Diseased Skin (diseased + skin)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Use tests: ROAT (repeated open application test)/PUT (provocative use test): an overview

CONTACT DERMATITIS, Issue 1 2000
Tokio Nakada
As one step in defining the clinical relevance of exposure to an allergen identified with patch testing, use tests (provocative use test (PUT), and repeated open application test (ROAT)) have been used. In 1/2 of the cases of seemingly reliable patch tests, use tests are negative, suggesting that the patient's biologic threshold of response had not been reached with open application dosing. Dramatic differences exist in regional skin reactivity and percutaneous penetration. Negative results of use tests on normal skin may become positive on diseased skin. To refine this assay further, more controlled observations and analysis of reaction differences between normal and damaged skin, and among regional anatomic sites might be performed. In addition, we require a standardized measurement for the results. Use testing has significant potential in refinement of the evidence-based diagnosis of clinical relevance. However, for general validation, we should fill the deficiencies described above. [source]


Sweat gland epithelial and myoepithelial cells are vitamin D targets

EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2007
Nobuo Koike
Abstract:, Nuclear receptor binding of 1,25(OH)2 -vitamin D3 (vitamin D) in skin keratinocytes of epidermis, hair sheaths and sebaceous glands was discovered through receptor microscopic autoradiography. Extended experiments with 3H-1,25(OH)2 -vitamin D3 and its analog 3H-oxacalcitriol (OCT) now demonstrate nuclear receptor binding in sweat gland epithelium of secretory coils and ducts as well as in myoepithelial cells, as studied in paws of nude mice after i.v. injection. The results suggest genomic regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation, as well as of secretory and excretory functions, indicating potential therapies for impaired secretion as in hypohidrosis of aged and diseased skin. [source]


Stimulation of keratinocyte differentiation , a new role for the vanilloid receptor subtype 1 (VR1/TRPV1)?

EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY, Issue 2 2005
Sonja Ständer
Vanilloids and endogenous cannabinoids mediate their actions via the vanilloid receptor subtype 1 (VR1/TRPV1), a non-selective cation channel, which is widely distributed in the central and peripheral nervous system. Only recently, VR1 has been shown to be expressed in keratinocytes in vitro and in vivo. However, a precise description of VR1 localization in epithelial cells was missing. To determine this, we investigated VR1-immunoreactivity as well as mRNA and protein expression in a series of biopsies from normal, diseased, and capsaicin-treated human skin. VR1 was found in epidermal keratinocytes, the inner root sheet and the infundibulum of hair follicles, differentiated sebocytes, sweat gland ducts, and the secretory portion of eccrine sweat glands upon immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR and Western blot analysis. Interestingly, in diseased skin such as prurigo nodularis, psoriasis vulgaris, and atopic dermatitis, VR1 expression in keratinocytes correlated with the degree of epidermal differentiation. Enhanced VR1 immunoreactivity and protein content was found in prurigo nodularis in which epidermal keratinocytes are highly differentiated. Under effective capsaicin therapy of prurigo nodularis, the epidermis thinned and the distribution pattern of VR1 on epidermal keratinocytes normalized. In psoriasis vulgaris, a disease with disturbed epidermal differentiation, less intense immunostaining for VR1 was observed. This could be confirmed by western blot analysis showing less VR1 protein amount in comparison to prurigo nodularis although histologically both showed a thickened epidermis. In atopic dermatitis, which is characterized by a moderate epidermal hyperplasia only and regular differentiated keratinocytes, VR1 immunoreactivity was unchanged in comparison to normal skin. These findings suggest that VR1 may contribute to regular differentiation of keratinocytes. VR1 activation opens non-selective cation channels with high permeability to calcium, a ion that is crucially important for the synthesis of cornification proteins such as involucrin, fillagrin and loricrin. The role of VR1 in other epithelial cells of appendage structures remains to be determined. In summary, VR1 is widely distributed in the skin suggesting a central role for this receptor not only in nociception but also maturation and function of epithelial cells. [source]


Rheological properties of three different vitamin D ointments and their clinical perception by patients with mild to moderate psoriasis

JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN ACADEMY OF DERMATOLOGY & VENEREOLOGY, Issue 2005
JP Marty
ABSTRACT Background, Ointments, classically used for the treatment of dermatological diseases, are monophasic viscous semisolid formulations. According to the proportion of their compounds, they have physicochemical and organoleptic properties and when applied on skin show a specific behaviour allowing to be spread more or less easily. Objective, To measure in vitro rheological characteristics of three vitamin D derivative ointments prescribed for the treatment of psoriasis, and to compare their viscosity and clinical acceptability when applied on the diseased skin. Methods, Rheological characteristics of tacalcitol 4 µg/g, calcipotriol 50 µg/g and calcitriol 3 µg/g ointments were assessed by measuring the oscillatory viscoelastic parameters and the permanent flow analysis. Clinical acceptability was studied in 20 psoriatic male or female subjects, aged 18 years or older. A survey evaluated the acceptability of calcitriol vs. tacalcitol and calcipotriol. Questions included information about fluidity, spreading capacity and stickiness after application. Results, We demonstrated that viscoelastic parameters were four times higher for ointment tacalcitol than for calcipotriol and calcitriol, corresponding to a higher consistency of ointment tacalcitol compared to calcipotriol and calcitriol showing both similar results; better fluidity was demonstrated by calcitriol than by tacalcitol and calcipotriol. Comparable results were obtained for the quality to be spread. The sensation of stickiness, significantly different between tacalcitol and calcitriol, was not different between calcipotriol and calcitriol. Conclusion, The above results confirm the relationship between rheological in vitro and sensorial in vivo results: variations between different formulations may have an important influence on non-adherence and treatment failure. [source]


Advances in MR imaging of the skin,

NMR IN BIOMEDICINE, Issue 7 2006
Jacques Bittoun
Abstract MR imaging of the skin is challenging because of the small size of the structures to be visualized. By increasing the gradient amplitude and/or duration, skin layers can be visualized with a voxel size of the order of 20,µm, clearly the smallest obtained for in vivo images in a whole-body imager. Currently, the gradient strength of most commercial systems enables acquisition of such a small voxel size, and the main difficulty has thus become to achieve sufficient detection sensitivity. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can be increased either by increasing the magnetic field strength or by minimizing noise with small coils; cooling copper coils or superconducting coils can enhance the SNR by a factor of 3 or more. MR imaging, because of the large number of parameters it is able to measure, can provide more than the microscopic architecture of the skin: physical parameters such as relaxation times, magnetization transfer or diffusion, and chemical parameters such as the water and fat contents or phosphorus metabolism. In spite of the amount of information they have provided to date, MR imaging and spectroscopy have had limited clinical applications, mainly because cutaneous pathologies are easily accessible to the naked eye and surgery. However, MR technologies indeed represent powerful research tools to study normal and diseased skin. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]