Plasma lipid, lipoprotein and apoprotein concentrations were determined in psoriatic children and in healthy controls. The plasma total cholesterol (TC) was higher than in controls (p = 0.03). The higher cholesterol levels were explained by an almost significant increase in cholesterol associated with high-density lipoproteins and by the tendency towards higher values of cholesterol associated with low-density lipoproteins and very-low-density lipoproteins. No significant changes of plasma triglycerides were observed. Levels of apoproteins (apo) AI and apo B were not significantly different in psoriatic children; however, the levels of apo B were correlated differently with plasma TC in psoriatic children, and the ratio TC/apo B was significantly increased in patients with respect to the controls, suggesting some differences of plasma lipoprotein lipid/ apoprotein relationship in psoriasis.

Background: The incidence of both melanoma and nonmelanocytic skin cancers has risen dramatically during the past decades, skin cancer becoming an important public health concern. Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the ability of general practitioners (GPs) in the early diagnosis of skin cancers, their correct differential diagnosis of benign lesions and their accuracy in the choice of the treatment. Methods: A multiple-choice questionnaire regarding 7 cases (with 4 figures) were sent to 625 GPs to evaluate their diagnostic abilities. Conclusions: The results indicate that many GPs are not confident in their ability to recognize the most common skin cancers, and knowledge deficiencies were identified.

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ABSTRACT. Psoriasis has been associated with an abnormal plasma lipid metabolism, and changes of erythrocyte membrane lipid composition and fluidity have been shown in adult patients. To investigate whether the alterations of plasma lipids appear also in pediatric patients, we have studied plasma lipids and lipoproteins in 15 prepubertal children affected by mild-to-moderate psoriasis with respect to healthy controls. The patients showed higher levels of plasma total cholesterol (4.44 + 0.78 versus 4.03 f 0.58 mmol/L), a significant increase of cholesterol associated with HDL (1.39 +. 0.26 versus 1.13 +. 0.28 mmol/ L, p = 0.02), and a significant decrease of the ratio LDL cholesterol to HDL cholesterol (1.73 + 0.6 versus 2.46 2 0.8, p = 0.02). By using fluorescence polarization of 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene, we have shown a significant increase in fluidity in erythrocyte membrane of psoriatic children that was associated with a slight, but not significant, decrease in the cholesterol to protein ratio (422 + 127 versus 503 f 117 nmol/mg). No significant changes of phospholipid fatty acid composition have been shown, in disagreement with previous studies in adult patients. Our results support the relation between childhood psoriasis and plasma lipid changes, which are likely related to the slight compositional changes in erythrocytes. However, the observed abnormalities are expressed differently in children than in adults. (Pediatr Res 33: 506-509, 1993) Abbreviations DPH, 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene HDL-C, cholesterol associated with high-density lipoprotein LDL-C, cholesterol associated with low-density lipoprotein Pf, fluorescence polarization TC, total cholesterol TG, triglyceride VLDL-C, cholesterol associated with very low-density lipoprotein Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by an accelerated turnover of epidermal cells and an incomplete differentiation in lesional epidermidis. The etiology of psoriasis is unknown, but genetic, metabolic, and immunologic mechanisms have been proposed (1). Various disorders of the plasma lipid and lipoprotein pattern that include an increase in TG in VLDL and a decrease in HDL-C have been shown in adult

The results strongly support the hypothesis that CMV is not the triggering factor in AA, neither as a re-activator of the immune response nor as a trigger of the autoimmunity. No other herpes virus is implicated in the pathogenesis of this disease.