Comparison of patch test positivity after 24 and 48 hours of occlusion time in patients of allergic contact dermatitis: A prospective study.

Background: Patch test is the gold standard for diagnosing allergic contact dermatitis. Conventionally, the patches are applied for 48 h, which in tropical weather conditions causes excessive sweating, leading to irritation, and sometimes the patches come off, making the test inconclusive.

Objective: To compare the patch test positivity after 24 and 48 h of occlusion time in patients of allergic contact dermatitis, using standard allergen concentration.

Oral Propranolol Therapy for Infantile Hemangioma: Long-term Follow-up.

β-blocker therapy is currently the treatment of choice for infantile hemangiomas (IH), albeit with limited data on long-term treatment outcomes. Herein, authors treated 67 IH lesions in 47 patients with oral propranolol at 2 mg/kg/d for a median of 9 mo and followed them up for a median of 48 mo. While no maintenance therapy was required for 18 lesions (26.

Novel PCR-Based Multiplex Assays for Detecting Major Quality and Biotic Stress in Commercial and Weedy Rice.

While previous research has demonstrated that multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can be a cost-effective approach to detect various genes in crops, the availability of multiplex assays to simultaneously screen both grain quality and biotic stress resistance traits in rice () is limited. In this work, we report six novel multiplex assays that use a universal protocol to detect major rice grain quality (amylose content and fragrance) and biotic stress (blast, sheath blight, and bacterial leaf blight) traits with amplified products consisting of up to four primer pairs that can be analyzed using a standard agarose-based gel electrophoresis system. Recent studies have suggested that weedy rice has novel sources of disease resistance.

Development of algorithm for diagnosis of cystic fibrosis in absence of sweat chloride testing in resource-limited setting.

Objective: To develop a diagnostic algorithm for cystic fibrosis (CF) in the setting of unavailability of sweat chloride, based on clinical features and basic laboratory investigations.

Methods: In a prospective observational study, we enrolled children with recurrent/persistent pneumonia with either malabsorption or poor growth, undergoing a sweat chloride test, between January 2019 and December 2020. They were simultaneously evaluated for aquagenic wrinkling of hands, stool fat globules, sputum for bacterial culture, blood gas, and serum electrolytes.

Diversity and Ecological Guild Analysis of the Oil Palm Fungal Microbiome Across Root, Rhizosphere, and Soil Compartments.

The rhizosphere microbiome is a major determinant of plant health, which can interact with the host directly and indirectly to promote or suppress productivity. Oil palm is one of the world's most important crops, constituting over a third of global vegetable oil production. Currently there is little understanding of the oil palm microbiome and its contribution to plant health and productivity, with existing knowledge based almost entirely on culture dependent studies.

Acquired cutis laxa type II (Marshall syndrome) in a 3-month-old boy.

Acquired cutis laxa type II (Marshall syndrome) is a post-inflammatory elastolysis occurring in infancy and childhood. It is challenging to treat with very few effective treatment options available. Herein, we describe the case of a 3-month-old boy with acquired cutis laxa type II secondary to a neutrophilic dermatosis.

Impact of a Psychodermatological Education Package on the Subjective Distress, Family Burden, and Quality of Life among the Primary Caregivers of Children Affected with Epidermolysis Bullosa.

Background: Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) has profound effect on the subjective distress, family burden, and quality of life (QOL) of the primary caregivers (PCG). Knowledgeable PCG can efficiently manage children with these skin diseases and also improve their QOL.

Objectives: To assess the subjective distress, family burden, and QOL, to develop and assess the short-term effectiveness of a psycho-dermatological education package (PDEP) for the PCG of children with EB.

A retrospective comparative study of outcome with surgical excision and repair versus nonsurgical and ablative treatments for basal cell carcinoma.

Background: There are few studies on basal cell carcinoma (BCC) from India. Long-term follow-up is available in only one study and the aesthetic outcome of treatment has not been evaluated in Indian patients.

Aims: In this retrospective study on BCC, we compared treatment failure, recurrence rates and aesthetic outcomes on long-term follow-up between surgical excision and repair, and nonsurgical and ablative treatments.

