Ayşe Anıl Karabulut

Detection of human herpesvirus 7 in pityriasis rosea by nested PCR.

Background Clinical presentation, immunologic, light microscopic, and electron microscopic studies suggest a viral etiology for pityriasis rosea (PR).

Paraneoplastic acrokeratosis of Bazex (Bazex's syndrome): Report of a female case associated with cholangiocarcinoma and review of the published work

Paraneoplastic acrokeratosis of Bazex (PAB) or Bazexs syndrome is a rare, paraneoplastic syndrome that mostly affects men over 40 years old, and generally associates with squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract. We describe a 57‐year‐old woman with the characteristic features of PAB, including violaceous erythematous, scaling eruption, palmoplantar keratoderma and nail dystrophy. Further analysis revealed the underlying neoplasm to be cholangiocarcinoma. The clinical aspects of PAB and associated neoplasms are reviewed.

Investigation of upper gastrointestinal tract involvement and H. pylori presence in lichen planus: a case–controlled study with endoscopic and histopathological findings

Background  Lichen planus (LP) is a common disease of unknown etiology. Rare mucosal involvements like esophageal LP have been reported increasingly. Infectious agents including H. pylori and other autoantigens have been investigated in etiology and association with certain gastrointestinal pathologies have been well documented.

Markers of Endothelial Dysfunction and Evaluation of Vascular Reactivity Tests in Behçet Disease

We assessed endothelial dysfunction (ED) in patients with Behcet disease (BD; n = 40) and healthy controls (n = 20). Serum lipid, homocysteine, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rates (ESRs), and ultrasonographic flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) were measured. Mean hsCRP, ESR, homocysteine, and ADMA were significantly higher in the BD group (P < .001 for all). Patients with active BD had higher serum levels of hsCRP, homocysteine, and ESR compared with those in remission (P < .001, P < .001, and P = .005, respectively). Flow-mediated dilatation was significantly lower in patients with BD than in controls (P = .001). Flow-mediated dilatation correlated negatively with BD duration and serum ADMA levels (P < .001, r = −.745 and P < .001, r = −.682); a positive correlation was seen between serum ADMA levels and BD duration (P < .001, r = .552). Only stepwise multivariate regression analysis revealed BD duration to have a significant effect on FMD. Flow-mediated dilatation, in conjunction with markers of inflammation, may evaluate ED in patients with BD.

Assessment of ovarian stromal artery Doppler characteristics and serum hormone levels in patients with Behçet disease.

PURPOSE The aim of the study was to examine serum hormone levels, ovarian volume, stromal artery Doppler parameters of patients with Behçet disease (BD) to assess whether there are vascular changes in the gonads of these patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS Twenty patients with BD and 31 healthy controls aged between 18-45 years were examined in the early follicular phase of the menstrual cycle (day 2-3) with transvaginal ultrasound to evaluate ovarian volume and ovarian stromal artery Doppler parameters. On the same day, blood was drawn for determining serum hormone levels. RESULTS Patients with BD and the controls were comparable with regard to age and body mass index at study inclusion. Although comparison of the ovarian stromal artery Doppler velocimetric parameters did not show significant differences, resistivity, pulsatility indexes and systolic/diastolic ratio were higher, while peak systolic and end diastolic velocities were lower, in BD patients compared to controls. The mean ovarian volume of patients with BD was smaller than the controls but this difference did not reach statistical significance. There were no statistically significant differences between serum hormone levels of either group. We did not find any correlations between hormone levels and mean ovarian stromal artery Doppler parameters of patients with BD. CONCLUSION Ovarian stromal artery Doppler parameters of patients with BD did not show any significant differences compared to healthy controls. Therefore, we conclude that ovarian stromal artery is not involved in patients with BD as assessed by transvaginal Doppler ultrasound and serum hormone levels do not differ from the levels of healthy controls.

Differential expression patterns of metastasis suppressor proteins in basal cell carcinoma.

Basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) are common malignant skin tumors. Despite having a significant invasion capacity, they metastasize only rarely. Our aim in this study was to detect the expression patterns of the NM23‐H1, NDRG1, E‐cadherin, RHOGDI2, CD82/KAI1, MKK4, and AKAP12 metastasis suppressor proteins in BCCs.

