Eosinophils in psoriasis: A systematic review and meta-analysis introducing a study quality assessment tool for diagnostic pathology studies

BACKGROUND

The histopathologic features of psoriasis are well-documented, but recent studies have highlighted atypical features, such as eosinophils, in clinically confirmed cases.

METHODS

A systematic review exploring eosinophils in psoriasis was performed. A novel quality assessment tool (SQAT-Path) we designed for cross-sectional pathology studies was employed.

RESULTS

Five studies (N = 218) were identified. The pooled prevalence of dermal eosinophils in psoriasis was 46% (95% confidence interval, 0.27-0.66). The prevalences of 1 to 5 lesional eosinophils (24%) compared to >5 eosinophils (26%) were similar. There was no association between eosinophils and prior treatment. There was also no association between eosinophils and spongiosis. In SQAT-Path, studies scored between 9 and 18 (out of a maximum of 27: "fair" to "good"), consistent with the ratings using other assessment tools.

CONCLUSION

Eosinophils were found in approximately half of systematically studied and published cases of psoriasis. When present, their quantity is variable, with the likelihood of having greater than 5 eosinophils in a biopsy section comparable to having between 1 and 5. Greater than 5 eosinophils, as an isolated finding, would not be typical of psoriasis, but should not preclude its diagnosis without considering the overall histologic context.

Birth cohorts in asthma and allergic diseases: report of a NIAID/NHLBI/MeDALL joint workshop

Population-based birth cohorts on asthma and allergies increasingly provide new insights into the development and natural history of the diseases. More than 130 birth cohorts focusing on asthma and allergy have been initiated in the last 30 years. A National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; Mechanisms of the Development of Allergy (MeDALL; Framework Programme 7 of the European Commission) joint workshop was held in Bethesda, Maryland, on September 11-12, 2012, with 3 objectives: (1) documenting the knowledge that asthma/allergy birth cohorts have provided, (2) identifying the knowledge gaps and inconsistencies, and (3) developing strategies for moving forward, including potential new study designs and the harmonization of existing asthma birth cohort data. The meeting was organized around the presentations of 5 distinct workgroups: (1) clinical phenotypes, (2) risk factors, (3) immune development of asthma and allergy, (4) pulmonary development, and (5) harmonization of existing birth cohorts. This article presents the workgroup reports and provides Web links (AsthmaBirthCohorts.niaid.nih.gov or www.medall-fp7.eu), where the reader will find tables describing the characteristics of the birth cohorts included in this report, the type of data collected at differing ages, and a selected bibliography provided by the participating birth cohorts.