A split face randomized controlled trial comparing 1,064 nm Q-switched Nd-YAG laser and modified Kligman's formulation in patients with melasma in darker skin.

Background: No randomized studies compared the efficacy and safety of modified Kligman's triple combination (TC) with 1,064 nm Q-switched Nd-YAG laser (QSNYL) in melasma in darker skin.

Objectives: To compare the efficacy and safety of QSNYL and TC in the treatment of melasma in Fitzpatrick skin types IV and V.

Methods: In this split face randomized controlled trial, participants' cheeks were randomized to receive either weekly QSNYL (group A) or daily TC (group B) for 12 weeks, followed by 12 weeks of follow-up.

Mutation Spectrum of Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Patients in Indian Population.

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a multiorgan disorder characterized by formation of hamartomas and broad phenotypic spectrum including seizures, mental retardation, renal dysfunction, skin manifestations and brain tubers. It is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, caused due to mutation in either or genes. Seizures are one of the major presenting symptoms of TSC that helps in early diagnosis.

Increase in concentration of patch test allergen reduces patch test occlusion time to 12 hours without affecting patch test reactivity in patients with parthenium dermatitis.

Background: Patch testing is the standard method to diagnose contact allergy. Patches are applied for 48 hours, which is inconvenient to patients in tropical weather. Therefore, we evaluated different patch test occlusion times with increased concentrations of an allergen to determine if occlusion time can be reduced without compromising patch test reactivity.

A split-face randomized controlled study comparing the efficacy and safety of intralesional radiofrequency-assisted subcision vs conventional subcision in postacne scars.

Background: Postacne scars have significant psychosocial distress among patients. Subcision is a well-known treatment modality specially for rolling type of acne scars, but is a crude mechanical process, which carries a risk of hematoma formation.

Aims: To compare the efficacy and safety of radiofrequency-assisted subcision (rSubcision) with conventional subcision in postacne scars.

Hereditary Palmoplantar Keratoderma: A Practical Approach to the Diagnosis.

The ridged skin of the palms and soles has several unique features: (i) presence of dermatoglyphics created by alternating ridges and grooves forming a unique pattern, (ii) presence of the highest density of eccrine sweat glands and absence of pilosebaceous units, and (iii) differential expression of keratins compared to the glabrous skin. These features explain the preferential localization of palmoplantar keratoderma (PPK) and several of its characteristic clinical features. PPK develops as a compensatory hyperproliferation of the epidermis and excessive production of stratum corneum in response to altered cornification of the palmoplantar skin due to mutations in the genes encoding several of the proteins involved in it.

A randomised controlled trial comparing the efficacy of micellised and fat-soluble vitamin D3 supplementation in healthy adults.

Nanoemulsion formulation of vitamin D3 have been shown to have better bioavailability than the coarse emulsion preparation in vitro and in vivo animal studies. In the absence of randomised trial in humans, comparing the efficacy of nanotechnology-based miscellised vitamin D3 over conventional vitamin D3, we undertook this study. A total of 180 healthy adults were randomised to receive either micellised (DePura, group A) or conventional vitamin D3 (Calcirol, group B) at a monthly dose of 60 000 IU (1500μg) for 6 months.

Impact of three different daily doses of vitamin D3 supplementation in healthy schoolchildren and adolescents from North India: a single-blind prospective randomised clinical trial.

In India, there is a lack of information about the adequate daily dose of vitamin D3 supplementation in school children. Hence, we undertook this study to evaluate the adequacy and efficacy of different doses of vitamin D3 in schoolchildren. A total of 1008 vitamin D-deficient (VDD) children, aged 6-16 years with serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels <50nmol/l, were cluster randomised into three groups (A-344, B-341 and C-232) for supplementation (600, 1000 and 2000 IU daily) of vitamin D3 under supervision for 6 months.

Genotype-Phenotype Correlations of Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa in India: Experience from a Tertiary Care Centre.

Recent advances in the field of genomics have seen the successful implementation of whole exome sequencing as a rapid and efficient diagnostic strategy in several genodermatoses. The aim of this study was to explore the potential of molecular studies in dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB) in India. Whole exome sequencing was performed using genomic DNA from each case of epidermolysis bullosa, followed by massively parallel sequencing.