Ischemic Heart Disease in Chronic Hepatitis B: A Danish Nationwide Cohort Study

OBJECTIVE: Data on the risk of ischemic heart disease (IHD) in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (CHB) are conflicting. Our objective was to address the rate of IHD in patients with CHB compared with individuals without CHB (control-persons) from the general population. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We conducted a cohort study of prospectively obtained data from Danish nationwide registries. We produced cumulative incidence curves and calculated the unadjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) of IHD in persons with and without CHB. The adjusted association between having CHB and developing IHD was examined using a cause-specific Cox regression model. RESULTS: In total, 6472 persons with CHB and 62,251 age- and sex-matched individuals from the general population were followed for 48,840 and 567,456 person-years, respectively, during which 103 (1,59%) with CHB and 1058 (1,70%) control-persons developed IHD. The crude IRR was 1.13 (95% CI: 0.91–1.39). CHB did not have a statistically significant effect on the rate of IHD after adjusting for several confounding factors (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.96, 95% CI: 0.76–1.21). CONCLUSION: In this nationwide cohort study, we did not find any difference between rate of IHD in persons with CHB in comparison with the general population

Study of the distribution of Malassezia species in patients with pityriasis versicolor and healthy individuals in Tehran, Iran

BACKGROUND: Pityriasis versicolor is a superficial infection of the stratum corneum which caused by a group of yeasts formerly named pityrosporium. The taxonomy of these lipophilic yeasts has recently been modified and includes seven species referred as Malassezia. The aim of this study is to compare the distribution of Malassezia species isolated from pityriasis versicolor lesions and those isolated from healthy skins. METHODS: Differentiation of all malassezia species performed using morphological features and physiological test including catalase reaction, Tween assimilation test and splitting of esculin. RESULTS: In pityriasis versicolor lesions, the most frequently isolated species was M. globosa (53.3%), followed by M. furfur (25.3%), M. sympodialis(9.3%), M. obtusa (8.1%) and M. slooffiae (4.0%). The most frequently isolated species in the skin of healthy individuals were M. globosa, M. sympodialis, M. furfur, M. sloofiae and M. restricta which respectively made up 41.7%, 25.0%, 23.3%, 6.7% and 3.3% of the isolated species. CONCLUSIONS: According to our data, M. globosa was the most prevalent species in the skin of healthy individuals which recovered only in the yeast form. However, the Mycelial form of M. globosa was isolated as the dominant species from pityriasis versicolor lesions. Therefore, the role of predisposing factors in the conversion of this yeast to mycelium and its subsequent involvement in pityriasis versicolor pathogenicity should be considered

The Effect of A100 Gel, on Hair Growth and Hair Quality: An Explanatory Study

Abstract Male pattern baldness or androgenic alopecia is a great problem for many individuals' especially young people. A100 is composed of two active ingredients, a pollen extract and pentane-1,5-diol. The pollen extract provides a source of natural nutrients and pentane-1,5-diol acts as a solvent to unplug the hair follicle as well as acts as an enhancer for uptake of nutrients. Other components are claimed to increase blood flow to the hair papilla. A100 has been effective in earlier studies. The aim of this open explanatory study was to investigate the effect of 4 months twice daily application with this commercial pollen gel, A100, in subjects with male androgenic alopecia. Twenty male subjects, between 18 and 40 years with androgenic alopecia were included. A100 gel was applied to the area of the scalp with poor hair growth twice daily for 4 months. The subjects were seen at the start of treatment and then every month. Sixteen subjects fulfilled the whole 4 months of treatment and 2 fulfilled 3 months of treatment. A statistically significant increase in number of hairs was seen after 4 months of treatment with A100 (p < 0.001). This effect was seen for all types of hair. Fifty-six percent of the 16 subjects who fulfilled the 4 months treatment had an increase in hair growth of more than 50%, and 31% had an increase over 100%. No side effects were seen and the subjects found A100 gel a cosmetically attractive treatment. A100 was in this explanatory study an effective and safe treatment for androgenic alopecia or male pattern baldness