Hidden victims of childhood vitiligo: impact on parents' mental health and quality of life.

This study aims to assess the impact of childhood vitiligo on the psychological status and quality of life of their parents, and to determine how this varies according to their children's disease condition. The study included 50 families of children with vitiligo (a total of 75 participants) and 50 families of normal children (a total of 79 participants). The psychosocial impact of the disease on parents was measured using the Self-rated Health Measurement Scale (SRHMS) and the Dermatitis Family Impact Questionnaire (DFI).

Local hyperthermia could induce antiviral activity by endogenous interferon-dependent pathway in condyloma acuminata.

Local hyperthermia has been successfully used in the treatment of viral warts by mechanisms that have largely remained unclear. Using an organotypic culture system, we found that hyperthermia at 42 °C and 45 °C could induce a significant increase in the transcriptional expression of interferon (IFN)-α, IFN-β and IFN-γ, in a temperature-dependent manner in condyloma acuminata (CA), but not in normal skin. Accordingly, local hyperthermia could enhance the expression of 2'-5' oligoadenylate synthase and double-stranded RNA (dsRNA)-dependent protein kinase, two antiviral enzymes downstream of the IFN-dependant pathway.

Local hyperthermia at 44 degrees C for the treatment of plantar warts: a randomized, patient-blinded, placebo-controlled trial.

There have been anecdotal reports that local hyperthermia was effective in the treatment of viral warts. We conducted a randomized, patient-blinded, placebo-controlled trial to test the effect of local hyperthermia (44 degrees C for 30 min a day for 3 consecutive days plus 2 additional days 2 weeks later) on plantar warts. By the end of 3 months, 53.

Vitiligo in North-Eastern China: An association between mucosal and acrofacial lesions.

Vitiligo is a mucocutaneous pigmentary disorder with worldwide distribution. Little is known about the clinical profile of vitiligo in North-eastern China. Accordingly, we reviewed 692 vitiligo out-patients from seven government hospitals in North-eastern China via a questionnaire in a multi-centre study conducted between June 2007 and June 2008, and hence characterized the epidemiology of vitiligo in North-eastern China.