Publications by authors named "Griffiths Christopher"

Background: The current management of psoriasis does not differentiate between young and old patients in selecting the safest and/or most effective biologic.

Objectives: To explore the effect of age at treatment initiation in response to biologics in patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis in the UK and Eire.

Methods: Data from patients registering to the British Association of Dermatologists Biologics and Immunomodulators Register (BADBIR) from 2007-2024 on first course of Tumour Necrosis Factor (TNF), interleukin (IL) 12/13, IL-17 and IL-23 inhibitors (i) with at least 6 months' follow-up were included.

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Recent published data have highlighted the importance of epigenetics in the response of the skin to recreational and therapeutic ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure. 'Epi'-from the Greek επί, meaning over, outside of or around-relates to the chemical modifications that occur on top of the DNA sequence (for example, DNA methylation) and its associated proteins (e.g.

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  • Rapid urbanization in sub-Saharan Africa is linked to a rise in asthma cases among children and teens, particularly due to challenges in obtaining clinical diagnoses for those exhibiting symptoms.* -
  • A two-phase study was conducted across multiple countries involving adolescents aged 12-14, where asthma symptoms were assessed through a questionnaire, and further evaluations were carried out on those with symptoms, including tests for lung function and environmental risk factors.* -
  • The study aimed to gather data on the prevalence and severity of asthma in symptomatic adolescents, alongside objective testing methods like spirometry and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) to better understand asthma's impact on daily life.*
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  • Advances in medicine are finding cures for diseases previously deemed incurable, including some types of cancer.
  • Traditional definitions of "cure" involve the complete resolution of disease at both clinical and molecular levels, maintaining this state even after treatment ends.
  • For psoriasis, combining biologic therapies with personalized medicine and lifestyle changes may restore immune balance and achieve a cure, despite current treatments mostly leading to relapses.
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Biological reference points (BRPs) used in fisheries management do not include density-dependent (DD) growth, with DD processes only considered in the stock recruitment relationship. Not accounting for DD on somatic growth has led to criticism that such BRPs underestimate the compensatory effects of DD at low stock size, and therefore risk foregone catch opportunities. Here, we analyse 81 stocks from the Northeast Atlantic for evidence of DD growth, defined as the process in which stock size affects somatic weight.

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  • A recent cross-sectional study conducted by dermatologists from Denmark, the UK, and Switzerland in May 2022 assessed the prevalence of skin diseases among adults in Tasiilaq, East Greenland, revealing significant health concerns.* -
  • Out of 295 participants (about 22.5% of the adult population), 69% exhibited visible signs of skin disease, with common conditions being hand eczema, lichen simplex, and scabies being the most prevalent.* -
  • The findings highlight a high prevalence of skin diseases and emphasize the need for improved access to dermatological care in the region, as many cases were severe and differed from typical presentations.*
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Background: The Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), introduced in Central London in April 2019, aims to enhance air quality and improve public health. The Children's Health in London and Luton (CHILL) study evaluates the impact of the ULEZ on children's health. This analysis focuses on the one-year impacts on the shift towards active travel to school.

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Background: Control of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is a priority in the World Health Organization strategy to eliminate TB. Many high-income, low TB incidence countries have prioritised LTBI screening and treatment in recent migrants. We tested whether a novel model of care, based entirely within primary care, was effective and safe compared to secondary care.

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  • * Data from a 5-year trial (UNCOVER-3) shows that most patients, regardless of whether they had initial issues in these challenging areas, achieved similar levels of clear skin and overall improvement.
  • * A notable finding is that patients without nail involvement had a significant advantage in overall percentage improvement, but overall efficacy was largely comparable across both groups.
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Background: People living with asthma are disproportionately affected by air pollution, with increased symptoms, medication usage, hospital admissions, and the risk of death. To date, there has been a focus on exhaust emissions, but traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) can also arise from the mechanical abrasion of tyres, brakes, and road surfaces. We therefore created a study with the aim of investigating the acute impacts of non-exhaust emissions (NEEs) on the lung function and airway immune status of asthmatic adults.

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Background: Psoriasis significantly burdens patients' lives, but there is limited data on this in Brazil.

