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Background: Vitiligo is a progressive depigmenting disorder characterized by the loss of functional melanocytes from the epidermis. The etiopathogenesis of vitiligo is still unclear. Vitamin D has both stimulatory and protective effects on melanocytes and acts through its nuclear vitamin D receptor (VDR) on target cells. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between VDR gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to vitiligo. Methods: 98 patients with vitiligo and 216 age- and sex-matched controls recruited from dermatology outpatients attending the same department were included in the study. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes using a DNA isolation kit. The VDR polymorphisms of BsmI, ApaI, TaqI, FokI and Cdx2 were investigated by rapid capillary PCR with melting curve analysis. Differences in genotype distributions and allele frequencies in vitiligo cases versus controls were compared for statistical significance using χ² test. Results: Subjects with TaqI polymorphism had a 2.23-fold increased risk of developing vitiligo. Furthermore, a haplotype analysis showed that BsmI/ApaI/TaqI/FokI/Cdx2 GCCCG wassignificantly overrepresented in the vitiligo patients in comparison with controls (p = 0.031). Conclusion: This study showed that VDR TaqI gene polymorphism and the haplotype BsmI/ApaI/ TaqI/FokI/Cdx2 GCCCG may be considered as novel risk factors in vitiligo.

Background:Demodex folliculorum (DF), which is a resident in human pilosebaceous follicles, has been implicated in infections of patients under cancer chemotherapy and with AIDS. Objective: We aimed to determine the influence of immunosuppression on carriage of DF. Methods: Mite density was compared, of 30 renal transplant (RT) patients under a combination therapy of cyclosporine, azathioprine and prednisolone with that of age- and sex-matched controls. Two samples of standardized skin surface biopsies were taken from each subject. Results: DF was not found in any of the RT patients while a mean density of 0.55 DF/cm² was present in healthy subjects (Fisher’s exact test, p < 0.0001). The relationship between mite density and classic risk factors was not found to be statistically significant (Fisher’s exact test, p > 0.05). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that there may be other factors than immunosuppressive therapy influencing DF density.

EditorHere we report a 59-year-old man who presented to our dermatology clinic with a papular lesion on the right medial thigh. The lesion had shown a slow development within 8 months and reached 7 mm diameter. In this patient, we came across with a different vascular pattern. Patchy pink-red islands were composed of arborizing vessels combining with small circular endings creating a flowery appearance (Fig. 1a). In addition, there was Figure 1 Plantar wart before (a) and after (b) the use of the polarizing light mode in portable digital microscopy (magnification, ×30).

Our findings indicate that pregnancy may not have a direct effect on mite density.

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Background:Sarcoptes scabiei causes mange in many domestic and wild mammals, and it has been reported to be transmitted from animals to humans. Canine scabies is known to infest humans, as well. Case Report: We report a 27-year-old woman who presented with severe pruritic papules on the trunk and arms. The patient reported that she had just bought a puppy which was also itchy. Direct microscopy from the dog showed scabies mites. The patient was treated by 5% permethrin which accomplished full recovery. Discussion: Canine scabies in humans is a challenging disease to diagnose since mites are hard to find on skin scrapings of dogs and the burrows that are the hallmark of scabies are absent. Dermatological examination of the lesions in our patient did not show any burrows or a specific dermoscopic image of scabies. Instead, we observed curvilinear crusts on most of the papules. Conclusion: To our knowledge, dermoscopic appearance of canine scabies in humans has not been described before. We think this special pattern of excoriations is the result of superficially dug tunnels that had been torn leaving vacant curved linear remnants behind, and this may provide a good support for the diagnosis of canine scabies contributing to the spectrum of entodermoscopy.

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