Harmonized clinical trial methodologies for localized cutaneous leishmaniasis and potential for extensive network with capacities for clinical evaluation

International audienceINTRODUCTION: Progress with the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) has been hampered by inconsistent methodologies used to assess treatment effects. A sizable number of trials conducted over the years has generated only weak evidence backing current treatment recommendations, as shown by systematic reviews on old-world and new-world CL (OWCL and NWCL).MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a previously published guidance paper on CL treatment trial methodology as the reference, consensus was sought on key parameters including core eligibility and outcome measures, among OWCL (7 countries, 10 trial sites) and NWCL (7 countries, 11 trial sites) during two separate meetings.RESULTS: Findings and level of consensus within and between OWCL and NWCL sites are presented and discussed. In addition, CL trial site characteristics and capacities are summarized.CONCLUSIONS: The consensus reached allows standardization of future clinical research across OWCL and NWCL sites. We encourage CL researchers to adopt and adapt as required the proposed parameters and outcomes in their future trials and provide feedback on their experience. The expertise afforded between the two sets of clinical sites provides the basis for a powerful consortium with potential for extensive, standardized assessment of interventions for CL and faster approval of candidate treatments

Interleukin-10 and Interferon-γ Levels in Patients with Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Treated with Cryotherapy

Pentavalent antimonials, as the 1st choice for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), have various side effects. Also, there are some reports of drug resistance. Due to its safety, cryotherapy can be a good alternative or complementary treatment in CL. The aim of this study was to explore the possible systemic immunological mechanisms of cryotherapy besides its local effects in the treatment of CL. Twenty patients with CL were selected. The disease was confirmed via a direct smear. A venous blood sample was collected to determine IL-10 and IFN-γ levels before starting cryotherapy. Then, 1 week after 8 sessions of cryotherapy were completed (i.e., 63 d), a 2nd venous sample was taken in order to compare the results with the pretreatment levels of these cytokines using the ELISA method. Cryotherapy resulted in no change in the levels of IL-10 and significantly increased the IFN-γ levels in our patients with CL. Given these inconclusive or even mixed results, a larger sample size is needed in order to better assess the systemic immunological effects of cryotherapy

COVID‐19 infection and Leser–Trelat sign: Is there an association?

Key Clinical Message The etiology of the Leser–Trélat sign is still unknown, it is likely that viral infections like COVID‐19 can be associated with eruptive seborrheic keratosis, although the exact pathogenesis is still not clear, but this phenomenon can be due to TNF‐alpha and TGF‐alpha and immunosuppression condition as well as in COVID‐19 infection. Abstract Seborrheic keratosis is a typical benign skin lesion that is almost always seen in elderly populations. The sudden increase in size or an increase in the number of these lesions is called Leser–Trelat sign, this sign is suggesting as a paraneoplastic appearance of internal malignancy. But, Leser–Trelat sign is also described in some nonmalignant conditions, for example, human immunodeficiency virus infection and human papillomavirus infection. Herein, we describe a patient with Leser–Trelat sign after recovery from COVID‐19 infection with no evidence of internal malignancy. This case was partially presented as a poster in the 102nd Annual Congress of British Association of Dermatologists in Glasgow, Scotland from July 5 2022 to July 7 2022. British Journal of Dermatology, 187, 2022 and 35. The patient signed written informed consent to permit the publication of the case report without identifying data and to use the photography for publication. The researchers committed to maintaining patient confidentiality. Institutional ethics committee approved the case report (ethics code: IR.sums.med.rec.1400.384)

Predictive value of the cow′s milk skin prick test in infantile colic

Background and Objectives : Infantile colic is a common problem among young infants. Cow′s milk allergy has been suggested as one of the causes. We aimed to investigate the value of the cow′s milk skin test for the diagnosis of cow′s milk allergy in exclusively breast-fed infants with infantile colic. Methods : Exclusively breast-fed infants with infantile colic were enrolled in this study. On the first visit, the average hours of crying of the infant in a 24-h period were recorded and the cow′s milk skin test was performed. If the infant had a positive skin test, elimination of cow′s milk from the mothers′ diet was advised. Infants with negative skin tests were divided into case and control groups. Cow′s milk was eliminated from the diet of mothers in the case group. After 2 weeks, the number of hours of crying were recorded again. The reduction in the crying hours was compared between the two groups using the chi-square test. Results : Skin tests were positive in 3 of 114 cases (2.6%) of infantile colic. All three cases recovered completely following elimination of cow′s milk from the mother′s diet. Among the 111 patients with negative skin tests, 77 patients completed the study: 35 in the case group and 42 in the control group. The reduction in crying hours in infants in the case group was not significantly different from that in the control group. Conclusion : Elimination of cow′s milk from the mothers′ diet is not beneficial for infants with a negative skin test. Infants with a positive skin test may benefit from this management

Factors influencing acceptance or rejection by Iranian medical researchers of invitations to peer review

Background: Peer review is a necessary but costly and time-consuming process to identify good-quality and methodologically sound articles and improve them before publication. Finding good peer reviewers is often difficult.Objective: To identify the incentives that make Iranian biomedical researchers accept invitations to be a peer reviewer and factors that affect these incentives.Methods: Twelve reviewers selected at random from the reviewers pool of each of 26 biomedical journals published from Fars province, Iran, were surveyed using a questionnaire that we had developed and tested in a pilot study of 30 reviewers (Cronbach’s alpha of 0.779). The data included the reviewers’ demographics, history of their reviews, and choice of 11 reasons each for accepting or declining the invitation to review.Results: A total of 233 reviewers completed the questionnaire. The most important reasons for accepting the invitation to review were the journal’s practice to publish the names of the reviewers alongside the article they had reviewed, acknowledgement by the journals by publishing the names of reviewers once a year, free access to journals’ content, and lower publication charges as authors. The most common reasons to decline the invitation were lack of time, busy schedules, and lack of sufficient incentive to review.Conclusion: Acknowledgement by the journal, offering to publish the names of reviewers alongside the articles they had reviewed, and monetary rewards will be effective incentives for biomedical researchers in Iran to serve as peer reviewers