Assessment of thyroid disorders in patients with rosacea: a large case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The frequency of autoimmune diseases and thyroid cancer has been increasingly reported in association with rosacea. However, studies investigating thyroid diseases in rosacea are scarce with conflicting results. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between thyroid disorders and rosacea. METHODS: A large case-control study on age- and gender-matched 2091 rosacea patients and 9572 controls was conducted. Rosacea patients using the rosacea-specific ICD codes were compiled from the hospital records. Additionally, all participants were evaluated in terms of the presence of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to compute case-control odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals. RESULTS: The analysis comprehended 2091 rosacea patients (1546 female, 545 male; mean 48.73 ± 14.53 years) and 9572 controls (7009 female, 2563 male; mean 48.73 ± 15.1 years). Whereas the rate of hypothyroidism was significantly higher in rosacea patients (OR = 1.3, 95% CI 1.13-1.49, p < 0.001), there was no significant difference in the rate of hyperthyroidism between the groups (OR = 1.12, 95% CI 0.81-1.53, p = 0.497). Stratification for gender revealed a significant association between hypothyroidism and rosacea in females (OR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.1-1.47, p = 0.002) and males (OR = 1.58, 95% CI 1.04-2.4, p = 0.032). The frequency of hypothyroidism in rosacea patients increased towards the age range of 40-49 and then decreased, parallel with the hypothyroidism frequency of the study population. STUDY LIMITATIONS: Different subtypes and severities of rosacea were not distinguished. CONCLUSIONS: Hypothyroidism may be a comorbidity of rosacea and investigation for hypothyroidism may be appropriate when evaluating rosacea patients.

Blood microRNA expressions in patients with mild to moderate psoriasis and the relationship between microRNAs and psoriasis activity.

BACKGROUND: In recent studies, microRNAs (mi-RNAs) have been shown to play an important role in psoriasis pathogenesis. However, studies evaluating mi-RNAs in the blood of psoriasis patients including a large number of mi-RNA panels are scarce. OBJECTIVE: The authors aimed to assess mi-RNA expressions in blood samples of psoriasis patients, as well as to evaluate the association between mi-RNA expression and psoriasis severity. METHODS: This was a case-control study on 52 patients with psoriasis vulgaris and 54 controls. Patients' medical history, psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) scores, and dermatology life quality index (DLQI) scores were recorded. The 42 disease-related mi-RNA primers were assessed by real-time PCR. RESULTS: In the patient group, 13.4% presented nail involvement and 8.2% had psoriatic arthritis. The mean PASI and DLQI scores were 7.90±8.83 and 8.13±5.50, respectively. Among 42 mi-RNA primers; hsa-miR-155-5p, hsa-miR-369-3p, hsa-miR-193b-3p, hsa-miR-498, hsa-miR-1266-5p, hsa-let-7d-5p, hsa-miR-205-5p, hsa-let-7c-5p, hsa-miR-30b-3p, and hsa-miR-515-3p expressions were significantly up-regulated, whereas hsa-miR-21-5p, hsa-miR-142-3p, hsa-miR-424-5p, hsa-miR-223-3p, hsa-miR-26a-5p, hsa-miR-106b-5p, hsa-miR-126-5p, hsa-miR-181a-5p, hsa-miR-222-3p, hsa-miR-22-3p, hsa-miR-24-3p, hsa-miR-17-3p, hsa-miR-30b-5p, hsa-miR-130a-3p, hsa-miR-30e-5p, and hsa-miR-16-5p were significantly down-regulated in psoriasis patients when compared with the control group (p<0.05). STUDY LIMITATIONS: As the study included patients with mild to moderate psoriasis who mostly only received topical treatments, changes in miRNA before and after systemic treatments were not assessed. CONCLUSION: The detection of 24 mi-RNA expressions up- or down-regulated in psoriasis patients, even in those with milder disease, further supports the role of mi-RNAs in the psoriasis pathogenesis. Future studies should clarify whether mi-RNAs can be used as a marker for psoriasis prognosis or as a therapeutic agent in the treatment of psoriasis.

The attitudes, behaviors, and opinions about non-pharmacological agents in patients with tinea pedis.

