Research from the British Association of Dermatologists

Welcome to the journal page by Skin Care Cymru!

The aim of this is page of our website is to provide an overview of some of the latest developments published in the journals of the British Association of Dermatologists along with other publications of interest.

The British Journal of Dermatology produces freely available plain language summaries available by following this link. This page is not meant to be a replacement for these, rather to augment it. This is also not a comprehensive summary but some interesting articles we want to share.

Disclaimer: This is a personal interpretation of the journal as we see it. Whilst in all likelihood, the information is correct, there may be errors in interpretation which hopefully will be kept to a minimum.

The need for psychological support in routine dermatological care across the UK

Author: O. Hughes

Journal: British Journal of Dermatology

This article was published in the patient perspectives section of the British Journal of Dermatology and discusses the need for more psychological support for people living with skin conditions https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.21720

Sun Safety eduction in a maritime climate 

Authors: J. Peconi, G. Fegan, R. Abbott

Journal: Skin Health and Disease

This perspectives article describes sun safety policies in Wales and outlines plans for future research to co-produce guidance for teaching school children about sun safety https://doi.org/10.1002/ski2.137

The sound of silence: where are the voices of patients in eczema guideline development?

Authors: K. Capozza, A. Vastrup, A. Proctor, A. Roberts, M. Picozza, R. Manion, C. Talent, M. Hering, S. Merhand,  M. Funk, K.Z. Tullos, B.W.M. Arents

Journal: British Journal of Dermatology

This article is an international call from a group of patient advocates, outlining the need for greater inclusion of patients with atopic dermatitis when developing treatment guidelines https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.21822

Gene mutations and how they relate to different types of ichthyosis

Authors: J.K. Simpson, M. Martinez-Queipo, A. Onoufriadis, S. Tso, E. Glass, L. Liu, T. Higashino, W. Scott, C. Tierney, M.A. Simpson,R. Desomchoke, L. Youssefian, A.H. SaeIdian, H. Vahidnezhad, A. Bisquera, J. Ravenscroft, C. Moss, E.A. O’Toole, N. Burrows,S. Leech, E.A. Jones, D. Lim, A. Ilchyshyn, N. Goldstraw, M.J. Cork, S. Darne, J. Uitto, A.E. Martinez, J.E. Mellerio andJ.A. McGrath

Journal: British Journal of Dermatology

This study examined patterns of mutations in genes of people with autosomal recessive ichthyosis. They found that 83% of people had mutations, and the further 17% of patients may have had mutations that were not detected by current techniques. These mutations were found in 10 different genes associated with ichthyosis, and the findings provide new insights into the genetic causes of the skin condition https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.18211

A challenge of being tall: an occupational cause of notalgia paraesthetica

Authors: J. Barron, P. Falkner, N. Yasin, A. Mughal

Journal: Clinical and Experimental Dermatology

Notalgia paraesthetica is a common but underdiagnosed neurocutaneous condition characterised by localised itch on the back. This article presents the case of a 38 year old patient with the condition, which may have developed from a combination of factors, including their height and occupation requiring them to sit in uncomfortable positions for long peroids of time https://doi.org/10.1111/ced.14647

Developing and testing compassion-based self-help for people living with psoriasis

Authors: Z. Muftin, P. Gilbert, A.R. Thompson

Journal: British Journal of Dermatology

This study designed and tested a self-compassion resource to see how effective it was for improving the quality of life of people living with psoriasis, and found that the intervention reduced feelings of shame and self-critical thoughts https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.21300

Injectable tralokinumab gives new hope to patients with severe atopic dermatitis

Authors: J. Gutermuth, A.E. Pink, M. Worm, L. Soldbro, C. Bjerregard, S. Weidinger

Journal: British Journal of Dermatology

This clinical trial evaluated the use of an injectable drug for the treatment of atopic dermatitis in adults compared to placebo, and found there were improvements in skin condition severity for people who had received tralokinumab https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.20832

Stigma, social appearance anxiety and coping in men and women living with skin conditions

Authors: O. Hughes, P.B. Hutchings, C. Phelps

Journal: Skin Health and Disease

This study used an online survey to investigate levels of appearance related anxiety between males and females with skin conditions, and examined if there were any differences in coping styles between genders. They found that males and females appeared to be equally psychosocially impacted by living with a skin condition, and females were more likely to engage in avoidant coping behaviours than males https://doi.org/10.1002/ski2.73

Understanding why patients with vitiligo rarely develop skin cancers

Authors: H.D. Brahmbhatt, R. Gupta, A. Gupta, S. Rastogi, R. Misri, A. Mobeen, A. Ghosh, P. Kothari, S. Sitaniya, V. Scaria, A. Singh

Journal: British Journal of Dermatology

This study examined samples of skin affected by vitiligo, and skin unaffected by vitiligo and extracted genetic material. They found there were differences in levels of proteins in the skin with vitiligo, which suggested a molecular basis for the protection of vitiligo skin against sun damage https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.19666

The epidemiology of hidradenitis suppurativa

Author: J. Ingram

Journal: British Journal of Dermatology

The study suggests that in the USA and Europe hidradenitis suppurativa is more common in females in their 30’s and 40’s, and found strong links between the condition and smoking, as well as associations with being overweight, heart disease and stroke https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.19435

Pemphigus and associated diseases

Authors: K. Heelan, A.L. Mahar, S. Walsh, N.H. Shear

Journal: Clinical and Experimental Dermatology

Pemphigus is a rare skin disease that causes thin blisters to appear on the skin and is very itchy. It is similar to the relatively more common pemphigoid but differs in that the blisters are less tense and is more resistant to treatment. This studylooked at 295 patient records and found people with pemphigus were more likely to have high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid problems, cancer, asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Other diseases also coexisted but were less common.

Psoriasis associated with cardiovascular disease and metabolic syndrome

Authors: J. Skivern, P. Philipsen, G. Therming

Journal: Clinical and Experimental Dermatology

It has long been established that people with psoriasis are more likely to have heart disease and are at higher risk of stroke. They are more likely to have what is known as “metabolic syndrome” whereby someone is at higher risk of diabetes and high blood pressure. This study demonstrated that patients did not necessarily know the risk to their health with respect to this and were not aware of necessary changes in lifestyle such as exercise and weight loss.

A new treatment for Scabies

Authors: S.E. Park, Y. Her, S.S. Kim, C.W. Kim

Journal: Clinical and Experimental Dermatology

Scabies is a very itchy skin caused by a mite that burrows under the skin. It is spread by skin to skin contact. These investigators evaluated the effectiveness of a solution of 1% lindane (which is often used to treat woodworm) and found it to be an effective treatment for scabies.

Genetic causes for acne

Authors: L. Li, Y. Wu, L. Li, Y.F. Cai, L. Geng, X.H. Gao, H.D. Chen

Journal: Clinical and Experimental Dermatology

Acne is a disorder of the skin that has a multifaceted cause including over production of cells at the openings of hair follicles. This study found that an inherited genetic change could contribute to getting acne. It has been suggested that acne does run in families more but this study has found a possible gene that could contribute to this.

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