Dietary Nitrate Supplementation Is Not Helpful for Endurance Performance at Simulated Altitude Even When Combined With Intermittent Normobaric Hypoxic Training.

Introduction: Training intensity and nutrition may influence adaptations to training performed in hypoxia and consequently performance outcomes at altitude. This study investigates if performance at simulated altitude is improved to a larger extent when high-intensity interval training is performed in normobaric hypoxia and if this is potentiated when combined with chronic dietary nitrate (NO ) supplementation.

Methods: Thirty endurance-trained male participants were allocated to one of three groups: hypoxia (13% FO) + NO ; hypoxia + placebo; and normoxia (20.

Brazilian consensus on photoprotection.

Brazil is a country of continental dimensions with a large heterogeneity of climates and massive mixing of the population. Almost the entire national territory is located between the Equator and the Tropic of Capricorn, and the Earth axial tilt to the south certainly makes Brazil one of the countries of the world with greater extent of land in proximity to the sun. The Brazilian coastline, where most of its population lives, is more than 8,500 km long.

Chronic urticaria in adults: state-of-the-art in the new millennium.

Chronic urticaria has been explored in several investigative aspects in the new millennium, either as to its pathogenesis, its stand as an autoimmune or auto-reactive disease, the correlation with HLA-linked genetic factors, especially with class II or its interrelation with the coagulation and fibrinolysis systems. New second-generation antihistamines, which act as good symptomatic drugs, emerged and were commercialized over the last decade. Old and new drugs that may interfere with the pathophysiology of the disease, such as cyclosporine and omalizumab have been developed and used as treatments.

Dermatomyositis: analysis of 109 patients surveyed at the Hospital das Clínicas (HCFMUSP), São Paulo, Brazil.

Background: Dermatomyositis affects striated muscles, skin and other organs.

Objective: To characterize the disease from January 1992 to December 2002, assessing its classification, cutaneous and systemic manifestations, and also laboratory results, therapeutic and prognostic findings compared to those in the literature.

Methods: Data were obtained from medical records of 109 patients who were classified into five groups: 23 juvenile dermatomyositis; 59 primary idiopathic dermatomyositis; 6 amyopathic dermatomyositis; 7 dermatomyositis associated with neoplasms and 14 dermatomyositis associated with other connective tissue diseases.

Cytokine detection for the diagnosis of chromium allergy.

Background: Patch testing remains the gold standard method for the identification of the etiologic agent of allergic contact dermatitis. However, it is a subjective, time-consuming exam whose technique demands special care and which presents some contraindications, which hamper its use. In a recent study, we showed that the proliferation assay can suitably replace patch testing for the diagnosis of chromium allergy, which had been previously demonstrated only for nickel allergy.

Tungiasis under dermoscopy: in vivo and ex vivo examination of the cutaneous infestation due to Tunga penetrans.

The female flea Tunga penetrans is responsible for a cutaneous parasitosis known as Tungiasis. We report the clinical case of a 12 year-old Caucasian boy who sought treatment in a dermatological private office due to a painful lesion in the plantar area and whose dermoscopic examination, without skin contact, allowed the visualization of parasite's movement inside the skin. The diagnosis of tungiasis is clinical, but it can be aided by in vivo and ex vivo dermoscopic examination of the lesion.

Precipitating factors of porphyria cutanea tarda in Brazil with emphasis on hemochromatosis gene (HFE) mutations. Study of 60 patients.

Background: Porphyria cutanea tarda is the most common form of porphyria, characterized by the decreased activity of the uroporphyrinogen decarboxylase enzyme. Several reports associated HFE gene mutations of hereditary hemochromatosis with porphyria cutanea tarda worldwide, although up to date only one study has been conducted in Brazil.

Objectives: Investigation of porphyria cutanea tarda association with C282Y and H63D mutations in the HFE gene.

Evaluation of D-dimer serum levels among patients with chronic urticaria, psoriasis and urticarial vasculitis.

Background: It has been demonstrated that neutrophils, eosinophils and monocytes, under appropriated stimulus, may express tissue factor and therefore, activate the extrinsic pathway of coagulation. We performed a transversal and case-control study of patients with chronic urticaria and patients with psoriasis, in our outpatient clinic to evaluate the production of D-dimer.

Objective: To evaluate D-dimer serum levels in patients with chronic urticaria and its possible correlation with disease activity.