Regulatory T‐cell cytokines in patients with nonsegmental vitiligo

In the etiopathogenesis of vitiligo, the role of suppressor cytokines, such as transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β) and interleukin‐10 (IL‐10), associated with regulatory T‐cells (Treg) is not completely known. In this study, the role of Treg‐cell functions in the skin of patients with nonsegmental vitiligo was investigated. Lesional and nonlesional skin samples from 30 adult volunteers ranging in age from 18 to 36 years with nonsegmental vitiligo were compared with normal skin area excision specimens of 30 benign melanocytic nevus cases as controls. All samples were evaluated staining for forkhead box P3 (Foxp3), TGF‐β, and IL‐10 using the standardized streptavidin–biotin immunoperoxidase immunohistochemistry method. Foxp3 expression was lower in lesional vitiligo skin specimens compared to controls; it was also lower in lesional vitiligo specimens than nonlesional vitiligo specimens. IL‐10 levels were lower in lesional vitiligo specimens compared to the controls, whereas IL‐10 expression was significantly lower in lesional specimens compared with nonlesional specimens. TGF‐β expression was higher in both lesional and nonlesional skin specimens of patients with vitiligo compared to controls. TGF‐β expression was lower in lesional skin specimens than nonlesional skin specimens. In addition, there was no significant correlation between Foxp3 expression with TGF‐β and IL‐10 expressions in lesional skin specimens in the vitiligo group. In this study, results supporting the contribution of Treg cells and IL‐10 deficiency to the autoimmune process were obtained. Therefore, future studies are necessary to demonstrate the definitive role of Treg‐cell functions in the etiopathogenesis of vitiligo.

Central corneal thickness in patients with mild to moderate rosacea

OBJECTIVE We aimed to evaluate central corneal thickness (CCT) in patients with rosacea in comparison to a healthy control group and to investigate any correlations by using the Schirmer test, tear break-up time (TBUT), and disease severity. DESIGN Prospective nonrandomized study. PARTICIPANTS Patients with mild to moderate rosacea (n = 51) and a group of healthy individuals (n = 51) were included. METHOD Patients were evaluated by a dermatologist; disease severity was determined and total rosacea severity score was calculated for each patient. CCT measurements were performed using ultrasonic pachymetry. Tear function tests, including Schirmer and TBUT, were also performed. RESULTS The mean CCT value was significantly lower in patients with rosacea than in the control group (544.91 ± 29.41 μm vs 559.40 ± 24.18 μm, p = 0.003). The mean Schirmer test value was significantly lower in patients than in controls (10.54 ± 6.09 mm vs 19.13 ± 4.24 mm, p < 0.0001), and the mean TBUT was shorter in the group with rosacea than in the controls (8.32 ± 3.50 s vs 16.67 ± 5.76 s, p < 0.0001). CCT values were found to be correlated with the Schirmer test values in the rosacea group (r = 0.33, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS Patients with rosacea have thinner corneas, which could be attributed to the observed deteriorated tear function parameters. Candidates for corneal photoablation surgery should be evaluated regarding rosacea disease because the postoperative period could be complicated by decreased ocular wetting and corneal thinning, even in overlooked mild forms.

Corneal and conjunctival sensitivity in rosacea patients

Purpose To assess corneal and conjunctival sensitivity in rosacea patients. Methods A total of 55 patients with rosacea and 37 control subjects participated in the study. Corneal and conjunctival sensitivity was determined by Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer. Subjective symptoms of ocular dryness were evaluated using Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI). Schirmer’s I test (ST), tear breakup time (tBUT) and ocular surface staining with fluorescein were carried out to measure objective signs. Results The mean corneal and conjunctival sensitivity did not differ significantly between rosacea patients and controls (all p > 0.05). Schirmer’s I test and tBUT were significantly reduced (p = 0.004 for OD and p < 0.001 for OS) and grade of ocular surface staining was significantly high (p = 0.018 for OD and p = 0.038 for OS) in rosacea patients. Corneal and conjunctival sensitivity did not show significant correlation with ST, tBUT, ocular surface staining (Oxford Schema), duration of rosacea and OSDI score. Conclusions Corneal and conjunctival sensitivity did not change significantly in rosacea.

Epithelial expression of extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer/CD147 and matrix metalloproteinase-2 in neoplasms and precursor lesions derived from cutaneous squamous cells: An immunohistochemical study

Extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (CD147) is a transmembrane glycoprotein involved in the regulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). The study investigated CD147 and MMP-2 expression in epidermis of cutaneous squamous lesions. CD147 and MMP-2 expressions were evaluated immunohistochemically in 44 specimens: 18 actinic keratoses (AK), 6 squamous cell carcinomas in situ (SCCIS), 13 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC; peritumoral and invasive portions assessed), and 7 normal skins. Patterns of expression were assessed, with MMP-2 in nuclei (MMP-2n) and cytoplasm (MMP-2c) evaluated separately. The expression of each marker was quantified using a calculated immunohistochemical/histologic score (H-score). Correlations were analyzed for the marker H-scores in each study group. Associations between H-scores and histopathologic parameters were also evaluated. CD147 H-score was the highest in SCC (invasive islands), followed by AK, SCCIS, and control specimens, respectively. MMP-2n and MMP-2c H-scores were the highest in AK, followed by SCCIS, SCC, and control specimens, respectively. MMP-2c and MMP-2n H-scores were significantly higher in peritumoral epidermis than in invasive islands of SCC. MMP-2c and CD147 H-scores were positively correlated in the peritumoral SCCs. CD147 H-score was positively correlated with tumor differentiation in SCC. The findings suggest that overexpression of CD147 plays a role in the development of SCC.