Recent progress in the understanding of psoriasis has shown that the regulation of local and systemic cytokines plays an important role in its pathogenesis. The most often used psoriasis score is the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI). A simple laboratory test from a blood sample would be an attractive, patient-independent, and observer-independent marker of disease severity. To this end, we evaluated the association of serum levels of some proinflammatory cytokines in vivo and their correlation with severity of psoriasis. The serum levels of cytokines levels were determined with the use of the ELISA method. All mean values except IL-17 levels of patients were significantly higher than those of controls. There was a significant correlation between serum levels of IFN-γ, IL-12, IL-17, and IL-18, and severity of the disease. Psoriasis can be described as a T-cell-mediated disease, with a complex role for a variety of cytokines, which has led to the development of new immunomodulatory therapies. In this study, serum TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, and IL-18 levels were significantly higher in active psoriatic patients than in controls. Furthermore, high levels of IFN-γ, IL-12, and IL-18 correlated with the clinical severity and activity of psoriasis, and those measurements of serum levels of these cytokines may be objective parameters for the disease severity.

Acne vulgaris is one of the common dermatological diseases and its pathogenesis is multifactorial. In this study, we aim to determine the effects of oxidative stress in acne vulgaris. Forty-three consecutive acne patients and 46 controls were enrolled. The parameters of oxidative stress such as catalase (CAT), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the venous blood of cases were measured spectrophotometrically. The values compared with control group, the relation between the severity and distribution of acne, and the correlation of each enzyme level were researched. CAT and G6PD levels in patients were found to be statistically decreased, and SOD and MDA levels were found to be statistically increased (P < .001). However, any statistical difference and correlation could not be found between the severity and distribution of lesions and the mean levels of enzymes. In addition, we found that each enzyme is correlated with one another. Our findings show that oxidative stress exists in the acne patients. It will be useful to apply at least one antioxidant featured drug along with the combined acne treatment.

Orf of the hand is an uncommon zoonotic infection caused by a dermotropic DNA virus that belongs to the Parapoxvirus genus of the family Poxviridae. It is transmitted to humans through contact with infected sheep and goats and is reported as an occupational disease. We report nine cases of human orf seen in the hands of individuals, who were not occupationally exposed, after the feast of sacrifice in Turkey. Three cases were teachers and six out of the nine were housewives. We observed musculoskeletal complications and misdiagnoses. It is important to consider human orf in the differential diagnosis of hand lesions to prevent overtreatment and complications.

BackgroundPruritus affects the quality of life (QoL) in the patients. However, little is known of the impacts of itching on the QoL in the literature.ObjectiveIn this study, a questionnaire eliciting specific responses about pruritus was used to determine the effect of itching and its severity on QoL in chronic pruritic patients.MethodsOne hundred ten adult patients with chronic pruritus were surveyed. Once itch severity had been self-reported by patients, together with Skindex-29, they have been given the 18-item Pruritus-related Life Quality Index (PLQI) questionnaire, which was used to generated the new index.ResultsSignificant correlations have been found between the pruritus severity score of participants and their total Skindex-29 (p<0.001) with its function, emotion and symptom subscale scores (p<0.001 for each). Also, significant correlations were evident between total PLQI (p<0.001) and its psychosocial negativities, difficulties in everyday activities and social live subscale scores (p<0.001 for each). In particular, the emotion subscale of Skindex-29 (p=0.02) and psychosocial negativity subscale of PLQI (p=0.02) were significantly high in psychopathologic patients. A highly positive statistical correlation between Skindex-29 and PLQI scales was evident (r=0.845, p<0.001). For reliability, Cronbach's coefficient a coefficients were 0.931 for the Skindex-29 scale and 0.918 for the PLQI scale.ConclusionThe results demonstrate that chronic pruritus appreciably reduces the QoL. PLQI could be used in the development of new questionnaires for determining the QoL of patients with chronic itch.

Studies about the role of cytokines on the immunopathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD) are generally based on in vitro observations and this role has not been completely clarified yet. Serum levels of total IgE, IL-18, IL-12, IFN-γ and the relationship between these parameters and disease severity, determined using the SCORAD index, in a group of atopic patients were investigated in this study. Serum levels of total IgE were measured by the nephelometric method and serum levels of IL-18, IL-12/p40 and IFN-γ were measured by ELISA method. Serum levels of total IgE and IL-18 were found significantly higher in study group than in controls (P < .001). There was no statistically significant difference between patients and controls in respect of serum levels of IL-12/p40 (P = .227). A statistically significant relationship between SCORAD values and serum levels of total IgE (P < .001), IL-18 (P < .001), and IL-12/p40 (P < .001) was determined. These results show that serum levels of IL-18 can be a sensitive parameter that importantly correlates with clinical severity of AD, can play a role in the immunopathogenesis of AD, and furthermore may be used in the diagnosis and follow-up of the disease in addition to other parameters.