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Acne is a common skin condition affecting both adolescents and adults, and it can profoundly impact patients' quality of life and mental well-being. This prospective cross-sectional study aims to explore the differences in psychosocial aspects between male and female acne patients in Poland. A total of 104 consecutive acne patients were included in this study. Clinical severity, patients' quality of life, stigmatization levels, and psychiatric disturbances were evaluated using the following instruments: Investigator Global Assessment (IGA), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Cardiff Acne Disability Index (CADI), 6-Item Stigmatization Scale (6-ISS), and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). This study found that female patients exhibited significantly less severe acne and experienced significantly decreased quality of life and increased levels of stigmatization. Furthermore, anxiety levels among female patients exceeded those observed in their male counterparts. Notably, no disparities in the severity of depression were observed between the two gender groups. Correlations were discerned among all psychosocial parameters in the entire study cohort and in the female subgroup, while such correlations were not uniformly observed among male participants. This study underscores the importance of considering psychosocial aspects and implementing routine measurements in the management of acne to improve patients' well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) links the disease with proinflammatory activation and autoimmune processes. This study investigated serum levels of interleukin (IL)-22, a cytokine critically involved in epithelial homeostasis, in the context of the broad clinical spectrum of patients with HS. The study also assessed the relationship between serum IL-22 and pro-inflammatory activation (as evidenced by serum level of IL-6) and serum hepcidin (central regulator of systemic iron homeostasis). Serum concentrations of IL-22 were assessed in 74 patients with HS and 15 healthy subjects. Compared with healthy controls, patients with HS demonstrated decreased levels of serum IL-22 (median; interquartile range (IQR): 12.4 pg/ml (9.8; 23.5) vs 34.8 pg/ml (24.8; 39.8), p < 0.001 vs controls). Disease severity (assessed both with Hurley staging and Hidradenitis Suppurativa Severity Index) did not differentiate IL-22 levels (p > 0.1 in both comparisons). Serum levels of IL-22 and IL-6 did not correlate with each other (R=-0.17, p = ns). In a subgroup of 24 patients with HS with pro-inflammatory activation, the mean level of IL-22 was similar to that of the remaining patients (median (IQR): 9.8 pg/ml (8.5; 15.0) vs 12.0 pg/ml (9.4; 16.3), p = ns). Patients with HS demonstrated a decreased level of hepcidin (mean: 31.3 ± 25.9 pg/ml), which correlated with the levels of IL-22 (R=0.36, p < 0.05). Patients with HS demonstrated significantly decreased levels of serum IL-22, which was neither correlated with pro-inflammatory status nor associated with disease severity, but correlated modestly with serum hepcidin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stigmatization is defined as having a discrediting mark that leads to social discrimination and alienation. The aim of this study was to estimate the level of stigmatization experienced by patients with psoriasis. A total of 102 individuals with psoriasis were recruited and was assessed using the 6-item Stigmatization Scale and the 33-item Feelings of Stigmatization Questionnaire. In addition, quality of life, stress and depression were evaluated. The majority of patients felt that they were stigmatized by psoriasis. The most bothersome aspect was that other people stared at their skin changes. According to the 33-item questionnaire, anticipation of rejection and feelings of guilt and shame were the major aspects of stigmatization, the level of which correlated significantly with pruritus intensity, stress prior to exacerbation, depressive symptoms and quality of life. In order to decrease the stigmatization level in patients with psoriasis, greater effort is needed to raise awareness in contemporary societies that psoriasis is not contagious, but is a disease like many other chronic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acquired perforating dermatosis (APD) is an uncommon skin disorder seen in majority among patients with chronic kidney disease and also in those with diabetes mellitus. We present the clinicopathological features of APD in a 65-year-old patient with diabetes mellitus and end-stage kidney disease on hemodialysis and review the recent advances in the management of APD, as well as the mechanisms of transepidermal elimination of perforating dermatoses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS)/Acne inversa (Ai) is a chronic debilitating disease with limited therapy options. The device-based LAight therapy was approved in Europe in 2017. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of real-world care with at least one treatment with LAight therapy on disease activity and burden in 3,437 patients., Patients and Methods: Patients were included in the analysis if they had a diagnosis of HS and received at least one treatment. The endpoints Hidradenitis Suppurativa Severity Score System (IHS4), pain on the numeric rating scale (pain-NRS) and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) were analyzed using a linear mixed model for repeated measures (MMRM) over 26 weeks of care with LAight therapy. Furthermore, responder rates were calculated for all endpoints, and the therapy's safety profile and patient satisfaction were thoroughly examined., Results: A significant decrease in IHS4, pain-NRS, and DLQI was achieved during 26 weeks of care with LAight. The BMI at baseline had a significant negative effect on therapy response for pain-NRS and DLQI., Conclusions: This study confirms that LAight therapy leads to satisfactory disease control in all stages of severity and is a valuable addition to the therapeutic repertoire of HS., (© 2024 The Authors. Journal der Deutschen Dermatologischen Gesellschaft published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH on behalf of Deutsche Dermatologische Gesellschaft.)

