Erythrocyte zinc level in patients with atopic dermatitis and its relation to SCORAD index.

Introduction: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic, pruritic inflammatory disease, characterized by a relapsing-remitting course. The pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis is not completely understood, although the disorder appears to result from the complex interaction between immune abnormalities, genetic and environmental factors. Trace elements are essential for normal functioning of the immune system.

Olfactory functions in patients with psoriasis vulgaris: correlations with the severity of the disease.

It is well known that psoriasis is not only limited to skin, but a systemic autoimmune disease with various comorbidities. Olfactory dysfunction, one of as a common but lesser known symptom of patients with autoimmune diseases, often presents with smell loss. The aim of this study was to assess the olfactory functions in patients with psoriasis and to compare with healthy controls.

Recurrent toxocariasis due to chronic urticaria and successful treatment with prolonged albendazole therapy.

Toxocariasis is a worldwide human helminthiasis, especially seen in temperate and tropical climate regions around the world. The diagnosis of this disease is performed on the basis of clinical symptoms and laboratory findings. Albendazole is one of the treatment choices for toxocariasis, with a currently recommended regimen of 10 mg/kg/day in two doses (400 mg twice daily) for 5 days.

Progesterone skin test in severe attacks of angioedema during menstrual cycle.

Progesterone hypersensitivity (PH) is a rare clinical condition that displays hypersensitivity to endogenous or exogenous progesterone. It is characterized by cyclic dermatologic manifestations at the end of the luteal phase that disappear some days after menses. We present a case of 24-year-old woman showing severe angioedema attacks occurring from the first day of her menstruation and continuing for 4-5 days and having positive progesterone intradermal test (IDT).

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677C>T gene polymorphism as a possible factor for reducing clinical severity of psoriasis.

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) is a crucial enzyme in homocysteine/methionine metabolism. It catalysis the formation of 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-methyl-THF), which is the methyl donor for synthesis of methionine from homocysteine (Hcy). Decreases in folate consumption due to MTHFR polymorphism may affect production rate of keratinocytes of which had faster reproduction rates with a continuous DNA turnover and this may affect the clinical picture of psoriasis.