Leptin may have a role in modulating endothelial function and may be involved in mechanisms for vessel endothelium repair, during an exacerbation as well as in chronic disease.

To our knowledge, this was the first prospective observational study that assessed the rheumatologic symptoms of isotretinoin treatment. The spondyloarthropathy findings were identified in 23.1% of the patients who used isotretinoin.

The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of 2.5 mg/kg/day cyclosporin (CsA) treatment in patients with severe chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) and the impact of CsA treatment on several cytokines involved in the etiopathogenesis of CIU. Twenty-seven CIU patients and 24 healthy control subjects were included in the study. The autologous serum skin test (ASST) for autoantibodies and urticaria activity scoring (UAS) were measured for the evaluation of the clinical severity and the response to therapy, and the serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, IL-2 receptor, IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and IL-5 were measured. The mean UAS score was 32.07 ± 7.05 and 6.22 ± 3.84 before and after CsA treatment, respectively. The serum IL-2 receptor, TNF-α and IL-5 levels of patients before CsA treatment were statistically higher than those of the control group (P = 0.001), and after 4 weeks of CsA therapy the mean IL-2R, TNF-α and IL-5 levels were significantly decreased. The data from this study demonstrate that CsA therapy is efficient and safe for CIU patients. Increase in clinical efficacy and marked decreases in serum cytokine levels suggest that inhibition of cytokine generation is involved in the action of the drug in this clinical setting.

Interaction of cellular adhesion molecules together with endothelial proliferation may play an important role in the formation of SPR lesions in patients with Behçet's syndrome. The involvement of the vascular endothelium in a large number of diseases including Behçet's syndrome supports the importance of vascular-specific adhesion molecules for their aetiopathogenesis.

Objectives: To evaluate the role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of vitiligo and the effect of narrowband (NB) ultraviolet (UV) B phototherapy on oxidative stress markers. Methods: Patients with vitiligo and healthy control subjects were included in the study. Patients in the vitiligo group were treated with an NB-UVB regimen (3 Â weekly for 6 months). Erythrocyte superoxide dismutase activity (SOD), erythrocyte malonyldialdehyde (MDA) and erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity (GSH-Px) levels were assessed in all participants at baseline, and after NB-UVB phototherapy in patients with vitiligo. Results: A total of 24 patients with vitiligo and 27 control subjects were included in the study. Before treatment, erythrocyte MDA levels were significantly higher, and SOD and GSH-Px levels were significantly lower, in patients with vitiligo compared with controls. NB-UVB phototherapy was associated with a significant reduction in MDA levels and a significant increase in GSH-Px levels, compared with baseline, in patients with vitiligo. Conclusion: NB-UVB phototherapy may relieve oxidative stress in patients with vitiligo by reversing the oxidant-antioxidant imbalance that is considered to play a role in the pathogenesis of this disease.

In this small study, metabolic syndrome was found to be more frequently identified in Turkish patients with psoriasis than in controls; metabolic syndrome could lead to increased cardiovascular disease risk in patients with moderate to severe psoriasis.

Objective: To investigate the distribution of interleukin (IL)-12 (IL12; 1188A/C), IL17 (A7488G) and IL-23 receptor (IL23R; þ2199A/C) gene polymorphisms in patients with alopecia areata. Methods: Patients with alopecia areata and healthy controls were enrolled in this case-control study. Genotyping of the IL12 (1188A/C), IL17 (A7488G) and IL23R (þ2199A/C) polymorphisms was undertaken. Genotype frequencies were compared between the two groups. Results: The study enrolled 100 patients with alopecia areata and 71 control subjects. No significant differences were found in the frequencies for the IL12 and IL23R gene polymorphisms between the patient and control groups. The IL17 GG genotype was significantly more common and the IL17 GA genotype was significantly less common in patients with alopecia areata compared with controls, but only 10% of patients had the GG genotype. Conclusion: The IL17 GG genotype was associated with susceptibility for alopecia areata, but this genotype was only present in a small number of patients. The IL12 and IL23R gene polymorphisms were not found to have a significant association with alopecia areata.

The contribution of CP on systemic oxidative levels in patients with PS and PsA or systemically healthy individuals seems limited. PS and PsA did not show any additional detrimental effect on clinical parameters in patients with CP.