Acta Dermatovenerologica Alpina Pannonica et Adriatica最新文献

Patients receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) commonly experience cutaneous immune-related adverse events (irAEs). We present two cases, a 51-year-old female and a 70-year-old male, that were undergoing treatment with pembrolizumab for metastatic melanoma and developed scaly, erythematous papules on their skin. Following skin biopsies, histological analysis confirmed the diagnosis of lichen planus. In the first patient, acitretin at a dosage of 25 mg/day was administered for 6 months, resulting in complete resolution of lichen lesions. Imaging scans showed no signs of melanoma. The second patient was treated with topical betamethasone dipropionate ointment for several weeks, which led to a favorable therapeutic response. During follow-up, a thoracic CT scan showed several micronodular lesions in the right lung, whereas brain and abdomen CT scans showed no signs of the disease. Lichen planus is not a commonly reported irAE in patients treated with ICIs. This report underscores the importance of conducting skin biopsies in patients receiving ICI therapy and highlights the potential prognostic importance of skin irAEs in patients with melanoma receiving such treatment.

Introduction: Anogenital warts (AGWs) are proliferative lesions mainly presenting in the anal, genital, and perianal regions. They are one of the most prevalent sexually transmitted infections globally.

Methods: The study included patients that presented at the Dermatology Clinic of Health Sciences, University Elaziğ, Fethi Sekin City Hospital between January 2019 and December 2022 and were diagnosed with AGWs. Patients that presented with this diagnosis and were screened for other sexually transmitted infections (HBsAg, anti-HBs, anti-HCV, anti-HIV, VDRL, and TPHA) were identified. Epidemiological and demographic patient data and the results of serological tests for other sexually transmitted infections in the last 4 years were analyzed. The patient data and examination results were collected retrospectively based on the hospital automated patient records.

Results: AGW incidence was significantly higher in males. The mean patient age was 32, and the mean female patient age was lower than that of males. It was observed that the number of patients that were followed up with an AGW diagnosis increased significantly during the last 4 years (p < 0.05). The study detected 2.2% HBsAg, 0.6% TPHA, 0.3% VDRL, 0.5% anti-HCV, and 56.5% anti-HBs positivity. No anti-HIV-positive patients were identified. None of the patients had more than one sexually transmitted infection on serology testing.

Conclusions: Although the serological findings were higher when compared to certain studies and quite low when compared to others, it would be beneficial to evaluate all patients with AGWs for other sexually transmitted infections.

Introduction: Keloids are pathologic conditions characterized by fibroblast hyper-proliferation and excess collagen deposition. Enalapril, one of the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, has recently been highlighted as a new therapeutic modality in treating keloids. This study evaluates the effectiveness of intralesional injection of enalapril versus triamcinolone acetonide (TAA) in keloids.

Methods: Forty patients with multiple keloids were enrolled in our study. Enalapril and TAA were injected intralesionally in one session per month for three sessions. The clinical outcomes were assessed via the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) and the Patient and Observer Scar Assessment Scale (POSAS).

Results: In both groups, according to VSS and POSAS, there was a high statistically significant difference (p-value ≤ 0.01) before treatment, at the end of each session, and 3 months after treatment. There was no significant difference between both groups regarding degree of improvement. Patients treated with TAA developed more significant complications than those in the enalapril group (p-value < 0.05).

Conclusions: Both enalapril and TAA had the same clinical effect. Enalapril could be a safe alternative to steroids in the treatment of keloid and hypertrophic scars. Further studies on enalapril are needed on a large sample of patients with further focus on the mechanism of this innovative drug.

Introduction: Monkeypox virus (MPXV), typically endemic in West and Central Africa, has raised global concern due to the recent outbreak in several non-endemic countries with human-to-human transmission. Here we present a comprehensive analysis of MPXV genomes from Slovenia.

Methods: Two real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays for Orthopoxvirus (OPV) and MPXV genes were used for laboratory confirmation of mpox. Complete MPXV genomic sequences were obtained using nanopore long reads and Illumina technology. Phylogenetic analyses compared the Slovenian MPXV sequences with the global sequences.

Results: A total of 49 laboratory-confirmed mpox cases were diagnosed in Slovenia in 2022, mainly affecting males under 40. In 48 cases, a complete genome sequence was obtained and phylogenetic analysis revealed five distinct lineages (B.1, B.1.14, B.1.2, B.1.3, and A.2.1), with B.1 and B.1.3 dominating, suggesting multiple introductions into Slovenia. Genome analysis revealed significant divergence from the reference MPXV-M5312_HM12_Rivers.

Conclusions: The genetic diversity observed in the Slovenian MPXV sequences sheds light on the complex dynamics of the 2022 mpox outbreak and highlights the need for further research to understand the impact of mutations on MPXV functional characteristics and their role in the evolution and diversification of current lineages.

Introduction: Disease progression, drug resistance mutations, and treatment strategies may vary by HIV-1 subtype. This study determined HIV-1 subtypes circulating in Slovenia, a Central European country with an HIV-1 epidemic driven by men who have sex with men, focusing on molecular epidemiology of non-B subtypes.

