Background: In pemphigus, autoantibodies are directed against adhesion molecules, which make the junctions between keratinocytes, and thus determining their level can reflect the disease activity. Aim: The purpose of this study is to determine the clinical significance of the autoantibody levels in pemphigus management. Materials and Methods: The clinical features of 47 pemphigus vulgaris patients were assessed and patients' sera were investigated by indirect immunofluorescence using monkey esophagus as a substrate for autoantibody levels. Results: We found a significant correlation between antibody titers and mucosal severity scores. Initial antibody titers of the patients with at least one mucosal lesion at the end of the first month of the therapy were found significantly higher than the patients who had no mucosal lesion. With the therapy, lesions resolved earlier than the antibody titers. Conclusion: In patients with pemphigus, especially in cases who were not treated before, sera antibody levels are a valuable tool in evaluating disease severity and choosing initial treatment. In patients who had been taking any systemic treatment, it is difficult to make a relationship between antibody levels and disease severity, because therapy improves disease earlier than the antibody titers. However, estimating antibody levels can be helpful for clinicians in disease management, in reducing or ceasing treatment dosage and anticipating recurrence.

Multi-system ınflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is an immune-mediated process that develops after infections like SARS-CoV-2. The authors aimed to reveal the mucocutaneous findings of patients diagnosed with MIS-C at presentation and evaluate the frequency of these mucocutaneous findings and their possible relationship with the severity of the disease. A prospective study was conducted of 43 children admitted to a tertiary hospitals between January 2021 and January 2022 who met Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for MIS-C. 43 children (25 [58.1%] male); median age, 7.5 years [range 0.5‒15 years]) met the criteria for MIS-C. The most common symptom was cutaneous rash 81.4%, followed by gastrointestinal symptoms 67.4%, oral mucosal changes 65.1%, and conjunctival hyperemia 58.1%. The most common mucosal finding was fissured lips at 27.9%, diffuse hyperemia of the oral mucosa at 18.6%, and strawberry tongue at 13.9%. Urticaria (48.8%) was the most common type of cutaneous rash in the present study’s patients. The most common rash initiation sites were the trunk (32.6%) and the palmoplantar region (20.9%). The presence or absence of mucocutaneous findings was not significantly associated with disease severity. The number of patients in the this study was small. The present study’s prospective analysis detected mucocutaneous symptoms in almost 9 out of 10 patients in children diagnosed with MIS-C. Due to the prospective character of the present research, the authors think that the characteristic features of cutaneous and mucosal lesions the authors obtained will contribute to the literature on the diagnosis and prognosis of MIS-C.

Lichen planus is a chronic inflammatory mucocutaneous disease. Recent studies have suggested that it is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular comorbidities. The purpose of this study was to assess and compare arterial stiffness and cardiovascular hemodynamics in patients with lichen planus and a healthy control group. Fifty-five patients with lichen planus and 42 healthy controls were enrolled. All patients underwent echocardiographic examination, and arterial stiffness was measured using applanation tonometry. No statistically significant difference was determined between the patient and control groups in terms of arterial stiffness, but stiffness was markedly higher in patients with erosive lichen planus compared to the control group and other patients (p=0.006, and p=0.023, respectively). Moderate positive correlation was determined between duration of disease and arterial stiffness. Impairment of systolic and diastolic functions was also determined in patients with lichen planus compared to the control group (p<0.001, and p=0.005, respectively). Relatively low number of patients. The positive correlation observed between duration of disease and arterial stiffness in patients with lichen planus suggests that these patients should be followed-up in terms of cardiovascular risk in the presence of resistant and long-term disease, particularly in case of erosive lichen planus.

Background and Design: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease affecting nearly 2% of the population. In Turkey, the only data about the prevalence of psoriasis from a population-based study is the data of the prevalence of 0.5% in a small district in a rural area. We aimed to provide the first large-scale data in Turkey by determining the prevalence of psoriasis in a large area, in the central and outlying districts of the province of Trabzon. \ud Materials and Methods: A random sample of 7885 (4057 male and 3828 female) adults was collected by using the stratified sampling technique. The study was performed with face-to-face questionnaire administration with participants selected according to the place of residence, gender and age groups. Psoriasis was diagnosed based on the questionnaires filled by patients during these interviews. Crude psoriasis prevalence ratios and age-adjusted psoriasis prevalence ratios according to the Segi population were calculated and presented with 95% confidence interval (CI). \ud Results: Of 7885 people, 87 were diagnosed with psoriasis, of which 45 were female and 42 were male. The prevalence of psoriasis was found to be 1.1% (95% CI: 0.9-1.3) in the general population. The prevalence of psoriasis in females (1.2%) was higher than that in men (1.0%). Age-adjusted prevalence was 3.9% (95% CI: 3.5-4.3) and 1.0% (95% CI: 0.8-1.2) for females and males, respectively. The presence of a family history of psoriasis increased the psoriasis risk by eight-fold (p<0.001). \ud Conclusion: We found that the prevalence of psoriasis was 1.1% in a large area, in the central and outlying districts of the province of Trabzon. Our study reveals that the prevalence of psoriasis in our country may be lower than that in Northern Europe and North America