Divergent in situ expression of IL‐31 and IL‐31RA between bullous pemphigoid and pemphigus vulgaris

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) and pemphigus vulgaris (PV) are two major autoimmune blistering skin diseases. Unlike PV, BP is accompanied by intense pruritus, suggesting possible involvement of the pruritogenic cytokine IL-31. However, the underlying mechanisms of the clinical difference between BP and PV in terms of pruritus are not fully understood. To compare the expression levels of IL-31 and its receptor IL-31RA in the lesional skin, including peripheral nerves in BP and PV patients, immunohistochemical staining for IL-31 and IL-31RA was performed in skin samples of BP and PV patients and healthy controls (HC). The IL-31RA-expressing area in epidermis and peripheral nerves was analysed using ImageJ and the percentage of positive cells for IL-31/IL-31RA in dermal infiltrating cells was manually quantified. Quantitative analyses revealed that IL-31/IL-31RA expressions in the epidermis and dermal infiltrate were significantly increased in BP compared to PV and HC. The difference between BP and PV became more obvious when advanced bullous lesions were compared. Peripheral nerves in BP lesions presented significantly higher IL-31RA expression compared to PV lesions. In conclusion, we found significantly augmented expressions of IL-31/IL-31RA in BP lesions, including peripheral nerves, in comparison to PV. These results suggest a possible contribution of IL-31/IL-31RA signalling to the difference between BP and PV in the facilitation of pruritus and local skin inflammation, raising the possibility of therapeutic targeting of the IL-31/IL-31RA pathway in BP patients

Patient use of complementary and alternative medicine for psoriasis vulgaris and factors believed to trigger the disease: A multicenter cross-sectional study with 1621 patients

Introduction: Due to the chronic recurrent nature of psoriasis vulgaris (PV) and lack of definitive treatment for the disease, patients often resort to alternative treatments. Physicians seem to have low awareness of this issue. Objectives: To elicit the perceptions of 1,621 PV patients on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and examine factors reported to worsen PV. Methods: The patients sociodemographic characteristics, Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), disease duration, and severity were recorded, and the patients CAM use was questioned in detail. The patients were also asked about factors that worsened PV and their experiences with a gluten-free diet. Results: Of the patients, 56.51% had used CAM. The mean age, illness duration, PASI scores and DLQI of those using CAM were significantly higher. CAM use was significantly higher in those with facial, genital involvement, and arthralgia/arthritis. The patients mostly referred to CAM when PV became severe (46.4%). Of the CAM users, 45.52% used herbal topicals. The physicians of 67.03% did not inquire whether they used CAM. Of the participants, 37.73% considered that stress worsened their disease. Gluten-free diet did not affect PV symptoms in 52.22%. Conclusions: Patients CAM use is often overlooked by dermatologists. Our results showed that more than half the patients used CAM and did not share this information with their physicians. Therefore, the awareness of physicians should be increased and patients should be asked about the use of CAM and directed to the appropriate medical treatment options by physicians

Habits of using social media and the internet in psoriasis patients

Introduction: Psoriasis significantly affects the patients quality of life, which often leads patients to seek online information about this disease. Objectives: To explore the habits of patients with psoriasis related to their use of social media (SM) and the internet to obtain information about their disease. Methods: 1,520 patients completed the survey and the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) questionnaire. The Psoriasis Area Severity Index scores (PASI) and clinical data of the patients were recorded by their physicians. Results: Of the 1,114 patients that reported using SM and internet, 48.38% regularly and 31.14% sometimes resorted to obtain information about psoriasis. The use of SM and internet for psoriasis was statistically significantly higher among young people (P = 0.000), those with university or higher education (P = 0.009), higher DLQI (P = 0.000) and PASI (P = 0.011) scores, facial (P = 0.050), scalp (P = 0.032), hand (P = 0.048), genital (P = 0.001) and inverse (P = 0.000) involvement, and arthralgia/arthritis (P = 0.006). The participants mostly used the Google (86%) and Facebook (41%). More than half of the participants (62.8%) expected dermatologists to inform society that psoriasis is not contagious. Conclusions: Internet and SM being widely available and offering substantial information to be easily accessed make it very attractive for patients to use these platforms to investigate diseases, including psoriasis. If what is presented on SM conflicts with what the physician says, patients mostly trust the latter, but at the same time, they tend not to share the results of their online inquiries with their physicians

