Dermatologica最新文献

A 32-year-old Turkish man with a progressive appearance of indolent, skin-colored nodules on the trunk and proximal extremities is presented. Clinical and laboratory examinations did not reveal any other relevant abnormalities. Histological specimens showed focal, ill-defined depositions of acid mucopolysaccharides mainly in the reticular dermis. Collagen fibers were split up and separated. Ultrastructurally, activated fibroblasts and an increased synthesis of collagen fibrils and elastic microfibrils as well as numerous macrophages were noticed. Diagnostically, an unusual multiple type of cutaneous focal mucinosis is most likely.

A silver colloidal technique to demonstrate argyrophilic proteins of the nucleolar organizer regions (AgNORs) was performed on sections of 20 cases of malignant melanoma (MM) associated with underlying benign nevus (BN). In these cases, significant different AgNOR counts were found for MM and BN. In addition, this technique permitted the identification of melanocytic cells located between malignant and benign cells showing AgNOR scores intermediate (5.51) between BN (2.6) and MM (7.71) with a more complex and bizarre morphology than that observed in BN. The AgNOR technique can be suitable in the identification of residual nevus cells in MM, especially when their number is minimal and the common histologic criteria are unsatisfactory; it can also increase the understanding of the natural history of MM.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of non-enzymatic glycosylation and subsequent heating on the browning of the plantar stratum corneum and the finger-nail, and to elucidate the pathogenesis of the yellow skin and the yellow nail seen in diabetic subjects. We incubated stratum corneum and nail from non-diabetics in 0 (control), 10 (only nail), 20 (only nail), 100 and 250 mM glucose buffer at 37 degrees C for 5 days. These glycosylated samples were dialysed against distilled water for 96 h. Distilled water was changed every 24 h. Then samples were dried for 24 h. The extent of non-enzymatic glycosylation was measured by furosine content. Each 5 mg of sample was hydrolysed by 6 N HCl and processed for measurement of furosine by high-performance liquid chromatography. The rest of each sample was stored at 37, 42 (only nail), 47 and 52 degrees C for 14 days. Browning of the stratum corneum was assessed macroscopically, and that of the nail by spectrophotometry. Based on their spectrophotometric reflectances. Munsell's scores (H = hue score, V = lightness score, C = saturation score) and (H + C)/V were calculated for objective evaluation of browning. Incubation of the stratum corneum and nail with glucose buffer increased their non-enzymatic glycosylation (furosine) dose dependently. Macroscopically, the browning of the stratum corneum was enhanced in proportion to the glucose concentration and storage temperature. However, samples incubated in 10 and 20 mM glucose and stored at 42 degrees C did not show visible browning. Munsell's score of the nail samples treated by glycosylation and heating showed increased hue and saturation but reduced lightness. (H + C)/V values of these nail samples were significantly higher than those of the control. We could not detect any fluorescence with Wood light in the browned samples. The present in vitro study demonstrated that the browning of the stratum corneum and the nail depended on the extent of both non-enzymatic glycosylation and storage temperature. We suggested a hypothesis that the non-enzymatic glycosylation and the storage temperature of the stratum corneum and the nail might be a contributory factor in the development of yellow skin and yellow nail in diabetic patients.

A 25-year-old man who survived carbon monoxide intoxication presented erythematous cutaneous lesions with blister formation in pressure areas. Histologic examination revealed subepidermal vesicles with extensive sweat gland necrosis. We discuss the clinicopathological findings of carbon monoxide poisoning. Similar cutaneous features have been observed in patients with various kinds of drug-induced coma.

Alopecia in the male is considered as a genetically determined disorder. Increased local androgen metabolism and androgen receptor binding in the balding areas confirm the importance of the target organ hair follicle as regulative of androgen influences. In our study the hormonal parameters of 65 male patients with male pattern hair loss with a mean age of 24.31 years were compared with those of 58 age-matched controls. Determinations of the androgens, sex-hormone-binding globulin, the hypophyseal hormones luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone and prolactin, 17 beta-estradiol and cortisol were performed by standard radioimmunoassay. Significant differences in serum levels of androstenedione, cortisol, 17 beta-estradiol and luteinizing hormone were noted between hair loss patients and control subjects. Suprarenal stimulation as well as hypophyseal feedback mechanisms therefore seem to be involved in male pattern alopecia.

Human keratinocytes are able to synthesize and express cell surface moieties characteristic of effector and/or accessory cells of the immune system (CD16, CD36, HLA-DR, intercellular adhesion molecule-1). In the present study, skin biopsies from healthy volunteers, from patients with psoriasis vulgaris (PV), mycosis fungoides (MF), purpura pigmentosa chronica (PPC), acute urticaria (AU) and from positive tuberculin skin tests were investigated with regard to the reactivity with the monoclonal antibodies to complement receptors CR1 CR2 and CR3 by means of a multistep immunoperoxidase method. In the clinically involved skin of all patients with PV, MF or PPC, and in biopsies obtained from positive tuberculin tests, specific epidermal intercellular staining with OKB7 and Leu anti-CR2 was seen on subcorneal keratinocytes. This finding suggests a differentiation-linked expression of CR2 on human keratinocytes in cytokine-mediated skin diseases whereas CR1 and CR3 are apparently not expressed.

The allotypes of C6, C7, factor B (BF) and factor I (IF) of the human complement system were studied in 11 Japanese patients with pemphigus (5 with pemphigus vulgaris and 6 with pemphigus foliaceus) and 17 with bullous pemphigoid (BP) to investigate the genetic background of these diseases. The allotypes were detected by using isoelectric focusing and immunoblotting. The frequency for IF*A allele in the pemphigus patients was significantly higher (p = 0.009) than that in healthy controls (n = 60). A significant association of IF A allotype with pemphigus was also observed (p = 0.027), with a relative risk of 6.3. There was no association between the C6, C7, BF or IF allotypes and BP. These data suggest that IF A allotype may be an etiological genetic factor in the development of pemphigus.