Acta dermato-venereologica
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Acta Derm. Venereol. · Sep 2012
Comparative StudyLimited influence of aspirin intake on mast cell activation in patients with food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis: comparison using skin prick and histamine release tests.
Food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (FDEIA) is a severe systemic syndrome induced by physical exercise after ingesting causative food. Aspirin is a well-known trigger for anaphylaxis in patients with FDEIA. Possible mechanisms by which symptoms are aggravated by aspirin include enhanced antigen absorption and mast cell activation. ⋯ In most cases, pretreatment with aspirin did not enhance skin tests (71.4%) or histamine release tests (88.9%) with food allergen challenges. The study confirms that histamine release and skin prick tests can be adjunctive tools for diagnosing FDEIA. In addition, our results suggest that exacerbation of FDEIA symptoms by aspirin is not mediated by direct effects of aspirin on mast cell/basophil activation.
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Acta Derm. Venereol. · Sep 2012
Opioid modulation of facial itch- and pain-related responses and grooming behavior in rats.
Intradermal facial injections of pruritogens or algogens elicit distinct behavioral hindlimb scratch or forelimb wiping responses in rodents. We systematically investigated the parameters and opioid modulation of these evoked behaviors and spontaneous facial grooming in rats. Serotonin (5-HT) elicited hindlimb scratch bouts with few wipes. ⋯ These data validate that the rodent "cheek" model discriminates between itch- and pain-related behaviors. Naltrexone sensitivity of facial grooming and 5-HT-evoked scratch-ing suggests a common functionality. Forelimb wipes may represent a nocifensive response akin to rubbing an injury to relieve pain.
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Acta Derm. Venereol. · Jul 2012
Turkish version of the chronic urticaria quality of life questionnaire: cultural adaptation, assessment of reliability and validity.
Chronic spontaneous urticaria has a substantial impact on patients' quality of life. The first disease-specific tool to assess quality of life impairment in this condition, the Chronic Urticaria Quality of Life Questionnaire (CU-Q2oL), was developed recently. The aim of this study was to adapt the original Italian version to the Turkish language and to evaluate its reliability, validity, and sensitivity to change. ⋯ In addition, it was found to discriminate well between patients with different levels of urticaria activity, and to be sensitive to change. In conclusion, the Turkish version of CU-Q2oL is a reliable, valid, and sensitive instrument, which will help to characterize better the clinical impact of chronic spontaneous urticaria and treatment outcomes in Turkish patients. Its identical scale structure to that of other CU-Q2oL instruments makes it ideal for cross-cultural comparisons and for its application in future national and multinational studies.
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Acta Derm. Venereol. · Mar 2012
The Munich outbreak of cutaneous cowpox infection: transmission by infected pet rats.
Cowpox virus infection of humans is an uncommon, potentially fatal, skin disease. It is largely confined to Europe, but is not found in Eire, or in the USA, Australasia, or the Middle or Far East. Patients having contact with infected cows, cats, or small rodents sporadically contract the disease from these animals. ⋯ Smallpox-vaccinated patients tend to develop less severe reactions and heal more quickly. The differential diagnosis may include other localized orthopoxvirus infections, herpes simplex, bacterial infection, anthrax, foreign body granuloma, and primary tuberculosis. Dermatologists should be aware of the diagnostic and therapeutic algorithms for handling this disease.