Tinea pedis affects the life quality distinctly and patients those with a prolonged disease often resort to non-medical methods. We sought to evaluate patients' knowledge about tinea pedis and approaches to the non-pharmacological agents. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 152 patients with tinea pedis who answered the survey between July and November 2019. Demographic and clinical features, patients' attitudes, behaviors, and opinions about non-pharmacological treatments related to tinea pedis were evaluated. Of 152 patients, 65 (42.8%) were female and 87 (57.2%) were male. The frequency of at least one non-pharmacological agent use for tinea pedis was 55.9%. The most common non-pharmacological agent was cologne (27.0%), followed by saltwater, vinegar, and henna. The rate of non-pharmacological agent use was not significantly different between genders and patients with different education levels. Information sources for tinea pedis were dermatologists in only 42 patients (27.8%). The opinion that the disease will improve spontaneously was not significantly different between the groups according to the education level (P = .154). Tinea pedis needs awareness as a health problem particularly in Muslim populations. Patients should be prevented from applying wrong practices and informed about the risk factors, contagiousness, and treatment options by physicians.

Knowledge levels and concerns about oral isotretinoin treatment in the parents of adolescent acne patients.

Oral isotretinoin is frequently used in the treatment of young acne patients. However, knowledge levels and attitudes about this treatment have not been studied in the parents previously. We aimed to investigate the knowledge levels and concerns about oral isotretinoin in the parents of adolescent acne patients. We conducted a cross-sectional study on 136 parents of adolescent patients with moderate to very severe acne vulgaris who answered the questionnaire about oral isotretinoin treatment. Demographic data and acne characteristics were recorded. The parents' knowledge levels and concerns about the treatment process were asked by the questionnaire. Since 32 parents have never heard oral isotretinoin before, they were excluded from the study. Of the remaining 104 parents, 80.8% were female and 19.2% were male. Of the parents, 62.5% had some concerns about oral isotretinoin treatment and 34.6% had no idea whether the drug is suitable for the use of <18 years. 52.9% stated that they think the drug will damage the liver. The most known and worrying side effects were dry lips and vision problems, respectively. The knowledge levels about oral isotretinoin treatment and its side effects were low in the parents of adolescent acne patients, leading to prejudice to the drug.

Plasma dermcidin levels in acne patients, and the effect of isotretinoin treatment on dermcidin levels.

Acne vulgaris is a chronic inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous unit. Dermcidin (DCD) is an antimicrobial peptide released from eccrine sweat glands and sebaceous glands. Studies investigating the role of DCD expression in acne development are scarce. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between DCD expression and acne vulgaris and the effect of oral isotretinoin treatment on DCD levels. Two groups (one patient group and one control group) were included in the study. The patient group consisted of 30 patients with acne vulgaris who were given oral isotretinoin treatment for 6 months until the cumulative dose was attained. Plasma DCD levels were investigated before and 6 months after treatment. The control group comprised 30 volunteer individuals without acne vulgaris or any inflammatory dermatosis. Of the patients, 24 (80%) had Grade 3, 3 (10%) had Grade 1, and 3 (10%) had Grade 4 acne vulgaris, as determined according to the Pillsbury scoring method. The DCD levels in the control group were significantly higher than those in pretreatment patients (39.53 ± 20.2 vs. 28.60 ± 20.12, p = .004). Additionally, pretreatment DCD levels were significantly increased after 6 months of isotretinoin treatment in the patient group (28.60 ± 20.12 vs. 35.07 ± 24.02, p = .012). The mean pretreatment global acne grading system score of 20.86 ± 4.43 was decreased to 5.17 ± 1.91 in patients after treatment (p < .001). This study indicated that DCD plays an important role in the pathogenesis of acne. It demonstrates anti-inflammatory properties in acne vulgaris. Moreover, it was shown that isotretinoin treatment may improve acne vulgaris by increasing DCD levels.

Evaluation of the efficacy of microneedle fractional radiofrequency in Turkish patients with atrophic facial acne scars.

