German evidence-based guidelines for the treatment of Psoriasis vulgaris (short version)

Psoriasis vulgaris is a common and chronic inflammatory skin disease which has the potential to significantly reduce the quality of life in severely affected patients. The incidence of psoriasis in Western industrialized countries ranges from 1.5 to 2%. Despite the large variety of treatment options available, patient surveys have revealed insufficient satisfaction with the efficacy of available treatments and a high rate of medication non-compliance. To optimize the treatment of psoriasis in Germany, the Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft and the Berufsverband Deutscher Dermatologen (BVDD) have initiated a project to develop evidence-based guidelines for the management of psoriasis. The guidelines focus on induction therapy in cases of mild, moderate, and severe plaque-type psoriasis in adults. The short version of the guidelines reported here consist of a series of therapeutic recommendations that are based on a systematic literature search and subsequent discussion with experts in the field; they have been approved by a team of dermatology experts. In addition to the therapeutic recommendations provided in this short version, the full version of the guidelines includes information on contraindications, adverse events, drug interactions, practicality, and costs as well as detailed information on how best to apply the treatments described (for full version, please see Nast et al., JDDG, Suppl 2:S1–S126, 2006; or http://www.psoriasis-leitlinie.de)

DETECTION OF HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS DNA IN NONGENITAL SEBORRHEIC KERATOSES

The histological similarities of seborrhoeic keratoses and common warts led to the investigation of the possible occurrence of human papillomavirus DNA (HPV-DNA) in a large number of nongenital seborrhoeic keratoses using the in situ hybridization technique, All specimens derived from normal skin (n = 173) were negative for the applied HPV-DNA probe, whereas the HPV genome was detected in 33 of 173 seborrhoeic keratosis specimens (19.65%). Of 34 HPV-positive specimens, 15 contained types 6/11 and 14 types 31/33/35, and 5 showed no positive reaction to the applied types. These results suggest that a considerable percentage of nongenital seborrhoeic keratoses may be related to an HPV infection

Mechanical behaviour of scalp hair in premature and full-term neonates

Using a new computerized methodological procedure a separate analysis and a quantitative determination of the viscous and elastic parameters of the scalp hair shaft were performed in 37 neonates of both sexes with a gestational age of 28-29 weeks (n = 16) and 39-40 weeks (n = 21), respectively. A statistically significant (p < 0.001) decrease in the values of modulus of elasticity (Eα) was found in the hair shaft of premature neonates, as compared to the full-term ones, whereas the values of postyield slope (Eβ) and of SDIS/SSTOR (viscous parameter) did not significantly differ in the two groups. The decrease in modulus of elasticity in the hair shaft of premature neonates may be interpreted in terms of an insufficient number of disulphide bonds between the α-helical keratin units of the hair cortex or of a disordered arrangement of microfibrils within the matrix. Further studies are now warranted to determine the pattern of mechanical parameters of the scalp hair shaft in large numbers of newborn infants of different gestational ages and to answer the question as to whether this pattern might be useful in the accurate postnatal assessment of fetal maturation. © 1997 S. Karger AG, Basel