Publications by authors named "Mark D Farrar"

Article Synopsis
  • Solar urticaria is a rare skin condition where sunlight triggers rapid hives, but its underlying mechanisms remain unclear.* -
  • A study examined skin samples from patients with solar urticaria and healthy controls after UV radiation exposure, revealing increased activity of immune pathways, particularly involving neutrophils and pro-inflammatory molecules.* -
  • Results indicate that mast cell activation and specific immune responses are essential in the development of solar urticaria, with potential similarities to chronic spontaneous urticaria, highlighting unique biomarkers for the condition.*
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Importance: Photoaggravated atopic dermatitis (PAD) is estimated to affect 1.4% to 16% of patients with AD but remains poorly characterized with limited published data.

Objective: To provide detailed clinical and photobiological characterization of PAD.

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Background: Loss and remodelling of the dermal extracellular matrix (ECM) are key features of photodamaged human skin. Green tea catechins (GTCs) have been explored for their anti-inflammatory and chemopreventive properties, but data on the impact of GTCs on ultraviolet radiation (UVR)-induced changes to the dermal ECM are lacking.

Aim: To investigate the effect of an inflammatory dose of solar-simulated UVR on human dermal ECM and potential for protection by GTCs in a double-blind randomized controlled trial.

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Vitamin D can be produced by exposing skin to UVB radiation or sourced through dietary products. It is often stated that vitamin D status declines in older adults, yet little is known about differences in current-day lifestyle and dietary behaviours influencing vitamin D outcomes in younger (18-40 years old) and older adults (65-89 years old). Our objectives were to perform a pilot study to compare sun exposure behaviours, i.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates how melanin levels in skin color affect oxidative stress in humans, highlighting a correlation between lighter skin and higher DNA/RNA damage biomarkers.
  • The research included 65 participants from varying skin types and found that melanin protects against oxidative stress, explaining about 14-15% of variation in oxidative damage based on skin color.
  • After simulating sun exposure on 15 participants with extreme skin types, the study observed that UV radiation increased oxidative damage, indicating that skin melanisation offers some protective benefits against solar UV exposure.
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Background: Systemic drugs are a potentially reversible cause of photosensitivity. We explore prevalence, impact, phototest findings and culprit drugs.

Methods: Retrospective review of patients was diagnosed with drug-induced photosensitivity in a specialist photoinvestigation centre (2000-2016), using data recorded in standardized pro forma.

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Background: Cutaneous exposure to sunlight is a major source of vitamin D. Individuals with photosensitivity disorders have symptoms provoked by sunlight and may not achieve the brief sunlight exposures that convey vitamin D acquisition.

Objective: To explore knowledge, behaviour and attitudes towards vitamin D and its acquisition in patients with photosensitivity.

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Objectives: Solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) has major adverse effects on human health. While the mechanisms responsible for induction of UVR-induced inflammation are well-documented, the mediation of its resolution and longer-term adaptive homeostasis is unknown. Therefore, we examined the skin immune and lipid profile over time following UVR inflammation.

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Solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is required for cutaneous vitamin D synthesis, and experimental studies have indicated the levels of sun exposure required to avoid a vitamin D deficient status. Our objectives are to examine the sun exposure behaviours of different United Kingdom sectors and to identify if their exposure is enough to maintain winter circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D above deficiency (>25 nmol/L). Data are from a series of human studies involving >500 volunteers and performed using the same protocols in Greater Manchester, UK (53.

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Public health guidance recommends limiting sun exposure to sub-sunburn levels, but it is unknown whether these can gain vitamin D (for musculoskeletal health) while avoiding epidermal DNA damage (initiates skin cancer). Well-characterized healthy humans of all skin types (I-VI, lightest to darkest skin) were exposed to a low-dose series of solar simulated UVR of 20%-80% their individual sunburn threshold dose (minimal erythema dose). Significant UVR dose responses were seen for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and whole epidermal cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs), with as little as 0.

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Long-term exposure of human skin to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in sunlight negatively impacts its appearance and function with photoaged skin having a characteristic leathery, rough appearance, with deep wrinkles. These clinical features of photodamage are thought to result from UVR-induced remodelling of the dermal extracellular matrix, particularly the elastic fibre system. There are few in vivo human data on the impact of acute UVR exposure on this fibre system and particularly solar-simulated radiation (SSR)-mediated effects.

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The body gains vitamin D through both oral intake (diet/supplementation) and synthesis in skin upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Sun exposure is the major source for most people even though sun exposure is complex and limited by climate and culture. We aimed to quantify the sun exposure required to meet vitamin D targets year-round and determine whether this can be safely achieved in a simply defined manner in the UK as an alternative to increasing vitamin D oral intake.

