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Background: Psoriasis vulgaris is a chronic skin disease which is related to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. In the pathogenesis of these diseases, adipokines, including retinol binding protein-4 (RBP-4), play crucial roles. Studies have also shown that RBP-4 might be a meaningful factor in psoriasis however, relying on the analysis of a single study have some drawbacks. Objective: To evaluate the association between RBP-4 and psoriasis vulgaris more comprehensively. Methods: Six databases were searched to obtain relevant publications. The selection of the included studies was based on a criteria. The standardized mean difference (SMD) was used for analysis. A value of p < 0.05 was defined as significance. Results: Seven studies were included, with 271 cases and 235 controls. In the comparison between patients and controls, the merged data suggested that levels of RBP-4 were significantly higher in patients (SMD = 0.61, 95%CI: 0.14, 1.07, p < 0.05). In five studies containing the data of RBP-4 levels before and after treatment, no significance was found, either for RBP-4 levels in the after-treatment group and control group in these five studies (p > 0.05). Subgroup analysis was conducted based on the therapy method. Patients with systematic treatment showed a significant decrease of BRP-4 level after the treatment (SMD = -0.64, 95%CI: -1.26, -0.03, p < 0.05). Conclusion: For patients with psoriasis vulgaris, RBP-4 levels are elevated, and systematic treatment can lower these levels. RBP-4 might act as a key indicator for the diagnosis, efficacy assessment, and comorbidity monitoring of the patients. Further studies with well-designed protocols and enlarged populations are still needed.
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Vitiligo is an autoimmune skin disease characterized by presence of pale patchy areas of depigmentation. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of gene expression and play significant roles in diverse biological and pathological processes. Accumulating evidence has shown that miRNAs were differentially expressed in skin lesions and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with vitiligo. In particular, miRNAs are significantly correlated with the development and progression of vitiligo. The abundance of some miRNAs in serum was also correlated with the vitiligo lesion severity, indicating that miRNAs might serve as prognostic biomarkers. Importantly, the direct involvement of miRNAs in the pathogenesis of vitiligo has been demonstrated. For example, increased expression of miR-25 contributes to vitiligo through promoting the dysfunction and oxidative stress-induced destruction of melanocytes. However, there are limited studies on the function and mechanism of deregulated miRNAs in vitiligo. Further studies are required to establish clinical applications of miRNAs for vitiligo. More in-depth investigations of miRNAs are needed for the understanding of the pathogenesis of vitiligo and the development of novel therapeutic targets. This present review summarizes the current literature on the deregulation and pathogenic roles of miRNAs in vitiligo. We also highlight the potential clinical applications of miRNAs in patients with vitiligo.
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BACKGROUND: A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the correlation between Helicobacter pylori infection and chronic urticaria. METHODS: We searched Chinese and English databases, including CNKI, Wanfang, and Weipu, using search terms such as Helicobacter pylori infection, and chronic urticaria for articles published from the establishment of the databases to February 2021 examining the correlation between Helicobacter pylori infection and chronic urticaria. The retrieved articles contained data on Helicobacter pylori infection rates in chronic urticaria cases in different regions of the north and south in China. The retrieved articles underwent strict screenings according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Revman5.3 software was used to perform a meta-analysis on the data of the included articles. RESULTS: A total of 39 documents were retrieved following the searches. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 6 articles on 6 studies, comprising a total of 1,320 patients, were finally included in the meta-analysis. The results showed that the heterogeneity was high (I2=58%). A random-effects model was performed. An analysis of the correlation between Helicobacter pylori infection and chronic urticaria revealed significant differences between the study group and the control group [odds ratio (OR) =3.00; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.98-4.55; P<0.00001]. The infection rate of Helicobacter pylori among chronic urticaria cases in the northern population was 16.1% (95% CI: 15.6-16.6%); of these patients 12.2% were male and 21.4% were female. The infection rate of Helicobacter pylori among chronic urticaria cases in the southern population was 18.0% (95% CI: 17.5-18.5%); of these patients, 12.3% were male and 23.1% were female. There was no significant difference in the prevalence between the male population, the female population, and the general population in the north and the south (P>0.05). DISCUSSION: Helicobacter pylori infection is correlated with the occurrence of chronic urticaria. There is no significant difference in the infection rate of Helicobacter pylori in chronic urticaria cases in different regions of the north and south. This study had some limitations. First, the number of patients included in each study was low, which may affect the accuracy of the results. Second, the detection methods were not uniform; thus, further research is required to support the conclusions drawn.