New Advances in Alopecia Areata and Atopic Dermatitis

A special issue of Journal of Clinical Medicine (ISSN 2077-0383). This special issue belongs to the section "Dermatology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 December 2024 | Viewed by 5266

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Dermatology Unit, Hospital Universitario Virgen de las Nieves, IBS Granada, 18002 Granada, Spain
Interests: alopecia; barrier function; quality of life; alopecia areata; androgenetic alopecia
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue titled "New Advances in Alopecia Areata and Atopic Dermatitis" offers a comprehensive overview of recent breakthroughs and developments in the field of dermatology, focusing specifically on two challenging conditions: alopecia areata and atopic dermatitis. This collection of articles presents cutting-edge research, innovative treatments, and emerging insights into the pathogenesis and management of these skin disorders.

Despite recent advances, there is still the need for a more comprehensive understanding of the etiopathogenesis of scalp diseases. In addition to trichoscopy, new diagnostic tools are currently being developed to diagnose and differentiate between types of alopecia. Scalp diseases have a great impact on patients’ quality of life. Moreover, some comorbidities have been related to alopecia, including alexithymia, obsessive–compulsive disorder, and autoimmune and cardiovascular diseases. Fortunately, the availability of therapeutic options for different types of alopecia is increasing.

In the context of atopic dermatitis, this Special Issue explores advancements in understanding the disease's complex mechanisms, personalized treatment strategies, and the role of the skin barrier function, immunological disorders and microbiome in disease pathogenesis. Additionally, it addresses the impact of psychosocial factors on patient management and quality of life.

This Special Issue will focus on new research discussing the etiopathogenesis of these diseases and new treatment options for improving disease severity and patients’ quality of life.

Dr. Trinidad Montero-Vilchez
Prof. Dr. Salvador Arias-Santiago
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Clinical Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • dermatology
  • alopecia areata
  • atopic dermatitis
  • treatment
  • quality of life

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

14 pages, 827 KiB  
Article
Skin Barrier Function and Microtopography in Patients with Atopic Dermatitis
by Carlota Pretel-Lara, Raquel Sanabria-de la Torre, Salvador Arias-Santiago and Trinidad Montero-Vilchez
J. Clin. Med. 2024, 13(19), 5861; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13195861 - 1 Oct 2024
Viewed by 780
Abstract
Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease whose incidence is increasing. Skin barrier dysfunction plays an important role in this disease. It has been observed that AD patients have higher transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and lower stratum corneum hydration [...] Read more.
Background: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic inflammatory skin disease whose incidence is increasing. Skin barrier dysfunction plays an important role in this disease. It has been observed that AD patients have higher transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and lower stratum corneum hydration (SCH); however, there is little information about skin microtopography in this pathology. The objective of this study is to evaluate skin barrier dysfunction and structural changes in patients with AD. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted including patients with AD. Parameters of skin barrier function were measured (TEWL, temperature, erythema, pH, skin hydration, elasticity) and also other topographical parameters (scaliness, wrinkles, smoothness, surface, contrast, variance) in both healthy skin and flexural eczematous lesions. Results: A total of 32 patients with AD were included in the study. Flexural eczematous lesions had higher erythema (369.12 arbitrary unit (AU) vs. 223.89 AU, p < 0.001), higher TEWL (27.24 g/h/m2 vs. 13.51 g/h/m2, p < 0.001), lower SCH (20.3 AU vs. 31.88 AU, p < 0.001) and lower elasticity (0.56% vs. 0.65%, p = 0.05). Regarding topographic parameters, flexural eczematous lesions presented greater scaliness (5.57 SEsc vs. 0.29 SEsc, p = 0.02), greater smoothness (316.98 SEsm vs. 220.95 SEsm p < 0.001), more wrinkles (73.33 SEw vs. 62.15 SEw p = 0.03), greater surface area (836.14% vs. 696.31%. p < 0.001), greater contrast (2.02 AU vs. 1.31 AU p = 0.01), greater variance (6.22 AU vs. 4.96 AU p < 0.001) and a lower number of cells (105.5 vs. 132.5 p < 0.001) compared to unaffected healthy skin, reflecting a decrease in skin quality in AD patients. Conclusions: Both skin barrier function and skin topography are damaged in patients with AD, with differences between healthy skin and flexural eczema. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Alopecia Areata and Atopic Dermatitis)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

13 pages, 296 KiB  
Review
The Psychology of Atopic Dermatitis
by Ashling Courtney and John C. Su
J. Clin. Med. 2024, 13(6), 1602; https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm13061602 - 11 Mar 2024
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 4031
Abstract
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic inflammatory skin condition characterised by pruritus and recurrent eczematous patches and plaques. It impacts sleep and its visibility can lead to stigmatisation, low self-esteem, social withdrawal, reduced quality of life (QOL), and psychological burden. This study [...] Read more.
Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic inflammatory skin condition characterised by pruritus and recurrent eczematous patches and plaques. It impacts sleep and its visibility can lead to stigmatisation, low self-esteem, social withdrawal, reduced quality of life (QOL), and psychological burden. This study explores the relationship between AD and mental health, including possible causation pathways. A literature review was conducted in PubMed without using limiters. AD carries higher odds of suicidality and an increased risk of depression, anxiety, alexithymia, and obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) across all severities. While some studies report an association of AD with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and possibly autism spectrum disorder (ASD), others do not. There is increasing evidence that AD contributes to chronic low-grade inflammation and cognitive impairment (CI). Causative factors for mental health complications of AD likely include both psychosocial and biological variables. AD is associated with higher levels of cutaneous and circulating proinflammatory cytokines; these can breach the blood–brain barrier and trigger central nervous system events, including oxidative stress, neurotransmitter breakdown, altered serotonin metabolism, and reduced neurogenesis in several brain regions. Excessive inflammation in AD may thus contribute to CI, depression, and suicidality. AD providers should be vigilant about mental health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Advances in Alopecia Areata and Atopic Dermatitis)
Back to TopTop