The Seborrheic Dermatitis - Rosacea Connection

Research by Bass & Boney Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in 1999 determined that patients with rosacea often have seborrheic dermatitis which co-exists in 35% of sufferers which makes for a most delicate skin condition.1 In the summer of 2004, research by the National Rosacea Society verified these facts in a study of their own: “According to a new study, rosacea is the most common facial skin disorder overlapping with seborrheic dermatitis (SD), a chronic and recurring inflammatory condition characterized by a red, scaly or itchy rash often found in the creases around the nose, the inner eyebrows or as dandruff on the scalp. Dr. James Del Rosso, clinical assistant professor of dermatology at the University of Nevada, found that 26 percent of rosacea patients had facial SD and 28 percent had SD of the scalp.2
“ Seborrheic dermatitis is a skin condition which results in overactive sebaceous glands which cause inflammation, flaking and a red rash in the central portion of the face. If one looks closely, the flakes usually have a greasy look, smell and feel. The dryness of seborrheic dermatitis is perceived because of the flaking which consists of dried layers of accumulated oil. Seborrheic dermatitis usually affects the scalp, but can also affect other parts of the body, such as eyebrows, eyelids, the folds of the nose, lips, behind or inside the ears, in the external ear, the forehead and the chin and the skin of the trunk, particularly around the navel, in the skin folds under the arms, in the groin, or under the breasts. In infants seborrheic dermatitis is referred to as cradle cap or infantile eczema.

Associated Reference 1. Patients with Rosacea often have seborrheic dermatitis which co-exist in 35% of sufferers which makes for a most delicate skin condition; and even more so when adult acne co-exist with rosacea in approximately 82% of sufferers. The combination of the three is quite aggravating as seen by years of past efforts, the treatment of one condition aggravates the other two medical conditions. 2. Del Rosso J. The prevalence of seborrheic dermatitis in patients with other commonly encountered facial dermatoses. Poster presentation, American Academy of Dermatology summer meeting, New York, July 2004.

Dust Mites And Dermatitis

Ridding the house of dust mites and making dietary changes does nothing to stop children developing asthma or eczema as was commonly thought.
The surprising research results prove that popular steps taken by parents to prevent the onset of allergic conditions simply don't work.
A team of Sydney researchers tracked 600 children from birth to age 5 to test whether avoiding dust mites in the home had any benefits.
"Basically, there wasn't any reduction in the risk of allergic disease or asthma, which was unexpected," said Dr Guy Marks, a researcher at Sydney's Woolcock Institute.
Scientists also tested the commonly held belief that boosting levels of omega-3 fatty acids in a child's diet could ward off allergic conditions.
Previous studies had shown that children who once a week ate fish, which has high doses of the special fats, were less likely than others to have asthma.
But this, too, was proven to have no preventative benefits, Dr Marks said.
"Once again we weren't able to demonstrate any beneficial effect," he said.
The study, published today in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, involved children in western and south-western Sydney with a family history of asthma.
The result undermines popular beliefs and leave parents with no solid advice as to how they can protect their children, beyond the recommendation not to smoke around them.
"We're left with not having any strong evidence, apart from the avoidance of environmental tobacco smoke, about things that can be done to prevent the onset of asthma in children," Dr Marks said.
On the upside, the results prove parents should not blame themselves for failing to help their children dodge the conditions.
"Clearly, now there is no reason for people to feel that they should have been making major changes in the household."
But this does not mean asthma and eczema are purely genetic diseases, with Dr Marks saying some environmental factors very likely contribute to their onset.
"The fact is that at the moment, though, we don't know what they are, or how they affect us," he said.
More than two million Australians have asthma, with 15 per cent of children diagnosed with the condition.

Seborrheic Dermatitis Gene Identified

A new gene associated with a variant of psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis has been identified by a research group led by Dr. Ohad Birk at the Morris Kahn Laboratory of Human Genetics at Ben Gurion University and Soroka Medical Center. The gene discovered by the Israeli researchers is of much interest as it allows the first major molecular insight into why the specific skin cells proliferate excessively, causing these two common skin diseases. Psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis affect 2-3% of the population worldwide and 85% of AIDS patients. Both skin diseases are caused by excessive proliferation of specific cells (keratinocytes) in the skin. To date, there is only very limited understanding as to the molecular mechanisms causing these two common disorders. The two-and-a-half-year study examined an Israeli Moroccan Jewish family with 44 members over five generations who showed signs characteristic of psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis. By using advanced techniques to analyze DNA samples of the affected members of the family and comparing them to normal, unmutated DNA, Ramon Birnbaum, a doctoral student at Birk's laboratory, has succeeded in pinning the beginning of the molecular pathway on a mutation in a gene that is normally expressed, or "turned on" in the keratinocytes. The gene is believed to suppress or regulate cell proliferation and is thought to be a transcription factor, meaning that it switches on other genes, which may also play a role in the disease. When mutated, this regulation malfunctions, enabling excessive proliferation of skin cells and calling in cells of the immune system. The findings, to be reported in this month's issue of Nature Genetics, allow new insights into the mechanism of disease in psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis. In turn, these insights are likely to assist pharmaceutical companies in developing "smart drugs" for these two common skin diseases.

