Dermato, Volume 3, Issue 1 (March 2023) – 7 articles

Advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) can be a life-threatening disease for which effective and safe treatment in advanced stages is very limited. GP-2250 has been recently proven to have—in vitro and in vivo—antineoplastic effects on cancer cells. This study aims to investigate the potential anti-neoplastic effects of GP-2250 on the cSCC cell lines SCC13 and A431 through dose finding assessments, MTT cytotoxicity assays, cell migration assays, BrdU proliferation assays and FCM analysis. Our preliminary results have shown for the first time evidence for anti-neoplastic effects of GP-2250 on cSCC cells, enhancing cytotoxicity, attenuating cancer cell proliferation, inducing apoptosis and reducing tumour cell migration. Further investigations evaluating the modes of action of GP-2250 on cSCC cell lines are warranted in order to justify the use in vivo studies. Full article

Advances in Terahertz frequency electromagnetic radiation (THz) production technologies have produced an increasing interest in exploring possible applications. New applications will inevitably lead to increased incidental interaction of humans with THz radiation. Given that the wavelength of THz radiation is in the same order of magnitude as the dimensions of skin structures such as hair and sweat ducts, the possibility of interaction among these structures is of interest. The interaction was studied utilizing Finite Difference Time Domain (FDTD) simulations using a far-field excitation of 0.45 THz. No antenna-like effects were detected. Regions of increased specific absorption rate (SAR) due to reactive near-field effects with both the hair and sweat ducts were found in the order of 0.01–0.05 mm and 0.001–0.002 mm, respectively. Simulations using unwound sweat ducts yielded the same penetration pattern as the helical structure, indicating that the helical structure has no impact on the propagation of THz radiation in skin. Full article

With this work, we aimed to review the principal benign and malignant tumors (including vascular, keratinocytic/epidermal, melanocytic, hematopoietic, and lymphoid origin), primarily affecting the leg’s skin. The lesions’ location can also help focus on a spectrum of differential diagnoses in clinical practice. All the diseases present the same clinical presentation characterized by erythematous to violaceous nodules. Despite the same clinical presentation, each disease’s prognostic outcome and therapeutic management can be somewhat different. Since clinical diagnosis may sometimes be challenging, histology and immunohistochemistry play a fundamental role in recognizing and staging these types of lesions. Molecular studies can help to determine the exact nature of lesions with no specific characteristics. Kaposi’s sarcoma is an angioproliferative neoplasm that typically occurs in the lower limbs and can enter into differential diagnosis with several other rarer skin diseases. The principal differential diagnosis concerns primary cutaneous lymphomas, of which mycosis fungoides represent the most frequent primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. Other rare forms include primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas, which can be divided into indolent and aggressive forms, such as the primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, leg type, and lymphomatoid papulomatosis (LyP). In the case of indolent lesions, skin-directed therapies, limited-field radiotherapy, and surgical approaches can be good options. At the same time, different management, with systemic chemotherapy and allogenic bone marrow transplant, is required with aggressive neoplasms, such as blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasia or advanced mycosis fungoides. The dermatologist’s role can be crucial in recognizing such diseases and avoiding misdiagnosis, giving the pathologist the correct clinical information for an accurate diagnosis, and starting the suitable therapy. Full article

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is an uncommon form of skin neoplasm with poor histological differentiation and an aggressive disease process, leading to high recurrence and mortality. There are multiple risk factors in which being in an immunocompromised state is a significant factor, and the discovery of Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) since 2008 has strengthened causal associations between MCC and immunosuppression. Individuals who have undergone kidney transplantation are therefore more susceptible to having MCC, secondary to post-transplant immunosuppression which plays a vital role in reducing the risk of transplant kidney rejection. Over recent years a rise in the incidence of MCC following kidney transplantation is noted, with increased reporting of such cases. Whilst localized MCC is observed, MCC metastasis to the lymphatic system, brain, bone, liver, lung, and heart has been previously observed in patients with transplanted kidneys. Kidney metastasis is less common and has been only reported in recent years with greater frequency. The management of aggressive, metastatic MCC has historically been palliative, and prognosis is poor. Recently, the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors for metastatic MCC in multi-center phase II clinical trials have shown promising survival outcomes and have been approved for use in countries such as the United States as a first-line treatment. In this review we will explore the potential pathophysiological processes of MCC manifesting post-kidney transplantation. We will then evaluate the epidemiology of MCC within the context of kidney transplantation, before discussing the various clinical presentations, diagnostic measures, surveillance strategies, and current treatment options as well as future directions to best manage MCC in kidney transplant recipients. Full article

Psoriasis is a common genetic autoimmune disorder with a global prevalence of 2–3%. The clear pathogenesis of psoriasis is not fully understood, but hyperproliferation and inflammation of the epidermis with marked infiltration of immune cells have been indicated in psoriasis with such cells producing different types of cytokines- interleukin. As such a new member of the IL-1 cytokine family, in some research, IL-33 has been linked with psoriasis showing high serum concentration of IL-33 in human psoriatic plaques compared to normal healthy skin. Despite this, the association between IL-33 and psoriasis is not clear. Herein, in this review, we aim to investigate the correlation between serum IL-33 levels and psoriasis. We conducted meta-analysis using fixed or random-effects models to calculate pooled standard mean differences. We found that the mean IL-33 serum levels were reported between 0.35 pg/mL to 586 pg/mL in the psoriatic group and 0 pg/mL to 87.7 pg/mL in the healthy control group. Out of five, four individual studies included in the analysis reported statistically significant differences in IL-33 levels, the pooled estimate (SMD = 0.340 95% CI: −0.308 to 0.988), however, did not indicate a significant relation between IL-33 and psoriasis. This analysis revealed no significant difference between serum IL-33 levels in the psoriatic population in comparison to healthy controls. This may be because we did not include any animal studies, lab-based studies, any other markers mixed together, or any other cases of diseases mixed together. However, further research is warranted to confirm the reported association as this analysis is limited by the low-quality and observational nature of the included studies. Full article

Daily photoprotection (PhP) is essential in preventing harmful effects from solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure. For that reason, we interviewed students aged from 4 to 20 years old about their knowledge on sun exposure and PhP habits. Age, sex, family income, and skin phototype were statistically related to the proposed questions. Our results show that Brazilian youngsters do not have the habit of wearing long-sleeved clothing (<15% in summer), sunglasses (0.0%), or hats (2.1%). More than 40% had no knowledge about ultraviolet index (UVI), while another 30% misinterpreted what it is. Less than half of all students wear sunscreen when out in the sun. Despite this low PhP use-rate, more than 90% know that UVR causes skin cancers. Low income was the factor that showed the greatest number of significant relationships with respect to the lack of PhP. The findings suggest that current traditional PhP campaigns are not efficient. We propose that PhP should be part of school curricula from elementary school onwards. After all, the lack of educational programs predisposes these youngsters to an increased chance of skin diseases in the future. Full article