skin rash Archives - Amazing Health Advances

Developmental Origins of Eczema and Psoriasis Discovered

AHA Publisher — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 08:00:31 +0000

Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute via EurekAlert – Scientists have created a highly detailed map of skin, which reveals that cellular processes from development are re-activated in cells from patients with inflammatory skin disease. The researchers from the Wellcome Sanger Institute, Newcastle University and Kings College London, discovered that skin from eczema and psoriasis patients share many of the same molecular pathways as developing skin cells. This offers potential new drug targets for treating these painful skin diseases. Published on 22nd January in Science, the study also provides a completely new understanding of inflammatory disease, opening up new avenues for research on other inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. Part of the global Human Cell Atlas effort to map every cell type in the human body, the new comprehensive atlas of developing and adult skin is a valuable resource* for scientists worldwide. It could also provide a template for regenerative medicine, helping researchers grow skin in the laboratory more effectively. Our skin acts as a barrier, protecting us against invading bacteria or viruses, and is vital for health. Inflammatory skin diseases such as atopic eczema and psoriasis are chronic conditions, where the immune system becomes overactive, causing itchy or flaky skin that can be very painful and prone to infection. These conditions can have significant impact on people’s lives, but the trigger is unknown and there is no cure, with treatments only helping to relieve the symptoms, not the cause. Skin is a complex tissue made up of many different types of cells. To learn how skin forms and how this relates to adult health and disease, the researchers studied cells from developing skin**, comparing these with biopsies from healthy adults, and eczema and psoriasis patients. Using cutting-edge single cell technology and machine learning, the team analysed more than half a million individual skin cells, to see exactly which genes were switched on in each cell. This allowed them to find out what each individual cell does and how the cells talk to each other. To their surprise, the researchers discovered that the diseased skin cells shared many of the same cellular mechanisms as developing cells. Professor Muzlifah Haniffa, co-senior author from Newcastle University and Associate Faculty at the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said: “This Skin Cell Atlas reveals specific molecular signals sent by healthy developing skin to summon immune cells and form a protective layer. We were amazed to see that eczema and psoriasis skin cells were sending the same molecular signals, which could over activate immune cells and cause the disease. This had never been seen before. Discovering that developing cell pathways re-emerge is a huge leap in our understanding of inflammatory skin disease, and offers new routes for finding treatments.” Dr Gary Reynolds, a first author on the study from Newcastle University, said: “While our study focused on inflammatory skin disease, there is potential that other inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease could be triggered in the same way. This research shows the importance of studying development, and could open up entirely new avenues for inflammatory disease research.” The study uncovered how healthy skin tissue develops, and revealed the cells that are present in adult skin. This has great implications for regenerative medicine, especially for burns victims. Professor Fiona Watt, co-senior author from Kings College London, said: “There have been decades of research on skin cells grown in the laboratory. However, it is not always clear how the properties of the cells change in the laboratory setting. By revealing the detailed make-up of cells immediately on isolation from developing and adult human skin, this Skin Cell Atlas can act as a template for researchers trying to reconstruct healthy skin in regenerative medicine. Our data is openly available, and we hope this will aid research into creating skin tissue in the laboratory.” Dr Sarah Teichmann co-senior author from the Wellcome Sanger Institute and University of Cambridge, and co-chair of the Human Cell Atlas initiative, said: “Part of the international Human Cell Atlas initiative to create a ‘Google map’ of the human body, this skin cell atlas study reveals that studying development can not only help understand how tissues are formed in the first place, but also shed vital light on diseases. This map reveals a completely new way of thinking about inflammatory diseases, and is an important reference that other scientists can use to investigate the causes of disease, and inform potential new treatments.” To read the original article click here.

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Skin Rash May Be a Symptom of COVID-19

