Novel therapeutic targets in dermatomyositis.

Dermatomyositis (DM) is a systemic autoimmune disease with variable clinical presentations, including inflammation in the skin, muscle, lungs, and/or joints. Current therapeutic strategies in DM typically include broad immunosuppression; however, the currently used modalities are not universally effective and are associated with various side effects, including risk of infection. There is currently a highly unmet need for more effective and well-tolerated therapies.

Herbal supplement Spirulina stimulates inflammatory cytokine production in patients with dermatomyositis .

Spirulina, an herbal supplement and popular ingredient in health foods, is a potent stimulant of the immune system. Spirulina use is temporally associated with the onset or exacerbation of Dermatomyositis (DM), an autoimmune connective tissue disease that frequently affects the skin and muscle. In this study, we investigated the effect of Spirulina on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in DM and Healthy Controls (HCs), showing that Spirulina stimulates Interferon β (IFNβ), Tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), and Interferon γ (IFNγ) production of DM PBMCs primarily via Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4) activation using ELISA (enzyme linked immunosorbent assay) and flow cytometry.

Cannabinoid type 2 receptor (CB2R) distribution in dermatomyositis skin and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and in vivo effects of Lenabasum.

Background: Lenabasum is a cannabinoid type 2 receptor (CB2R) reverse agonist that demonstrates anti-inflammatory effects in vivo and in vitro in dermatomyositis (DM) and is currently being investigated for therapeutic potential. The purpose of our study is to investigate CB2R distribution as well as the effects of lenabasum in DM.

Methods: Immunohistochemistry staining (IHC) was utilized to examine immune cell and cytokine production changes in lesional DM skin biopsies from lenabasum and placebo-treated patients.

Temporal Outcomes after Rituximab Therapy for Pemphigus Vulgaris.

Pemphigus vulgaris is an autoimmune blistering disease characterized by autoantibodies that target desmoglein adhesion proteins. Rituximab and corticosteroids are Food and Drug Administration‒approved therapies for pemphigus vulgaris. As newer treatments for pemphigus enter clinical trials, analysis of clinical and serologic outcomes after rituximab therapy as a function of time is essential to guide clinical trial design.

A case of disseminated Lyme disease in a child with skin of color.

Disseminated Lyme disease requires treatment to prevent severe sequelae, particularly neurologic. We report here a case of disseminated Lyme disease in a patient with skin of color. Pediatric dermatologists must maintain a high clinical suspicion for Lyme disease and be aware of how typical cutaneous findings may appear differently in skin of color.

Plasma-derived DNA containing-extracellular vesicles induce STING-mediated proinflammatory responses in dermatomyositis.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer membrane vesicles that are present in various bodily fluids and have been implicated in autoimmune disease pathogenesis. Type I interferons (IFN), specifically IFN-β, are uniquely elevated in dermatomyositis (DM). The stimulator of interferon genes (STING) works as a critical nucleic acid sensor and adaptor in type I IFN signaling with possible implications in autoimmune diseases such as DM.

Environmental triggers of dermatomyositis: a narrative review.

Dermatomyositis (DM) is an autoimmune disease that affects the skin, lungs, and muscle. Although the pathogenesis of DM is not completely understood, several environmental triggers have been linked to DM onset or flare. This article specifically examines the effects of herbal supplements, drugs, infections, ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and environmental pollutants on the onset or exacerbation of DM.

Highly Multiplexed Mass Cytometry Identifies the Immunophenotype in the Skin of Dermatomyositis.

Dermatomyositis (DM) is a rare, systemic autoimmune disease that most frequently affects the skin, muscles, and lungs. The inflammatory infiltrate in the skin has not been fully characterized, and, in this study, we took a single-cell, unbiased approach using imaging mass cytometry. Substantial monocyte‒macrophage diversity was observed, with the CD14+ population correlating positively with Cutaneous Dermatomyositis Disease Area and Severity Index scores (P = 0.

An evidence review of face masks against COVID-19.

The science around the use of masks by the public to impede COVID-19 transmission is advancing rapidly. In this narrative review, we develop an analytical framework to examine mask usage, synthesizing the relevant literature to inform multiple areas: population impact, transmission characteristics, source control, wearer protection, sociological considerations, and implementation considerations. A primary route of transmission of COVID-19 is via respiratory particles, and it is known to be transmissible from presymptomatic, paucisymptomatic, and asymptomatic individuals.

New-onset head and neck dermatitis in adolescent patients after dupilumab therapy for atopic dermatitis.

Background/objectives: Head and neck dermatitis after dupilumab therapy for atopic dermatitis has been frequently reported in adults and only rarely in adolescents. No cases detailing disease course and treatment response have previously been described in adolescents.

Methods/results: This case series presents five adolescent patients who developed new-onset or worsening head and neck dermatitis after dupilumab therapy for atopic dermatitis.

Children of the Sun: a historical look at how pediatric light therapy shaped attitudes and behaviors toward sunbathing.

Today, parents are warned to protect their children from the sun's ultraviolet (UV) rays, the most preventable and leading cause of skin cancer. Yet, during the first half of the 20th century, the medical community widely extolled the health benefits of daily sunbaths for babies and children. What initially had begun as evidence-based medical therapies to prevent pediatric diseases, specifically tuberculosis and rickets, soon took on a life of its own as physicians, public health experts, and the general public embraced sunbathing and tanning as a means to ensure health and wellbeing for children and families.

The airborne lifetime of small speech droplets and their potential importance in SARS-CoV-2 transmission.

Speech droplets generated by asymptomatic carriers of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are increasingly considered to be a likely mode of disease transmission. Highly sensitive laser light scattering observations have revealed that loud speech can emit thousands of oral fluid droplets per second. In a closed, stagnant air environment, they disappear from the window of view with time constants in the range of 8 to 14 min, which corresponds to droplet nuclei of 4 μm diameter, or 12- to 21-μm droplets prior to dehydration.

Prenatally diagnosed omphalocele: characteristics associated with adverse neonatal outcomes.

Objective: To characterize factors associated with adverse neonatal outcomes in prenatally diagnosed omphalocele cases.

Study Design: Prenatally diagnosed omphalocele cases at a single referral center from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical variables and antenatal imaging measurements were collected.