Cellulite: a cosmetic or systemic issue? Contemporary views on the etiopathogenesis of cellulite.

Cellulite (also known as gynoid lipodystrophy or orange peel syndrome) is one of the most common lipodystrophy syndromes, which affects millions of post-adolescent women. Cellulite is manifested by topographic disorders of subcutaneous tissue such as nodules, edema, and abnormal fibrosis. It is located mainly on the pelvic area, especially on the buttocks.

Long-term treatment of chronic plaque psoriasis with biological drugs can control platelet activation: targeting the bridge between inflammation and atherothrombosis.

Introduction: Platelet activation is elevated in moderate to severe psoriasis, and the reduction in platelet activation during short-term treatment has already been demonstrated. Soluble P-selectin is a well-established marker of platelet activation.

Aim: To show whether the long-term treatment of psoriasis with biological drugs can reduce elevated platelet activation.

Medium dose ultraviolet A1 phototherapy and mRNA expression of interleukin 8, interferon γ, and chemokine receptor 4 in acute skin lesions in atopic dermatitis.

Introduction: Mechanisms responsible for UVA1 efficacy in atopic dermatitis (AD) are not fully elucidated.

Aim: To investigate IL-8, CCR-4, and IFN-γ mRNA expression in AD before and after UVA1, to identify correlations among them, and to determine whether and to what degree mRNA expression is influenced by UVA1.

Material And Methods: Twenty-five patients with AD underwent medium dose UVA1-phototherapy at daily dosages of 10, 20, 30, 45, and then continuing 45 J/cm(2) up to 20 days, from Monday to Friday for 4 weeks.

Morbus Behçet - a rare disease in Central Europe.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a multiorgan inflammatory disease of complex and not entirely elucidated etiology, which was originally diagnosed in patients with aphthous stomatitis, genital ulcerations and ocular manifestations. The entity is endemic in countries of Eastern and Central Asia, especially Turkey and Iran, but rarely seen in Central Europe. As there are no specific diagnostic laboratory tests or histopathologic findings which confirm the preliminary diagnosis, the final diagnosis should be based on clinical criteria.

Medium-dose ultraviolet A1 phototherapy improves SCORAD index and increases mRNA expression of interleukin-4 without direct effect on human β defensin-1, interleukin-10, and interleukin-31.

Background: Effectiveness of ultraviolet (UV)A1 in flares of atopic dermatitis (AD) is thought to influence the expression of cytokines involved in its pathogenesis. The aim of the study was to investigate whether mRNA expression of human β defensin-1 (hβD-1) correlates with that of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, and IL-31 in skin lesions in AD before and after UVA1 phototherapy, to determine whether UVA1 decreases the expression of the aforementioned mediators, and to confirm whether changes in mRNA expression correspond with the clinical efficacy of UVA1.

Methods: Twenty-five patients with AD underwent medium-dose UVA1 phototherapy.

[Skin diseases associated with hepatitis C virus].

Chronic hepatic diseases caused by HBV or HCV infection not always demonstrate evident clinical symptoms of liver disease. Non-specific extrahepatic symptoms mainly skin leasions are helpful for establishing the proper diagnosis. This review illustrates the pathogenesis, epidemiology and clinical manifestations of HBV and HCV infections with a special attention to skin signs and symptoms which can associate these infections.

Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and other cytokines in atopic dermatitis, and correlation with clinical features.

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was found increased in the stratum corneum of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). However, its potential pathogenic role(s) in AD needs further clarification.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether VEGF serum levels correlate with other selected cytokine levels and features of AD.

Medium-dose ultraviolet A1 phototherapy and mRNA expression of TSLP, TARC, IL-5, and IL-13 in acute skin lesions in atopic dermatitis.

Background: The mechanisms responsible for the efficacy of ultraviolet A1 (UVA1) in the treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD) are not fully understood.

Objectives: This study was designed to investigate mRNA expression of thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP), thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC), interleukin-5 (IL-5), and IL-13 in AD before and after UVA1 therapy, to determine correlations among them, and to examine whether UVA1 influences their expression and whether it is associated with UVA1 efficacy.

Methods: Twenty-five patients with AD underwent medium-dose UVA1 phototherapy.

Topical steroid therapy in atopic dermatitis in theory and practice.

Introduction: Topical glucocorticosteroids (GCSs) are commonly used in treatment of atopic dermatitis (AD).

Aim: To assess the patients' compliance with the recommended instructions of the therapy.

Material And Methods: The study involved 141 adult AD patients.

Pigment protection factor as a predictor of skin photosensitivity--a Polish study.

Assessment of individual photosensitivity by determining the minimal erythema dose (MED) is commonly accepted. MED objectively describes a single individual response to the irradiation of skin with a particular wavelength (UVB, UVA). Pigment protection factor (PPF) is an objective value to measure skin type.

System for monitoring UV radiation level in phototherapy cabins in Poland.

Introduction: Ultraviolet phototherapy (UVP) is widely used in dermatological practice for the treatment of various skin diseases. Numerous studies support its beneficial curing effectiveness; however, overexposure to ultraviolet radiation can cause adverse health effects, such as sunburn reaction, erythema response, cataract, skin aging, etc. For these reasons, it is of special importance to monitor performance of UVP cabins using a calibration system to evaluate the UV doses incident upon the patient.

Can biologic treatment induce cutaneous focal mucinosis?

Skin mucinosis is a rare skin disease which clinically manifests as firm papules and waxy nodules. We report a case of a 66-year-old female psoriatic patient who developed skin mucinosis during biological therapy. Because of a previous lack of response to the local and conventional systemic treatment of psoriasis, the patient received biological therapy (infliximab from June 2008 to May 2009 - initial clinical improvement and loss of treatment effectiveness in the 36(th) week of the therapy; adalimumab from June 2009 to January 2010 - lack effectiveness; ustekinumab from March 2012 to the present).

Disturbed balance between serum levels of receptor tyrosine kinases Tie-1, Tie-2 and angiopoietins in systemic sclerosis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the characteristic factors for vascular development and maintenance levels as well as correlation between Tie-1 receptors, Tie-2 receptors and the corresponding ligands--angiopoietins--in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients.

Materials And Methods: Serum levels of Tie-1, Tie-2, Ang-1 and Ang-2 were measured in 25 SSc patients and healthy controls.

Results: There was a statistically significant difference in serum Tie-1 (p = 0.

Antinuclear antibodies in rosacea patients.

Introduction: Rosacea is a common inflammatory disorder, characterized by a spectrum of facial manifestations. The clinical similarity to other dermatoses, like lupus erythematosus, might lead to misdiagnosis, particularly in patients with elevated antinuclear antibody titers.

Aim: To assess the frequency, titer and specificity of antinuclear antibodies in rosacea patients and correlate these findings with clinical features.

Sonic hedgehog pathway dysregulation in skin basal-cell carcinoma of a Polish population.

Sonic hedgehog (Shh) pathway impairment plays a key role in the pathogenesis of basal-cell carcinomas (BCC), the most frequent skin tumor among Caucasians. Shh, Smo, and Gli2 family proteins are necessary for adequate and controlled cell proliferation. The aim of this study was to evaluate Shh, Smo, and Smo expression in BCC skin biopsies taken from sun-exposed areas.

IL-17 expression in dermatitis herpetiformis and bullous pemphigoid.

Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) and bullous pemphigoid (BP) are skin diseases associated with eosinophilic and neutrophilic infiltrations. Although cytokines are critical for the inflammatory process, there are single findings concerning concentration of IL-17 in bullous diseases. The goal of this study was to assess IL-17 expression in DH and BP patients.

Vitamin D Receptor Gene BsmI Polymorphism in Polish Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

The hormonally active form of vitamin D3, 1,25(OH)2D3 (calcitriol), exerts actions through VDR receptor, which acts as a transcriptional factor. Calcitriol is an immunomodulator that affects various immune cells, and several studies link it to many autoimmune diseases. BsmI polymorphism affects the level of VDR gene transcription, transcript stability, and posttranscriptional modifications.

Correlations between concentrations of interleukin (IL)-17A, IL-17B and IL-17F, and endothelial cells and proangiogenic cytokines in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease of multifactorial pathoaetiology. Different organs and blood vessels may be affected by chronic inflammation. A direct cause of the disease has not yet been found, so research is being carried out to this effect.

Vitamin D effects in atopic dermatitis.

Background: Because vitamin D has immunomodulatory properties and immunologic mechanisms play a role in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD), it is possible that vitamin D may influence the activity of AD.

Objective: The aim of the study was to correlate vitamin D concentrations in patients who had AD with clinical, immunologic, constitutional, and environmental factors, and to determine if vitamin D supplementation affects the clinical manifestations of AD.

Methods: Clinical and laboratory parameters of 95 patients with AD and 58 control subjects were measured.

Narrow band ultraviolet B irradiations cause alteration in interleukin-31 serum level in psoriatic patients.

Scientific communications indicate the disturbed expression of neuropeptides in the skin and serum in psoriasis vulgaris (PsV) patients. Narrow-band ultraviolet radiation (NB-UVB) is one of the systemic therapies of PsV. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of NB-UVB therapy on substance P (SP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and interleukin-31 (IL-31) serum concentrations in PsV patients.

Effective treatment of nodular amyloidosis with carbon dioxide laser.

Background: Nodular amyloidosis is a rare form of localized cutaneous amyloidosis that is characterized by nodules located on the extremities, trunk, genitalia, or face. In treatment regimens, many approaches have been described, including carbon dioxide (CO2) laser therapy.

Objective: We present a case of a 60-year-old white male with a 20-year history of disseminated waxy, purpuric, yellowish, and bullous skin lesions on the trunk and extremities.

The expression of selected proapoptotic molecules in dermatitis herpetiformis.

The role of the process of apoptosis is investigated in the pathogenesis of many autoimmune diseases; however at present, there is not much information about its role in dermatitis herpetiformis. Skin biopsies were taken from 18 DH patients and from 10 healthy subjects. The localization and expression of Bax, Fas, FasL, TRAIL, TRAIL-R in skin lesions, and perilesional skin were studied by immunohistochemistry.

Pathogenic activity of circulating anti-desmoglein-3 autoantibodies isolated from pemphigus vulgaris patients.

Introduction: There are scarce data on immunochemical properties of pemphigus antibodies detected in clinical remission in pemphigus vulgaris (PV) patients. The aim of the study was to compare biological activity of anti-Dsg3 autoantibodies purified from the sera of PV patients in active stage and in clinical remission.

Material And Methods: The effect of purified antibodies on expression of procaspase-3, Bax, Bcl-2, uPAR, IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α mRNAs in the HaCaT keratinocytes was evaluated by Western blot and RT-PCR method.

[Medical and legal aspects of smoking].

Tobacco is known worldwide for several thousand years. Smoking is the strongest and most common type of addiction. The harmful effect of tobacco on the human body leads to the development of cancer, respiratory, cardiovascular, skin diseases.