Increased Risk of Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Skin and Lymphoma Among 5,739 Patients with Bullous Pemphigoid: A Swedish Nationwide Cohort Study.

Evidence about the association of bullous pemphigoid and the risk of cancer is conflicting. Patients diagnosed with bullous pemphigoid (n = 5,739) between 2005 and 2016 were matched with a control cohort from the general population (n = 17,168) to estimate their overall and specific risk of cancer. The risk of squamous cell cancer of the skin (cSCC) was increased in patients with bullous pemphigoid (hazard ratio (HR) 1.

Incidence of bullous pemphigoid in Sweden 2005-2012: a nationwide population-based cohort study of 3761 patients.

Studies that report the incidence of bullous pemphigoid from validated nationwide population-based registries are rare. The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of bullous pemphigoid in Sweden 2005-2012. A population-based open cohort study was designed including all patients diagnosed by a dermatologist with bullous pemphigoid (BP) in Sweden from 2005 to 2012 (n = 3761), identified from the National Patient Register (NPR).

Bullous Pemphigoid: Validation of the National Patient Register in Two Counties in Sweden, 2001 to 2012.

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is the most common autoimmune blistering disease. Since 2001, data from all specialized outpatient and inpatient care institutions in Sweden, have been registered with the National Patient Register (NPR), based on a unique personal identification number. Previous validations of the register have shown high accuracy for various non-dermatological autoimmune diseases.

The expression of serotonin transporter protein correlates with the severity of psoriasis and chronic stress.

Psoriasis may be worsened by stress and mood disorders. There is an increased expression of the serotonin transporter protein (SERT) in involved psoriatic skin as compared to non-involved psoriatic skin and normal skin. The aim of this study was to investigate if the increased expression of SERT in psoriasis correlates with the severity of disease, chronic stress, and depression.

The serotonin transporter protein is expressed in psoriasis, where it may play a role in regulating apoptosis.

Since the symptoms of psoriasis may be changed by treatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the expression of serotonin (5-HT) and its transporter protein (SERT) in the skin of patients with psoriasis were examined employing a biotinylated-streptavidine procedure. In biopsies of such skin staining for 5-HT was limited to platelets; the expression of SERT in the keratinocytes of involved regions was redistributed; the numbers of SERT-positive dendritic or round mononuclear cells in the epidermis of involved psoriatic skin were higher than in normal healthy control skin; and the dermis of the involved skin contained higher numbers of round inflammatory cells immunostained for SERT than either non-involved psoriatic skin or normal skin. Double-immunostaining indicated that the skin cells expressing SERT also expressed CD1a, CD3 or tryptase.

Serotonergic drugs--a possible role in the treatment of psoriasis?

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease, where specific immunity and/or innate immunity may be of importance in the disease pathogenesis. Psoriasis may be worsened by stress, which suggests that a neuroimmune interaction is contributing to the disease. Serotonin (5-HT) is a monoamine which besides general effects also has an impact on cell proliferation, migration and apoptosis.