Association between Vitamin D Receptor Polymorphisms, Tight Junction Proteins and Clinical Features of Adult Patients with Atopic Dermatitis.

Introduction: Few studies have explored the intricate connections between vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms, VDR, tight junction (TJ) protein expression and clinical features of atopic dermatitis (AD).

Methods: From 43 adult AD patients, VDR polymorphisms were genotyped from peripheral blood samples using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. VDR, occludin, claudin-1 and ZO-1 protein expression from skin lesion biopsies were assessed by immunohistochemistry.

The Fatty Acid and Protein Profiles of Circulating CD81-Positive Small Extracellular Vesicles Are Associated with Disease Stage in Melanoma Patients.

The early detection of cutaneous melanoma, a potentially lethal cancer with rising incidence, is fundamental to increasing survival and therapeutic adjustment. In stages II-IV especially, additional indications for adjuvant therapy purposes after resection and for treatment of metastatic patients are urgently needed. We investigated whether the fatty acid (FA) and protein compositions of small extracellular vesicles (sEV) derived from the plasma of stage 0-I, II and III-IV melanoma patients ( = 38) could reflect disease stage.

Socio-economic burden and resource utilisation in Italian patients with chronic urticaria: 2-year data from the AWARE study.

Introduction: In Italy, the real-world evidence on the extent of adherence to guidelines and the benefits of recommended therapeutic medications and their impact on the quality of life (QoL) of H-antihistamines (H-AH) refractory chronic urticaria (CU) patients is limited.

Methods: AWARE (A World-wide Antihistamine-Refractory chronic urticaria patient Evaluation) was a global prospective, non-interventional study of CU in real-world setting which included patients aged ≥18 years with a medically confirmed diagnosed of CU present for more than 2 months. In this study, the disease characteristics, pharmacological treatments and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are reported.

Capillaroscopy: a new application for the evaluation of vascular side-effects induced by chemotherapy.

Background: Cancer survivors are rising up, but this better survival is accompanied by possible treatments side-effects. In particular, cardiovascular effects are commonly reported, even if vascular damage is not necessarily connected to clinical manifestations. Periungual microcircle evaluation through capillaroscopy could identify asymptomatic patients with high risk of cerebro-cardio-vascular disease.

Natural-Killer-Derived Extracellular Vesicles: Immune Sensors and Interactors.

Natural killer (NK) cells contribute to immunosurveillance and first-line defense in the control of tumor growth and metastasis diffusion. NK-cell-derived extracellular vesicles (NKEVs) are constitutively secreted and biologically active. They reflect the protein and genetic repertoire of originating cells, and exert antitumor activity and .

Case Report: Cetuximab use in advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma resistant to chemotherapy.

We present the case of a 60-year-old man with unresectable cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) of the sternal area, which was not amenable to radiation therapy. The treatment history of this patient is remarkable as the disease had progressed through all lines of conventional therapy established in the literature. We decided to initiate treatment with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor cetuximab and we reassessed the patient after 12 weeks with a whole-body CT scan, documenting stability in the size and radiologic features of the disease.

Personalized and targeted mutational analysis of multiple second primary melanomas under kinase inhibitors.

Background: Second primary melanomas (SPMs) are new developed primary melanomas occurring in a subset of patients affected by BRAF-mutated metastatic melanoma during treatment with BRAF-inhibitors. A drug-induced paradoxical activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway in BRAF-wild type/RAS-mutated cells have been proposed as a possible molecular mechanism but data on the mutational status of SPMs are lacking. In order to better understand genetic alterations affecting the biological mechanism of SPMs, we performed a personalized and targeted next-generation sequencing analysis of a patient affected by metastatic melanoma who developed multiple SPMs during treatment with encorafenib (LGX818).

The Glucosamine-derivative NAPA Suppresses MAPK Activation and Restores Collagen Deposition in Human Diploid Fibroblasts Challenged with Environmental Levels of UVB.

The ultraviolet (UV) component of solar radiation is the driving force of life on earth, but it can cause photoaging and skin cancer. In this study, we investigated the effects of the glucosamine-derivative 2-(N-Acetyl)-L-phenylalanylamido-2-deoxy-β-D-glucose (NAPA) on human primary fibroblasts (FBs) stimulated in vitro with environmental levels of UVB radiation. FBs were irradiated with 0.

Enlarging melanocytic lesions with peripheral globular pattern: a dermoscopic and confocal microscopy study.

Background: Enlarging melanocytic lesions with peripheral globular pattern (EMLPGP) are a pitfall in dermoscopy. Our aim was to evaluate the meaning of EMLPGP and to assess the use of dermoscopy and reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) in order to improve the clinical management of this subtype of melanocytic lesions.

Methods: A total of 135 EMLPGP were recruited and, accordingly to the dermoscopy features, were removed; later, an expert dermoscopist reviewed the lesions blinded to histology.

Italian Guidelines in diagnosis and treatment of alopecia areata.

Alopecia areata (AA) is an organ-specific autoimmune disorder that targets anagen phase hair follicles. The course is unpredictable and current available treatments have variable efficacy. Nowadays, there is relatively little evidence on treatment of AA from well-designed clinical trials.

MiRNAs as Potential Prognostic Biomarkers for Metastasis in Thin and Thick Primary Cutaneous Melanomas.

Background/aim: The identification of novel prognostic biomarkers for melanoma metastasis is essential to improve patient outcomes. To this aim, we characterized miRNA expression profiles in relation to metastasis in melanoma and correlated miRNAs expression with clinical-pathological factors.

Materials And Methods: MiR-145-5p, miR-150-5p, miR-182-5p, miR-203-3p, miR-205-5p and miR-211-5p expression levels were analyzed in primary cutaneous melanomas, including thin and thick melanomas, and in melanoma metastases by quantitative Real-Time PCR.

Correlation of serum tryptase levels with total number of nevi, Breslow thickness, ulceration, and mitotic index in melanoma patients: evaluation of a promising prognostic marker.

Current evidences suggest that mast cells contribute to the proliferation and differentiation of skin melanocytes. According to these findings, we carried out an observational cross-sectional study to investigate the correlation between the total number of nevi (TN), Breslow thickness (BT), and serum tryptase (ST) levels in a cohort of 35 melanoma (MM) patients. A Mann-Whitney test was performed to compare ST values within each variable.