Biomedical subjects

A Wozniacka

Publications and source records attributed to A Wozniacka.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

In search for new antipsoriatic agents: NAD topical composition.

The aim of the study was to examine the effectiveness of the oxidized form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)), adenosine precursor, in 37 patients suffering from psoriasis. As NAD(+) is known to be relatively unstable, the second goal was to establish the proper conditions for the satisfactory stability of topical NAD(+) composition. In each patient, two matching plaques were selected for the study. Topical treatment with 1 or 0.3% NAD(+) in Vaseline ointment administered twice daily was compared with overnight therapy with 0.1% anthralin applied for 12 h and placebo. The enzymatic method was applied to determine the stability of NAD(+) in Vaseline ointment. After a 4-week application, the reduction in erythema, infiltration and desquamation caused by 1 or 0.3% topical NAD(+) composition was similar to the reduction caused by 0.1% anthralin. It was demonstrated that NAD(+) underwent a considerable decomposition at room temperature, while it was sufficiently stable at 5 degrees C; thus, for a longer use the agent should be stored at fridge temperature. NAD(+) therapy combines good efficacy, cosmetic acceptability and convenient twice-daily application.

Administration, Topical↗

PubMed2006

Keratosis lichenoides chronica: a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge.

A 45-year-old man presented with a 7-year history of keratosis lichenoides chronica (KLC), a mucocutaneous lichenoid disorder of keratinization with no known aetiology, without significant systemic associations. Our patient also had type I diabetes mellitus, mild hypertension and lipid abnormalities. The diagnosis and treatment of KLC is often challenging.

Chronic Disease↗

PubMed2006

Chloroquine treatment influences proinflammatory cytokine levels in systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with a complex pathogenesis. Published data have revealed that serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines are increased in SLE patients. The aim of our study was to evaluate whether monotherapy with chloroquine phosphate affects IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-18 and TNF-alpha serum levels in SLE patients. The study group consisted of 25 SLE patients with mild or moderate disease activity and 25 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. In SLE patients the cytokine levels were measured just before and three months after starting chloroquine treatment at a dose of 125 mg twice daily. Although the majority of SLE patients had a low systemic lupus activity measure (SLAM) index, the levels of IL-6, IL-18 and TNF-alpha were significantly higher than in the control group. After three-months of chloroquine therapy the mean level of IL-6, IL-18 and TNF-alpha decreased significantly. Minimal erythema doses (MEDs) were significantly increased in SLE patients after three months of chloroquine therapy. The results indicate that chloroquine treatment lowers some proinflammatory cytokines and may provide a photoprotective effect.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

The cardiac safety of chloroquine phosphate treatment in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: the influence on arrhythmia, heart rate variability and repolarization parameters.

Antimalarials are used to treat cutaneous and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Even though cardiac damage is a rare complication, over the last decade several reports have raised the issue of cardiotoxicity associated with antimalarials. Therefore, the aim of study was to evaluate the influence of seven-month chloroquine treatment with a 250mg daily dose on arrhythmia, conduction disturbances as well as heart rate variability and repolarization parameters assessed in 24-hour Holter monitoring. The studied group included 28 SLE patients treated with chloroquine as a monotherapy. In all the patients standard 12 leads surface ECG (50 mm) and the 24-hour ECG Holter monitoring (Oxford Medilog Excel-2) were performed before and after chloroquine phosphate treatment. All subjects presented sinus rhythm both at the enrollment and after treatment. No episodes of paroxysmal arrhythmias or conduction disturbances were reported during the study. All the patients were characterized by tendency to tachycardia, but no significant differences in mean heart rate were found before and after chloroquine administration. Similarly, no changes in heart rate variability or repolarization parameters were observed.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Topical application of 1-methylnicotinamide in the treatment of rosacea: a pilot study.

Rosacea is a chronic facial dermatosis with a progressive course, which is characterized by the presence of erythema, papules, pustules, telangiectasias and sebaceous gland hyperplasia. However, the aetiology is still unknown; genetic predisposition, gastrointestinal disorders (Helicobacter pylori), infestations with Demodex folliculorum and environmental stimuli are considered to be involved in the inflammatory process. A metabolite of nicotinamide, 1-methylnicotinamide (MNA(+)), has anti-inflammatory properties, and this is the first study to test the effectiveness of this agent in treating rosacea. In total, 34 patients with rosacea were treated with a gel containing 0.25% MNA(+) as a chloride salt, twice daily for 4 weeks, after which improvement was observed in 26/34 cases. The improvement was good in 9/34 and moderate in 17/34, but no clinical effect was noted in seven subjects. In only one case was skin irritation given as the reason for treatment withdrawal. These results indicate that MNA(+) might be a useful agent for treating rosacea.

