Melatonin: Effects on Cartilage Homeostasis and Therapeutic Prospects in Cartilage-related Diseases.

Cartilage is a relatively simple connective tissue that plays a variety of roles in the human body, including joint support and protection, load bearing of the intervertebral discs, joint lubrication, formation of the external structure of the ears and nose and support of the trachea. The maintenance of cartilage homeostasis is therefore crucial. Cartilage-related diseases are difficult to diagnose and treat because their molecular and pathological mechanisms are not fully understood.

Interactions between immune system and the microbiome of skin, blood and gut in pathogenesis of rosacea.

The increasingly wide use of next-generation sequencing technologies has revolutionised our knowledge of microbial environments associated with human skin, gastrointestinal tract and blood. The collective set of microorganisms influences metabolic processes, affects immune responses, and so directly or indirectly modulates disease. Rosacea is a skin condition of abnormal inflammation and vascular dysfunction, and its progression is affected by Demodex mites on the skin surface.

A Survey of the Healthcare Workers in Afghanistan during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Healthcare workers (HCWs) in Afghanistan faced many challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional, online survey was conducted from July 4, 2020 to July 12, 2020 to evaluate the working conditions and health situation of HCWs in Afghanistan during the pandemic. Healthcare workers from 34 provinces, who were actively working in Afghan hospitals, were invited to participate in this study; 925 HCWs completed the survey.

Case Report: Erysipeloid Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Treated with Oral Miltefosine.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) can present with various skin lesions ranging from a single ulcer to diffuse multiple nodules. Here, we present a case of a 67-year-old man with a large erythematous well-defined indurated plaque over the left face for a duration of 4 months. A slit skin smear was performed, and it was stained with Giemsa stain which showed multiple amastigotes confirming the diagnosis of CL.

Profiles of Pediatric Leprosy: A Report from a University Hospital of Nepal in the Post-Elimination Era.

Because pediatric leprosy strongly indicates continuous disease transmission in the community, knowing the profiles of pediatric leprosy is of great value for a leprosy-free world. We conducted this study to assess the clinical profiles of pediatric leprosy in Nepal. This retrospective study analyzed the 7-year record from 2011 to 2017.

Importance of Follow-Up Microscopic Examination in Hospitalized Patients with Confirmed Scabies.

We investigated the duration of positive microscopic examination in hospitalized patients with confirmed scabies in an acute care hospital. We included hospitalized patients who were diagnosed with scabies between January 2015 and June 2019. From the study period, a total of 31 patients with confirmed scabies were identified.

Case Report: Rifampicin-Induced Thrombocytopenia in a Patient with Borderline Lepromatous Leprosy.

Rifampicin is a highly effective antibacterial drug and an important component of multidrug therapy used to treat leprosy. Side effects of rifampicin are rare with the once-a-month dosage regimen of anti-leprosy multidrug therapy. Here, we report a case of rifampicin-induced thrombocytopenia during anti-leprosy treatment.

Pitfalls in assessing stromal tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) in breast cancer.

Stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) are important prognostic and predictive biomarkers in triple-negative (TNBC) and HER2-positive breast cancer. Incorporating sTILs into clinical practice necessitates reproducible assessment. Previously developed standardized scoring guidelines have been widely embraced by the clinical and research communities.

Report on computational assessment of Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes from the International Immuno-Oncology Biomarker Working Group.

Assessment of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) is increasingly recognized as an integral part of the prognostic workflow in triple-negative (TNBC) and HER2-positive breast cancer, as well as many other solid tumors. This recognition has come about thanks to standardized visual reporting guidelines, which helped to reduce inter-reader variability. Now, there are ripe opportunities to employ computational methods that extract spatio-morphologic predictive features, enabling computer-aided diagnostics.

Urticaria: recommendations from the Italian Society of Allergology, Asthma and Clinical Immunology and the Italian Society of Allergological, Occupational and Environmental Dermatology.

Background: Urticaria is a disorder affecting skin and mucosal tissues characterized by the occurrence of wheals, angioedema or both, the latter defining the urticaria-angioedema syndrome. It is estimated that 12-22% of the general population has suffered at least one subtype of urticaria during life, but only a small percentage (estimated at 7.6-16%) has acute urticaria, because it is usually self-limited and resolves spontaneously without requiring medical attention.

