Cord Blood Serum Levels of IL-31 and CCL17, Cutaneous Markers, and Development of Atopic Dermatitis.

Importance: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most prevalent chronic skin condition characterized by inflammation and itching. Currently, there is no reliable method for identifying which newborns might have an increased risk of developing AD. Objective: To evaluate the predictive value of serological biomarkers, such as CCL17/thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine, CCL18, CCL22, CCL27, IL-31, and thymus stromal lymphopoietin, with transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and hydration rate and the development of AD in infants. Design, Setting, and Participants: This observational prospective study included 40 consecutive full-term newborns from a single university hospital in Pisa, Italy. The cutaneous markers of infants were assessed at 1, 6, and 12 months of age, while the biomarkers from the 10-mL sample of cord blood taken at birth were measured after delivery. Data were collected from March to December 2018 and analyzed from January to April 2019. Main Outcomes and Measures: Level of serological biomarkers associated with TEWL and hydration rate, as well as the emergence of AD during the first 12 months of life. Results: All 40 included infants (27 male [68%]) completed the study. At 6 months, 16 infants presented symptoms and signs of AD (AD group) and 24 did not (non-AD group). Infants with AD signs had statistically significant anterior cubital fossa TEWL values at 1, 6, and 12 months of age compared to those without AD signs. No statistically significant correlations were observed between the TEWL measured at the anterior part of knee and hydration rate at the anterior cubital fossa at first month in the 2 groups. With regard to the blood biomarkers, at birth those in the AD group vs the non-AD group had statistically significant higher levels of CCL17/thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine (median [IQR], 716 [509-951] pg/mL vs 419 [24-566] pg/mL; P = .003) and IL-31 (median [IQR], 212 [114-409] pg/mL vs 97 [52-277] pg/mL; P = .04); in contrast, no statistically significant serum level differences were registered for thymus stromal lymphopoietin (median [IQR], 105 [66-295] pg/mL vs 88 [43-187] pg/mL), CCL18 (median [IQR], 1236 [1115-1605] pg/mL vs 1255 [1188-1677] pg/mL), CCL22 (median [IQR], 1032 [936-1454] pg/mL vs 1096 [932-1536] pg/mL), and CCL27 (median [IQR], 172 [122-251] pg/mL vs 120 [90-265] pg/mL). Conclusions and Relevance: In this observational study, the analysis of TEWL at the anterior cubital fossa area occurred prior to and correlated with the clinical signs of AD. Quantification of cytokines indicated that assessing cord blood serum levels of CCL17 and IL-31 could offer new perspectives in identifying newborns who might be susceptible to AD. Larger studies are needed to validate these findings.

Wound area severity index (WASI): A novel tool for assessing and predicting healing times in hidradenitis suppurativa postsurgical wounds.

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) presents challenges in management due to its chronic nature and high risk of recurrence. Post-surgical wound care plays a crucial role in treatment, even if standardized methods for assessing and predicting healing times are lacking. The aim of the study is to introduce the Wound Area Severity Index (WASI) as a novel tool to guide clinicians in assessing postsurgical wound progression and predicting potential healing times. A team of wound healing experts assessed 93 post-surgical HS wounds resulting from wide excision and secondary intention healing. For each wound healing time, wound area, wound bed score (WBS), and WASI were evaluated. WASI includes four parameters: area, temperature, depth and wound Bed, each with four severity levels. The total WASI score ranges from 4 to 16. Spearman correlation and Kruskal-Wallis tests were employed for statistical analysis. WASI strongly correlated with wound healing time (rho: 0.813, p < 0.001). Higher WASI scores were associated with prolonged healing, while lower scores indicated almost healed wounds. The WASI score has proven to be more highly predictive of healing times when compared to the individual parameter of the Area (moderate positive correlation, r: 0.77) and the WBS (negative correlation, r: -0.72). A total WASI score of 4 corresponded to a median healing time of 7 days, while a score exceeding 9 suggested a median healing time of 56 days. WASI has proven to be a valuable tool for assessing and predicting healing times in post-surgical HS wounds. Its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and ability to integrate multiple parameters make it a promising addition to wound care practice.

Monoclonal Antibodies in the Management of Inflammation in Wound Healing: An Updated Literature Review.

Chronic wounds pose a significant clinical challenge due to their complex pathophysiology and the burden of long-term management. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are emerging as a novel therapeutic option in managing difficult wounds, although comprehensive data on their use in wound care are lacking. This study aimed to explore existing scientific knowledge of mAbs in treating chronic wounds based on a rationale of direct inhibition of the main molecules involved in the underlying inflammatory pathophysiology. We performed a literature review excluding primary inflammatory conditions with potential ulcerative outcomes (e.g., hidradenitis suppurativa). mAbs were effective in treating wounds from 16 different etiologies. The most commonly treated conditions were pyoderma gangrenosum (treated with 12 different mAbs), lipoid necrobiosis, and cutaneous vasculitis (each treated with 3 different mAbs). Fourteen mAbs were analyzed in total. Rituximab was effective in 43.75% of cases (7/16 diseases), followed by tocilizumab (25%, 4/16 diseases), and both etanercept and adalimumab (18.75%, 3/16 conditions each). mAbs offer therapeutic potential for chronic wounds unresponsive to standard treatments. However, due to the complex molecular nature of wound healing, no single target molecule can be identified. Therefore, the use of mAbs should be considered as a translational approach for limited cases of multi-resistant conditions.

Presurgical Mapping With Ultra-high Frequency Ultrasound of Hidradenitis Suppurativa Lesions Treated With Wide Local Excision and Secondary Intention Healing.

BACKGROUND: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a challenging chronic inflammatory condition often requiring surgical intervention, such as wide local excision. Preoperative mapping with ultra-high frequency ultrasound (UHFUS) enables detailed assessment of lesion extension, particularly identifying tunnels and fistulas, facilitating surgical planning. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze recurrence rates of HS lesions previously mapped with UHFUS and treated with wide excision and secondary intention healing. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective single-center study enrolled 40 patients with HS undergoing wide excision surgery after UHFUS mapping. Patients were assessed weekly until complete healing and then every 3 months, evaluating clinical and sonographic signs of relapse and pain using the visual analogue scale. RESULTS: Results showed a population predominantly composed of women (65%) with a mean age of 39 years and a medium HS-Hurley score of 2.5. Over a 22-month follow-up, only 10% experienced clinical relapse, achieving an 90% total remission rate. Pain scores decreased significantly from Week 0 to Week 4. CONCLUSION: The study highlights the clinical challenge of HS management, particularly regarding surgical planning and lesion margin definition. The remission rate observed in this study suggests the effectiveness of UHFUS-guided surgical approaches. Future studies should extend observation periods to further validate these findings.

Melanoma Arising on a Nevus After Tattooing.

The pathogenetic relationship between tattooing and the development of malignant melanoma has not been demonstrated yet, but there are numerous instances documented in the literature where both benign and malignant lesions have developed on tattoos. We report the case of a 39-year-old man with a melanoma that arose on a nevus on the back after tattooing. Since the identification of melanocytes lesions can be heavily hindered by large tattoos, implementing a dedicated screening process with regular monitoring of the tattooed region could be necessary to prevent potential diagnostic delays.

Advanced wound management approaches in Hidradenitis Suppurativa postsurgical lesions.

The most appropriate management of recurrent Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS) lesions consists of wide surgical removal of the lesions with subsequent healing by second intention. Successful wound healing depends on the choice of an adequate wound dressing, targeted to the features of the wound.We enrolled 25 patients randomized into three groups according to the advanced dressing used in second intention healing of postsurgical wounds (standard therapy, an oxygen-enriched oil-based medical device with prolonged release of reactive oxygen species [ROS], ultra-portable negative pressure therapy). Data on wound size, clinical appearance of the wound bed, and pain experienced by the patient were collected twice a week for 4 weeksNo statistically significant differences were observed between the different groups evaluated. Oxygen-enriched oil-based medical device with prolonged release of ROS can be included in the principle of HS-tissue, inflammation, moisture, and epithelium (TIME).

