Comparative Study on Depigmenting Agents in Skin of Color.

Objective: Skin lightening agents are popular in southern Asia, but there is dearth of evidence on their effectiveness on Fitzpatrick IV/V skin types. This study was designed to assess the depigmenting efficacy of commercially available and specifically formulated ointments using the Mexameter (MX 18).

Methods: This single center prospective study was performed to test five commercially available preparations (Eldopaque, Aziderm, Garnier Dark Spot Corrector, Ban a Tan Cream and Neostrata Pigment Lightening Gel) on 28 healthy female volunteers in Phase 1, while five single active ingredients in lipophilic dispersion (hydroquinone 4%, ascorbyl palmitate 1%, resveratrol 1% arbutin 5% and azelaic acid 20%) were tested on a different group of 26 healthy female volunteers in Phase 2.

Trends in Recently Emerged Induced Cutaneous Leishmaniasis, Sri Lanka, for the First 13 Years.

Sri Lanka reports a large epidemic of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by an atypical while regional leishmaniasis elimination drive aims at achieving its targets in 2020. Visceralization, mucotrophism, and CL associated poor treatment response were recently reported. Long-term clinico-epidemiological trends (2001-2013) in this focus were examined for the first time.

Polymerase chain reaction detection of Leishmania DNA in skin biopsy samples in Sri Lanka where the causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis is Leishmania donovani.

Leishmania donovani is the known causative agent of both cutaneous (CL) and visceral leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka. CL is considered to be under-reported partly due to relatively poor sensitivity and specificity of microscopic diagnosis. We compared robustness of three previously described polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based methods to detect Leishmania DNA in 38 punch biopsy samples from patients presented with suspected lesions in 2010.

Genetic analysis of Leishmania donovani tropism using a naturally attenuated cutaneous strain.

A central question in Leishmania research is why most species cause cutaneous infections but others cause fatal visceral disease. Interestingly, L. donovani causes both visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka.

Co-infection of mucosal leishmaniasis and extra pulmonary tuberculosis in a patient with inherent immune deficiency.

Background: In Sri Lanka, cutaneous leishmaniasis is a well-established disease caused by Leishmania donovani. Only a few cases of visceral disease and mucosal localization have been reported to date.

Case Report: A 52-year-old man presented with severe local destruction of his upper and lower lip and total destruction of the anterior nasal septum and was diagnosed with mucosal leishmaniasis.

pH-regulated mechanisms account for pigment-type differences in epidermal barrier function.

To determine whether pigment type determines differences in epidermal function, we studied stratum corneum (SC) pH, permeability barrier homeostasis, and SC integrity in three geographically disparate populations with pigment type I-II versus IV-V skin (Fitzpatrick I-VI scale). Type IV-V subjects showed: (i) lower surface pH (approximately 0.5 U); (ii) enhanced SC integrity (transepidermal water loss change with sequential tape strippings); and (iii) more rapid barrier recovery than type I-II subjects.