BACKGROUND: Scarring is an undesirable and severe complication of acne resulting in loss of self-esteem in young people. Although microneedle fractional radiofrequency (MFR) system has emerged as a good option to treat acne scars in recent years, it was examined in a few studies which were commonly from Asian countries. AIMS: We sought to evaluate the efficacy of MFR in Turkish patients with facial acne scars. METHODS: Nine patients with atrophic facial acne scars treated with MFR device were included in the study. The number of treatment sessions was varied from one to five (median three) with 4-week intervals. Demographic and basal clinical features were recorded. Efficacy of the device was evaluated by the physicians' global assessment and patients' self-assessment scales 4 weeks after the last treatment session. RESULTS: Of nine patients, two were male and seven were female (mean age, 31.33 years). Two patients had mild, four had moderate, and three had severe facial acne scars. Mean acne scar age was 13.22 ± 8.79 years. According to the predominant scar subtype, three patients had V-shaped, three had U-shaped, and three had M-shaped atrophic acne scars. A clinical improvement of >25% has been reported in seven patients (77.7%) and eight patients (88.9%) by the physicians and patients, respectively. U-shaped atrophic acne scars responded better to the treatment than the other types, as statistically nonsignificant. There were no severe side effects. CONCLUSIONS: Microneedle fractional radiofrequency system showed a quite good efficacy and safety in the treatment of atrophic facial acne scars (Department of Dermato-Cosmetology, Uludag University Medical School).

Evaluation of long-term efficacy, safety, and effect on life quality of pulsed dye laser in rosacea patients.

Background: Rosacea is a chronic disease affecting the patients' life quality negatively. Although various laser systems are used in the rosacea treatment, studies reporting efficacy and long-term continuity of benefit of laser therapies are scarce. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy, safety, continuity of benefit, and effect on life quality of pulsed dye laser (PDL) in the rosacea patients. Methods: Fourteen rosacea patients treated with PDL were enrolled in the study. The number of treatment sessions were varied from one to four. The efficacy was evaluated by the physicians' clinical assessment (PCA), patients' self-assessment (PSA), and erythema and telengiectasia grading scores. Additionally, the patients were asked about the continuity of the benefit and improvement in their life qualities after the treatment. Results: Both the erythema and telangiectasia scores were significantly improved after the treatment (p < 0.001). According to PCA, nine patients had a clinical improvement of >50%. According to PSA, 11 patients had good/excellent improvement. Moderate/significant benefit of treatment continued in 12 patients at the follow-up period (mean 21.64 ± 14.25 months). The life quality scores were significantly improved. No serious side effects were observed. Conclusion: PDL has high and long-term efficacy in the treatment of rosacea with a good safety profile.

Can Hematologic Parameters be an Indicator of Metabolic Disorders Accompanying Rosacea?

Recently, diverse hematologic parameters have been used as an indicator of the presence or severity of inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases. Our aim was to investigate the ratios of neutrophils to lymphocytes (NL), monocytes to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (MHC), and platelets to lymphocytes (PL) in patients with rosacea in comparison with the control group and determine whether there was a correlation between these ratios and metabolic disorders in patients with rosacea. We conducted a case-control study on 61 patients with rosacea and 60 healthy controls between January 2015 and January 2016 at the Dermatology Outpatient Clinic, Mugla, Turkey. Demographic data, biochemical parameters, hematologic parameters and ratios, the presence of metabolic syndrome (MS), and the presence of insulin resistance (IR) in the participants were recorded. Sixty one patients with rosacea (16 men, 45 women) and 60 controls (13 men, 47 women) were included in the study. The NL ratio, mean levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and total cholesterol, triglyceride, C-reactive protein (CRP), systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and the presence of IR were significantly higher in patients with rosacea than in controls. In the rosacea group, the MHC ratio was significantly higher in patients with rosacea with IR and MS. Moreover, only the MHC ratio was an independent predictor of MS according to univariate logistic regression analysis. The cutoff value of MHC on admission for predicting MS in patients with rosacea was 0.013.The higher levels of NL ratio and IR in the rosacea group corroborate the previous studies demonstrating a high level of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with rosacea. The MHC ratio may be used as a simple and inexpensive method to predict metabolic disorders in patients with rosacea.

