The impact of low-dose methotrexate on erectile dysfunction, sex hormone profile and spermiogram in male patients with psoriasis: a prospective study.

PURPOSE: Psoriasis, affecting approximately 2% of the world's population, often necessitates systemic treatments, with methotrexate (MTX) as a cornerstone therapy. Despite documented systemic side effects of MTX, concerns about its impact on male reproductive health persist. We aim to investigate low-dose MTX effect on hormonal, cellular and functional ability of male reproductive system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our prospective study on 40 male psoriasis patients receiving low-dose MTX (<15mg/week) comprehensively investigates its effects on erectile function, sex hormones, and spermiogram parameters. RESULTS: After six months of MTX treatment, a significant decline in erectile function (p < 0.001) decreased total testosterone levels (p = 0.03) were observed. No significant reduction in sperm count was noted after six months of MTX treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights a significant decline in erectile function following low-dose MTX therapy, warranting further investigation into this potential side effect. While reassuring for sperm quantity and quality, the findings emphasise the necessity for larger cohorts and longer follow-up times to validate results and comprehend the complex interactions between MTX and male sexual health.

Secukinumab may be remedy for systemic amyloidosis findings secondary to hidradenitis suppurativa.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory disease of follicular epithelium; many comorbidities occur that disrupt the quality of life of patients. Amyloidosis is one of them. We present a case with systemic amyloidosis secondary to HS and responding positively to secukinumab therapy. Secukinumab may also be an important option for amyloidosis findings in HS patients.

A case of bullous pemphigoid induced by vildagliptin.

Bullous pemfigoid (BP), an autoimmune disorder, can also be induced by some medications. Vildagliptin is a new drug used to treat diabetes mellitus (DM). Recently, a few cases of vildagliptin-induced BP have been described in the literature. We report a patient with BP in which vildagliptin was thought to be as a possible causative agent. The awareness of BP development risk during gliptin therapy can prevent unnecessary usage of systemic drugs with serious side effects.

Importance of the C-Reactive Protein to Albumin Ratio in the Diagnosis and Prognosis of Mycosis Fungoides.

INTRODUCTION: The C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR) lately has demonstrated as a prognostic factor and an indicator of disease activity, severity and prognosis in solid organ malignancies and inflammatory diseases. However, the effects of CAR have not been investigated in mycosis fungoides (MF) patients yet. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the potential role of CAR as a diagnostic and a prognostic indicator in MF. METHODS: We retrospectively investigated the electronic medical records of 97 patients with MF admitted to the Dermatology Clinic of Health Sciences University, Diskapi Yildirim Beyazit Training and Research Hospital between January 2014 and December 2020. In total, 60 patients with MF were enrolled in the study. CAR was evaluated, patient and control group. Also, the other clinicopathological factors including age, lactate dehydrogenase, stage of disease, beta-2-microglobulin levels, and sedimentation levels were evaluated. RESULTS: The median value of CAR was 0.85 (0.10-7.51) in the patient group, whereas it was 0.39 (0.0-1.11) in the control group (P < 0.001). Patients with disease progression (N = 16, 13M, 3 F) had a median value of CAR 0.84 (0.10-7.51) and the median value of CAR (N = 44) was 0.86 (0.12-4.57) in the group of patients with stable disease. The CAR value had no prognostic significance (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: There is no association between the CAR and progression in the stage in MF patients. But the CAR is significantly higher in patients with MF than in the control group. The CAR can be a guide for us in cases where we have difficulty in diagnosing.

Might Necrotic Keratinocytes Contribute to the Diagnosis and Pathogenesis of Psoriasis?

INTRODUCTION: Being able to recognize high-risk facial basal cell carcinoma (BCC) may lead to fewer incomplete excisions and inappropriate treatments. OBJECTIVES: We sought to investigate clinical and dermoscopic criteria for predicting facial BCC subtypes, analyze the interobserver agreement between readers, and develop a diagnostic algorithm to predict high-risk histopathological subtype. METHODS: In this single-center, retrospective investigation, 6 independent readers evaluated predefined clinical and dermoscopic criteria in images of histopathologically verified primary facial BCCs including: topography, border demarcation, vessels, ulceration, white porcelain areas, shiny white blotches and strands, and pigmented structures and vessels within ulceration. RESULTS: Overall, 297 clinical and dermoscopic image pairs were analyzed. The strongest associations with high-risk subtype were: "bumpy" topography (OR 3.8, 95% CI, 3.1-4.7), ill-defined borders (OR 3.4, 95% CI 3.1-4.7), white porcelain area (OR 3.5, 95% CI 2.8-4.5), and vessels within ulceration (OR 3.1, 95% CI 2.4-4.1). Predominantly focused vessels were a positive diagnostic criterium for either nodular (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.3-2.2) or high-risk (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.6-2.5) subtypes and a strong negative diagnostic criterium for superficial BCC (OR 14.0, 95% CI 9.6-20.8). Interobserver agreement ranged from fair to substantial (κ=0.36 to 0.72). A diagnostic algorithm based on these findings demonstrated a sensitivity of 81.4% (95% CI, 78.9-83.7%) and a specificity of 53.3% (95% CI, 49.7-56.9%) for predicting high-risk BCC subtype. CONCLUSIONS: Integration of both clinical and dermoscopic features (including novel features such as topography and vessels within ulceration) are essential to improve subtype prediction of facial BCCs and management decisions.

Can the mucosal attacks of Behçet's disease be predicted?

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the association between disease activity and serum and salivary procalcitonin (Pct) levels in patients with Behçet's disease (BD). The study included patients diagnosed with BD and age-matched healthy volunteers (N: 48, N: 32). Serum and salivary Pct levels were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in the laboratories of Diskapi Yildirim Beyazit Training and Research Hospital. No significant disparity was observed in serum and salivary Pct levels between the patient and control groups (p > 0.05). Furthermore, there was no noteworthy correlation between disease activity and serum and salivary Pct values (p > 0.05). However, the serum Pct level in patients with active oral ulcers was significantly elevated compared to those without active oral ulcers (p: 0.003). Serum Pct emerges as a valuable marker for monitoring oral aphthous ulcer attacks within the patient population.