Targeted broadband ultraviolet B phototherapy improves disorders characterized by increased dermal matrix

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/72522/1/j.1365-2133.2009.09461.x.pd

Short-term Effects of 308-nm Xenon-chloride Excimer Laser and Narrow-band Ultraviolet B in the Treatment of Vitiligo: A Comparative Study

We compared the clinical efficacy of a short-term intervention of 308-nm excimer laser with that of narrow-band UVB (NBUVB) phototherapy for vitiligo patients to see the early response. Twenty-three symmetrically patterned patches of vitiligo on 8 patients were selected. Vitiligo patches on one side of the body were treated 2 times per week for a maximum of 20 treatments with the excimer laser, and NBUVB phototherapy was used on patches on the other side. Improvement (repigmentation) was assessed on a visual scale via serial photographs taken every five treatments and scored as follows: 0, ≤1% improvement; 1, ≤25% improvement; 2, 26-50% improvement; 3, 51-75% improvement; and 4, ≥75% improvement. At five treatments, the excimer laser-treated patches had an average score of 0.26, compared with 0.04 for patches treated with NBUVB phototherapy. A slightly higher repigmentation (p>0.05) in the excimer treated area was thus observed. At 10, 15, or 20 treatments, the differences between the average scores were significant: 0.83, 1.17, and 1.39 for the excimer-treated patches, and 0.17, 0.30, and 0.74 for the NBUVB phototherapy-treated areas (p<0.05). In conclusion, the 308-nm excimer laser appears to be more effective than NBUVB phototherapy, as it produces more rapid and profound repigmentation

Nitric Oxide Synthesis Inhibition and Anti-Inflammatory Effect of Polypeptide Isolated from Chicken Feather Meal in Lipopolysaccharide-Stimulated RAW 264.7 Macrophages

Dušikov oksid ima ključnu ulogu u mehanizmu nastanka upalnog procesa te uzrokuje ozljedu tkiva. Brašno od perja kokoši bogato je aminokiselinama te može poslužiti za inhibiciju sinteze dušikovog oksida kao hidrolizat peptida. Pripremljeni su hidrolizati brašna od perja s protuupalnim svojstvima, koji su razdvojeni u pet skupina prema molekulskoj masi. Najmanja je frakcija (<0,65 kDa) najbolje inhibirala sintezu dušikovog oksida, a da nije djelovala citotoksično na stanice mikrofaga RAW 264.7. Daljnjim razdvajanjem dobivene su subfrakcije u količinama dovoljnim za provedbu analize aminokiselinskog slijeda metodom Q-TOF LC-MS/MS ESI. Peptid SNPSVAGVR (885,97 Da) i odgovarajući čisti sintetizirani peptid inhibirali sintezu dušikovog oksida (IC50=(55,2±0,2)) u makrofagu RAW 264.7, a da nisu imale citotoksični učinak. Rezultati dobiveni pomoću metoda RT-PCR i kvantitativne RT-PCR pokazuju da dobiveni peptid SNPSVAGVR smanjuje ekspresiju upalnih citokina iNOS, TNF-α, COX-2 i IL-6 u stanicama RAW 264.7 stimuliranim pomoću lipopolisaharida. Time je potvrđeno da se peptidi iz proteina brašna od perja mogu primijeniti kao dodatak funkcionalnoj hrani ili nutraceuticima, a za smanjenje upalnih procesa.Nitric oxide (NO) plays a key role in the pathogenesis of inflammation and has been implicated in endotoxin-induced tissue injury. Chicken feather meal is a rich source of amino acids that may serve as a peptide hydrolysate to inhibit NO activity. Anti-inflammatory hydrolysates of chicken feather meal were prepared and fractionated into five samples based on molecular mass. The smallest fraction (<0.65 kDa) exhibited the highest NO inhibitory activity without cytotoxicity towards macrophage RAW 264.7 cells. Further subfractions were sufficient to obtain amino acid sequences by Q-TOF LC-MS/MS ESI analysis. Of these, the SNPSVAGVR (885.97 Da) peptide and its corresponding pure synthetic peptide have inhibitory activity against NO production by RAW 264.7 cells (IC50=(55.2±0.2) mM) without cytotoxicity. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and quantitative real-time RT-PCR results revealed that the peptide of the obtained fraction reduced transcript expression levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokines iNOS, TNF-α, COX-2 and IL-6 in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. These results suggest that the peptides derived from the chicken feather meal protein could potentially be used as a promising ingredient in functional foods or nutraceuticals against inflammatory diseases