Türkiye'de kutanöz leishmaniasisin durumu

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania protozoon parasites is a disease which is characterized by long-term nodulo-ulcerative lesions healing spontaneously with scarring. The disease has been well-known in Anatolia for centuries and has different names such as; Urfa boil, Antep boil, year boil, Halep boil, oriental sore and beauty scar. The causative agents are Leishmania tropica and Leishmania tropica/Leishmania infantum in Southeastern Anatolia and East Mediterranean, respectively. CL is a notifiable disease in Turkey and, according to the Ministry of Health official records, 46.003 new cases were reported between 1990 and 2010. Among those cases, 96% of them were reported from the Şanlıurfa, Adana, Osmaniye, Hatay, Diyarbakır, İ;ccedil;el and Kahramanmaraş provinces. Although 45% of cases were notified from Şanlıurfa in the past 20 years, its ratio is currently decreasing while other regions' ratios have been showing an increasing trend. Easier transportation between cities, increased travel migration of the population from rural areas to the peripheral suburbs with inadequate infrastructure and unhealthy housing are thought to be the main factors for spreading the disease from Southeastern Anatolia to other regions of Turkey. Lack of treatment of patients as reservoir hosts because of different reasons and ineffective and inadequate use of insecticides against vector sand flies have also played an important role in spreading the disease. Neglect of this disease by patients and health institutions can also be considered as other factors for the spreading. We believe that, after the strategic plan for leishmaniasis prepared by the Turkish Ministry of Health with the contribution of scientists in 2011 is put into practice, the control of the disease will be more effective. (Turkiye Parazitol Derg 2012; 36: 121-9)Kutanöz leishmaniasis, deride uzun süren nodülo-ülseratif yaralarla seyredip atrofik sikatrisle iyileşen Leishmania türü protozoon parazitlerin oluşturduğu bir hastalık tablosudur. Hastalık yüzyıllardır ülkemizde tanınmakta olup Urfa Çıbanı, Antep çıbanı, yıl çıbanı, Halep Çıbanı, Şark Çıbanı, güzellik yarası gibi değişik adlarla adlandırılmaktadır. Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesi'nde hastalık etkeninin Leishmania tropica, Doğu Akdeniz Bölgesi'nde ise Leishmania infantum ve Leishmania tropica olduğu bilinmektedir. Kutanöz leishmaniasis ülkemizde ihbarı zorunlu bir hastalık olup Sağlık Bakanlığı verilerine göre 1990-2010 yılları arasında ülkemizde toplam 46.003 yeni olgu saptanmış, bu olguların %96'sı Şanlıurfa, Adana, Osmaniye, Hatay, Diyarbakır, İçel ve Kahramanmaraş illerinden bildirilmiştir. Son 20 yıldaki toplam olguların ortalama %45'inin Şanlıurfa'dan bildirilmekle birlikte son yıllarda bu oranın giderek azaldığı ve diğer bölgelerin oranlarının arttığı görülmektedir. Kentler arası ulaşımın kolaylaşması, yolculukların artması, çeşitli nedenlerle kentlere göçlerin artışına paralel olarak yetersiz altyapı ve sağlıksız konutlarda barınma gibi faktörlerin yıllardır Güneydoğu Anadolu'da sınırlı yerleşim gösteren hastalığın yayılımındaki en önemli belirleyiciler olduğu düşünülmektedir. Ülkemizde özellikle ana kaynak olduğu düşünülen hastaların (antroponotik KL) tedavi edilmemesinin yanı sıra, vektöre (hastalığı taşıyan kum sineklerine) kalıcı insektisit uygulamasının etkin ve yeterli yapılamaması da hastalığın yaygınlaşmasında önemli rol oynamaktadır. Bütün bunlar göz önüne alındığında hastalığın hastalar ve sağlık kurumları tarafından ihmal edilmesi de yayılımın artmasında rol oynayan etkenler arasında düşünülebilir. Sağlık Bakanlığı tarafından bilim insanlarının katılımı ile 2011 yılında hazırlanan Leishmaniasis Stratejik Planının da uygulanmaya konulması ile mücadelenin daha etkili hale geleceği düşünülmektedir. (Turkiye Parazitol Derg 2012; 36: 121-9