Salivary Microbiota Is Significantly Less Diverse in Patients with Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria Compared to Healthy Controls: Preliminary Results.

BACKGROUND: Because of the important role in regulating the immune system, increasing evidence suggests a possible implication of gut microbiota in Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). Although the oral cavity is the first site of contact between microbiota and the immune system, the association between salivary microbiota and CSU has not yet been reported. OBJECTIVE: This case-control study aimed to compare differences in salivary microbiota between CSU patients and healthy controls (HC). Twenty-three participants-13 patients with CSU and 10 HC were enrolled; salivary microbiota was determined by molecular approach targeting 16S ribosomal RNA. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis was performed. RESULTS: Alpha diversity of salivary microbiota in CSU patients was significantly reduced compared to HC, resulting in alteration of the community composition. Species richness determined via the Shannon index was significantly reduced in the CSU group. CONCLUSION: Dysbiosis of salivary microbiota may contribute to a dysregulated immune system in the development of CSU. To our knowledge, this was the first study that reported an alteration in salivary microbiota composition in CSU patients.

Atopic Dermatitis Severity, Patient Perception of the Disease, and Personality Characteristics: How Are They Related to Quality of Life?

INTRODUCTION: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, relapsing inflammatory skin condition that greatly affects patients' quality of life, psychological condition, and social relationships. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To analyze different aspects of AD patients' quality of life, we used the SCORing Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index (for AD severity), the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF), the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (Brief IPQ), and the Crown-Crisp Experiential Index (CCEI) to analyze personality traits. The study included 84 AD patients, 42 with clinical manifestations and 42 in remission. RESULTS: SCORAD values correlated positively and linearly with DLQI (r = 0.551; p < 0.001) and with disease impact on life, disease control, and disease symptoms (r = 0.350-0.398; p ≤ 0.023). DLQI was also related to certain personality characteristics (free-floating anxiety disorder, obsession, somatization, and depression (p ≤ 0.032)). Symptomatic AD patients had a significantly more impaired DLQI than asymptomatic patients (p < 0.001) and the two groups differed in some IPQ dimensions, but they did not differ significantly concerning the WHOQOL-BREF dimensions and personality traits (CCEI). CONCLUSION: Since AD patient quality of life was dependent not only on disease severity but was also influenced by patient personality characteristics (anxiety disorder, obsession, somatization, depression), many factors need to be taken into account to create effective, patient-specific therapy regimens.

Features of the Skin Microbiota in Common Inflammatory Skin Diseases.

Many relatively common chronic inflammatory skin diseases manifest on the face (seborrheic dermatitis, rosacea, acne, perioral/periorificial dermatitis, periocular dermatitis, etc.), thereby significantly impairing patient appearance and quality of life. Given the yet unexplained pathogenesis and numerous factors involved, these diseases often present therapeutic challenges. The term "microbiome" comprises the totality of microorganisms (microbiota), their genomes, and environmental factors in a particular environment. Changes in human skin microbiota composition and/or functionality are believed to trigger immune dysregulation, and consequently an inflammatory response, thereby playing a potentially significant role in the clinical manifestations and treatment of these diseases. Although cultivation methods have traditionally been used in studies of bacterial microbiome species, a large number of bacterial strains cannot be grown in the laboratory. Since standard culture-dependent methods detect fewer than 1% of all bacterial species, a metagenomic approach could be used to detect bacteria that cannot be cultivated. The skin microbiome exhibits spatial distribution associated with the microenvironment (sebaceous, moist, and dry areas). However, although disturbance of the skin microbiome can lead to a number of pathological conditions and diseases, it is still not clear whether skin diseases result from change in the microbiome or cause such a change. Thus far, the skin microbiome has been studied in atopic dermatitis, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, acne, and rosacea. Studies on the possible association between changes in the microbiome and their association with skin diseases have improved the understanding of disease development, diagnostics, and therapeutics. The identification of the bacterial markers associated with particular inflammatory skin diseases would significantly accelerate the diagnostics and reduce treatment costs. Microbiota research and determination could facilitate the identification of potential causes of skin diseases that cannot be detected by simpler methods, thereby contributing to the design and development of more effective therapies.

Chronic inducible urticaria: classification and prominent features of physical and non-physical types.

Chronic inducible urticaria (CIndU) is a common inflammatory skin condition characterized by the recurrence of itchy wheals and/or angioedema that lasts more than 6 weeks and is induced by specific physical or environmental stimuli (cold, heat, exercise, pressure, sunlight, vibration, water, etc.). According to the current international classification, it includes physical urticarias (dermographism, delayed-pressure urticaria, exercise-induced urticaria, cold urticaria, heat urticaria, solar urticaria, and vibratory urticaria) and non-physical urticarias caused by exposure to specific stimuli (cholinergic urticaria, contact urticaria, and aquagenic urticaria). In terms of frequency, more common types of CIndU are dermographism, cholinergic urticaria, and delayed-pressure urticaria. In clinical practice, it is often difficult to define the exact type of CIndU; management thus begins with accurate identification of a possible trigger and its avoidance. The definite diagnosis for CIndU requires obtaining a detailed medical history of a patient with comprehensive information about predisposing factors, physical examination, and provocation testing (challenge tests). It is always necessary to recognize the prophylactic options for all the types and to have access to different therapies (primarily second-generation H1 antihistamines, but also H2 antihistamines, hydroxyzine, doxepin, oral glucocorticoids, omalizumab/anti-IgE therapy, phototherapy, physical desensitization, immunomodulatory agents, etc.) individualized for each patient.

THE PREVALENCE OF ONYCHOMYCOSIS IN THE ZAGREB AREA - THE ROLE OF SABOURAUD AGAR WITHOUT CYCLOHEXIMIDE IN DIAGNOSIS AND THERAPY.

