Skin Research and Technology最新文献

Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a refractory disease that occurs in clinical practice. One of the most common inflammatory skin diseases, its occurrence and development are related to inflammation. Nevertheless, the precise nature of the relationship between circulating inflammatory proteins and AD remains uncertain.

Methods: A two-sample MR analysis was performed to determine the causal relationship between the expression of 91 circulating inflammatory proteins and AD by using genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary statistics data from the FinnGen consortia. The robustness of the MR results was assessed by means of sensitivity analysis.

Results: The causal relationship between the expression of nine specific circulating inflammatory proteins and AD was corroborated by the inverse variance weighted (IVW) method. The findings indicated that three circulating inflammatory proteins, namely, interleukin-18 receptor 1 [OR (CI) = 1.08 (1.05-1.11); p = 0.000001)], interleukin-8 [OR (CI) = 1.07 (1.00-1.14); p = 0.036244)], and tumor necrosis factor ligand superfamily member 14 [OR (CI) = 1.05 (1.00-1.10); p = 0.036842)], were positively correlated with AD. Additionally, six circulating inflammatory proteins were negatively correlated with AD: the T-cell surface glycoprotein CD5 [OR (CI) = 0.89 (0.84-0.95); p = 0.000191)], macrophage colony-stimulating factor 1 [OR (CI) = 0.93 (0.88-0.99); p = 0.031422)], fractalkine [OR (CI) = 0.91 (0.85-0.97); p = 0.003067)], interleukin-24 [OR (CI) = 0.91 (0.83-0.99); p = 0.031673)], signaling lymphocytic activation molecule [OR(CI) = 0.94 (0.89-1.00); p = 0.039818)], and urokinase-type plasminogen activator [OR(CI) = 0.95 (0.90-1.00); p = 0.037037)].

Conclusion: This study confirms the potential causal relationship between circulating inflammatory proteins and AD and provides guidance for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of AD.

Objective: Our aim was to assess the effectiveness of stromal vascular fraction (SVF) in treating scars using the latest meta-analysis.

Methods: We used PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science to search the studies used to evaluate the efficacy of SVF in scar treatment. At least one of the following outcome measures were reported: vascularity, pigmentation, thickness, relief, pliability, surface area, pain, itching and color.

Results: A total of four eligible articles comprising 145 patients (64 SVF patients and 81 non-SVF patients) were included. The findings of this meta-analysis indicated that SVF had significant therapeutic effects in terms of vascularity (SMD/MD, 95% CI: -1.12, -0.02; p = 0.04), itching (SMD/MD, 95% CI: -0.61, -0.13; p = 0.002), POSAS (SMD/MD, 95% CI: -5.93, -1.47; p = 0.001), and thickness (SMD/MD, 95% CI: -1.04, -0.35; p < 0.001). In terms of OSAS (SMD/MD, 95% CI: -9.14, 0.59; p = 0.09), pigmentation (SMD/MD, 95% CI: -1.02, 0.06; p = 0.08), relief (SMD/MD, 95% CI: -1.14, 0.16; p = 0.14), surface area (SMD/MD, 95% CI: -0.91, 0.26; p = 0.27), PSAS (SMD/MD, 95% CI: -7.20, 0.49; p = 0.09), pain (SMD/MD, 95% CI: -0.87, 0.07; p = 0.10), pliability (SMD/MD, 95% CI: -0.57, 0.01; p = 0.06), and color (SMD/MD, 95% CI: -1.78, 0.48; p = 0.26), there were no significant statistical differences.

Conclusion: In view of the heterogeneity and potential selective bias, further large-scale, prospective, and multicenter clinical trials are needed to confirm the efficacy and reliability of SVF in the treatment of scars.

Objective: Oxidative stress is strongly associated with atopic dermatitis (AD), and increased antioxidant intake could potentially reduce the risk of or alleviate its symptoms. However, the argument is disputed. Therefore, we conducted a Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to explore the causal relationship between dietary antioxidant vitamin intake and AD.

