The novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), the cause of coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19) pandemic, is associated with some cutaneous manifestations. Although the cutaneous presentations of COVID-19 are infrequent, it is of great importance for all clinicians to be aware of these manifestations, as it may contribute to sooner and better diagnosis and management of the disease, even in asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic patients. The reported cutaneous manifestations of COVID-19 are various, dispersed, and sometimes confusing. In this article, all reported cases to date were collected and classified under 6 major groups: maculopapular rash, urticaria, chilblain, vesicular lesions, livedo reticularis, and petechiae. Different characteristics of each group were discussed in detail as well.

Background:Increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and lipid peroxidation are seen in many dermatologic disorders, for example, atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, vitiligo, acne vulgaris, pemphigus vulgaris (PV), lichen planus, and alopecia areata. ROS has an important role in the inflammation process. In PV, increased production of ROS leads to decline of antioxidants in plasma and red blood cells which results in oxidative stress. We aimed to evaluate the level of these antioxidants in PV patients and compare it to the controls.Materials and Methods:Among patients attending the dermatology clinics, 30 patients with PV, who had never been on treatment, were enrolled to the study. The control group consisted of 30 age- and sex-matched healthy non-smoker individuals. Venous blood was collected from the subjects for the evaluation of plasma levels of glutathione peroxidase, vitamin C, selenium, bilirubin, and uric acid.Results:Age mean and standard deviation of the patients (40.83, 12.74) was comparable to the controls (41.96, 13.08). Mean level of uric acid was significantly lower in PV patients compared to the controls (P = 0.006). Other antioxidants were not different between the two groups. Uric acid of the patients with mucosal involvement was significantly lower than patients with mucocutaneous involvement (P = 0.049).Limitations:The blood level of other antioxidants (e.g. malondialdehyde) was not evaluated.Conclusions:Uric acid as an antioxidant in our study had similar changes to previous studies in the field of other diseases but selenium, bilirubin, and glutathione peroxidase did not differ between patients and controls.

Most recently, the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has been recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) while this virus shares substantial similarity with SARS-CoV. So far, no definitive vaccine or drug has been developed to cure Covid-19 disease, since many important aspects about Covid-19 such as pathogenesis and proliferation pathways are still unclear. It was proven that human ACE2 is the main receptor for the entry of Covid-19 into lower respiratory tract epithelial cells through interaction with SARS-CoV-2 S protein. Based on this observation, it is expected that the virus infection can be inhibited if protein-protein interaction is prevented. In this study, using structurebased virtual screening of FDA databases, several lead drugs were discovered based on the ACE2binding pocket of SARS-CoV-2 S protein. Then, binding affinity, binding modes, critical interactions, and pharmaceutical properties of the lead drugs were evaluated. Among the previously approved drugs, Diammonium Glycyrrhizinate, Digitoxin, Ivermectin, Rapamycin, Rifaximin, and Amphotericin B represented the most desirable features, and can be possible candidates for Covid-19 therapies. Furthermore, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation was accomplished for three S protein/drug complexes with the highest binding affinity and best conformation and binding free energies were also computed with the Molecular Mechanics/Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MM/PBSA) method. Results demonstrated the stable binding of these compounds to the S protein; however, in order to confirm the curative effect of these drugs, clinical trials must be done.

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Lower serum levels of vitamin C in patients with LP indicates that free radicals and the resulting oxidative damage may be important in the pathogenesis of LP lesions.

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Introduction Melasma is an acquired pigmentary disorder characterized by hyperpigmented macules and/or patches affecting sun-exposed skin. Tranexamic acid (TA) can reduce melanin content of epidermis. Thus, we conducted this study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid local infiltration in combination with topical 4% hydroquinone cream compared to topical 4% hydroquinone cream alone in patients with melasma. Material and Methods This study was a prospective assessor- and analyst-blind, randomized split-face clinical trial which was performed on patients with bilateral malar epidermal melasma. A total of 55 patients were enrolled, and each side of their face was randomly allocated to either TA+HQ or HQ alone treatment. The MASI score was applied as an objective measurement to compare two treatment groups. The patient's satisfaction of melasma treatment was evaluated using a four-scale grading, as well. Results The mean of MASI score in week 16 decreased in both groups significantly (p < 0.01). The therapeutic outcomes were significantly better in TA+HQ group than HQ group (p=0.001). Patients satisfaction with treatment was significantly higher in the TA + HQ group. The difference between the two groups regarding side effect occurrence was not statistically significant. Conclusion Addition of tranexamic acid injections to conventional hydroquinone therapy can increase the efficacy of topical treatment. This trial is registered with IRCT2015110324865N1.

Human APOBEC3 (apolipoprotein B mRNA-editing catalytic polypeptide-like 3) enzymes are capable of inhibiting a wide range of endogenous and exogenous viruses using deaminase and deaminase-independent mechanisms. These enzymes are essential components of our innate immune system, as evidenced by (a) their strong positive selection and expansion in primates, (b) the evolution of viral counter-defense mechanisms, such as proteasomal degradation mediated by HIV Vif, and (c) hypermutation and inactivation of a large number of integrated HIV-1 proviruses. Numerous APOBEC3 single nucleotide polymorphisms, haplotypes, and splice variants have been identified in humans. Several of these variants have been reported to be associated with differential antiviral immunity. This review focuses on the current knowledge in the field about these natural variations and their roles in infectious diseases.