Carotid intima-media thickness in patients with psoriasis with and without metabolic syndrome / Grosor de intima-media carotídea en pacientes con psoriasis con y sin síndrome metabólico

Abstract Introduction: Patients with psoriasis have an increased prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors as well as cardiovascular disease. Objective: To determine if patients with psoriasis and metabolic syndrome (MS) have a higher frequency of subclinical atherosclerosis compared with those with psoriasis without MS. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in patients with psoriasis; MS was defined according to ATP III criteria. Demographic, clinical, and anthropometric data were obtained. Blood chemistry, high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and insulin were measure. Subclinical atherosclerosis was defined as high carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) by Mode B ultrasound. Results: 92 patients with psoriasis were included, 67 (72.8%) with MS and 25 (27.2%) without MS. Subjects with psoriasis and MS had significantly higher weight, body mass index, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, glucose, insulin, triglycerides, insulin resistance, hs-CRP, and lower level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, compared with subjects without MS. High CIMT was greater in patients with psoriasis and MS than in those without MS. Age and MS were independent predictors of increased CIMT after multiple linear regression analysis. Conclusions: MS is associated with greater inflammation and subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with psoriasis.

Resumen Introducción: Los pacientes con psoriasis tienen prevalencia incrementada de factores de riesgo y enfermedad cardiovascular. Objetivo: Determinar si los pacientes con psoriasis y síndrome metabólico (SM) tienen mayor frecuencia de ateroesclerosis subclínica comparados con pacientes con psoriasis y sin SM. Material y Métodos: Estudio transversal, en pacientes con psoriasis; SM fue definido con base en criterios ATP III. Se obtuvieron datos demográficos, clínicos y antropométricos. Se realizó química sanguínea, proteína C reactiva de alta sensibilidad (PCR-hs) e insulina. Ateroesclerosis subclínica fue definida como grosor de íntima-media carotídeo (GIMC) elevado, medido por ultrasonido tipo B. Resultados: Se incluyeron 92 pacientes con psoriasis, 67 (72.8 %) con SM y 25 (27.2 %) sin SM. Los sujetos con psoriasis y SM tuvieron valores significativamente más elevados de peso, índice de masa corporal, circunferencia de cintura, tensión arterial sistólica, glucosa, insulina, triglicéridos, resistencia a insulina, PCR-hs y menores niveles de colesterol de alta densidad, comparados con sujetos sin SM. El GIMC fue mayor en pacientes con psoriasis y SM. La edad y el SM fueron predictores independientes de mayor GIMC después de realizar múltiples análisis de regresión lineal. Conclusiones: Síndrome metabólico está asociado con mayor inflamación y ateroesclerosis subclínica en pacientes con psoriasis.

Human leukocyte antigen Class II alleles associated with acral lentiginous melanoma in Mexican Mestizo patients: A case-control study.

Background Melanoma is an aggressive cutaneous cancer. Acral lentiginous melanoma is a melanoma subtype arising on palms, soles, and nail-units. The incidence, prevalence and prognosis differ among populations. The link between expression of major histocompatibility complex Class II alleles and melanoma progression is known. However, available studies report variable results regarding the association of melanoma with specific HLA Class II loci. Aims The aim of the study was to determine HLA Class II allele frequencies in acral lentiginous melanoma patients and healthy Mexican Mestizo individuals. Methods Eighteen patients with acral lentiginous melanoma and 99 healthy controls were recruited. HLA Class II typing was performed based on the sequence-specific oligonucleotide method. Results Three alleles were associated with increased susceptibility to develop acral lentiginous melanoma, namely: HLA-DRB1*13:01; pC = 0.02, odds ratio = 6.1, IC95% = 1.4-25.5, HLA-DQA1*01:03; pC = 0.001, odds ratio = 9.3, IC95% = 2.7-31.3 and HLA-DQB1*02:02; pC = 0.01, odds ratio = 3.7, IC95% = 1.4-10.3. Limitations The small sample size was a major limitation, although it included all acral lentiginous melanoma patients seen at the dermatology department of Dr. Manuel Gea González General Hospital during the study period. Conclusion HLA-DRB1*13:01, HLA-DQB1*02:02 and HLA-DQA*01:03 alleles are associated with increased susceptibility to develop acral lentiginous melanoma in Mexican Mestizo patients.

Carotid intima-media thickness in patients with psoriasis with and without metabolic syndrome.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with psoriasis have an increased prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors as well as cardiovascular disease. OBJECTIVE: To determine if patients with psoriasis and metabolic syndrome (MS) have a higher frequency of subclinical atherosclerosis compared with those with psoriasis without MS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in patients with psoriasis; MS was defined according to ATP III criteria. Demographic, clinical, and anthropometric data were obtained. Blood chemistry, high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and insulin were measure. Subclinical atherosclerosis was defined as high carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) by Mode B ultrasound. RESULTS: 92 patients with psoriasis were included, 67 (72.8%) with MS and 25 (27.2%) without MS. Subjects with psoriasis and MS had significantly higher weight, body mass index, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, glucose, insulin, triglycerides, insulin resistance, hs-CRP, and lower level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, compared with subjects without MS. High CIMT was greater in patients with psoriasis and MS than in those without MS. Age and MS were independent predictors of increased CIMT after multiple linear regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: MS is associated with greater inflammation and subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with psoriasis.