Background: Previously, a new dichotomous outcome was developed, calculated as 55% reduction in the International Hidradenitis Suppurativa 4 (IHS4-55) score. It was validated in datasets of adalimumab and placebo-treated HS patients. External validation is an important aspect of clinical outcomes., Objectives: We aimed to externally validate the novel dichotomous IHS4-55 in a non-biologic treated dataset of HS patients., Methods: Data from a previously published European-wide prospective clinical study of antibiotic treatment of HS patients were used to assess the association of IHS4-55 achievement with individual reduction in inflammatory nodules, abscesses, and draining tunnels. Moreover, the associations between IHS4-55 positivity and achievement of the minimal clinically important differences (MCIDs) for Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) Pain, and NRS Pruritus were analyzed., Results: Data were obtained from 283 individual patients, of which 36.4% (103/283) were treated with clindamycin and rifampicin and 63.6% (180/283) with tetracyclines for 12 weeks. Achievers of the IHS4-55 demonstrated a significant reduction the counts of inflammatory nodules, abscesses, and draining tunnels (all p < 0.001). Additionally, IHS4-55 achievers had an odds ratio for achieving the MCID of DLQI, NRS Pain, and NRS Pruritus of 2.16 (95% CI 1.28-3.65, p < 0.01), 1.79 (95% CI 1.10-2.91, p < 0.05), and 1.95 (95% CI 1.18-3.22, p < 0.01), respectively., Conclusions: This study shows the external validity of the novel IHS4-55 by demonstrating a significant association between IHS4-55 achievement and a reduction in inflammatory lesion counts as well as achievement of MCIDs for DLQI, NRS Pain, and NRS Pruritus in an antibiotic-treated cohort. These findings support the use of the IHS4-55 as a novel primary outcome measure in clinical trials., (© 2023 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Introduction: Superficial dermatophytoses constitute a common and growing problem in India. However, the associated impact on the affected individuals' quality of life (QoL) has rarely been investigated., Aim: To assess the quality of life of patients with different dermatophytoses., Material and Methods: Among 100 consecutive Indian patients with dermatophytosis, 76% agreed to participate. The diagnosis was established upon the typical clinical manifestation and direct microscopic mycological examination (10% KOH). Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) was utilized to assess QoL impairment. Participants evaluated the presence and intensity of itch during the last 3 days using Numeral Rating Scale (NRS)., Results: A combination of tinea corporis and tinea cruris was diagnosed most commonly (52.6%), followed by tinea cruris alone (21%) and tinea corporis alone (13.2%). The mean duration of the disease was assessed as 6.3 ±18.0 months. The mean DLQI score was 8.2 ±5.1 points. A very large and extremely large effect on the DLQI was reported by 26.3% of patients, moderate by 40.8%, whereas small by 29%, with females being more heavily affected than males (9.3 ±5.2 and 7.1 ±4.7 points, respectively) ( p = 0.038). Patients with a combination of tinea corporis, tinea cruris and tinea faciei demonstrated the lowest QoL (11.0 ±4.5 points). Additionally, a significant correlation between impairment of QoL and itch intensity (mean NRS score: 6.8 ±1.8 points) ( r = 0.37; p < 0.002) was documented. Moreover, there was a trend towards lower QoL in patients who have been previously treated with topical agents containing corticosteroids., Conclusions: Superficial dermatophytoses are associated with a moderate impact on QoL of the affected subjects., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Termedia.)

