Journal of dermatological science
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Review Case Reports
Cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19: Report of three cases and a review of literature.
Various cutaneous manifestations have been observed in patients with COVID-19 infection. However, overall similarities in the clinical presentation of these dermatological manifestations have not yet been summarized. ⋯ Infection with COVID-19 may result in dermatological manifestations with various clinical presentations, which may aid in the timely diagnosis of this infection.
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Skin cancers have a complex disease mechanism, involving both genetic and non-genetic risk factors. Numerous meta-analyses have been published claiming statistically significant associations between non-genetic risk factors and skin cancers without applying a thorough methodological assessment. ⋯ The majority of meta-analyses on non-genetic risk factors for skin cancers suffered from large between-study heterogeneity and small-study effects or excess significance bias. The associations with convincing and highly suggestive evidence were mainly focused on skin photosensitivity and phenotypic characteristics.
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Alopecia areata (AA) is a common immune-mediated hair loss disorder. Despite its high prevalence, its etiology is still largely unknown, but it is hypothesized to have a strong genetic basis. In the last decade, there has been a major progress in the field of genetic research, leading to novel findings regarding the genetic component of AA. The aim of this review is to summarize the information collected so far in this field, the basic principles of the genetic methods used in previous studies, and new therapeutic strategies that might become available in light of the new findings.
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Autosomal recessive congenital ichthyoses (ARCI) include several severe subtypes including harlequin ichthyosis (HI), lamellar ichthyosis and non-bullous congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma. Patients with these severe types of ichthyoses frequently show severe hyperkeratosis and scales over a large part of the body surface form birth and their quality of life is often severely affected. Recently, research into the pathomechanisms of these severe congenital ichthyoses have advanced dramatically and led to the identification of several causative genes and molecules underlying the genetic defects. ⋯ Transglutaminse 1 deficiency was reported to cause a malformed cornified cell envelope leading to a defect in the intercellular lipid layers in the stratum corneum and defective stratum corneum barrier function resulting in an ichthyosis phenotype. Thus, defective intercellular lipid layers are major findings in autosomal recessive congenital ichthyoses. Information concerning ARCI genetic defects and disease pathomechanisms are beneficial for providing better treatments and genetic counseling including prenatal diagnosis for families affect by ichthyoses.
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A specialized subpopulation of unmyelinated chemonociceptors and dedicated spinal neurons which are responsible for the itch sensation have been identified recently. Under physiological conditions, painful stimuli such as activation of conventional mechano-heat-sensitive ('polymodal') nociceptors (scratching) inhibit the itch sensation via central mechanisms. ⋯ These mechanisms might well explain the itch in diseases characterized by histamine release like urticaria, and might provide evidence for the role of endogenous opioids as central itch promotors in cholestasis or nephropathy. After the discovery of itch-specific neurons has dramatically improved our understanding of itch mechanisms under experimental conditions, the present task is to correlate these new findings to the clinical situation of itch patients.