Background: Urticaria presents a significant global health challenge due to its sudden onset and potential for severe allergic reactions. Past data on worldwide prevalence and incidence is inconsistent due to differing study methodologies, regional differences, and evolving diagnostic criteria. Past studies have often provided broad ranges instead of specific figures, underscoring the necessity for a cohesive global perspective to inform public health strategies. Objective: We aimed to assess the global burden of urticaria using the 2019 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study data and systematically analyze urticaria prevalence, incidence, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) at global, regional, and national levels, thereby informing more effective prevention and treatment strategies. Methods: We analyzed the global, regional, and national burden of urticaria from 1990 to 2019 using the 2019 GBD study coordinated by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Estimations of urticaria prevalence, incidence, and DALYs were derived using DisMod-MR 2.1, a Bayesian meta-regression tool. The Socio-demographic Index (SDI) was used to correlate development status with health outcomes. The GBD’s division of the world into 21 regions and 204 countries and territories facilitated a comprehensive assessment. Age-standardized estimated annual percentage changes were generated for urticaria metrics to quantify temporal trends, with age standardization adjusting for potential confounding from age structure. Results: From 1990 to 2019, the global age-standardized prevalence, incidence, and DALY rates of urticaria showed marginal changes. In 2019, 65.14 million individuals were affected, with a prevalence rate of 841.88 per 100,000 population. The DALY rate was 50.39 per 100,000 population. Compared to 1990, the global age-standardized prevalence, incidence, and DALY rates saw increases of 2.92, 4.84, and 0.31 per 100,000 population, respectively. Women persistently had higher rates than men. At a regional level in 2019, low-middle SDI regions exhibited the highest age-standardized metrics, whereas high SDI regions reported the lowest. Central Europe showed the highest rates, contrasting with Western Europe’s lowest rates. Nationally, urticaria prevalence in 2019 varied dramatically, from a low of 27.1 per 100,000 population in Portugal to a high of 92.0 per 100,000 population in Nepal. India reported the most DALYs at 749,495.9, followed by China, Pakistan, and the United States. Agewise data showed higher rates in younger age groups, which diminished with age and then experienced a slight resurgence in the oldest populations. This pattern was pronounced in women and younger populations, with the largest rises seen in those aged less than 40 years and the smallest in those aged more than 70 years. Conclusions: Urticaria remains a significant global health issue, with considerable variation across regions, countries, and territories. The increased burden among women, the rising burden in younger populations, and the regional differences in disease burden call for tailored interventions and policies to tackle this emerging public health issue.

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Atopic dermatitis (AD), one of the most common chronic eczematous skin disorders, is associated with cutaneous hyperactivity as a response to environmental triggers. Metallothionein (MT) plays a constitutive defensive role in the response to noxious stimuli. However, the role of MT in AD development is unclear. Using an AD-like murine model created by the topical application of 2.4-dinitrofluorobenzene, we studied the dynamic pattern of MT expression on AD development. AD-like lesions were evaluated based on the development of erythema, edema, exfoliation, scaling, increased thickness, and increased weight of lesional skin. These characteristics of AD-like lesions and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) expression peaked at Day 1 of the establishment of our model and gradually alleviated over time. The MT expression in lesional skin was increased and peaked at Day 3. By immunostaining, increased expression of MT was translocated from the cytoplasm to the nucleus. MT-1/2 knockout (MT−/−) mice and wild type (MT+/+) mice were also used to evaluate the role of MT on AD.MT−/− mice had greater edema scores, thickness, lesional skin weight, as well as more CD4+ T cells, TSLP, superoxide dismutase, and NDUFAF1. These results suggest that MT may play a protective role against AD development, and that antioxidant and nuclear protective mechanisms may be involved.

Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease with etiologies related to genetics, immunity, and the environment. It is characterized by excessive proliferation of keratinocytes and infiltration of inflammatory immune cells. Glycosylation is a post-translational modification of proteins that plays important roles in cell adhesion, signal transduction, and immune cell activation. Abnormal glycosylation is associated with inflammation, tumors, autoimmunity, and several diseases. Glycan profiles and glycosylation-related enzymes are altered in patients with psoriasis. Specific glycan structures, such as glycosaminoglycans and gangliosides, inhibit the development of psoriasis through various pathways. Lectins are glycan-binding proteins that are widely involved in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. The differential serum, epidermal, and dermal expression of galectins in patients with psoriasis distinguishes psoriasis from other nonspecific psoriasis-like dermatitis. This article summarizes relevant literature on psoriasis-related glycans to help clarify the potential molecular mechanisms of psoriasis and identify novel biomarkers and targets for the treatment of psoriasis.

Rina Su, Huanwei Huang, Ying Chang, Yi Yu, Jun Cui, Ting Chen, Bin Li, Wenhui Wang; Mosaic somatic HRAS mutation causes unilateral psoriasis, Life Medicine, , l

Background: Alopecia areata (AA) represents a significant autoimmune disorder affecting hair follicles, with sex differences that have yet to reach scientific consensus. The regional and temporal, age-related, and socioeconomic dimensions of sex-based lifetime risk disparities remain inadequately characterized and require further investigation. Methods: (1) We estimated AA lifetime risk using the adjusted for multiple primaries method. We evaluated regional and temporal features of sex disparities through Average Annual Percentage Change analysis, with future projections to 2050 via ARIMA modeling. (2) Age-stratified sex disparity features were analyzed. (3) We evaluated AA risk associations with Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) variations through Spearman correlation analysis and concentration indices to quantify female-to-male relative risk. Results: (1) Global lifetime risk increased from 29.89% (95% CI, 29.83%-29.94%) to 31.66% (31.61%-31.71%) in females, and from 15.91% (15.86%-15.95%) to 16.93% (16.88%-16.97%) in males between 1990 and 2021. The female-to-male lifetime risk ratio remained stable, measuring 1.88 (1.87–1.89) in 1990 and 1.87 (1.86–1.88) in 2021. Future projections through 2050 indicate increasing lifetime risks reaching 34.44% (32.99%-35.89%) for females and 19.06% (17.50%-20.63%) for males, despite comparatively faster growth rates observed in the male population (9.83% vs. 7.01% for females). Both sexes exhibited similar regional distribution features. (2) Sex differences in age-specific risk features were notable: females exhibited a high lifetime risk window between ages 20–50 years, while males demonstrated a narrower window primarily between ages 20–30 years. Female lifetime risk consistently peaked in the 30–39 age group regardless of SDI level, whereas males displayed significant SDI-dependent variations, with peak lifetime risks occurring at ages 20–29 in high-SDI regions versus ages 30–39 in the other areas. Females showed a slower decline in residual risk with increasing age compared to males, resulting in progressively higher female-to-male risk ratios that were particularly pronounced in high-SDI regions, reaching 4.51 (3.42–5.95) in the 70–79 age cohort. (3) With increasing SDI levels (reflecting socioeconomic development), females exhibited more pronounced risk elevation than males. Females exhibited consistently lower concentration indices relative to males, maintaining stable trends, while male concentration indices have shown a declining trend in recent years. The female-to-male ratio of concentration indices has shown a consistent upward trend since reaching its lowest point of 0.62 (0.51–0.76) in 1993, rising to 0.75 (0.60–0.95) by 2021. High SDI regions persistently demonstrate the lowest female-to-male concentration indices. Conclusions: Our analysis reveals pronounced sex disparities in global AA lifetime risk: consistently higher risk in females across regions and time periods, prolonged age-related risk window with slower decline in females, and greater risk elevation in females with increasing SDI levels.