Epidemiological, clinical, histological, and immunohistochemical study on hypopigmented epitheliotropic T-cell dyscrasia and hypopigmented mycosis fungoides.

BACKGROUND: Hypopigmented dermatoses, more evident in dark-skinned people, are a frequent cause of consultation. Their etiology includes a wide range of dermatoses, from benign to malignant diseases. The clinical presentation appears very similar between them, making the correct diagnoses and management a challenge. METHODOLOGY: Clinical records and histopathological biopsies were identified and compared in patients of the "Dr. Manuel Gea González" General Hospital throughout a 16-year period with the presumptive diagnosis of hypopigmented epitheliotropic T-cell dyscrasia (HTCD) or hypopigmented mycosis fungoides (HMF). Immunostaining analysis was performed in each specimen, the panel of antibodies used was: CD3, CD4, CD7, CD8, CD20, and CD62L. RESULTS: Thirty cases of 81 patients found in the registries were included in this study. The main age group was formed by children younger than 15 years old. The main clinical differences between both entities were gender, presence of plaques, and neck lesions. The most significant histopathological parameters used to differentiate both diagnoses were: severity of lymphocytic infiltration, the extent of epidermotropism, folliculotropism, presence of Pautrier's microabscesses, lymphocytes with cerebriform nuclei, and dermal fibroplasia. No immunohistochemical differences were found between them. CONCLUSION: The clinical distinction between HTCD and HMF continues to be a challenge, therefore an extensive clinicopathological correlation must be performed. AbCD7 and AbCD62L were not useful to differentiate both dermatoses. This paper suggests that HTCD and HMF should be considered as the beginning and the end of the same clinical spectrum.

Serum of Patients with Psoriasis Modulates the Production of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in Cells of Monocytic Lineage.

Psoriasis is triggered by several stimuli that share a systemic production of interferon (IFN)-γ and other inflammatory mediators, which are key to regulate the production of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and its inhibitor (TIMP)-1 by cells of monocytic lineage. This study evaluates the effect of the sera of 55 patients with psoriasis and 41 non-psoriatic individuals on the production of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in cultured monocytes from a single healthy blood donor and in U937 cells. The effect of IFN-γ stimulation was also evaluated. Serum and supernatant concentrations of IFN-γ, MMP-9, and TIMP-1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunoassays, and the MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratios were calculated. In monocytes, incubation with psoriasis' sera increased the production of MMP-9 and TIMP-1 in comparison with both baseline and monocytes incubated with non-psoriatic sera. Although the MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio was significantly higher compared to the baseline, no differences between groups were observed. In contrast, IFN-γ stimulation in monocytes previously exposed to psoriasis' sera increased MMP-9 levels and decreased TIMP-1 levels, whereas stimulation in monocytes exposed to non-psoriatic sera did not further modify the levels of MMP-9 or TIMP-1. Consequently, the MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio in cells exposed to psoriatic serum was significantly higher than in cells exposed to non-psoriatic sera (24.5 versus 16.7; P < 0.05). Similar results were observed in U937 cells. Therefore, our results suggest that soluble mediators in psoriatic sera may enhance the proteolytic phenotype of monocytes when stimulated with IFN-γ, which supports the existence of a primed state in the inflammatory cells of patients with psoriasis.

Dermoscopic patterns of filiform papillae of the tongue in patients with and without connective tissue autoimmune diseases.

BACKGROUND: Connective tissue autoimmune diseases (CTADs) constitute a group of conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis; systemic lupus erythematosus; mixed connective tissue disease; calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasia (CREST) syndrome; scleroderma; dermatomyositis; and Sjögren syndrome. There are few studies on the alterations in filiform papillae in CTAD. Thus, the objective of this work was to determine whether there are changes in the macroscopic and dermoscopic patterns of filiform papillae. METHODS: This case-control study included patients who were diagnosed with CTAD. The dependent variable was the dermoscopic pattern of filiform papillae of the tongue, and the independent variables were age, gender, time of evolution, and current treatment. A photograph of the back of the tongue was taken, and subsequently, the same site was examined by dermatoscopy. The microscopic and dermoscopic patterns of filiform papillae were classified (Maeda). RESULTS: We included 50 cases and 50 controls, 94% of whom were female. The mean age was 43.96 ± 14.65 years. Of the cases with CTAD, 25% presented with a normal macroscopic pattern, versus 36% (18) with pattern II, 12% (6) with pattern III, and 20% (10) with pattern IV. The dermoscopic pattern was type I in 23 cases (46%), type II in 16 (32%), type III in 10 (20%), and type IV in one patient (2%). CONCLUSIONS: We have noted alterations in filiform papillae in CTADs, which emphasizes the importance of a detailed intraoral exploration and the macroscopic and dermoscopic evaluation of the dorsum of the tongue, specifically the filiform papillae.