hospitals in Queensland.

BACKGROUND: Clinical outcomes for patients treated in public and private hospitals may be different. AIM: The aim of the study was to compare the characteristics and outcomes of patients receiving dialysis at public and private hospitals in Queensland. METHODS: Incident adult dialysis patients in Queensland registered with the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry between 1999 and 2009 were classified by dialysis modality at either a public or private hospital. Outcomes were dialysis patient characteristics and survival. RESULTS: Three thousand, three hundred and ten patients commenced dialysis in public hospitals, 1939 haemodialysis (HD) and 1371 peritoneal dialysis (PD). Seven hundred and ninety-three patients commenced dialysis in private hospitals, 757 HD and 36 PD. Compared with public HD, private HD patients were older, had more coronary artery disease and less diabetes, and were more likely to live in an urban area. Public HD patients were more likely to be obese and referred late to a nephrologist. Nearly all indigenous patients were managed in public hospitals. Private patients were more likely to have an arteriovenous fistula or graft at first HD (P < 0.001) but not after excluding late referrals (P = 0.09). Public hospitals provided longer HD sessions and more HD hours per week for all age groups except 75+ years. Compared with public hospital HD, patient survival adjusted for multiple variables was comparable for private hospital HD (hazard ratio 1.20 (95% confidence interval 0.98-1.46, P = 0.07)) but worse for public PD (hazard ratio 1.14 (95% confidence interval 1.05-1.24, P = 0.002)). CONCLUSION: Private HD patients are older and less likely to be diabetic than public patients. Patient survival is worse for public PD than public HD.

Investigating hair zinc concentrations in children with and without atopic dermatitis.

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic inflammatory skin condition that disproportionately affects children and is associated with reduced quality of life. Zinc deficiency may contribute to the pathogenesis of AD because zinc plays a role in epidermal barrier integrity and the immune system. Systematic review evidence suggests that low zinc is associated with AD, but limitations of included studies support further investigation. OBJECTIVES: To investigate hair zinc concentrations in children with AD v. healthy controls in a low- to middle-income country setting. METHODS: One hundred and five children aged 1 - 12 yea-rs participated in a frequency-matched for age case-control study. The outcome variable, AD, was confirmed by a clinician and corroborated using the UK Working Party criteria. The primary predictor, long-term average zinc concentration, was determined by measuring hair zinc using inductively coupled mass spectrometry. Baseline demographic characteristics, anthropometry and measures of socioeconomic status were included in our logistic regression analysis. Subgroup analysis was performed where interaction terms suggested effect modification. RESULTS: Using data from the overall sample, population median hair zinc was not significantly different between children with AD and healthy controls. However, subgroup analysis suggested a clinically and statistically significant difference in median zinc between children with AD (175.35 µg/g) and healthy controls (206.4 µg/g) in the older age group (5 - 12 years) (p=0.01). In this age group, multivariable logistic regression analysis also found significantly decreased hair zinc concentrations in AD (odds ratio 0.83; 95% confidence interval 0.66 - 0.96; p=0.046). CONCLUSIONS: The inverse association between zinc status and AD in children aged 5 - 12 years in our setting is consistent with the international literature. The clinical importance of decreased zinc levels in AD is not yet known. Further investigation into relevant underlying mechanisms seems warranted given the global reach of AD, its effect on quality of life, and the low cost of potential zinc-based interventions.

Determinants of hair cortisol concentration in children: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Several factors are known contribute to hair cortisol concentration (HCC) in adults. However, there is less research on determinants of HCC in children and adolescents. HCC is a valuable tool for medical research pertaining to the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This review aims to assess the extent to which established determinants of HCC in adults have been consistently reported in children (birth - 18 years) and to identify determinants of HCC specific to this age group. METHODS: Eligible studies were identified, selected and appraised as per PRISMA-P guidelines and as detailed in our systematic review protocol, registered on PROSPERO (registration number CRD42017056220). In view of contrasting methods and measures, a meta-analysis could not be done but a qualitative synthesis was performed. RESULTS: Thirty-six studies were included in the analysis. Higher HCC is associated with male sex and anthropometry, particularly increased body mass index and waist circumference. There is preliminary evidence to suggest that socio-economic status is inversely related to child HCC, particularly with reference to caregiver education and income. Of note, most of the studies analysing socio-economic variables were performed in relatively equal societies. Hair wash frequency and use of hair products and treatments do not affect HCC when proximal segments of hair are used. There is conflicting evidence regarding the relationship between HCC and age in children and adolescents. Further investigation is required to better delineate if and how the following are associated with HCC in children: hair colour, hair type, exposure to trauma and stressors, psychiatric illness, atopic illness, steroid use (including topical and inhaled steroids) and perinatal variables. CONCLUSIONS: Sex and anthropometry are potential confounders and should be considered for adjustment in hair cortisol research. Hair wash frequency and use of hair products and treatments are not important confounders when proximal hair segments are used. A better understanding of HCC in children in relation to exposure to trauma and stressors is required before it can be used as a biomarker, particularly in terms of vulnerable developmental stages, definition and measurement of stress, and temporal relationship to stressors. Age, SES and other correlates also warrant further investigation.