Methods: We applied MR analysis to examine the causative association between dietary antioxidant vitamin intake (vitamin C, vitamin E, carotene, and retinol) and AD. The genome-wide association study (GWAS) summary data for antioxidant vitamins intake and AD were obtained from the IEU OpenGWAS database and the UK biobank. Our study consisted of two major parts, MR analysis to detect the causal relationship between exposure and outcome, and sensitivity analysis as supplemental evidence to verify the robustness of the results.

Result: The results revealed a suggestive causal relationship between vitamin E intake and AD (p = 0.038, OR 95% CI = 0.745-0.992). However, there was no causal relationship between the other three vitamins (vitamin C, carotene, and retinol) and AD (p = 0.507, OR 95% CI = 0.826-1.099) (p = 0.890, OR 95% CI = 0.864-1.184) (p = 0.492, OR 95% CI = 0.893-1.264). None of the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected as heterogeneous and pleiotropy in the sensitivity analysis (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: The analysis suggested that dietary intake of vitamin E may potentially lower the risk of AD. Conversely, intake of vitamin C, retinol, and carotene is not causally related to AD. Although vitamin E intake could be protective against AD, intake of dietary antioxidant vitamins to prevent or treat AD is not necessary.

Background: Pressure ulcer (PU) is known to be associated with abnormalities of micronutrient status. However, to date, it is not clear whether a causal relationship exists between circulating levels of micronutrients and their supplementations and PU.

Methods: A two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was conducted using summary statistics from Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS). Genetic instrumental variables (IVs) for 13 micronutrients were identified from a GWAS of 67 582 participants, IVs for supplement zinc were acquired from 18 826 cases and 44 255 880 controls, and IVs for PU were obtained from 663 PUs and 207 482 controls. The MR analysis was conducted using the MR base platform. The main analysis method was inverse variance weighted (IVW) analysis, supplemented by MR Egger, Weighted median, Weighted mode, and Simple mode analyses. Heterogeneity was assessed using Cochran's Q statistic for MR-IVW and Rucker's Q statistic for MR-Egger. Pleiotropy was determined by the MR-Egger regression. Sensitivity analysis was conducted using the leave-one-out method, and publication bias was evaluated using funnel plots.

Results: Genetically predicted lower circulating zinc levels were found to be causally linked to the development of PU (OR = 0.758, 95%CI 0.583-0.987, P = 0.040). However, there was no significant evidence of a causal relationship between supplemental zinc intake and PU development (P > 0.05). Additionally, no causal association was observed between the other circulating micronutrients and the occurrence of PU. Furthermore, there was no indication of horizontal pleiotropy or heterogeneity among genetic variants (P > 0.05), and the robustness of the findings was confirmed through leave-one-out tests and funnel plots.

Conclusions: Our findings indicate a potential causal association between circulating zinc levels and decreased risk of PU. However, zinc supplementation did not demonstrate a significant reduction in the risk of PU. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms through which zinc influences the pathogenesis of PU and evaluate the efficacy of zinc supplementation in the prevention and management of PU.

Background: Increasing evidence has revealed that granulocyte has a critical role in tumorigenesis and progression. In this study, Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was utilized for estimating the causal association between neutrophil percentage and melanoma skin cancer, eosinophil percentage and melanoma skin cancer, basophil percentage and melanoma skin cancer, respectively.

Methods: The Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) ids for melanoma skin cancer, neutrophil percentage, eosinophil percentage and basophil percentage were derived from Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU) Open GWAS database. The univariable MR (UVMR) analysis was conducted to estimate the risk using MR-Egger, weighted median, inverse variance weighted (IVW). In addition, sensitivity analysis was conducted to assess the reliability of UVMR results. Finally, the multivariable MR (MVMR) analysis was performed to investigate causality between neutrophil percentage and eosinophil percentage in the presence of both and melanoma skin cancer.

Results: The UVMR indicated that neutrophil percentage and eosinophil percentage were significantly and causally related to melanoma skin cancer, with neutrophil percentage [p = 0.025, odds ratio (OR) = 1.002] as a risk factor and eosinophil percentage (p = 7.04E-06, OR = 0.997) as a protective factor. Moreover, MVMR analysis indicated eosinophil percentage remained the protective factor (p = 0.003, OR = 0.998), while the causality of neutrophil percentage and melanoma skin cancer became insignificant (p > 0.05).