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common skin disease of complex etiology including affected humoral and cellular immune responses. The role of NK cells in development of this disease has been recently postulated, but is still poorly documented. The current study was undertaken to determine the impact of genes for the most polymorphic NK cell receptors, known as killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs), on the development of AD. We compared 240 patients suffering from AD with 570 healthy controls. Frequencies of the great majority of KIR genes did not differ between patients and controls, except for KIR2DS1, whose frequency was significantly (OR=0.629, CI95% (0.45; 0.87), pcorr=0.0454) lower in patients than in controls. These results were confirmed in a second cohort of 201 patients. When both patient groups were combined and compared to the control group, the result for KIR2DS1 achieved even higher significance (OR=0.658, CI95% (0.5; 0.86), pcorr=0.0158). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on KIR gene contribution to AD, and to allergy in general., (© 2013.)

Objective: To describe our own surgical techniques of wound closure in pubic and armpit areas in the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) and to analyze surgical procedures performed with regard to complications, tolerance, and factors influencing recurrence rate., Methods: Between 1999 and 2009, 118 operations were performed on 57 patients with HS. Surgical procedures included local excision of involved tissue and different methods of wound closure, including those of our own design such as the "star-like" technique and "pubic flaps." Treatment tolerance was evaluated 3 months after surgery, and efficacy was evaluated after 24 months., Results: Forty-four (77.2%) patients showed good tolerance of the operation and during the postoperative period, whereas only one individual (1.8%) reported unsatisfactory tolerance. Of all patients, 51 (89.5%) expressed willingness to undergo additional surgery in the event of lesion recurrence. During the 2-year follow-up period, complete recovery was observed in 34 (59.7%) patients, partial recovery in 18 (31.6%), and no improvement in five (8.8%). Factors influencing recurrence rate were number of skin areas affected by HS lesions and disease duration., Conclusion: Surgical treatment of HS is effective and well tolerated. In selected cases, our own techniques of surgical wound closure accelerated healing and improved results., (© 2010 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc.)

Hidradenitis suppurativa is a recurrent, debilitating suppurative skin disease. The symptoms are much more than just physical, but studies of its impact on patients' psychological state and related quality of life are very limited. The current study was conducted with a group of 54 patients, aged 16-65 years, who had an active, but stable, course of hidradenitis suppurativa. The aim of the study was to determine the influence of hidradenitis suppurativa on a broad spectrum of psychophysical factors. Assessment was carried out using several questionnaires, which revealed the following mean scores: Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) (12.67 +/- 7.7), Beck Depression Inventory-Short Form (BDI-SF) (5.87 +/- 4.68), Evers et al. "6-Item Scale" (3.87 +/- 3.65), EQ-5D (0.66 +/- 0.23 (health index) and 56.78 +/- 18.84 (VAS)), Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Fatigue scale (FACIT-F) (32.06 +/- 11.01) and Quality of Life Enjoyment and Satisfaction Questionnaire Short Form (Q-LES-Q-SF) (56.44 +/- 15.17%). The results highlight the important impact of hidradenitis suppurativa on a wide spectrum of psychophysical aspects and impairment of related quality of life among patients. Our findings indicate that advancement of the disease seems to be the most important factor negatively influencing patients' well-being (p < 0.01). It is noteworthy that an anogenital location appears to impair the hidradenitis suppurativa patients' quality of life most of all (p < 0.05), but the occurrence of lesions on uncovered skin plays a crucial role in the stigmatization level (p < 0.05).

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a recurrent, debilitating suppurative skin disease. Nowadays the major challenge is the choice of optimal treatment. Many conservative therapies seem to have only a supportive character and do not prevent progression of the disease. Early surgical intervention with complete excision of the involved areas is still considered to be the most efficient therapy, but anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha agents may offer a possible non-surgical treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the serum concentration of TNF-alpha and its probable alterations during the disease process in patients with HS. Analysis of TNF-alpha serum concentration in 54 individuals with HS revealed significantly higher levels than in the sera of healthy controls (p = 0.006). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of increased TNF-alpha serum concentration in patients with HS.