Risk Factors for Premature Hair Graying in Young Turkish Adults.

BACKGROUND: Premature hair graying (PHG) is a common condition resulting in loss of self-esteem. Studies investigating PHG risk factors for both sexes with a large number of patients are scarce. We sought to investigate the socioclinical risk factors for PHG in young Turkish men and women and the differences between the sexes. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 1,119 participants who answered a survey about PHG and some socioclinical characteristics between February and July 2015. The number of gray hairs, onset age of hair graying, and family history of PHG were asked about, as well as demographic characteristics, anthropometric measures, body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, sports life, diet, medical history, educational status, occupation, marital status, monthly income, and Fitzpatrick skin type. RESULTS: Of 1,119 participants, 315 (28.1%) had PHG and 804 did not. Maternal and paternal PHG, alcohol consumption, presence of chronic disease, educational status, hair loss, perceived stress scale (PSS) score, age, and height were significantly higher in subjects with PHG. Rates of maternal and paternal PHG were high in women with PHG, and the rate of paternal PHG was high in men with PHG. According to the multivariate ordinal regression analysis, PSS score, age, hair loss, and family history of PHG were correlated with the severity of PHG. CONCLUSION: PHG is closely related to factors causing oxidative stress, such as emotional stress, alcohol consumption, and chronic diseases in genetically predisposed men and women.

The relationship between rosacea and insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting the face. A positive correlation has been found between rosacea and cardiovascular diseases. We sought to investigate the relation between rosacea and metabolic syndrome (MS) and insulin resistance (IR). Between January and June 2015, a case-control study including 47 age-, gender-, and body mass index (BMI)-matched rosacea patients and 50 controls was conducted. Demographic data, clinical features of rosacea patients, anthropometric measures, laboratory findings, blood pressure levels, BMI, smoking history, alcohol consumption, sports life, family history of cardiovascular disease, and presence of MS and IR were recorded. Forty-seven rosacea patients (12 men and 35 women; age range: 35-68 years) and 50 controls (11 men and 39 women; age range: 38-78 years) were included in our study. Of 47 rosacea patients, 24 had erythematotelangiectatic type, 22 had papulopustular type, and one had phymatous type. Whereas the rate of IR was significantly higher in the rosacea group, there was no significant difference in the rate of MS between rosacea and the control group (p = 0.009 and p = 0.186, respectively). In addition, the rosacea group had significantly higher fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels (p<0.05). Mean levels of LDL, triglyceride, total cholesterol and CRP were significantly higher than in the control group (p<0.05). Our findings suggest that there is a relationship between rosacea and IR and some parameters of cardiovascular risk factors. We recommend investigation of IR in rosacea patients.

Revisiting detachment techniques in human-biting ticks.

BACKGROUND: Early and complete removal of ticks using the right technique is important to reduce tick-transmitted diseases. Several chemical and mechanical detachment techniques have been described previously. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare the performance of 4 tick-detachment techniques that are widely used in human beings and to determine the optimal method from these techniques. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 160 patients between April and June 2010. Patients with reported tick bite were reviewed retrospectively and divided into the following 4 groups according to the tick-detachment technique used: card detachment, lassoing, freezing, and tweezers. Performance of each technique was evaluated according to the number of fully detached, nondetached, and crushed ticks and the duration of application. RESULTS: Of the 160 tick-bite cases assessed, we found the following efficacy rates: 82.5% (33/40), technique using tweezers; 47.5% (19/40), lassoing technique; 7.5% (3/40), card detachment; and 0% (0/40), freezing technique. The efficacy rate of the technique using tweezers was significantly higher than that of the other 3 techniques (P < .05). LIMITATIONS: This was a relatively small sample size and not designed as a randomized clinical trial. CONCLUSION: Tick detachment using tweezers, performed in an appropriate manner, is the easiest and most effective technique.

Cutaneous adverse reactions of imatinib therapy in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia: A six-year follow up.

Imatinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor used in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Cutaneous adverse reactions of imatinib therapy have been reported in 7%-88.9% patients. We sought to evaluate the prevalence rates of cutaneous adverse reactions of imatinib therapy and to investigate the clinical and pathological characteristics of these reactions. Sixty-six patients (36 men, 30 women; age range 19-83 years) with CML treated with imatinib between 2008 and 2014 were included in the study. Clinical and pathological features of the adverse reactions were investigated. Cutaneous adverse reactions were the most common adverse effects of imatinib therapy and were seen in nine patients with a prevalence rate of 13.6%. The second most common adverse effect was musculoskeletal pain (12.1%). The following cutaneous reactions were observed in patients: edema, rash, pigmentary changes, aphthous stomatitis, alopecia, cutaneous dryness, hyperhidrosis and cheilitis. Imatinib therapy was discontinued in four patients because of various adverse effects. Although the prevalence rate of cutaneous adverse reactions in our study was lower than that in several other studies, cutaneous reactions were common in our study. The relatively low prevalence rate of adverse reactions may be related to the low dosage of imatinib (400 mg/day) used to treat our patients and may have been affected by pharmacogenetic characteristics of our population.

[Evaluation of 10 cases of Lyme disease presenting with erythema migrans in Istanbul, Turkey]. / Istanbul'da eritema migrans ile basvuran 10 Lyme olgusunun degerlendirilmesi.

Lyme disease (LD) is a tick-borne, multisystemic infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi. Although variable rates of seropositivity for B.burgdorferi have been reported between 2% to 44% in Turkey, its actual prevalence is not well-understood. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the characteristics of 10 cases of LD presenting as erythema migrans (EM) between 2009 and 2013 from Istanbul which is one of the metropolitan cities of Turkey. Of the patients, five were male and five were female, ages between 9-51 years (mean age: 34.5 years). Five of the patients were admitted in June, three in October, one in November and two in December and all have the history of tick bite in last 1-2 weeks. There were no clinical symptoms for systemic infection among the patients with normal level routine laboratory test (whole blood count and biochemical tests) results. Five of the cases had EM lesions in the trunk, three in the upper extremities, and two in the lower extremities. Four patients presented with annular, three with solitary macular, and three with target-like EM lesions. In all cases, the biopsy specimens were positive for B.burgdorferi sensu lato DNA with polymerase chain reaction and all were also positive in terms of B.burgdorferi IgM antibodies with ELISA. Nine patients were treated with oral doxycycline, 100 mg twice daily and one child patient was treated with oral amoxicillin 500 mg twice daily for 21 days. EM lesions disappeared within 2-4 weeks in all patients. There was no clinical evidence for systemic involvement in any of the patients like neurologic, cardiac, and joint involvement at the follow-ups on the third, sixth and 12(th) months. To our best knowledge, 10 patients in this study are the largest EM series reported from Turkey. The increase in the number of LD cases may be associated with increased tick bite and increased awareness due to the emergence of concurrent Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever epidemic in Turkey. As a result, when enlarged erythematous lesions on the skin were observed, LH must also be considered in differential diagnosis, history of tick bite should be questioned and etiological diagnostic test should be performed.

Is There Really Relationship between Androgenetic Alopecia and Metabolic Syndrome?

Background. There are several studies investigating the relationship between androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and metabolic syndrome (MS) with conflicting results. Objective. We sought to investigate whether there is a relationship between AGA and MS. Methods. A case-control study including 74 male patients with AGA and 42 male controls was conducted. Age, duration of AGA, AGA onset age, anthropometric measures, body mass index, lipid parameters, fasting blood glucose, blood pressure, and presence of MS were recorded. Results. Of the 74 male AGA patients (age range 20-50 years, mean 32.14), 24 were in stage 2, 26 were in stage 3, 17 were in stage 3V, 1 was in stage 5, and 6 were in stage 7. There was no significant difference in the rate of MS between AGA and control groups (P = 0.135). Among the evaluated parameters, only systolic blood pressure in AGA group was significantly higher than control group. Conclusion. In contrast to the most of the previous studies, our study does not support the link between AGA and MS. To exclude confounding factors such as advanced age and therefore metabolic disturbances, further studies are needed with large group of AGA patients including different age groups and varying severity.