Humans ; Pedigree ; Rosacea ; pathology

A case of cutaneous Rosai-Dorfman disease (CRDD) presenting as a granulomatous rosacea-like rashs was reported. A 45-year-old Chinese woman presented with a 1-month history of a widespread nonpruiginous papulonodular eruption. The rash had begun on her face and rapidly progressed to involve the neck and extremities. She was otherwise healthy, with no history of fever, malaise, or weight loss. Physical examination revealed multiple symmetrically distributed discrete and coalescing red plaques, papules and nodules scattered over the face, neck and extremities. No appreciable lymphadenopathy or hepatosplenomegaly was noted. There was no mucosal involvement. The biopsy specimen obtained from the face demonstrated the epidermis was normal, while the superficial dermis contained sheets of histiocytes with abundant, focally foamy cytoplasm. The histiocytes were surrounded by a patchy lymphocytic and plasma cell infiltrate. There was no significant histiocytic atypia. Some of these histiocytes engulfed, without destroying, lymphocytes and neutrophils (emperipolesis). Immunohistochemical staining revealed that the histiocytes were strongly positive for S100 protein, weakly positive for CD68, and negative for CD1a. A diagnosis of CRDD was made. Oral prednisone therapy was initiated at a dosage of 30 mg/d for 3 weeks and then tapered over the ensuing 2 weeks. After 5 weeks of treatment, the lesions had markedly improved.
Exanthema ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Female ; Histiocytosis, Sinus ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Rosacea ; pathology

Although it is debatable whether Helicobacter pylori may play a role in the pathogenesis of rosacea, some authors suggested that the treatment of H. pylori might have a beneficial effect. The aim of this investigation was to compare the prevalence of H. pylori between rosacea patients and controls, and to evaluate an effect of H. pylori eradication on rosecea by a 2-week triple therapy that was composed of amoxicillin, clarithromycin and omeprazole. H. pylori was detected by using gastroscopic biopsy with Warthin-Starry stain. Forty-two (84%) of 50 patients with rosacea and 39 (78%) of 50 controls had H. pylori, showing no significant difference in prevalence. The cure rates of H. pylori in rosacea patients and controls were 80% (16/20) and 85% (17/20), respectively. There was no significant decrease in the intensity of erythema in active treatment and placebo groups both during and after the treatment. Temporary improvement in papulopustules exclusively during the treatment (within 2 weeks) could be independent of H. pylori eradication. Overall, no significant reduction in the number of papulopustules was observed in active treatment and placebo groups after the treatment (in 2 months). Taken together, our study found no significant lessening of rosacea lesions by treating H. pylori infection, which conclusively does not concur with a view that H. pylori may be related to rosacea.
Acne Rosacea/microbiology* ; Acne Rosacea/epidemiology* ; Adult ; Amoxicillin/administration & dosage ; Anti-Ulcer Agents/administration & dosage ; Antibiotics, Macrolide/administration & dosage ; Biopsy ; Clarithromycin/administration & dosage ; Cohort Studies ; Erythema/microbiology ; Erythema/epidemiology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Helicobacter Infections/pathology ; Helicobacter Infections/epidemiology* ; Helicobacter Infections/drug therapy* ; Helicobacter pylori* ; Human ; Male ; Middle Age ; Omeprazole/administration & dosage ; Penicillins/administration & dosage ; Prevalence

PURPOSE: Recent findings of increased cathelicidin protein and its proteolytic fragments in rosacea suggest a pathogenic role for cathelicidin in this disease. The relationship between cathelicidin and protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2) is therefore of interest, as PAR-2, expressed principally in keratinocytes, regulates pro-inflammatory cytokine expression in the skin. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between expression of PAR-2 and cathelicidin in rosacea and to test the effect of direct PAR-2 activation on cathelicidin expression in keratinocytes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Samples from 40 patients with clinicopathologic diagnosis of rosacea and facial skin tissue samples from 20 patients with no specific findings or milium without inflammation were retrieved. Intensities of immunohistochemical staining for PAR-2 and cathelicidin were compared between normal and rosacea-affected skin tissues. Additionally, correlations between PAR-2 and cathelicidin staining intensities within rosacea patients were analyzed. In cultured keratinocytes, changes in PAR-2, cathelicidin, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA and protein were analyzed after treatment with PAR-2 activating peptide (AP). RESULTS: Cathelicidin expression was significantly higher in rosacea skin tissues than in normal tissues (p<0.001), while PAR-2 expression was not significantly higher in rosacea tissues than in normal skin tissues. A positive correlation between PAR-2 and cathelicidin within rosacea samples was observed (R=0.330, p=0.037). After treatment of PAR-2 AP, both mRNA and protein levels for PAR-2, cathelicidin, and VEGF significantly increased in cultured keratinocytes, compared with PAR-2 control peptide treatment. CONCLUSION: PAR-2 may participate in the pathogenesis of rosacea through activation of cathelicidin LL-37, a mediator of innate immune responses in the skin.
Adult ; Aged ; Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides/*metabolism ; Cytokines/metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Immunity, Innate ; Inflammation/metabolism ; Keratinocytes/*metabolism ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Receptor, PAR-2/*metabolism ; Rosacea/*pathology ; Skin/pathology ; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/*metabolism