Erythrodermic CD4/CD8 Double-Negative Mycosis Fungoides: A Case Report

Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) describes a group of lymphoproliferative disorders characterized by localization of neoplastic T lymphocytes to the skin. Mycosis fungoides (MF) represents the most common type of CTCL and accounts for ∼60% of all primary cutaneous lymphomas. Apart from the classic type of MF, many clinical and histopathologic variants have been described. The malignant lymphocytes in MF are usually CD3, CD4 and CD45RO positive and CD8 negative. An unusual immunohistochemical profile of a CD4-negative and CD8-positive mature T-cell phenotype has been reported in a minority of patients; up to 20% of early-stage MF demonstrates a CD8-positive phenotype. There are only a few cases of a double-negative CD4/CD8 MF phenotype reported in the literature. We present the case of a 60-year-old male presenting a double-negative CD4/CD8 MF phenotype.

The association between race/ethnicity and the prevalence of stroke among United States adults in 2015: a secondary analysis study using Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

Background

Worldwide, stroke is considered the second leading cause of death, accounting for 11.8% of all deaths in 2013. In the Unites States (US), approximately 795,000 people have a stroke every year. Stroke has many different risk factors that vary by race/ethnicity. There is limited contemporary published literature about the prevalence of stroke among racial/ethnic groups in the US adult population.

Objective

This study aimed to determine the association between race/ethnicity and the prevalence of stroke among US adults in 2015.

Methods

This study was an observational, non-concurrent prospective of the Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) in 2015 to assess the association between race/ethnicity and the prevalence of stroke. The final study sample was 432,814 US adults ≥ 18 years old. Variables were excluded from the model if there were missing, refused, or did not know responses to the variables of interest. A binary logistic regression analysis was used to obtain odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association between race/ethnicity and stroke. The Chi-square test was used to study bivariate associations between categorical variables. The collinearity was assessed. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Statistical analysis was completed using STATA version 14 (Stata Corp, College Station, TX).

Results

The highest proportion of participants (43%) were ≥ 44 years old with a balanced distribution of males and females. The highest proportion of stroke was found among Hispanics (4.2%) and non-Hispanic Blacks (4.1%) as compared to 3.2% among non-Hispanic Whites (p<0.001). Furthermore, Hispanics and Blacks were significantly more likely to develop stroke (OR=1.57, 95% CI=1.28–1.91; and OR=1.30, 95% CI=1.16–1.45, respectively) after adjusting for confounding variables.

Conclusion

Hispanics and Blacks had a higher prevalence of stroke in comparison with non-Hispanic Whites. Further studies are needed to verify these findings and to determine which factors may influence the stroke differences among these racial/ethnic groups.