Keratinocyte Apoptosis in Epidermal Remodeling and Clearance of Psoriasis Induced by UV Radiation

Psoriasis is a common chronic skin disorder, but the mechanisms involved in the resolution and clearance of plaques remain poorly defined. We investigated the mechanism of action of UVB, which is highly effective in clearing psoriasis and inducing remission, and tested the hypothesis that apoptosis is a key mechanism. To distinguish bystander effects, equal erythemal doses of two UVB wavelengths were compared following in vivo irradiation of psoriatic plaques; one is clinically effective (311 nm) and one has no therapeutic effect on psoriasis (290 nm). Only 311 nm UVB induced significant apoptosis in lesional epidermis, and most apoptotic cells were keratinocytes. To determine clinical relevance, we created a computational model of psoriatic epidermis. Modeling predicted apoptosis would occur in both stem and transit-amplifying cells to account for plaque clearance; this was confirmed and quantified experimentally. The median rate of keratinocyte apoptosis from onset to cell death was 20 minutes. These data were fed back into the model and demonstrated that the observed level of keratinocyte apoptosis was sufficient to explain UVB-induced plaque resolution. Our human studies combined with a systems biology approach demonstrate that keratinocyte apoptosis is a key mechanism in psoriatic plaques clearance, providing the basis for future molecular investigation and therapeutic development

CD1a expression in psoriatic skin following treatment with propylthiouracil, an antithyroid thioureylene

BACKGROUND: The antithyroid thioureylenes, propylthiouracil (PTU) and methimazole (MMI), are effective in the treatment of patients with plaque psoriasis. The mechanism of action of the drugs in psoriasis is unknown. Since the drugs reduce circulating IL-12 levels in patients with Graves' hyperthyroidism, the effect of propylthiouracil on CD1a expression in psoriatic lesions was examined in biopsy samples of patients with plaque psoriasis. CD1a is a marker of differentiated skin antigen presenting cells (APC, Langerhans cells). Langerhans cells and skin monocyte/macrophages are the source of IL-12, a key cytokine involved in the events that lead to formation of the psoriatic plaque. METHODS: Biopsy specimens were obtained from six patients with plaque psoriasis who were treated with 300 mg propylthiouracil (PTU) daily for three months. Clinical response to PTU as assessed by PASI scores, histological changes after treatment, and CD1a expression in lesional skin before and after treatment were studied. RESULTS: Despite significant improvement in clinical and histological parameters the expression of CD1a staining cells in the epidermis did not decline with propylthiouracil treatment. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that the beneficial effect of propylthiouracil in psoriasis is mediated by mechanisms other than by depletion of skin antigen-presenting cells

A systematic review of the use of quality-of-life instruments in randomized controlled trials for psoriasis

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: F. M. Ali, A. C. Cueva, J. Vyas, A. A. Atwan, M. S. Salek, A. Y. Finlay, and V. Piguet, ‘A systematic review of the use of quality-of-life instruments in randomized controlled trials for psoriasis’, British Journal of Dermatology, Vol. 176 (3): 577-593, March 2017, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.14788. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.Planners of interventional studies in psoriasis face the dilemma of selecting suitable quality-of-life (QoL) measures. Systematic reviews have the potential of identifying psychometrically sound measures in a given therapeutic area, while guiding the development of practice guidelines. The aim of this systematic review was to generate evidence of the use of QoL instruments in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for interventions in psoriasis. The methodology followed the PRISMA guidelines. Six databases were searched with 388 search terms. Abstracts of articles were reviewed independently by two assessors, and a third adjudicator resolved any opinion differences. Risk of bias was assessed using the Jadad scale. Of 3646 screened publications, 99 articles (100 trials) met the eligibility criteria for inclusion, describing research on 33 215 patients. Thirty-three trials tested topical therapy, 18 systemic, 39 biologics, nine phototherapy and 10 other interventions. The Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) was the most commonly used QoL instrument (83 studies, 83%), followed by the 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) (31, 31%), EuroQoL-5D (EQ-5D) (15, 15%), Psoriasis Disability Index (14, 14%) and Skindex (five, 5%). There was widespread inconsistency in the way that QoL data were reported. Of the 100 trials identified, 37 reported minimal clinically important difference (MCID): 32 for DLQI, 10 for SF-36 and six for EQ-5D. QoL measurement is increasingly being reported in RCTs of psoriasis. Formal guidelines are needed for assessment and publishing of QoL data. Researchers should consider whether MCID information is available, and development of MCID data should be encouraged.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio