Publications by authors named "Brittany N Richers"
Article Synopsis
- A subgroup of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) experiences recurrent herpes simplex virus infections, known as eczema herpeticum (ADEH), prompting a study of the underlying transcriptional mechanisms.
- RNA sequencing revealed significant dysregulation in gene expression of the epidermis and dermis in ADEH patients, with a notable increase in genes related to type 2 cytokine and interferon inflammatory pathways.
- The findings suggest that the unique inflammation and altered epidermal differentiation in ADEH patients contribute to their heightened risk for eczema herpeticum, guiding future research on this condition.
Article Synopsis
- Atopic dermatitis (AD) is linked to skin issues like oozing and bleeding, suggesting vascular changes, which are targeted by the treatment dupilumab, an IL-4 receptor antibody.
- A study assessed the impact of dupilumab on vascular barrier function by analyzing plasma protein levels in AD patients before and after 16 weeks of treatment compared to healthy individuals.
- Results showed that dupilumab significantly reduced elevated plasma proteins in AD skin, bringing levels closer to those found in healthy skin and potentially decreasing factors that worsen AD severity and bacterial colonization.
Article Synopsis
- Some patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) can get really bad skin infections from the herpes virus called eczema herpeticum (EH).
- Researchers studied the skin and immune system of people with AD, both with and without EH, to find out what's happening at the gene level.
- They discovered that those with EH have different gene expressions, leading to inflammation in the skin and problems with skin barrier functions.
Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is characterized by abnormal skin lipids that are largely driven by hyperactivated type 2 immune responses. The antibody to the α-subunit of interleukin (IL)-4 receptor, dupilumab, was recently approved to treat AD and demonstrated strong efficacy. However, the role of dupilumab therapy in the regulation of skin barrier structure and function has not been fully explored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Life-threatening viral diseases such as eczema herpeticum (EH) and eczema vaccinatum (EV) occur in <5% of individuals with atopic dermatitis (AD). The diagnosis of AD, however, excludes all individuals with AD from smallpox vaccination.
Objectives: We sought to identify circulatory and skin lipid biomarkers associated with EH and EV.
Article Synopsis
- Some kids with atopic dermatitis (AD) also have food allergies (FA), but not all do.
- Researchers studied the skin of kids with both AD and FA to see what makes it different from those with just AD or no allergies.
- They found that kids with AD and FA had weaker skin barriers, higher water loss, and specific changes in skin cells and immune responses compared to others.
Lipids in the stratum corneum of atopic dermatitis (AD) patients differ substantially in composition from healthy subjects. We hypothesized that hyperactivated type 2 immune response alters AD skin lipid metabolism. We have analyzed stratum corneum lipids from nonlesional and lesional skin of AD subjects and IL-13 skin-specific Tg mice.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Expression profiling of skin biopsy specimens has established molecular features of the skin in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). The invasiveness of biopsies has prevented their use in defining individual-level AD pathobiological mechanisms (endotypes) in large research studies.
Objective: We sought to determine whether minimally invasive skin tape strip transcriptome analysis identifies gene expression dysregulation in AD and molecular disease endotypes.
In chronic nonhealing wounds, the healing process is disrupted and wounds are often infected with bacteria. About 85% of lower extremity amputations in diabetes are attributed to deep infection of foot ulcers. Therefore, infection control is critical for wound care.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The effects of serum vitamin D status on atopy, steroid requirement, and functional responsiveness to corticosteroids in children versus adults with asthma have not been studied systematically.
Objective: We sought to explore the age-specific effects of vitamin D in asthmatic patients.
Methods: Serum vitamin D levels were examined in a prospective study of adults and children (102 healthy control subjects and 103 asthmatic patients).
It is estimated that 1 billion people around the world are vitamin D deficient. Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to various inflammatory diseases. However, the mechanism by which vitamin D reduces inflammation remains poorly understood.
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