Search results for "dermatology"

Retrospective Analysis of Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy-Associated Cases of Bullous Pemphigoid From Six German Dermatology Centers

2021

Immune-related adverse events (irAEs) are a class-effect of checkpoint inhibitors (CIs). The development of a Bullous pemphigoid (BP)-like blistering disease, driven by autoantibodies against the hemidesmosomal protein BP180, is a potentially serious irAE whose incidence seems to be increasing. We therefore set out to characterize the clinical and (immuno)histopathological features and treatment responses of cases of BP which developed during or after CI therapy collated in six German tertiary referral centers between 2014 and 2018. We identified twelve cases of BP which emerged during and/or after CI therapy. The time interval between the initiation of CI therapy and the diagnosis of BP wa…

Verrucous Plaque With Unusually Large Candida Blastoconidia: A Unique Clinicopathological Presentation of Systemic Mucocutaneous Candidiasis.

2018

Mucocutaneous candidiasis is a common infection affecting both immunocompetent and immunosuppressed individuals. Diversity in the clinical and histopathological presentation of mucocutaneous candidiasis is well known. However, the occurrence of cutaneous verrucous lesions and giant yeast-like structures has been rarely reported. In this article, we describe a case of disseminated mucocutaneous candidiasis in an immunosuppressed patient who presented as a verrucous plaque on the scrotum with giant Candida blastoconidia. This peculiar presentation expands the clinicopathological spectrum of mucocutaneous candidiasis and highlights the wide range of clinical manifestations and great morphologi…

The predictive power of transcranial sonography in movement disorders: a longitudinal cohort study.

2018

Transcranial sonography (TCS) is a noninvasive, easily performed, and commonly available neuroimaging technique useful for the study of brain parenchyma in movement disorders. This tool has been increasingly used in the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease and atypical parkinsonism. The aim of the study was to evaluate the applicability of this technique as supportive tool in the early diagnosis of movement disorders. We performed TCS on 315 individuals which were diagnosed as healthy controls or affected by idiopathic Parkinson’s disease, monogenetic subtypes of Parkinson’s disease, atypical parkinsonism, and Dementia with Lewy bodies. Five TCS diagnostic patterns were defined on the basis of …

Origin of modern syphilis and emergence of a pandemic Treponema pallidum cluster

2016

The abrupt onslaught of the syphilis pandemic that started in the late fifteenth century established this devastating infectious disease as one of the most feared in human history1 . Surprisingly, despite the availability of effective antibiotic treatment since the mid-twentieth century, this bacterial infection, which is caused by Treponema pallidum subsp. pallidum (TPA), has been re-emerging globally in the last few decades with an estimated 10.6 million cases in 2008 (ref. 2). Although resistance to penicillin has not yet been identified, an increasing number of strains fail to respond to the secondline antibiotic azithromycin3. Little is known about the genetic patterns in current infec…

Real-time polymerase chain reaction detection of Lichtheimia species in bandages associated with cutaneous mucormycosis in burn patients

2018

Summary Background Cutaneous mucormycoses, mainly due to Lichtheimia (Absidia), have occurred on several occasions in the Burn Unit of the University Hospital of Lille, France. Aim To investigate the potential vector role of non-sterile bandages used to hold in place sterile gauze used for wound dressing. Methods Mycological analysis by conventional culture, Mucorales real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), and Lichtheimia species-specific qPCR were performed on eight crepe and six elasticized bandages that were sampled on two independent occasions in March 2014 and July 2016. Characteristics of the seven Lichtheimia mucormycoses which occurred in burn patients between November 2013 and…

2016

Common birthmarks can be an indicator of underlying genetic disease but are often overlooked. Mongolian blue spots (dermal melanocytosis) are usually localized and transient, but they can be extensive, permanent, and associated with extracutaneous abnormalities. Co-occurrence with vascular birthmarks defines a subtype of phakomatosis pigmentovascularis, a group of syndromes associated with neurovascular, ophthalmological, overgrowth, and malignant complications. Here, we discover that extensive dermal melanocytosis and phakomatosis pigmentovascularis are associated with activating mutations in GNA11 and GNAQ, genes that encode Gα subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins. The mutations were det…

Myeloid cell populations and fibrogenic parameters in bleomycin- and HOCl-induced fibrosis

2016

Mouse models resembling systemic sclerosis can be chemically induced by application of bleomycin or hypochloric acid (HOCl). To date, little is known about inflammatory cells and their potential role in scleroderma (Scl)-related fibrosis. Therefore, we compared both Scl models to define the early immune cell subsets in relation to fibrosis-related parameters. Both agents induced a significant increase in dermal thickness and collagen deposition after 4 weeks, as hallmarks of Scl. However, clinical skin thickness, densely packed, sirius red-stained collagen bundles and collagen cross-links were more pronounced in HOCl-induced Scl. In parallel, there was a significant upregulation of procolla…

Anisakis sensitization in different population groups and public health impact. A systematic review

2018

Anisakis simplex spp. sensitization rates have increased worldwide, with a significant impact on health-care systems. To date, no clear-cut diagnostic criteria and laboratory algorithm have been established, so anisakiasis still represents an under-reported health problem whose clinical manifestations, when present, mimic the much more common allergic and digestive disorders. Aim of the study was to systematically review the available literature on the prevalence of sensitization against Anisakis in the general population and in specific population groups, taking into account the impact of the different available diagnostic techniques on the epidemiological data. Following the Preferred Rep…

Parasite Clearance in Leishmaniasis in Resistant Animals Is Independent of the IL-23/IL-17A Axis

2015

Regulatory T Cells Prevent Neutrophilic Infiltration of Skin during Contact Hypersensitivity Reactions by Strengthening the Endothelial Barrier

2020

The healing phase of contact hypersensitivity reactions is critically dependent on regulatory T cells (Tregs), but even the early inflammatory phase, that is, 6-24 hours after induction of a contact hypersensitivity reaction, is susceptible to Treg-mediated suppression. To investigate the underlying mechanisms, we injected Tregs before the challenge and analyzed the skin-infiltrating cells as early as 6 hours later. Early on, we found mainly neutrophils in the challenged skin, but only a few T cells. This influx of neutrophils was blocked by the injection of Tregs, indicating that they were able to prevent the first wave of leukocytes, which are responsible for starting an immune reaction. …