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White Patches (white + patch)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	75%

Selected Abstracts

Combined Excimer Laser and Topical Tacrolimus for the Treatment of Vitiligo: A Pilot Study

DERMATOLOGIC SURGERY, Issue 2 2004
Adam Z. Kawalek BA
Background. Vitiligo is an acquired skin disorder that is characterized by well-defined, often symmetric white patches. Although current therapeutic modalities are directed toward increasing melanocyte melanin production, few treatment modalities address the immunologic nature of the disease. Objective. To determine whether excimer laser, a known therapeutic modality, in combination with tacrolimus, a topical immunomodulator, accelerate response time and/or improve the degree of response in patients with this disorder. Methods. Eight subjects diagnosed with vitiligo were recruited to participate in this institutional review board,approved double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Twenty-four symmetric vitiliginous patches (elbows, knees) from eight subjects received excimer laser treatment three times per week for 24 treatments or 10 weeks. Additionally, topical tacrolimus 0.1% ointment (Protopic) and placebo (Aquaphor) were applied to randomized patches (left or right) twice daily throughout the length of the trial. Vitiliginous patches were monitored with photographs at baseline, every 2 weeks, and 6 months after treatment. Biopsies were performed on subjects with significant results. Results. Twenty vitiliginous patches from six subjects qualified for evaluation. Fifty percent of patches treated with combination excimer laser and tacrolimus achieved a successful response (75% repigmentation) compared with 20% for the placebo group. Subjects who responded successfully repigmented faster (19%) with combination therapy compared with excimer laser alone. Additionally, three subjects experienced transient hyperpigmentation in lesions treated with combination therapy. Conclusion. Combining topical immunomodulators with known phototherapeutic modalities may represent a key advancement in the treatment of disease. [source]

Oral lichen planus has a high rate of TP53 mutations.

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORAL SCIENCES, Issue 3 2002
A study of oral mucosa in Iceland
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a world-wide health problem. In addition to external exposure (smoking and alcohol), certain oral lesions may increase the risk of oral cancer (e.g. leukoplakia, erythroplakia, and oral lichen planus). TP53 has been implicated in OSCC, but there are limited studies of mutations in premalignant oral lesions. In this study, 55 samples from OSCC, 47 from hyperkeratotic (HK) oral mucosa, clinically diagnosed as white patches, 48 samples from oral lichen planus (OLP), and 12 biopsies from normal oral mucosa were studied immunohistochemically for expression of TP53 protein. From all the carcinoma samples and selected non-malignant samples showing moderate or strong TP53 protein expression, malignant cells or TP53-positive nuclei were microdissected and screened for mutations in exons 5,8 by constant denaturation gel electrophoresis. Moderate to strong TP53 protein staining was seen in 56% of OSCC, 32% of OLP but only in 13% of HK. All OLP samples showed a characteristic pattern of positive nuclei confined to the basal layer, whereas TP53 staining was seen in suprabasal nuclei in HK. Mutation rate was 11 out of 52 for OSCC, three out of 20 tested for HK and, remarkably, nine out 27 tested for OLP. There was no correlation between TP53 protein staining and TP53 mutations. No associations were found with anatomical sites or disease progression. The unexpectedly high mutation rate of OLP might explain the premalignant potential of this lesion. [source]

Genetic heterogeneity and selection signature at the KIT gene in pigs showing different coat colours and patterns

ANIMAL GENETICS, Issue 5 2010
L. Fontanesi
Summary Mutations in the porcine KIT gene (Dominant white locus) have been shown to affect coat colours and colour distribution in pigs. We analysed this gene in several pig breeds and populations (Sicilian black, completely black or with white patches; Cinta Senese; grey local population; Large White; Duroc; Hampshire; Pietrain; wild boar; Meishan) with different coat colours and patterns, genotyping a few polymorphisms. The 21 exons and parts of the intronic regions were sequenced in these pigs and 69 polymorphisms were identified. The grey-roan coat colour observed in a local grey population was completely associated with a 4-bp deletion of intron 18 in a single copy KIT gene, providing evidence that this mutation characterizes the Id allele described in the early genetic literature. The white patches observed in black Sicilian pigs were not completely associated with the presence of a duplicated KIT allele (Ip), suggesting that genetic heterogeneity is a possible cause of different coat colours in this breed. Selection signature was evident at the KIT gene in two different belted pig breeds, Hampshire and Cinta Senese. The same mutation(s) may cause the belted phenotype in these breeds that originated in the 18th,19th centuries from English pigs (Hampshire) and in Tuscany (Italy) in the 14th century (Cinta Senese). Phylogenetic relationships of 28 inferred KIT haplotypes indicated two clades: one of Asian origin that included Meishan and a few Sicilian black haplotypes and another of European origin. [source]

Behçet's disease and vitiligo in two brothers: coincidence or association?

CLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY, Issue 8 2009
M. Borlu
Summary Behçet's disease (BD) and vitiligo are disorders with unknown aetiology. We report on two brothers with ocular Behcet's disease who had advanced unilateral ophthalmic symptoms associated with vitiligo. The two brothers had recurrent oral and genital ulceration, uveitis and white patches on their skin. The most probable hypothesis for the aetiology of BD is that of an autoimmune reaction in genetically predisposed individuals, with vasculitis as the main pathological hallmark. Despite many years of research, the specific causes of vitiligo remain obscure, and the most advanced aetiological hypothesis remains that of autoimmunity. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case within the literature of BD associated with vitiligo. The existence of the two different disorders is noteworthy as they were observed in two brothers during the same period in their lives, with very similar clinical observations. [source]