Urticaria is one of the most frequent dermatoses and its prevalence in the general population is estimated to be ~20%, whereas a substantial percentage of the cases may be classified as chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU). The inflammatory response presenting with spontaneous wheals exhibits pro‑inflammatory characteristics, involving a prominent role for lymphocytes with a mixed Th1/Th2 response in which interleukin (IL)‑2 and IL‑10 are prominently secreted by Th1 and Th2 cells, respectively. In CIU patients, it was demonstrated that IL‑10 production was elevated and IL‑2 reduced compared to controls. Therefore, inhibition of IL‑10 and promotion of IL‑2 production by the lymphocytes, indicating Th2 inhibition and Th1 promotion, may facilitate the treatment of CIU. Whether the polysaccharide nucleic acid fraction of bacillus calmette‑guérin (BCG‑PSN), which possesses multiple immunomodulatory properties, has that potential, remains to be elucidated. In this study, BCG‑PSN was used on lymphocytes isolated from CIU patients, with healthy donors used as controls. immunocytochemistry and ELISA were used to detect IL‑2 and IL‑10 production. It was demonstrated that the IL‑2 production by the lymphocytes in the CIU group was significantly lower compared to that in the healthy control group and it increased sequentially with the increase of the concentration of BCG‑PSN used. By contrast, the IL‑10 production by the lymphocytes in the CIU group was significantly higher compared to that in the healthy control group and decreased sequentially with the increase of the concentration of BCG‑PSN used. Thus, it may be concluded that the BCG‑PSN has the potential to promote IL‑2 and inhibit IL‑10 production in the lymphocytes of CIU patients, facilitating the treatment of CIU.

2',4'‑dihydroxy‑6'‑methoxychalcone (cardamonin) is a natural compound with anti‑proliferative effects on several cancer types including nasopharyngeal carcinoma. The effects of cardamonin on melanoma cells are unknown. The present study investigated the anti‑proliferative effect of cardamonin on human melanoma cell lines (M14 and A375), and the underlying apoptosis inducing mechanisms. MTS assay showed that cardamonin inhibited M14 cells viability, and a reduction of the M14 cell density was also observed. Flow cytometry showed that cardamonin induced M14 cells apoptosis in a dose‑dependent manner. Western blot analysis showed protein expression in M14 and A375; the pro‑apoptotic protein BAX was upregulated, while the anti‑apoptotic protein B‑cell lymphoma‑2 was downregulated. The protein expression of cleaved caspase‑8, ‑9 and cleaved poly (ADP‑ribose) polymerase was increased, whereas P65 was decreased. Furthermore, cardamonin inhibited M14 cell migration. These findings suggest that cardamonin may be a novel anticancer treatment for human melanoma.

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by treponema pallidum. Its rash usually affects the trunk and limbs extensively, including the palms and soles of the feet. Secondary syphilis confined to the face is extremely rare. We report a case of annular rupioid secondary syphilis, which was misdiagnosed as verruca vulgaris. The patient's lesions were confined to the face and resembled oyster shells. Her serological tests results were positive for treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay (TPPA) and rapid plasma reagin (RPR) (1:64). According to epidemiological history, clinical presentation, non-treponemal tests, treponemal tests, and effective benzathine penicillin G treatment, confirmed secondary syphilis.

Pemphigus is a rare yet serious autoimmune skin disease. This study aimed to identify the drugs most commonly associated with pemphigus risk using the Federal drug administration adverse event reporting system (FAERS) database. Data on drugs and adverse events between 2004 and the second quarter of 2024 were obtained from the FAERS database. The medical dictionary for regulatory activities (MedDRA) was used to identify pemphigus cases, whereas the DrugBank database was used to determine the generic names of the medications. Four signal quantification methods were used for the analysis: odds ratio, proportional reporting ratio, Bayesian confidence propagation neural network, and empirical Bayesian geometric mean. Additionally, the timing of drug-induced pemphigus was calculated using Weibull shape parameters. Finally, potential factors affecting pemphigus were identified in the FAERS database using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Of the 7315 adverse event reports linked to pemphigus, diclofenac sodium was involved in 1227 cases, which was the highest number. Disproportionality analysis Disproportionality analysis identified the top 5 drugs that caused adverse reactions: diclofenac sodium, abatacept, tocilizumab, and alendronate sodium. Based on the time to onset of drug-induced pemphigus, the Weibull shape parameter (0.60) indicated that pemphigus induced by this class of drugs was classified as an early failure. Seven independent risk factors related to drugs were identified through multivariable analysis, including diclofenac sodium, abatacept, tocilizumab, alendronate sodium, secukinumab, cetirizine, and chlorhexidine, odds ratio >1 for each. FAERS database was analyzed to identify drugs with strong pemphigus signals, which can be used as a guide for standardizing drug use in clinical practice.

Background: Exanthematous drug eruption and infectious mononucleosis (IM) are both exanthematous diseases. Current research on exanthematous drug eruption and IM mainly targets identifying these disorders, the resulting differences at the metabolism level have not yet been systematically analyzed.Materials and methods: A total of 30 cases of exanthematous drug eruption and IM, 10 patients without exanthema and 10 healthy volunteers were enrolled, 3 mL of fasting venous blood was collected, the serum metabolite content was detected by gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry metabolomics.Results: A total of 165 metabolites were identified, exhibiting significant differences in plasma metabolic trends between exanthematous drug eruption and IM, and pinpointed 28 potential biomarkers. Notable changes were seen in the metabolic activities of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA‐cycle), and galactose metabolism, characterized by increased levels of gluconate, gluconolactone, glucose, galactaric acid, and mannose, along with decreased amounts of pyruvic acid, succinic acid, malic acid, and glycerol, indicating an impairment in the exanthematous drug eruption group's capacity to endure oxidative stress and regulate energy metabolism. In contrast to its medication without rash counterpart, the exanthematous drug eruption group's plasma displayed distinct metabolic routes, predominantly in the processing of arginine and proline, along with the TCA. This resulted in a marked reduction in urea levels and a rise in pyruvate, citrate, and ornithine, indicating hypoxic stress as the primary cause of these rashes. In contrast to the healthy control group, the IM group showed 26 potential biomarkers, marked by increased levels of ketoglutaric acid, malic acid, pyruvic acid, and oxoglutaric acid, and reduced amounts of glutamine, galacturonic acid, arachidonic acid, trimethylphosphonic acid ester, gluconolactone, and indole acetic acid. Mainly, the metabolic pathways included the TCA, breaking down alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, and the processing of D‐glutamine and D‐glutamate metabolism, underscoring the body's crucial role in generating energy and inflammatory agents through the citric acid cycle.Conclusions: The comparison of serum metabolomic features of exanthematous drug eruptions and IM outlines a unique pattern closely related to the differences in the pathogenesis of these two exanthematous diseases.