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Sunlight exposure, with resulting cutaneous synthesis, is a major source of vitamin D for many, while dietary intake is low in modern diets. The constitutive pigment in skin determines skin type, observed as white, brown, or black skin. The melanin pigment absorbs ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and protects underlying skin from damage caused by UVR.

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Background: Solar UVR is a major cause of skin cancer but also an important source of vitamin D (VitD), essential for musculoskeletal health. Conflicting public health messages may confuse patients with skin cancer prone to further skin cancer.

Objective: To explore the knowledge, behaviour and attitudes of patients with skin cancer to sunlight exposure and VitD sources.

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Context: Vitamin D is essential for bone health in adolescence, when there is rapid bone mineral content accrual. Because cutaneous sun exposure provides vitamin D, there is no recommended oral intake for UK adolescents.

Objective: Our objective was to assess seasonal vitamin D status and its contributors in white Caucasian adolescents and examine bone health in those found deficient.

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Dietary flavonoids may protect against sunburn inflammation in skin. Preliminary reports using less complete analysis suggest that certain catechins and their metabolites are found in skin biopsies and blister fluid after consumption of green tea; however, it is not known if they are affected by solar-simulated ultraviolet radiation (UVR) or whether conjugated forms, with consequently altered bioactivity, are present. The present study tested the hypothesis that UVR affects the catechin levels in the skin of healthy volunteers after consumption of green tea and how catechins in the plasma are related to their presence in skin tissue samples.

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Background: Safe systemic protection from the health hazards of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in sunlight is desirable. Green tea is consumed globally and is reported to have anti-inflammatory properties, which may be mediated through the impact on cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways. Recent data suggest that green tea catechins (GTCs) reduce acute UVR effects, but human trials examining their photoprotective potential are scarce.

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The simultaneous analysis of free-form and conjugated flavonoids in the same sample is difficult but necessary to properly estimate their bioavailability. A method was developed to optimise the extraction of both free and conjugated forms of catechins and metabolites in a biological sample following the consumption of green tea. A double-blind randomised controlled trial was performed in which 26 volunteers consumed daily green tea and vitamin C supplements and 24 consumed a placebo for 3 months.

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Background: Vitamin D is essential for bone health, and cutaneous synthesis is an important source. South Asians cannot attain adequate amounts of vitamin D by following general recommendations on summer sunlight exposure at northerly latitudes, and increased exposure may be appropriate for improving their vitamin D status.

Objective: We examined the efficacy of a dose range of simulated summer sunlight exposures in raising vitamin D status in UK adults of South Asian ethnicity.

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Green tea catechins (GTC) reduce UV radiation (UVR)-induced inflammation in experimental models, but human studies are scarce and their cutaneous bioavailability and mechanism of photoprotection are unknown. We aimed to examine oral GTC cutaneous uptake, ability to protect human skin against erythema induced by a UVR dose range and impact on potent cyclo-oxygenase- and lipoxygenase-produced mediators of UVR inflammation, PGE2 and 12-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12-HETE), respectively. In an open oral intervention study, sixteen healthy human subjects (phototype I/II) were given low-dose GTC (540 mg) with vitamin C (50 mg) daily for 12 weeks.

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Background: The cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D is dependent on UVB from sunlight, but melanin reduces the penetration of UVB and thus contributes to vitamin D insufficiency in individuals with darker skin. The national guidance provided on amounts of sunlight exposure in the United Kingdom is for the light-skinned population, and in the absence of dedicated information, darker-skinned people may attempt to follow this guidance.

Objectives: We determined the relative effect of a simulation of UK recommendations of summer sunlight exposure on the vitamin D status of individuals of South Asian ethnicity compared with that of whites.

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Background: While cytokine therapy and the use of immunosuppressive cytokines such as transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) offer great potential for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), issues concerning formulation, stability in vivo, delivery to target tissues, and potential toxicity need to be addressed. In consideration of these problems we engineered the human commensal bacterium Bacteroides ovatus for the controlled in situ delivery of TGF-β(1) and treatment of colitis.

Methods: Sequence encoding the human tgf-β1 gene was cloned downstream of the xylanase promoter in the xylan operon of B.

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Background: Human growth factors are potential therapeutic agents for various inflammatory disorders affecting the gastrointestinal tract. However, they are unstable when administered orally and systemic administration requires high doses increasing the risk of unwanted side effects. Live microorganism-based delivery systems can overcome these problems although they suffer from the inability to control heterologous protein production and there are concerns regarding biosafety and environmental contamination.

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