No abstract

NB UVB 311 nm has similar repigmentary effects as PUVA. The addition of psoralen does not increase its efficacy.

This study suggests an important role for VDR in the pathogenesis of AA and AGA through documenting lower serum and tissue VDR levels in AA and AGA patients in comparison with controls.

Nail changes in leprosy are multifactorial, and could be related to one or more of the following: neuropathy, endarteritis, trauma, drugs or superimposed infections. Nail changes in leprosy may be used as an additional clue that helps in the diagnosis.

Psoriasis, vitiligo, and mycosis fungoides (MF) are among the most frequently treated dermatological diseases by photo(chemo)therapy. The objectives are to determine which photo (chemo) therapeutic modality could achieve the best response in the treatment of psoriasis, vitiligo, and MF. The design used in this study is retrospective analytical study. The study included 745 patients' records; 293 with psoriasis, 309 with vitiligo, and 143 with early MF, treated in the Phototherapy Unit, Dermatology Department, Kasr El-Aini Hospital, Cairo University by either psoralen and ultraviolet A (PUVA), narrow band ultraviolet B (NB-UVB), psoralen and narrow band UVB (P-NBUVB), broad band UVB (BB-UVB), or broad band UVA (BetaBeta-UVA). Data were retrieved from the computer database of the unit and statistically analyzed. In psoriasis, oral and topical PUVA and NB-UVB were found to be equally effective, whereas oral PUVA had significantly better results than both UVA and BB-UVB at the end of therapy. In generalized vitiligo, PUVA and P-NBUVB had significantly better results than NB-UVB alone. In early MF, there was no statistically significant difference between the response to oral PUVA and NB-UVB. PUVA and NB-UVB are good choices in patients with psoriasis and early stage MF, whereas PUVA appears the best choice in the treatment of vitiligo.

The study's findings demonstrate that the studied hypopigmented (vitiligo, hypopigmented MF, hypopigmented TV) disorders show similar changes in their cutaneous microenvironment with increased TNF-α and decreased bFGF mRNA expression. This cytokine microenvironment change may be implicated in the pigment loss and hence these cytokines may have future therapeutic implications.

The aim of this research was to evaluate the possible contamination by heavy metals of 30 random samples of raw milk and four other dairy products (pasteurized milk, white cheese, yellow cheese, and yoghurt), that were purchased from the three different regions in Alexandria, Egypt namely; (Eastern, Central and Western Alexandria). Each sample was homogenized, powdered, and mineralized in a microwave oven. Quantitative analyses of Al, Se, Zn, Cd, Cu and Pb were performed using an inductively coupled plasma-mass (ICP-MS) spectrometry. Western Alexandria samples had the highest recorded levels in Pb, Cd and Cu (7.421 ppm, and 0.673 ppm, and 5.013 ppm) consecutively. Highest levels detected for Al and Se were detected in samples collected from Eastern Alexandria (2.74 ppm and 0.093 ppm) successively. Zn (31.64 ppm) showed the highest concentration in a sample purchased from Central Alexandria. Further investigations of the levels of metals in bigger number of milk samples from different zones of Alexandria, Egypt are necessary, both to examine this problem from the toxicological, clinical, and epidemiological point of view and, to assess the exposure risk.

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) has been correlated with poor clinical outcome in various malignancies and is associated with enhanced tumor growth and dissemination through its role in angiogenesis. This study was carried out to review the immunohistological staining of MMP-9 in skin lesions of different stages of mycosis fungoides (MF). The study was carried on 22 patients with MF and 10 healthy controls. Immunohistochemical staining using MMP-9 monoclonal anti-human antibodies was performed to determine the intensity of expression and distribution pattern of MMP-9 in MF lesions and in normal control skin. The general intensity of expression of MMP-9 was found to be significantly higher in cases with MF than in controls, and it increased in direct proportion to the increase in disease severity, being greatest in the tumor stages. A significantly greater number of blood vessels were found in cases with MF when compared with controls, and the MMP-9 expression by endothelial cells was significantly higher in endothelial cells within tumor cell aggregates than in endothelial cells outside the tumor cell aggregates. This study raises the possibility that MMP-9 may play an important role in the development of MF lesions, and its significantly higher expression in tumor stages may point to a possible role in disease progression. Further studies are needed to validate these findings and to assess the possible therapeutic role of drugs targeting MMP-9 in the treatment of MF.