Search

Background: Carnosine is a low molecular weight water soluble biological dipeptide, composed of alanine and histidine, present in a levorotatory form in mammalian tissues. Interesting activities are related to the detoxification from free radical species and byproducts of membrane lipids peroxidation. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the photoprotective properties of carnosine and acetylated carnosine when applied to human skin. Materials and methods: Carnosine and N-acetylcarnosine at 0.5% solution in water were applied before and after UVB irradiation in twenty healthy volunteers with phototype 2 or 3. 9 patients were males and 11 females, 25 to 46 years of age. None of the patients had a positive case history for photodermatoses or had received any sun exposure. The minimal erithemal dose (MED) for UVB was determined before the study with a UVB Philips TL12 lamp with a radiance of 4 mW/cm2 and a 290 - 320 nm emission spectrum. Results: Carnosine solution obtained 3.6% reduction of erythema (compared to MED) and N-acetylcarnosine 7.3% reduction. Conclusions: An antioxidant capacity of N-acetylcarnosine and carnosine was shown, probably more significant with vehicles improving skin penetration of the substances through skin barrier. N-acetylcarnosine represents an interesting hydrophilic antioxidant for dermatological preparations.

We report a study performed with 64 patients with an adverse drug reaction (ADR) history who were admitted to hospital for drug tolerance testing, and who were also patch tested with drugs currently suggested and used by the "ESCD working party on drug skin testing in cutaneous adverse drug reactions (ESCD-WPD)". Three positive patch test reactions were observed in two patients, namely a boy presenting with a maculo-papular rash and who was found to be amoxycillin and ampicillin positive and a girl with diffuse urticaria found to be erythromycin positive. The few positive patch test reactions reported confirm that such a procedure is highly sensitive, particularly in maculo-papular rashes, eczematous reactions and fixed drug eruptions, but that it has a low sensitivity in urticarioid or anaphylactic reactions.

Spitz nevus is an uncommon, benign melanocytic neoplasm that shares many clinical and histological features with melanoma. It presents clinical ambiguity that makes the diagnosis and management of the patient difficult. We present our experience in the management of Spitz nevus by rigorous dermoscopic long-term follow-up of 8 Spitz nevi in patients younger than 12 years. Dermoscopic images, acquired every 6 months, show evolution and modifications of these lesions. The aim of this paper is to better understand the long-term modifications of nevi with starburst pattern to avoid surgical excision of these lesions in the pediatric age group.

Phaeohyphomycoses are induced by dematiaceous or darkly pigmented fungi. Alternaria species are the most important causative agents. Factors such as immunosuppression, local wounds or systemic disease are generally present. We report a case of phaeohyphomycosis induced by Alternaria alternata in an immunocompromised patient. The main interest in this case is the rareness of the cutaneous alternariosis and of its clinical aspects and the good response to therapy. Recognition of Alternaria spp. as potential opportunistic pathogens is important for the differential diagnosis of dermatological lesions, such as granulomatous or ulcerative lesions in immunocompromised patients.

Background: Leptin belongs to the helical cytokine family and has structural similarity to interleukin (IL)-6, IL-12, IL-15, prolactin, and growth hormone. It is mainly secreted by adipocytes but (at lower levels) also by stomach, skeletal muscle, and placenta. Initially, leptin was considered an antiobesity hormone, but experimental evidence has also shown pleiotropic effects on hematopoiesis, angiogenesis, lymphoid organ homeostasis, and T-lymphocyte functions. Recent evidence indicates that leptin modifies T-cell immunity by promoting T helper 1 proinflammatory immune response and production of cytokines. Objective: The aim of the present study was to evaluate leptin serum levels in patients with allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) and atopic dermatitis and to evaluate the correlation of these levels with different patterns of lymphocyte subpopulations. Methods: Serum leptin was assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Immunophenotypic analysis of peripheral blood was performed by flow cytometry. Results: We found that serum leptin levels were higher in ACD patients than in healthy controls (p = .02). In these patients, an inverse correlation between serum leptin and the percentage of CD4 +CD25 + T lymphocytes was observed (p = .002). Conclusion: These data seem to suggest that leptin might play a role in the pathogenesis of ACD and thus have implications for the therapy for ACD

Background: Household cleaning products often contain potential allergens and irritants but allergic contact dermatitis from these products in general consumers is rarely reported in the literature. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the presence of irritants and allergens as indicated on the labels or on the product information found on the website of household cleaning products marketed in Italy. Material/Methods: We examined the labels and the product information of 291 liquid household washing and cleaning products, including 43 washing-up liquids, 63 laundry detergents, 61 fabric conditioners, 47 spray detergents, and 77 hard surface cleaning products. We obtained the data from the product information found on the websites for 263 products and directly on the product packages for 28 products. For each product we specifically recorded the presence of surfactants, preservatives, and fragrances listed in Annex III of Directive 76/768/EEC. Results: The websites of two Italian brands do not respect EU regulations as they provide product information only with bar codes of the products. Preservatives and fragrances are the main allergens declared in the label of household cleaning products with methylchloroisothiazolinone/methylisothiazolinone (MCI/MI) listed in 35.7% and limonene in 43.6% of the products. Surfactants were listed in 16.5% of the studied products. Conclusions: Our study shows that household cleaning products in Italian market contain several allergens, particularly preservatives and fragrances. For consumers, at least in Italy, it may not be easy to retrieve product information from the website for two widely sold brands. The information had to be taken from the actual package. © 2009 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Background Obese subjects frequently show skin diseases. However, less attention has been paid to the impactof obesity on skin disorders until now.Objective The purposes of this study are: to highlight the incidence of some dermatoses in obese subjects and tostudy the water barrier function of the obese skin using transepidermal water loss (TEWL).Methods Sixty obese subjects and 20 normal weight volunteers were recruited. Obese group was further dividedinto three body mass index (BMI) classes: class I (BMI 30–34.9 kg⁄m 2 ), class II (BMI 35–39.9 kg⁄m ) and class III(BMI 40 g⁄m 2 ). All subjects attended dermatological examination for skin diseases. To assess barrier function, TEWLmeasurements were performed on the volar surface of the forearm using a tewameter.Results The results of this study showed that: (i) obese subjects show a higher incidence of some dermatosescompared with normal-weight controls; in addition the dermatoses are more, frequent as BMI increases; (ii) the rateof TEWL is lower in obese subjects, than in the normal-weight subjects, particularly in patients with intra-abdominalobesity.Conclusion Specific dermatoses as skin tags, striae distensae and plantar hyperkeratosis, could be considered asa cutaneous stigma of severe obesity. The low permeability of the skin to evaporative water loss is observed inobese subjects compared with normal weight control. Although the physiological mechanisms are still unknown, thisfinding has not been previously described and we believe that this may constitute a new field in the research onobesity.Received: 26 November 2008; Accepted: 13 February 2009

Drug eruptions are among the most common adverse drug reactions, affecting approximately 3% of hospitalized patients. A fixed drug eruption (FDE) is a distinct druginduced reaction pattern that characteristically recurs at the same skin or mucosal site. We report a case of a 2-year-old girl with bullous FDE due to Tachipirina syrup, a preparation containing paracetamol, a commonly used nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug in Italy.