Background: This study aims to investigate the role of the inflammatory response following optic nerve crush (ONC) in knockout mice for the toll-like receptor-4 gene (TLR4−/−) compared to wild-type (WT) mice.

Psoriasis among adolescents is associated with neuropsychiatric comorbidity and impaired adjustment skills, depending on disease severity.

In a population-based cross-sectional study among adolescents, psoriasis was shown to be significantly associated with allergic rhinitis and asthma. The association between psoriasis and asthma was found only in moderate-to-severe psoriasis, while the association with allergic rhinitis was not dependent on psoriasis severity. Few studies have reported an association between psoriasis and atopic comorbidity in adults.A population-based cross-sectional study was performed to investigate the possible association of psoriasis with allergic rhinitis or asthma among adolescents. Adolescents (16-18 years of age) medically evaluated for military service between 1999 and 2014 were included. Medical records were obtained from the database of the Israeli Defense Forces. Of the 887,765 adolescents studied, 3,112 patients had psoriasis (56.1% mild; 43.9% moderate-to-severe). Psoriasis was significantly associated with allergic rhinitis (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 1.3; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-1.5) and asthma (aOR 1.2; 95% CI 1.0-1.3), compared with controls without psoriasis. Moderate-to-severe psoriasis was associated with allergic rhinitis (aOR 1.3; 95% CI 1.1-1.5) and asthma (aOR 1.5; 95% CI 1.2-1.7), while mild psoriasis was only associated with allergic rhinitis (aOR 1.4; 95% CI 1.2-1.6). In conclusion, amongst adolescents, psoriasis was found to be associated with allergic rhinitis and asthma.

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Background: Kerion is an inflammatory type of tinea capitis manifesting as boggy crusted nodules. Diagnosis of kerion is often challenging due to high rates of falsenegative mycological samples.Methods: A retrospective study among children with kerion, prior to antifungal treatment, was conducted to assess rates of false-negative mycological samples. Specimens for direct microscopy and fungal culture were collected at baseline and after administration of an oral antibiotic course, with or without an oral steroid course.Kerion was categorized as highly inflammatory when a painful, moist scalp nodule with spontaneous purulent discharge or exuberant crust was present, or mildly inflammatory when an erythematous, dry scalp nodule was seen.Results: Twenty-three children (mean age 7.9 ± 3.0 years) were included in the study.Trichophyton tonsurans was the most common species isolated (69.6%). Highly inflammatory kerions were significantly more likely to be culture negative before treatment than mildly inflammatory kerions (80% vs. 16.7%, p < .01). Non-inflammatory tinea capitis lesions (n = 13) were culture positive in all cases. Following a combined oral antibiotic and steroid course given to most highly inflammatory kerions (n = 11/13), higher rates of positive fungal cultures were found compared to baseline (90.9% vs. 18.2%, p < .01). Conclusion:High rates of negative fungal cultures were found only in highly inflammatory kerion. Sampling a highly inflammatory kerion after a combined oral antibiotic and steroid course improved rates of positive fungal cultures. In addition, sampling of non-inflammatory tinea capitis lesions (when present in addition to the kerion) had the highest culture sensitivity.