Quality of life of patients with paucibacillary leprosy.

Background: Leprosy, an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, can affect the skin and the peripheral nervous system and, depending on the level of involvement, it can lead to severe deformities. Leprosy is classified into two major groups: paucibacillary (up to five lesions) and multibacillary (more than five lesions). The deformities that appear during the progress of the disease can affect the quality of life.

Historical evolution of the Brazilian Annals of Dermatology.

In this special edition in celebration of the centennial of the Brazilian Society of Dermatology, the authors take a retrospective look at printed Brazilian dermatology from the very beginning onward, showing evidence of descriptive dermatology with rich discussions, illustrations and advertisements of medications much used at the time, such as bismuth for the treatment of syphilis, before the discovery of penicillin. This retrospective covers up to the current days, when publications in the Brazilian Annals of Dermatology have reached the modern era in electronics, science and layout as well.

Sun protection factor: meaning and controversies.

The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) is the most important data to quantify the effectiveness of a sunscreen, being universally accepted. The method is based on determining the minimum erythematous dose (MED), defined as the smallest amount of energy required for triggering the erythema, in areas of protected and unprotected skin. The SPF value is then calculated as the ratio between the MED of protected and unprotected skin.

Immunopathology of allergic contact dermatitis.

Allergic contact dermatitis is the consequence of an immune reaction mediated by T cells against low molecular weight chemicals known as haptens. It is a common condition that occurs in all races and age groups and affects the quality of life of those who present it. The immunological mechanism of this disease has been reviewed in recent decades with significant advance in its understanding.

Dermatosis due to plants (phytodermatosis).

Dermatosis caused by plants is relatively common and may occur by various pathogenic mechanisms. Dermatitis due to physical trauma, pharmacological action, irritation, sensitization, mediated by IgE and induced by light are described. Pseudophytodermatosis caused by plant-delivered elements is also described in the introduction to this work.

Effects of musical cadence in the acute physiologic adaptations to head-out aquatic exercises.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationships between musical cadence and the physiologic adaptations to basic head-out aquatic exercises. Fifteen young and clinically healthy women performed, immersed to the breast, a cardiovascular aquatic exercise called the "rocking horse." The study design included an intermittent and progressive protocol starting at a 90 b.

The influence of the amount of sunscreen applied and its sun protection factor (SPF): evaluation of two sunscreens including the same ingredients at different concentrations.

Background: To estimate labeled sun protection factor (SPF) for sunscreen, the amount of product applied on volunteers, according to food and drug administration (FDA) and International protocols, is 2 mg/cm(2). However, different studies have shown that consumers actually apply much less product when exposed to the sun. Previous studies have reported contradictory findings in an attempt to correlate the amount applied in relation to SPF.

Direct immunofluorescence on uninvolved, lesional and perilesional skin in patients with endemic pemphigus foliaceus (fogo selvagem).

Background: Research on direct immunofluorescence in pemphigus foliaceus ("fogo selvagem") has been focused mainly on the study of perilesional and lesional skin, while little attention has been given to uninvolved skin. We analyzed the frequency of IgA, IgM, IgG and its subclasses (IgG1, IgG2, IgG3 and IgG4) and C3 complement fraction deposition in intercellular spaces (ICS) and basal membrane zone (BMZ) in uninvolved, lesional and perilesional skin from 47 fogo selvagem patients.

Material/methods: For each patient biopsies were collected from lesional, perilesional and uninvolved skin, and then analyzed by direct immunofluorescence.

Two Brazilian cases of IgA pemphigus.

IgA pemphigus is a rare, neutrophilic, acantholytic skin disorder with approximately 70 cases described in the literature. We report two patients with the subcorneal pustular dermatosis (SPD) type of IgA pemphigus. Initially, both patients were misdiagnosed as subcorneal pustular dermatosis of Sneddon and Wilkinson.

Olmsted syndrome: the clinical spectrum of mutilating palmoplantar keratoderma.

Olmsted syndrome is a rare variety of transgredient palmoplantar keratoderma with an undefined inheritance pattern. It starts in the neonatal period or in childhood and has a progressive and extremely disabling course. We report two new, unrelated patients with Olmsted syndrome, one with the early signs and symptoms of the disorder, the other showing the full-blown spectrum of the syndrome during a 30-year follow-up period.