Methods: Between May 2022 and January 2023, we conducted a cross-sectional online survey of 563 Brazilian residents aged ≥18 years who had been diagnosed with psoriasis. Spearman's correlation (r) was used to test the correlation between self-assessed disease severity (Simplified Psoriasis Index [saSPI] extent score; range 0 [clear/minor] to 40 [widespread/severe]) and health-related quality of life (QoL, score of 1 means perfect health) and capability (ICECAP-A: score of 1 means full capability) measures.

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  • Recent research on mature European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in UK waters is updating our knowledge from earlier studies in the 70s through 90s by utilizing modern technology.
  • A total of 171 sea bass were tagged with electronic devices to track their movements, revealing that they traveled an average of 172 km from where they were released, often returning to beaches or being caught in fisheries.
  • Findings indicate notable seasonal migrations linked to temperature and depth changes, alongside evidence of potential year-round residency and spawning in the North Sea, highlighting the importance of this information for managing sea bass populations sustainably.
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  • Inhibitors of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFRi) and mitogen-activated kinase (MEKi) commonly cause folliculitis in a high percentage of patients, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood.
  • This study investigates the immune changes in skin and hair follicles of patients on long-term EGFRi treatment compared to healthy skin, as well as the early inflammatory signals caused by these treatments.
  • Results reveal that prolonged EGFRi treatment leads to T-cell infiltration and a decrease in the hair follicles' immune privilege, alongside increased expression of certain inflammatory proteins and chemokines, indicating a compromised immune environment in the affected patients.
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The population of older people is steadily increasing and the majority live at home. Although the home and community are the largest care settings worldwide, most of the evidence on dermatological care relates to secondary and tertiary care. The overall aims were to map the available evidence regarding the epidemiology and burden of the most frequent skin conditions and regarding effects of screening, risk assessment, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of the most frequent skin conditions in older people living in the community.

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Background: Sex hormone changes during menopausal transition contribute to declining skin health. However, how menopause and its treatment by hormone replacement therapy (HRT) impact the skin barrier and immune system is unclear.

Objectives: To examine how menopause and HRT affect the skin barrier and immune cell composition in postmenopausal women following irritant challenge.

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  • The study identifies genetic factors linked to palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) and explores how smoking may influence the disease.
  • Researchers conducted a large-scale genetic analysis and discovered that PPP is distinct from plaque psoriasis but associated with certain genetic loci, particularly linked to immune response.
  • The findings suggest that smoking plays a causal role in the disease's development and highlight the involvement of specific immune pathways in PPP pathology.
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  • Generalized pustular psoriasis (GPP) and palmoplantar pustulosis (PPP) are distinct chronic skin conditions compared to plaque psoriasis, with different characteristics and health impacts.
  • A cohort study analyzed electronic health records from 2008 to 2019 in England, focusing on the incidence, prevalence, survival rates, and healthcare usage related to these conditions.
  • Findings revealed that GPP and PPP have significantly lower incidence and higher healthcare resource use compared to plaque psoriasis, with GPP patients experiencing lower survival rates, especially among older individuals and those with existing health issues.
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Background: Preoperative antibiotic options for pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) include cefoxitin (CX), piperacillin-tazobactam (PT), or combined cefazolin and metronidazole (CM). Recent studies suggest the superiority of PT over CX, but evidence for CM is unclear.

Objective: To explore the impact of preoperative antibiotic selection (CM vs.

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Background: Vitiligo is a chronic autoimmune disease characterised by depigmented skin patches, which can pose substantial psychosocial challenges particularly in individuals with dark skin tones. Despite its impact on quality of life, there is an absence of standardised global epidemiological data. We sought to address this gap with the present study.

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Background: Up to two thirds of patients presenting for abdominal cancer surgery are malnourished pre-operatively. Perioperative nutritional supplementation has been proposed to improve surgical outcomes, though its effect on quality of life (QoL) is not yet understood.

Methods: A randomized controlled feasibility trial for perioperative nutrition among patients undergoing major abdominal cancer surgery was conducted.

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Background: Psoriasis is a major global health burden affecting ~ 60 million people worldwide. Existing studies on psoriasis focused on individual-level health behaviors (e.g.

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