Conclusion: The causal relationships of neutrophil percentage and melanoma skin cancer, eosinophil percentage and melanoma skin cancer were shown by this study, which provided a reference for subsequent research and treatment related to melanoma skin cancer.

Background: This study aims to elucidate the therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms of montmorillonite powder on wound healing in mice with Stage II pressure ulcers, thereby providing a robust foundation for its clinical application in the treatment of such ulcers.

Materials and methods: Sixty 8-week-old specific pathogen-free male BALB/c mice were randomly allocated into three groups: a model group (where Stage II pressure ulcers were induced using the magnet pressure method and the wounds were dressed with gauze soaked in 0.9% sodium chloride solution), a treatment group (where, following the induction of Stage II pressure ulcer models, wounds were uniformly treated with montmorillonite powder), and a control group (where magnets were placed in the same location without exerting magnetic pressure). Skin histopathology was assessed via light microscopy. Wound healing progress over various intervals was quantified utilizing Image-Pro Plus software. Histopathological alterations in the wounds were examined through hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. The expression of growth factor proteins within the wound tissue was analyzed using the streptavidin-peroxidase method. Furthermore, the levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), collagen types I and III (COL-I, COL-III) proteins were quantified via Western blotting, serum concentrations of inflammatory mediators in mice were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and the levels of oxidative stress markers in wound tissues were measured using UV-visible spectrophotometry.

Results: The treatment group exhibited significantly reduced serum levels of interleukin-1β, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and elevated levels of interleukin-4 compared to the model group (p < 0.05). Additionally, the expression of transforming growth factor-beta1, basic fibroblast growth factor, epidermal growth factor, VEGF, COL-I, and COL-III proteins in wound tissues was significantly higher in the treatment group than in the model group (p < 0.05). Levels of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in wound tissues were higher, and levels of malondialdehyde were lower in the treatment group compared to the model group (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Montmorillonite powder facilitates wound healing and augments the healing rate of Stage II pressure ulcers in model mice. Its mechanism of action is likely associated with mitigating wound inflammation, reducing oxidative stress damage, promoting angiogenesis, and enhancing the synthesis of growth factors and collagen.

Background: Facial aging (FA) is a complex process influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Gut microbiota (GM), gut microbiota metabolic pathways (GMMPs), and blood metabolites (BMs) have been implicated in the regulation of FA, but the causal and mediating effects of these factors remain unclear.

Methods: We used summary-level data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of 16S rRNA gene sequencing data for GM (n = 18 340), GWAS of GMMPs (n = 7738), BMs (n = 24 925), and GWAS of FA (n = 423 999). We applied Mendelian randomization (MR) methods to estimate the causal effects of GM, GMMPs, and BMs on FA. We performed mediation analysis to quantify the proportion of the effects mediated by blood metabolites.

Results: We identified nine genus, two phylum, two families of GM, nine GM metabolic pathways, and 73 BMs that showed potential causal effects on FA. After Bonferroni correction, three BMs remained causally associated with FA, including average number of methylene groups per double bond (β, -0.023; 95% CI, -0.032∼-0.014; p = 3.120×10^-7) and average number of methylene groups in a fatty acid chain (β, -0.031; 95% CI, -0.045∼-0.016; p = 2.062×10^-5), which had strong negative causal effects on FA, and ratio of bisallylic groups to total fatty acids (β, 0.023; 95% CI, 0.017∼-0.029; p = 8.441×10^-15), which had a strong positive causal effect on FA. Mediation analysis revealed that histidine, average number of methylene groups in a fatty acid chain, and triglycerides in chylomicrons and largest VLDL particles mediated the effects of anaerofilum and/ or superpathway of Laspartate and Lasparagine biosynthesis on FA.

Conclusion: Our study provides novel insights into the causal and mediating effects of GM, GMMPs, and BMs on FA. These findings may have implications for the development of new strategies for preventing or delaying FA.

Background: Melanoma is an aggressive malignancy primarily impacting the skin, mucous membranes, and pigment epithelium. The tumor microbial microenvironment encompasses both the microorganisms inhabiting the tumor vicinity and the environmental factors influencing their interactions. Emerging evidence highlights the pivotal role of the microbial immune microenvironment in melanoma.