Administration, Topical↗

PubMed2004

Exposure to low doses of solar-simulated radiation induces an increase in the myeloid subtype of blood dendritic cells.

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation causes alterations of cutaneous and systemic immunity. The aim of our study was to assess the influence of low doses of solar-simulated radiation (SSR) on the phenotypes of blood dendritic cells (BDC). Healthy volunteers (94) were irradiated with a dose of 1.2 SED (standard erythema dose) of SSR for 2, 10 or 30 consecutive days. Blood samples were taken before the first exposure and 24 h after final exposure. The three main subsets of BDC were distinguished by flow cytometry: BDCA-2(+)/CD123(+)/HLA-DR(+) (plasmacytoid, PDC) and two myeloid subtypes BDCA-1(+)/CD11c(+)/HLA-DR(+) (MDC1) and BDCA-3(+)/CD32(-)/HLA-DR(+) (MDC2). The percentage of total DC was elevated in all groups by the UV exposure and was significantly increased after 2 and 30 days of irradiation (P = 0.006 and P = 0.018, respectively). A particularly distinct increase was observed in the percentage of the MDC1 after 2 and 30 days (P = 0.022 and P < 0.0001, respectively). The MDC2 showed an increase after 10 days and a subsequent significant decrease after 30 days of irradiation (P = 0.031). A significant increase in PDC was found after 2 days of irradiation (P = 0.0006). Exposure to SSR induced an increase in the percentage of BDC in healthy human individuals, especially apparent in the MDC1 subtype.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Antimalarials in cutaneous lupus erythematosus: mechanisms of therapeutic benefit.

Antimalarials are arguably the best modality currently available for treating patients with cutaneous lupus erythematosus (LE). Although antimalarials have been used for decades in treating cutaneous LE, the precise mechanisms by which they provide therapeutic benefit are not well defined. The putative mechanisms by which antimalarials might provide therapeutic benefit to patients with cutaneous LE include a number of interrelated anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects that include photoprotection, lysosomal stabilization, suppression of antigen presentation, and inhibition of prostaglandin and cytokine synthesis. If we had a more precise understanding of how antimalarials provide therapeutic benefit in cutaneous LE we might gain better insight into the pathogenic mechanisms of LE and ways of developing better therapies for afflicted patients.

Antimalarials↗

PubMed1999

Estimation of SLE activity based on the serum level of chosen cytokines and superoxide radical generation.

We estimated the serum levels of IL-6, TNF-alpha and IL-10, and generation of superoxide radicals, as well as their mutual dependence, in 63 SLE patients at various stages of disease activity. Our results indicate a statistically significant increase of the serum levels studied, and an increase of superoxide anion generation by granulocytes, in correlation with SLE activity. These results indicate that oxygen metabolism and the examined cytokines play an important role in pathogenesis of SLE. The assessment of these parameters can be useful in the estimation of disease activity.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1999

Immunopathological examination of esophagus as a useful criterion of cure in pemphigus vulgaris.

BACKGROUND: We performed histopathological and immunopathological examinations of the esophagus in patients with pemphigus vulgaris during clinical remission. METHODS: In the group of 14 patients without serum antibodies, five were treated with low doses of steroids and cyclophosphamide (as maintenance treatment), while nine had already completed the therapy. RESULTS: In all five cases under maintenance treatment we found bound pemphigus antibodies in vivo. Acantholysis was present in two of these. In all nine non-treated patients, acantholysis and immunopathological findings were negative. CONCLUSIONS: Our studies reveal that the absence of bound 'pemphigus vulgaris' antibodies in the esophagus by immunological examination could be regarded as proof of complete cure and could be the decisive finding to stop pemphigus treatment.

Acantholysis↗

PubMed1996

Generalized lichen nitidus: a case report.

We report the case of a 6-year-old boy with disseminated papular lesions. Clinical and histopathologic examinations confirmed the diagnosis of lichen nitidus. There was no improvement during a three-year observation period, despite various methods of treatment. In the fourth year, we observed spontaneous resolution of the skin lesions after sun exposure in the summer.

Biopsy, Needle↗