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Risk factors associated with actinic prurigo: a case control study
Juan Carlos Cuevas-Gonzalez1, María Elisa Vega-Memíje2, Socorro Aída Borges-Yáñez3
1Department of Stomatology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Autonomous University of Ciudad Juárez, Juárez City, Chihuahua, Mexico.
Insights
Living with farm animals significantly increases the risk of developing actinic prurigo (AP), an idiopathic photodermatosis. This finding aids in understanding AP
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Immunology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Actinic prurigo (AP) is an idiopathic photodermatosis.
- Manifestations can appear in childhood but are often diagnosed later in life.
- Exacerbation of lesions occurs with disease progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify risk factors for clinical manifestations of actinic prurigo (AP).
- To investigate associations between AP and environmental/lifestyle factors.
- To understand the physiopathology of AP.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study design was employed.
- Thirty patients with AP and 60 controls were analyzed.
- Data collected included age, sex, solar exposure, and animal/smoke exposure.
Main Results:
- Female sex was predominant (66.7%).
- Significant associations were found with age and cohabitation with farm animals.
- Living with farm animals increased AP probability by 14.31 times.
Conclusions:
- Cohabitation with farm animals is a significant risk factor for AP.
- Understanding risk factors enhances knowledge of AP physiopathology.
- Identifying triggers has potential preventive and therapeutic applications.
Background:
Actinic prurigo (AP) is an idiopathic photodermatosis. Although its initial manifestations can appear in 6 to 8-year-old children, cases are diagnosed later, between the second and fourth decades of life, when the injuries are exacerbated.
Objective:
To identify risk factors associated with clinical manifestations of AP such as skin and mucosal lesions.
Methods:
Thirty patients with AP and 60 controls were included in the study, the dependent variable was the presence of skin or labial mucosal lesions, the independent variables were age, sex, solar exposure, living with pets or farm animals, exposure to wood smoke, smoking habit, years smoking, and hours spent per day and per week in contact with people who smoke.
Results:
Of the 30 diagnosed AP patients, 66.7% were female. Patients age ranged from 7 to 71 years and the mean age was 35.77 ± 14.55 years. We found significant differences with the age and cohabitation with farm animals. Those who lived with farm animals presented 14.31 times higher probability of developing AP (95% CI 3-78.06).
Study Limitations:
This is a case-control study; therefore, a causal relationship cannot be proven, and these results cannot be generalized to every population.
Conclusions:
The identification of factors related to the development of AP increases our knowledge of its physiopathology. Moreover, identifying antigens that possibly trigger the allergic reaction will have preventive and therapeutic applications in populations at risk of AP.
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