Fluorescence-Based Evaluation of Bacterial Load in Perilesional Skin: A Comparison Between Short Stretch Bandage and Zinc Oxide Bandage.

Bacterial proliferation plays a well-known role in delayed tissue healing. To date, the presence of microorganisms on the wound bed can be detected by skin swabs or skin biopsies. A novel noninvasive fluorescence imaging device has recently allowed real-time detection of bacteria in different types of wounds through endogenous autofluorescence. The fluorescence signals detected by the device provide health workers with a visual indication of the presence, load, and distribution of bacteria. The aim of our study was to evaluate the level of bacterial colonization in perilesional skin of patients affected by venous leg ulcers treated with 2 different types of bandages: short stretch bandage and zinc oxide bandage. We conducted a monocentric prospective study, enrolling 30 patients with venous leg ulcers, divided into 2 groups: group A was treated with short stretch bandage and group B with zinc oxide bandage. A complete patient's assessment was performed once a week for 3 weeks. Levels of potentially harmful bacteria in perilesional skin were detected using a fluorescent device by 2 experienced operators on the frames taken at individual injuries, while pain was evaluated with the Numerical Rating Scale. After 3 weeks, we observed a reduction in the bacterial colonization levels of the perilesional skin by 68.67% for group A and 85.54% for group B. All the patients had a statistically significant reduction in bacterial load (P < .001), and a statistically significant difference was identified between the 2 groups (P = .043). No statistically significant differences were found between the 2 groups in terms of pain relief (P = .114). Our study demonstrated that the application of zinc oxide bandage provides a higher reduction in bacterial load perilesional skin. On the other hand, we found no difference between the 2 bandages in terms of pain symptom reduction.

Ultra-High Frequency UltraSound (UHFUS) Assessment of Barrier Function in Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis during Dupilumab Treatment.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic multifactorial inflammatory disease characterized by intense itching and inflammatory eczematous lesions. Biological disease-modifying drugs, such as dupilumab are recommended for patients with moderate-to-severe AD, refractory to systemic immunosuppressive therapies. Disease monitoring is performed by clinical scores. Since 1970, however, the use of ultrasound and particularly high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS), has identified alterations in dermal echogenicity, called the subepidermal low-echogenic band (SLEB), that correlates with disease severity and response to treatment. We enrolled 18 patients with moderate-to-severe AD, divided into two groups: twelve patients in the dupilumab treatment (Group A) and six patients in standard treatment, from February 2019 to November 2019. We performed ultra-high frequency ultrasound (UHFUS) evaluation of lesional and non-lesional skin, focusing on SLEB average thicknesses measurement, epidermal thickness, and vascular signal in correlation with objective disease scores (EASI, IGA), patient's reported scores (Sleep Quality NRS and Itch NRS), and TEWL and corneometry at baseline (T0), after 1 month (T1) and 2 months (T2). The SLEB average thickness measurement, vascular signal, and epidermal thickness showed a statistically significant reduction in lesional skin of the biological treatment group and no significant reduction in non-lesional skin in both groups. In the lesional skin of the standard treatment group, only epidermal thickness showed a statistically significant reduction. Our study demonstrates that SLEB measurement, vascular signals, and epidermal thickness could be used as objective parameters in monitoring the AD treatment response, while the presence of SLEB in non-lesional skin could be used as a marker of subclinical inflammation and could predict development of clinical lesions, suggesting a pro-active therapy. Further follow-up and research are needed to clarify the association of SLEB decrease/disappearance with a reduction of flares/prolongment of the disease remission time.