Receipt survey of prescription continuation rates for patients with onychomycosis and web-based survey of dermatologists on prescribing policies for onychomycosis therapeutics.

Onychomycosis can be treated with topical and oral medications. However, it is important to appropriately select these medications according to the type and severity of the disease and ensure treatment is continued for the recommended duration. In Japan, treatment options for onychomycosis have increased in recent years. Moreover, in 2019, the guidelines for dermatomycosis treatment were revised. In this study, we conducted a receipt survey to clarify the actual treatment status of onychomycosis cases as indicated by the continuation rates of prescribed treatment drugs, together with a web-based survey to ascertain the prescribing policy of dermatologists regarding drugs for onychomycosis treatment. In agreement with past surveys, this receipt survey showed that the prescription continuation rate for oral medications was higher than that for topical medications. The 1-year prescription continuation rate for topical onychomycosis medications was found to be low (<10%). The web-based survey showed that the percentage of physicians who prescribed oral medications as their first choice increased by approximately 10% for each disease type, compared with the results of the previous survey conducted around 7 years ago. However, the study also confirmed that topical drugs are still prescribed for some disease types for which oral drugs are better suited. To ensure complete cure without patient drop-out, oral drugs with a high probability of achieving complete cure and a high continuation rate should be prescribed for patients with onychomycosis.

Pyrocatechol, a component of coffee, suppresses LPS-induced inflammatory responses by inhibiting NF-κB and activating Nrf2.

Coffee is a complex mixture of many bioactive compounds possessing anti-inflammatory properties. However, the mechanisms by which coffee exerts anti-inflammatory effects remains unclear and the active ingredients have not yet been identified. In this study, we found that coffee extract at more than 2.5%(v/v) significantly inhibited LPS-induced inflammatory responses in RAW264.7 cells and that anti-inflammatory activity of coffee required the roasting process. Interestingly, we identified pyrocatechol, a degradation product derived from chlorogenic acid during roasting, as the active ingredient exhibiting anti-inflammatory activity in coffee. HPLC analysis showed that 124 µM pyrocatechol was included in 100% (v/v) roasted coffee. A treatment with 5%(v/v) coffee extract and more than 2.5 µM pyrocatechol inhibited the LPS-induced activation of NF-κB and also significantly activated Nrf2, which acts as a negative regulator in LPS-induced inflammation. Furthermore, intake of 60% (v/v) coffee extract and 74.4 µM pyrocatechol, which is the concentration equal to contained in 60% (v/v) coffee, markedly inhibited the LPS-induced inflammatory responses in mice. Collectively, these results demonstrated that pyrocatechol, which was formed by the roasting of coffee green beans, is one of the ingredients contributing to the anti-inflammatory activity of coffee.