In AIDS patients, Kaposi’s sarcoma is considered an opportunistic infection, i.e., a disease that is able to gain a foothold in the body because the immune system has been weakened. With the rise of AIDS in Africa, where KSHV is widespread, Kaposi’s sarcoma has become the most frequently reported cancer in some countries, such as Zimbabwe.
Each year more than 1 million cases of skin cancer are reported. The most common type of skin cancer is basal cell cancer, which accounts for 80 percent of all skin cancers. The other types of skin cancer includes squamous and melanoma.
Researchers say a new vaccine being tested on mice may one day help in the fight against hepatitis C.
Substances produced in the body that act like those found in the cannabis plant help preserve bone density, according to researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
In a major study funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), women with either inactive or stable systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) – a disease in which the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks and damages healthy tissues of the skin, joints and internal organs – were able to take oral contraceptives without increased risk of flares, or periods of increased disease activity, that characterize the disease.
More than 4.5 million adults in the United States have been diagnosed with psoriasis and 21 percent of those have moderate to severe psoriasis. This chronic condition, characterized by thick, red, scaly plaques that itch and bleed, not only makes the activities of daily life difficult, but also can affect a person?s emotional well being. Recently, researchers have developed biologic treatments which not only treat the physical symptoms of psoriasis but also can help improve a patient?s quality of life.
Psoriasis is a skin disease that causes scaling and swelling. Skin cells grow deep in the skin and slowly rise to the surface. This process is called cell turnover, and it takes about a month. With psoriasis, it can happen in just a few days because the cells rise too fast and pile up on the surface.
Psoriasis is an immune-mediated, noncontagious, genetic disease manifesting in the skin and/or the joints. Psoriasis is a, lifelong skin disease.
Following are the best health articles in July 2005, arranged as per viewed frequency:
An allergy is the name given to any abnormal reaction a person has to something otherwise harmless that is eaten, inhaled, or touched. A real allergy is a problem involving the immune system, generally brought on by a substance known as IgE (antibody). Milk, dust, and cats often trigger allergic reactions in some people. The more common signs of an allergic reaction include hives, (itchy raised, red spots), a runny or stuffy nose, and/or red hot cheeks.