Methods: We conducted an extensive review of scholarly works published from 2012 to 2022, utilizing The Web of Science Core Collection. Subsequently, we employed analytical tools such as VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the R programming language to scrutinize prevailing research patterns within this domain.

Results: A sum of 513 articles were pinpointed, with notable input coming from the United States and China. Harvard University stood out as the top-contributing institution, while the journal Science received the most citations. Current research within this sphere chiefly focuses on two principal domains: the gut microbiota and the PD-L1 pathway concerning melanoma treatment.

Conclusion: The study offers an extensive analysis and overview of the worldwide research landscape concerning the immune microenvironment with a focus on microbes in melanoma. It underscores the promising prospects for harnessing the microbial immune microenvironment's potential in melanoma. These findings furnish valuable insights and guidance for advancing scientific inquiry and refining clinical approaches within this dynamic field.

Background: Our goal was to investigate linkages between skin color parameters and skin hydration. Since most prior studies focused on stratum corneum hydration, we focused on epidermal and dermal hydration in relation to skin color parameters in both sexes.

Materials and methods: Thirty adults (16 female) with an age ± SD of 24.3 ± 0.6 years participated. Three sites on both volar forearms were evaluated for melanin index (MI), erythema index (EI), Individual Typology Angle (ITA), tissue dielectric constant (TDC) values to depths of 0.5 mm (TDC_0.5) and 2.5 mm (TDC_2.5), and Fitzpatrick skin type (FST).

Results: MI and EI were highly correlated (r = 0.800, p < 0.001) with maximum differences in MI and ITA along the arm of 3% and 6.3% with no difference between arms. Male MI was greater than females (p < 0.01). Male TDC_2.5 was 36.1 ± 5.4 and correlated with EI (r = 0.231, p = 0.035). Contrastingly, female TDC₂₅ was 28.5 ± 3.6 with no correlation with EI but was correlated with MI (r = -0.301, p = 0.003). These differential patterns held true for TDC_0.5. For both sexes, FST and ITA were highly correlated (r = -0.756, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: The findings revealed several correlations between skin color parameters and hydration that differed between males in females in some cases. The observed correlations may indicate that melanin may differentially impact water-holding capacity between sexes and provides a future research target. Further, these initial findings also may hold significance for dermatological assessments and the customization of skincare treatments tailored to individual skin types and demographics.

Background: Palmoplantar psoriasis is a clinical variant of psoriasis characterized by well-defined erythematous desquamating plaques on palms and soles, which may or may not include pustules. Hyperkeratotic lesions of palm and sole commonly include Psoriasis, Eczema and Tinea. These conditions often present with overlapping clinical and histopathological features requiring clinicohistopathological correlation for a conclusive diagnosis. The presence of munro's microabscess or spongiform pustule of kogoj differentiates psoriasis of palm and sole from other hyperkeratotic lesions of palm and sole. The objective of this study was to study the clinical and histopathological profile of palmoplantar psoriasis and correlate clinical diagnosis with histopathological diagnosis.

Method: A hospital-based, descriptive study was conducted from January 1, 2020, to December 31, 2020. Fifty-two patients were clinically diagnosed as palmoplantar psoriasis with or without involving other parts of body and routine histopathological evaluation was carried out as per standard protocols.

Result: Clinically diagnosed 52 cases of palmoplantar psoriasis showed varied histopathology with hyperkeratosis (100%), parakeratosis (100%), regular acanthosis (75%), Supra-papillary thinning (44.2%), spongiosis (65.4%), tortuous vessels in the papillary dermis (78.8%) and mixed inflammatory infiltrates (predominantly lymphocytic-100%), which were observed to be prominent findings in skin biopsies of our patients. Clinicopathological correlation was achieved in 88.5% of cases.

Conclusion: This study shows clinically diagnosed palmoplantar psoriasis with histopathological features consistent with palmoplantar psoriasis in 88.5% cases. Thus, clinically inconclusive hyperkeratotic lesions with palmoplantar psoriasis can be diagnosed with histopathological correlation improving the therapeutic intervention.