Case Report: Leprosy and Psoriasis: A Rare Coexistence.

Leprosy presents with erythematous or pigmented patches, plaques, and nodules with loss of sensation and nerve thickening. Psoriasis presents as sharply demarcated erythematous plaques with overlying silvery scales. The controversial relationship between both has existed since biblical times when psoriasis was considered to be a form of leprosy.

Long non-coding RNA GAS5 accelerates oxidative stress in melanoma cells by rescuing EZH2-mediated CDKN1C downregulation.

Background: The significance of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in mediating oxidative stress of cancers has been implicated recently. This study proposed a potential therapeutic target lncRNA growth arrest-specific transcript 5 (GAS5) for melanoma, due to its crucial role in oxidative stress and apoptosis of melanoma cells by regulating the enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2)-mediated CDKN1C expression.

Methods: The lncRNA GAS5 expression pattern was examined in melanoma tissues and cells.

Quantitative proteomics analysis of differentially expressed proteins induced by astragaloside IV in cervical cancer cell invasion.

Background: Cervical cancer remains the second leading cause of mortality in women in developing countries. While surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and vaccine therapy are being applied for its treatment, individually or in combination, the survival rate in advanced cervical cancer patients is still very low. Traditional Chinese medicine has been found to be effective in the treatment of cervical cancer.

Successful Limb Salvage in a Case of Advanced Long-Standing Eumycetoma of the Foot Using Adjunctive Local Amphotericin B Delivery Through Bioabsorbable Beads.

Mycetoma is a chronic, granulomatous infection mainly involving the foot and is caused either by bacteria (actinomycetoma) or fungi (eumycetoma). Eumycetoma is notoriously resistant, posing a therapeutic challenge. There are no specific treatment guidelines but generally a combination of systemic antifungals and local surgical treatment is the accepted standard.

Metformin inhibits IL-1β secretion via impairment of NLRP3 inflammasome in keratinocytes: implications for preventing the development of psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a systemic inflammatory disease significantly associated with comorbidities including type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Metformin is utilized as a first-line agent for treating T2DM. Although metformin reportedly inhibits mature IL-1β secretion via NLRP3 inflammasome in macrophages of T2DM patients, it remains unclear whether it affects skin inflammation in psoriasis.

Organotypic human skin culture models constructed with senescent fibroblasts show hallmarks of skin aging.

Skin aging is driven by intrinsic and extrinsic factors impacting on skin functionality with progressive age. One factor of this multifaceted process is cellular senescence, as it has recently been identified to contribute to a declining tissue functionality in old age. In the skin, senescent cells have been found to markedly accumulate with age, and thus might impact directly on skin characteristics.

Flare or foe? - infection mimicking rheumatoid arthritis tenosynovitis: case report and literature review.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common type of inflammatory arthritis affecting about 1% of the population. With the advent of disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs the disease can be well controlled in many cases. Patients, however, are prone to developing infectious complications.

Open to the public: paywalls and the public rationale for open access medical research publishing.

Public voices have largely been absent from the discussions about open access publishing in medical research. Yet the public have a strong interest in ensuring open access of medical research findings because of their roles as funders, advocates, research participants, and patients. By limiting access to research outputs, the current publishing system makes it more difficult for research to be held accountable to the public.

MicroRNA-125b exerts antitumor functions in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma by targeting the STAT3 pathway.

Background: MicroRNA-125b (miR-125b) is downregulated in human cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC). However, its function in CSCC has yet to be extensively explored. Here, we analyze the relationship between signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) and miR-125b in CSCC.

Eczema phenotypes and risk of allergic and respiratory conditions in school age children.

Background: Eczema phenotypes based on eczema onset and persistence might better identify groups prone to allergic and respiratory conditions than a binary definition of eczema. We examined the associations of childhood eczema phenotypes with allergic sensitization, allergy, asthma and lung function at school age.

Methods: This study among 4277 children was embedded in a multi-ethnic population-based prospective cohort study.