AHA Publisher — Tue, 14 Jul 2020 07:00:30 +0000

Sally Robertson, B.Sc. via News-Medical Net – Researchers at King’s College London and Zoe Global Ltd have conducted a study suggesting that skin rashes could be valuable predictors of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In a large community-based study, 8.8% of people who had tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) also reported having a skin rash. Among people who had not tested positive, but did report at least one classic symptom of COVID-19 symptom based on NHS guidelines, 8.2% also reported skin rashes. According to NHS guidelines, the three most common signs of COVID-19 are fever, persistent cough, and a reduced sense of smell (anosmia). Skin-related symptoms are not included, even though these can be easily spotted by patients, say Mario Falchi and team. The researchers say their findings strongly support including skin rashes, adding that although skin rashes are far less common than fever, they are much more specific and last longer. “Recognizing rashes is important in identifying new and earlier COVID-19 cases,” says the team. A pre-print version of the paper is available on the server medRxiv*, while the article undergoes peer review. The Link with Skin Manifestations Has Been Slow to Emerge It has become apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic that while the disease is primarily a respiratory illness, it also targets multiple organs, including the skin. Some studies have previously reported urticaria, chicken pox-like body rashes, and chilblains on the toes or fingers (acral rashes), possibly due to minor thrombotic events or damaged endothelium in small vessels of the digits. However, the link between COVID-19 and skin manifestations has been slower to emerge than it has for organs such as the heart, intestine, and brain. “COVID-19 rashes may present in many forms and at different stages of the disease. The heterogeneous presentations, the time delay, as well as the focus on severely ill patients during the early phases of the pandemic, led to the skin being overlooked as an important target organ for COVID-19,” say Falchi and colleagues. Now the researchers have used data available for 336,847 UK users of the COVID Symptom Study app to investigate the diagnostic value of skin rashes for infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The team also used data available for 11,546 people who participated in an independent survey on COVID-19-related skin symptoms. Skin Rashes Increased the Odds of SARS-CoV-2 Positivity More Than Fever Of 27,157 app users who provided swab test results, 2,021 (7.4%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2, and 25,136 (92.6%) were negative. Of the swab-positive individuals, 178 (8.8%) reported skin rashes (138 body rashes; 62 acral and 22 both body and acral), compared with 1357 (5.4%) of swab-negative individuals. Association analysis showed that the presence of body or acral rashes increased the likelihood of being swab positive for SARS-CoV-2 by 67%. This compares with fever increasing the odds of SARS-CoV-2 positivity by 47%, and fever is commonly used to screen for COVID, points out the team. Skin Rashes Were Also Predictive in Untested, But Symptomatic Users Among the 334,690 app users who did not provide a swab test result, 17,371 reported one of the three main symptoms (fever, persistent cough, and anosmia), which according to NHS guidelines, would require isolation and SARS-CoV-2 testing. Of those reporting one of the three typical symptoms, 8.2% also reported a skin rash, compared with 6% of untested users who did not report any of the three symptoms. Association analysis revealed that among untested users who reported one of the three main symptoms, the likelihood of having a body rash was 46% greater compared with those who did not report one of the symptoms. The increased likelihood of acral rash among those reporting a symptom was not statistically significant. The Findings Support the Inclusion of Skin Rashes as a Suspected Symptom To capture more information about the type, duration, and timing of rashes, the team analyzed data available for people 11,546 with a rash who participated in an independent survey on COVID-19-related skin symptoms. Among 694 responders who were positive for SARS-CoV-2 by swab or antibody test and provided information on COVID-19-related symptoms, the rash appeared before any other symptom in 17% of cases and in 21% of cases, the rash was the only symptom. “Twenty-one percent of the SARS-CoV-2 positive surveyees presented with skin symptoms alone and would have been missed if using the NHS classic symptoms alone,” write Falchi and colleagues. The researchers say the findings strongly support the inclusion of skin rashes as a suspected COVID-19 symptom. “Although, it is less prevalent than fever, it is more specific of COVID-19 and last longer,” they add. “An increased awareness from the public and healthcare professionals regarding COVID-19 skin changes will allow more efficient identification of new and earlier clusters of the disease,” concludes the team. *Important Notice medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information. To read the original article click here.

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Is Your Rash a Symptom of COVID-19?

AHA Publisher — Sun, 10 May 2020 07:00:22 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – As weeks go by during the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more information surfaces regarding the disease and transmission, the mortality rate, and the symptoms. Just last week there were reports of kids’ toes and fingers having a “frostbite” appearance. Now, there are numerous reports of rashes on the skin of adults and kids linked as a symptom of COVID-19. Here is a summary of the reports, the types of rashes seen, and what it means for you. Rash Reports as a Symptom of COVID-19 When this all started, we were mostly concerned about respiratory symptoms and lung damage. And, we still are. But, as many people seem to be asymptomatic without any typical symptom of COVID-19, it’s become interesting to learn how the virus is manifesting in different people. Possibly even causing skin rashes. Doctors and studies from Spain, France, and China have indicated that rashes may be a part of the disease progression. Early studies only found 0.2% of patients with rashes (1). However, Italian researchers have stated a 20% rash-rate among COVID-19 patients in their study. This study was conducted by dermatologists, who are experts at identifying changes and subtle abnormalities in the skin (2). Why Rashes? The skin often acts as a conduit of inflammation or immune system reactions in the body. In fact, many viral illnesses are hallmarked by rashes, including chickenpox, measles, and hand, foot, and mouth disease. The body’s immune response to the disease itself causes a rash on the skin. Other examples include rosacea and eczema, which is often caused by an immune response to an allergen. What’s unique with the COVID-19 rashes, though, is that most of them are being seen in adults and not children. Typically, rash-related viral diseases are found in younger patients. However, this may simply be due to fewer children being tested. Since many children may be carrying the disease but are otherwise asymptomatic, they are likely not being seen by medical professionals. Types of Rashes as a Symptom of COVID-19 The types of rashes in the reports vary. Some appear as tiny red spots, while others appear as larger flat or raised lesions. Others are more like hives. And, as noted, some skin changes look like frostbitten toes. In the studies, researchers have reported the rash symptom of COVID-19 as 5 types: “maculopapular” rash, or one that’s characteristic of viral infections with red bumps on reddish skin “urticaria” rash characteristic of hives ‘livedo” rash with a lace-like or fishnet pattern “vesicular eruption” or blistering rash Frostbite-like rash on the toes, unofficially dubbed “COVID toes” The different types of rashes, and the varying times of onset and lack of consistency from patient to patient, makes it tough to know for sure if the rashes are truly a COVID symptom. But, as more reports come out, it seems likely that there is a connection between these rashes and a positive COVID test. Time Will Tell If Your Rash Was a Symptom of COVID-19 Once research has the chance to catch up with this pandemic, and tissues samples are examed to determine if COVID-19 can be detected in skin cells, we will know more. Hopefully, researchers will be able to agree on the most common symptoms and streamline the testing for them in the future. If you believe you are positive for COVID-19 and would like to add your data regarding rashes, a task force with the American Academy of Dermatology has created an online COVID-19 dermatology registry. The survey takes just 5-7 minutes and does not collect any personal data. This data may help doctors pinpoint rashes as a distinct COVID-19 symptom for possible future outbreaks. Bottom Line Are rashes yet another symptom of COVID-19 emerging as we work through this pandemic. It may be. Scientists, doctors, and researchers are doing their best to collect real-time data. This data, combined with future research, will hopefully give us a better understanding of the COVID-19 virus. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Colbert click here.

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