Journal of dermatological science
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This study, based upon a pig model, was conducted to investigate the effects of moist and dry healing conditions on wound closure (epithelialization, granulation tissue, contraction) of full-thickness wounds. Thirty-two full-thickness square wounds (3 cm x 3 cm) covered with either an occlusive polyurethane dressing (Tegaderm) or a non-occlusive dressing (Melolin) were evaluated. The effect of the presence or the absence of a gel (3% Idroramnosan) was also investigated with both dressings. ⋯ At any time point, no significant histological variations were observed between the different treated wounds. This study demonstrates in a porcine model that for full-thickness wounds, as for split-thickness wounds, occlusive dressing enhances healing rate and shortens the time for wound repair. The shortened healing time is a function primarily of the effect of occlusive dressing on epithelialization, especially the third phase of wound resurfacing.
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We measured plasma levels of the blood coagulation/fibrinolysis molecular markers, thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT), fibrinopeptide A (FPA), alpha 2-plasmin inhibitor plasmin complex (PIC), beta-thromboglobulin (beta-TG), platelet factor 4 (PF4), at 6:00, 12:00, 18:00 and 24:00 in 10 female patients with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) (severe and mild sclerosis groups, each n = 5), 3 cases of dermatomyositis (DM) (M:F = 2:1) and 5 female healthy controls (HC). Corticosteroid (predonisolon; 20-25 mg/day) was administered orally in six patients with PSS and dermatomyositis longer than one month. Plasma levels of TAT increased more than 3 ng/ml in 8 out of 10 cases (80%) of PSS, while the levels increased in only 2 of 8 cases (25%) of the non-PSS groups (DM and HC). ⋯ Circadian variation of plasma levels of beta-TG showed a peak at 6:00 in the severe sclerosis group of PSS, while the mild sclerosis group of PSS, DM and HC revealed peaks at different times of 18:00, 24:00 and 12:00, respectively. Additionally, the plasma levels of beta-TG increased more than those of PF4 in the treated group with corticosteroid, although both beta-TG and PF4 revealed a statistically significant correlation in the non-treated group. These results may suggest abnormalities of not only platelet activity, but also of blood coagulation/fibrinolysis system in both severe and mild sclerosis groups of PSS.
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Comparative Study
The incidence of internal malignancies in pemphigus and bullous pemphigoid in Japan.
To evaluate the significance of the association of malignancy with autoimmune blistering diseases, we studied the incidence of internal malignancies in pemphigus and bullous pemphigoid based upon 496 cases of pemphigus and 1113 cases of bullous pemphigoid in Japan. Results showed that (1) an association between internal malignancies and pemphigus was observed in 25 out of 496 cases (5.0%), while that with bullous pemphigoid was seen in 64 out of 1113 cases (5.8%). ⋯ The association ratio of malignancy with pemphigus increased by age, while that with pemphigoid was not correlated with aging; (3) Lung cancer was most common in pemphigus and gastric cancer in bullous pemphigoid; (4) There were no significant differences in the titers of circulating antibody, the presence or extent of mucous involvement or annular erythema between bullous pemphigoid patients with malignancy and without malignancy. Our results indicated that detailed examination for internal malignancy is essential for those patients with pemphigus or bullous pemphigoid.
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Tyrosinase expression was examined in hair follicles from twenty three red- and dark-haired individuals. Tyrosinase activity was greater in the hair follicles of red-haired subjects than in those from dark-haired subjects. ⋯ The levels of tyrosinase synthesis in the red-haired subjects correlated well with the phaeomelanin content in the hair but in the dark-haired individuals a better correlation was seen with eumelanin. alpha-Melanocyte stimulating hormone failed to increase tyrosinase synthesis in the hair follicles of either group of subjects and in the follicles from the redheads actually produced a decrease. 8-Bromo-cyclic AMP, on the other hand, increased tyrosinase synthesis but only in the hair follicles from dark-haired subjects. These findings contrast with those previously reported in mice and it would appear that the control mechanisms that regulate tyrosinase in human melanocytes are different in many respects from those in mice.