Top Ten Contact Dermatitis Allergens Identified

A new Mayo Clinic study reveals the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis, a skin inflammation resulting in swollen, reddened and itchy skin due to direct contact with an allergen.
Topping the list were:
* Nickel (nickel sulfate hexahydrate) -- metal frequently encountered in jewelry and clasps or buttons on clothing
* Gold (gold sodium thiosulfate) -- precious metal often found in jewelry
* Balsam of Peru (myroxylon pereirae) -- a fragrance used in perfumes and skin lotions, derived from tree resin
* Thimerosal -- a mercury compound used in local antiseptics and in vaccines
* Neomycin sulfate -- a topical antibiotic common in first aid creams and ointments, also found occasionally in cosmetics, deodorant, soap and pet food
* Fragrance mix -- a group of the eight most common fragrance allergens found in foods, cosmetic products, insecticides, antiseptics, soaps, perfumes and dental products
* Formaldehyde -- a preservative with multiple uses, e.g., in paper products, paints, medications, household cleaners, cosmetic products and fabric finishes
* Cobalt chloride -- metal found in medical products; hair dye; antiperspirant; objects plated in metal such as snaps, buttons or tools; and in cobalt blue pigment
* Bacitracin -- a topical antibiotic* Quaternium 15 -- preservative found in cosmetic products such as self-tanners, shampoo, nail polish and sunscreen or in industrial products such as polishes, paints and waxes.
This study, presented at the American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting in San Francisco, confirmed that patch testing with a standard contact dermatitis series of substances is useful for identifying common contact allergens. Patch testing is conducted by placing potential allergens covered with patches on patients' backs for two days and then observing which substances cause skin inflammation.
The study confirmed previous findings by the North American Contact Dermatitis Group. The researchers examined contact dermatitis testing results from 3,854 patients over a five-year period between Jan. 1, 2001 and Dec. 31, 2005. The patients were tested with an average of 69 allergens. Of these patients, 2,663 (69 percent) had at least one positive reaction, and 1,933 (50 percent) had two or more positive reactions. Results of two other Mayo Clinic studies on contact dermatitis will be presented at the American Contact Dermatitis Society meeting, which immediately precedes the American Academy of Dermatology meeting.
In the first study, researchers mailed a written survey to 1,458 recently tested contact dermatitis patients. The survey found that, overall, patients were satisfied with the contact dermatitis patch testing process and with subsequent improvement of their skin conditions. More than 75 percent of respondents said they were at least "somewhat satisfied" with the overall testing and treatment process, and over one-half reported they were "very satisfied." Nearly 60 percent indicated improvement in their skin conditions since the patch testing.
In the second study to be presented at the American Contact Dermatitis Society meeting, researchers included a write-in question with the aforementioned survey mailing. The survey found patients could recall only 50.6 percent of the allergens for which they tested positive an average of 13.4 months after patch testing.
The researchers indicate these findings point to the ongoing need for education to remind patients of their allergens and reinforce the importance of avoiding them.
Contact dermatitis is common among all age groups and can cause minor annoyance to more severe handicaps, according to Mark Davis, M.D., Mayo Clinic dermatologist and lead study researcher. "Patients with contact dermatitis can get a very itchy rash from head to toe, or in a confined area," he says. "If it's on the hands and feet it can be disabling, and patients at times can't do their jobs."
Allergen avoidance is the chief treatment for contact dermatitis, according to Dr. Davis, though at times corticosteroid creams are used to treat rashes. He notes, however, that 3 percent of patients with contact dermatitis are allergic to the topical steroids that would alleviate their symptoms.

Tomato Extract May Help Heal Atopic Dermatitis

Kikkoman Corporation, in collaboration with Tohoku University, has discovered that the extract of tomato plays a role in healing atopic dermatitis. The joint research compared two groups of mice: one that had been given tomato extract and the other, naringenin chalcone (NGC), a kind of polyphenol found in tomato peels. Both groups showed favorable results, and symptoms of atopic dermatitis improved. In particular, the administration of NGC inhibited the rise of serum IgE, an indicator of allergy.