Journal of

Background and aim: Cutaneous melanoma is one of the most aggressive skin cancers with high metastatic potential and considerable mortality. Prognostic factors such as tumor thickness, surgical margin status, and lymph node involvement play a decisive role in prognosis and treatment selection. Reports from Iran also indicate an increasing incidence of this disease, and providing epidemiological and clinical data at the regional level can help guide therapeutic policies.
 

Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, all patients with cutaneous melanoma who underwent surgery at Shahid Faghihi Hospital, Shiraz, between 2019 and 2023 were evaluated. Demographic information, lesion site, tumor size and thickness, histopathological type, surgical method, margin status, and the need for reoperation were extracted from medical records and analyzed using descriptive and analytical statistical tests.
 

Results: A total of 84 patients were included (51.2% male and 48.8% female). The most common histopathological type was malignant melanoma (31%). Lesions were most frequently located on the hands (28.6%) and feet (21.4%). The majority of lesions measured between 2–5 cm (36.9%). Only 2.4% of patients had tumors thinner than 1 mm, while 11.9% had tumors thicker than 5 mm. Excision was the most common surgical method (54.8%). Surgical margins were free of tumor in 53.6% of cases, and 61.9% of patients required reoperation.
 

Conclusion: The findings indicate that cutaneous melanoma in southern Iran predominantly occurs in the extremities, and the high rate of reoperation underscores the need for more precise surgical planning and earlier diagnosis.

Background and aim: The aim of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy on Alexithymia and pain coping strategies in women with lupus.
 

Methods: The research method was semi experimental with a pretest–posttest and two–month follow–up design with a control group. The statistical population of this research included all female patients with lupus who had referred to the Lupus Association in 2024 for lupus counseling and treatment. Among the statistical population, 30 qualified volunteers were available entered into the study and randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups (each group includes 15 people). The cognitive-behavioral therapy was implemented in the experimental group as 8 sessions one a week. Data analysis of the research was conducted using repeated measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni post-hoc test at a significance level of 0.05, with SPSS software version 27.
 

Results: The results indicated that the effect of time, the effect of group, and the interaction effect of time and group on emotional distress scores and pain coping strategies were significant (p<0.001). In the intervention group, there was a significant difference in Alexithymia scores and pain coping strategies between the pre-test and post-test stages, as well as between the pre-test and follow-up (p<0.001). However, no significant difference observed between the post-test and follow-up for these variables.
 

Conclusion: This research showed that teaching the cognitive-behavioral therapy to women with lupus is suitable for improving alexithymia and pain coping strategies.

Background and aim: Pattern-based approaches for botulinum toxin injection in the glabellar region have been proposed to optimize treatment outcomes according to individual muscular contraction patterns. However, evidence regarding the necessity of modifying injection techniques based on these patterns remains inconsistent. This study compared the efficacy of a standardized 3-point abobotulinumtoxinA (Dysport®) injection technique among different glabellar contraction patterns in an Iranian population.
 

Methods: A total of 224 Iranian patients with moderate-to-severe glabellar lines were included. Patients were classified into five glabellar contraction patterns: U, V, Omega, Inverted V, and Converging Arrow. All participants received 40–60 IU of Dysport using the same 3-point injection technique. Clinical efficacy was assessed 30 days after treatment using the Glabellar Line Severity Scale (GLSS) based on live investigator assessment, independent evaluator assessment, and patient self-assessment. Treatment response was defined as a≥2-point reduction in glabellar line severity during maximum frown.
 

Results: No significant differences were observed among groups regarding age, sex distribution, or onset of treatment response (P>0.05). Patients with the Inverted V pattern received significantly higher toxin doses than those with U and V patterns (P=0.039 and P=0.031, respectively). Response rates based on live assessment, independent assessment, and patient self-assessment showed no statistically significant differences among contraction patterns (P=0.371, P=0.113, and P=0.360, respectively).
 

Conclusion: Glabellar contraction patterns did not significantly affect short-term clinical response to a standardized 3-point Dysport injection technique, suggesting that complex pattern-based injection modifications may not be necessary for satisfactory early outcomes.

Background and aim: Human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) are key regulators of skin homeostasis through extracellular matrix remodeling. Polydeoxyribonucleotides (PDRN) and magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (MAP) are recognized as skin regenerative agents, but their molecular effects on HDFs are not fully elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the effects of PDRN and MAP on cellular proliferation and type I collagen gene expression in HDFs.
 

Methods: The HDF cell line was treated with PDRN and MAP, and cell viability was evaluated using the MTT assay at 24, 48, and 72 hours. Based on viability outcomes, optimal concentrations of PDRN (100 ng/ml) and MAP (250 µg/ml) were selected. Seventy-two hours post-treatment, the expression levels of KI-67 and COL1A1 genes were analyzed via qPCR (P<0.05).
 

Results: Cell viability analyses demonstrated significant time- and dose-dependent responses for both PDRN and MAP. At the molecular level, independent treatments with PDRN and MAP upregulated KI-67 gene expression, confirming an enhanced cellular proliferative capacity. Conversely, in a divergent manner, COL1A1 gene expression was downregulated under these exact treatment conditions.
 

Conclusion: PDRN and MAP induce a divergent response in HDFs; while promoting mitogenic activity, they simultaneously suppress fibrogenesis and COL1A1 expression. This cellular reprogramming underscores the therapeutic potential of these compounds in anti-fibrotic strategies and scarless wound healing. However, in vivo studies are required to conclusively validate these findings.