Methods: A total of 367 HIV-1 sequences were included. Subtype was assigned by employing eight different HIV subtyping tools coupled with maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses.

Results: The subtyping tools COMET, jpHMM, and REGA 3.0 exhibited the best performance on the dataset studied. Phylogenetic analyses showed a 14.7% prevalence of non-B subtypes, with subtype A detected most frequently (4.9%), followed by CRF02_AG (2.4%), subtype C (1.1%), subtypes D, G, and CRF01_AE (0.8% each), and subtypes F and CRF22_01A1 (0.3% each). A subtype could not be assigned to 12 sequences (3.3%), indicating potential unique recombinant forms. Non-B subtypes were significantly associated with a heterosexual route of transmission and infection acquired in Eastern Europe, Africa, or Asia.

Conclusion: In a country where subtype B is predominant, non-B subtypes were observed in one out of seven patients, a non-negligible proportion, which underlines the importance of systematic surveillance of HIV subtype diversity and the corresponding molecular epidemiology.

Lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the L1, L2, and L3 serotypes of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT). It primarily affects regional lymph nodes. Although it is not endemic in Europe and North America, recent reports indicate an increasing prevalence among men who have sex with men, with proctocolitis as the most frequently reported symptom. We report the case of a homosexual male that presented to our department with a nodular lesion on the shaft of the penis and tender, enlarged inguinal lymph nodes. Throat, urethral, and rectal swabs were collected for CT testing using real-time polymerase chain reaction. The urethral swab was positive for CT, whereas the throat and rectal swabs were negative. Subsequent testing detected the presence of LGV DNA. The patient was treated with a prolonged course of doxycycline. After 6 weeks, the urethral swab for CT returned a negative result. The patient reported complete remission 7 weeks after the start of treatment.

Introduction: Psoriasis vulgaris is an immune-mediated inflammatory disease influenced by genetic and immunologic factors, including micronutrient deficiencies. The HLA-Cw6 gene and zinc level have been separately studied in psoriasis patients, yielding inconsistent findings. A descriptive study regarding HLA-Cw6 allele expression, zinc levels, and their direct correlation in Indonesia is lacking.

Methods: This prospective case-control study involved 33 psoriasis patients and 33 age- and sex-matched control patients at the dermatology clinic affiliated with Hasanuddin University in South Sulawesi in 2021. Cases were classified into mild, moderate, and severe psoriasis according to Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score. An EDTA tube was used to take a 5 ml blood sample, followed by analysis for PCR of the HLA-Cw6 allele and a colorimetric assay to measure zinc level. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the association between HLA-Cw6 and zinc level and psoriasis disease severity.

Results: Among the 33 psoriatic patients enrolled in this study, three (9.1%) of the cases were classified as mild psoriasis, 10 (30.3%) were classified as moderate psoriasis, and 20 (60.6%) were classified as severe psoriasis. The HLA-Cw6 allele was detected in 93.9% of psoriasis cases and in 3% of control patients (p < 0.001). The HLA-Cw6 allele was detected consecutively in 66.7%, 90.0%, and 100% of mild, moderate, and severe psoriasis patients, respectively. Zinc levels were lower in psoriasis patients compared to controls (16.85 ± 3.55 vs. 13.74 ± 3.78 μmol/l). Severe psoriasis patients exhibited the lowest average zinc level (14.76 ± 1.40 μmol/l, 15.48 ± 4.20 μmol/l, and 12.72 ± 3.56 μmol/l in mild, moderate, and severe patients, respectively). The mean zinc level in HLA-Cw6-positive patients was 13.68 μmol/l, and 14.6 μmol/l in HLA-Cw6-negative patients (p = 0.495).

Conclusions: The study revealed the presence of HLA-Cw6 allele expression and decreased serum zinc levels in psoriasis patients compared to controls. Both factors demonstrated associations with psoriasis disease severity.

Introduction: Plaque psoriasis and celiac disease are multisystemic diseases. The association of psoriasis and enteropathy with histological changes similar to celiac disease has already been described, and it has also been found that a gluten-free diet improves psoriatic changes. This study assesses the relationship between celiac disease antibodies and psoriasis.

Methods: The study included 112 participants: 60 with psoriasis in a test group and 52 healthy subjects in a control group. Within the psoriasis group, participants were further divided into two subgroups: one consisting of patients with both psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis (n = 17) and another comprising patients with psoriasis alone (n = 43). After informed consent was obtained, the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) score and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) score were evaluated. Laboratory tests included assessment of anti-deaminated gliadin peptide antibodies (DGP), anti-gliadin antibodies (AGA), and anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTG).

Results: Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and immunoglobulin A (IgA) DGP antibodies were detected more frequently and at higher serum concentrations in patients with psoriasis compared to healthy controls (p = 0.03, p = 0.04, respectively). Similarly, elevated levels of IgG-tTG antibodies (p = 0.003) and IgA-DGP antibodies (p = 0.02) were observed in the same test group.

Conclusions: A relationship between positivity to celiac disease antibodies and psoriasis, particularly with regard to AGA, has been identified. Further studies are required to elucidate the nature, pathophysiology, and significance of these findings.