Paraoxonases at the Heart of Neurological Disorders.

Paraoxonase enzymes serve as an important physiological redox system that participates in the protection against cellular injury caused by oxidative stress. The PON enzymes family consists of three members (PON-1, PON-2, and PON-3) that share a similar structure and location as a cluster on human chromosome 7. These enzymes exhibit anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties with well-described roles in preventing cardiovascular disease. Perturbations in PON enzyme levels and their activity have also been linked with the development and progression of many neurological disorders and neurodegenerative diseases. The current review summarizes the available evidence on the role of PONs in these diseases and their ability to modify risk factors for neurological disorders. We present the current findings on the role of PONs in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other neurodegenerative and neurological diseases.

Psychological and Sexual Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Egypt: Are Women Suffering More?

INTRODUCTION: Psychological consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic include pandemic triggered feelings of fear, uncertainty, and anxiety added to the effects of restricting the population's activities in lockdown. AIM: We aimed to study the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on sexual satisfaction of females and males in Egypt and to evaluate possible predictive factors. METHODS: Married men and females in Egypt were invited to respond to an online questionnaire. The questionnaire addressed medical history, socioeconomic status, sexual performance satisfaction before and during the lockdown in addition to validated Arabic questionnaires for depression, sexual function in males and females, and sexual satisfaction (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Female Sexual Function Index, International Index of Erectile Function-5, Index of Sexual Satisfaction, respectively). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: The main outcome measures were frequency of depression, anxiety, sexual dysfunction, and sexual satisfaction in males and females during COVID-19 lockdown. RESULTS: A total of 479 females and 217 males completed the questionnaire. Sexual satisfaction was significantly higher before (91.2%, 73.5%) than during lockdown (70.5%, 56.2%) in both males and females, respectively. During lockdown, significantly more males (70.5%) reported being satisfied with their sexual performance than females (56.2%) (P < .001). More than half of the male subjects (68.2%) had no erectile dysfunction while 97.3% females scored ≤26.5 on the Female Sexual Function Index scale suggestive of sexual difficulties. Sexual stress was significantly greater in females (70.8%) than males (63.1%). Educational level, occupation, anxiety, and erectile dysfunction were independently associated with sexual stress in males. Being a housewife or unemployed, husband's age >35 years, marriage duration of 5-10 years, anxiety, and female sexual dysfunction were predictors of sexual relation stress in females. CONCLUSION: COVID-19 pandemic was associated with lower sexual satisfaction in both genders. Females however suffered more anxiety and depression and thereby greater risk of sexual function difficulties and sexual dissatisfaction. Intervention strategies in order to lessen the suffering of affected individuals particularly after the pandemic are recommended. Omar SS, Dawood W, Eid N, et al. Psychological and Sexual Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Egypt: Are Women Suffering More. Sex Med 2021;9:100295.

PUVA-induced pityriasis lichenoides chronica-like papular lesions in patients with mycosis fungoides: a clinical, histopathological and immunohistochemical study.

Mycosis fungoides (MF) is the most common form of cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) with many clinical variants including papular and pityriasis lichenoides chronica (PLC)-like variants. During psoralen and ultraviolet A (PUVA) treatment of MF, PLC-like papular lesions were observed to appear. The exact nature of these lesions is not fully understood. This work aimed to study PLC-like papular lesions arising in MF patients receiving PUVA therapy clinically, histopathologically and immunohistochemically (using monoclonal antibodies against CD4 and CD8) and to compare them with lesions in classic PLC patients. Fifteen MF patients with PLC-like papular lesions arising during PUVA treatment were included and 15 patients with classic PLC served as controls. While the extent of these lesions significantly correlated with their duration (p < 0.05), it showed no significant correlation with the TNMB stage of MF, number of phototherapy sessions or cumulative UVA dose at which they started to appear. The response status of MF to PUVA did not affect their development. Compared to classic PLC, these lesions showed significantly more acute onset (p = 0.003). None of these lesions showed histopathological features essential to diagnose papular/PLC-like MF and no significant difference existed with regard to their histopathological and CD4/CD8 phenotypic features compared to classic PLC. Papular lesions mimicking PLC in MF patients receiving PUVA mostly represent an upgrading reaction with possible good prognostic implication.