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Adiponectin expression is significantly reduced in the SAT in areas affected by cellulite. Our findings provide novel insights into the nature of cellulite and may give clues to the treatment of this cosmetic issue.

PurposeAcne vulgaris is a skin disorder of the sebaceous follicles, involving hyperkeratinization and perifollicular inflammation. Aberrant extracellular matrix remodeling due to matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) has been associated with the presence of acne conditions. Given the complex pathophysiology of acne, novel topical therapies should include combination products that target multiple pathogenetic mechanisms. In this pilot study we investigated the changes in gene expression of extracellular MMPs, the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases, and proinflammatory molecules after 45 days of topical application of a combination product containing nicotinamide, retinol, and 7-dehydrocholesterol in 16 patients with inflammatory acne on their back.Materials and methodsSkin biopsies were obtained before and after treatment for gene expression studies.ResultsQuantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction revealed a significant downregulation of MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-9, MMP-14, interleukin-6, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and macrophage migration inhibitory factor. In contrast, the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases and transforming growth factor-β1 were significantly upregulated. The gene expression findings correlated well with the clinical treatment response.ConclusionsThe combination of nicotinamide, retinol, and 7-dehydrocholesterol appears to be effective for acne treatment from both clinical and molecular standpoints.

Background: In Europe, the number of elderly end-stage kidney disease patients is increasing. Few of those patients receive peritoneal dialysis (PD), as many cannot perform PD autonomously. Assisted PD programmes are available in most European countries, but the percentage of patients receiving assisted PD varies considerably. Hence, we assessed which factors are associated with the availability of an assisted PD programme at a centre level and whether the availability of this programme is associated with proportion of home dialysis patients. Methods: An online survey was sent to healthcare professionals of European nephrology units. After selecting one respondent per centre, the associations were explored by χ 2 tests and (ordinal) logistic regression. Results: In total, 609 respondents completed the survey. Subsequently, 288 respondents from individual centres were identified; 58% worked in a centre with an assisted PD programme. Factors associated with availability of an assisted PD programme were Western European and Scandinavian countries (OR: 5.73; 95% CI: 3.07–10.68), non-academic centres (OR: 2.01; 95% CI: 1.09–3.72) and centres with a dedicated team for education (OR: 2.87; 95% CI: 1.35–6.11). Most Eastern & Central European respondents reported that the proportion of incident and prevalent home dialysis patients was <10% (72% and 63%), while 27% of Scandinavian respondents reported a proportion of >30% for both incident and prevalent home dialysis patients. Availability of an assisted PD programme was associated with a higher incidence (cumulative OR: 1.91; 95% CI: 1.21–3.01) and prevalence (cumulative OR: 2.81; 95% CI: 1.76–4.47) of patients on home dialysis. Conclusions: Assisted PD was more commonly offered among non-academic centres with a dedicated team for education across Europe, especially among Western European and Scandinavian countries where higher incidence and prevalence of home dialysis patients was reported.[Formula: see text]