- Mycological analysis is considered the gold standard in the diagnosis of very common fungal diseases of nails. The purpose of the article is to present the prevalence of onychomycosis obtained by using direct microscopic examination (DME) and cultivation on Sabouraud media without cycloheximide. The quantitative retrospective research was conducted on 2706 patients of both sexes (mostly middle-aged to elderly) with various toenail lesions, who had undergone mycological analyses in the Mycological Laboratory of our Department of Dermatovenereology in 2013 and 2014. Analysis of the results obtained revealed that there were 35.4% of positive DME results; of these, there were 39.2% of dermatophytes, 59.1% of yeasts and 1.7% of molds. The percentage of dermatophytes (Trichophyton spp.) was twice as high in men as in women. A considerable percentage (12%) of mixed isolates was also observed. Particularly worrisome was the high percentage (one-third) of suppressed and insufficiently developed dermatophytes (a possible indicator of inappropriate preparation of patients for mycological analysis). Cultivation on culture media without cycloheximide requires frequent inspections because of the fast-growing molds while not allowing sporulation for a great number of dermatophytes. However, it has certain advantages, i.e. it offers an insight into the wide range of the present fungi. As part of the biofilm, they can be potentially pathogenic in dystrophic nails under certain circumstances because, according to our results, the percentage of dermatophytes does not change substantially with aging; however, what does change is the percentage of molds, yeasts and mixed isolates.

Drug-Induced Photosensitivity - a Continuing Diagnostic Challenge.

When taking different drugs, their possible side effects on the skin should be considered, including skin reactions connected to photosensitivity. This photosensitivity caused by drugs can appear as phototoxic reactions (which occur more often) or photoallergic reactions (which occur less often and include allergic mechanisms). The following drugs stand out as medications with a high photosensitivity potential: nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), cardiovascular drugs (such as amiodarone), phenothiazines (especially chlorpromazine), retinoids, antibiotics (sulfonamides, tetracyclines, especially demeclocycline and quinolones), etc. In recent years, photosensitive reactions to newer drugs have appeared, e.g., targeted anticancer therapies such as BRAF kinase inhibitors (vemurafenib, dabrafenib), EGFR inhibitors, VEGFR inhibitors, MEK inhibitors, Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase inhibitors, etc. In patients taking drugs over a longer period of time (e.g., NSAIDs, cardiovascular drugs, etc.), a particular problem arises when an unrecognized drug-induced photosensitivity on the skin manifests in summer months. When taking patient histories, the physician/dermatovenereologist should bear in mind that any drug the patient is currently taking may be the cause of skin reactions. Therefore, patients who use potentially photosensitive drugs and treatments on a long term basis should be warned of the possibility of these side effects on their skin and advised to avoid direct exposure to sunlight and to use adequate photoprotection. If patients carefully protect themselves from the sun, it is often not necessary to stop treatments that include photosensitive drugs. If such reactions appear, anti-inflammatory and antiallergic therapies should be introduced.

OCCUPATIONAL CONTACT DERMATITIS AMONGST DENTISTS AND DENTAL TECHNICIANS.

Since the working medical personnel including dentists and dental technicians mainly use their hands, it is understandable that the most common occupational disease amongst medical personnel is contact dermatitis (CD) (80%-90% of cases). Development of occupational CD is caused by contact of the skin with various substances in occupational environment. Occupational etiologic factors for dental personnel are foremost reactions to gloves containing latex, followed by various dental materials (e.g., metals, acrylates), detergents, lubricants, solvents, chemicals, etc. Since occupational CD is relatively common in dental personnel, its timely recognition, treatment and taking preventive measures is needed. Achieving skin protection at exposed workplaces is of special importance, as well as implementing necessary measures consequently and sufficiently, which is sometimes difficult to achieve. Various studies have shown the benefit of applying preventive measures, such as numerous protocols for reducing and managing latex sensitivity and other forms of CD in dentistry. Active involvement of physicians within the health care system, primarily dermatologists, occupational medicine specialists and general medicine doctors is needed for establishing an accurate medical diagnosis and confirmation of occupational skin disease.

JAK INHIBITOR CLINICAL RESPONSE IN POLYARTHRITIS: CASE REPORT.

The heterogeneity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) presentation and molecular signature of RA subclasses in patients with early changes of small peripheral joints still remains a challenging problem. In clinical setting, classification of the disease subtypes is not possible and treatment adjustment is based on the continuous Disease Activity Score for disease severity recognition. A new approach in the treatment appears with the novel non biologic targeted synthetic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs from the group of Janus kinase 1 and 3 (JAKI and JAK3), blocking interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-9, IL-15 and IL-21. We report a case of a 48-year-old patient who had suffered from polyarthritis from his age 40. Initial laboratory tests showed low inflammatory parameters and magnetic resonance imaging of both hands indicated an early stage of RA. Methylprednisolone and methotrexate therapy was initiated. The patient underwent additional tests, but there was not sufficient evidence for a precise diagnosis. According to the European League Against Rheumatism/American College of Rheumatology score-based algorithm, the patient was classified as seronegative RA based on joint involvement, duration of the disease, and synovitis not better explained by another disease. A partial clinical effect of the administered therapy (steroids as monotherapy and in combination, methotrexate and leflunomide) was noticed with the use of systemic steroids, but dramatic improvement was only achieved with a JAK inhibitor targeted therapy. Although the use of anti TNF-α blocker is a proposed procedure and the drug has not yet been registered in Europe, we took the opportunity to apply this new medication option. The patient, a construction worker, was treated for 20 months, which led to complete remission of the disease, without the need of basic or corticosteroid therapy. Full functional capacity necessary in his demanding job was also achieved. This result raised a question of timely introduction of immunomodulators in the polyarthritis treatment steps.