Adverse effects of topical corticosteroids in paediatric eczema: Australasian consensus statement

Atopic eczema is a chronic inflammatory disease affecting about 30% of Australian and New Zealand children. Severe eczema costs over AUD 6000/year per child in direct medical, hospital and treatment costs as well as time off work for caregivers and untold distress for the family unit. In addition, it has a negative impact on a child's sleep, education, development and self‐esteem. The treatment of atopic eczema is complex and multifaceted but a core component of therapy is to manage the inflammation with topical corticosteroids (TCS). Despite this, TCS are often underutilised by many parents due to corticosteroid phobia and unfounded concerns about their adverse effects. This has led to extended and unnecessary exacerbations of eczema for children. Contrary to popular perceptions, (TCS) use in paediatric eczema does not cause atrophy, hypopigmentation, hypertrichosis, osteoporosis, purpura or telangiectasia when used appropriately as per guidelines. In rare cases, prolonged and excessive use of potent TCS has contributed to striae, short‐term hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal axis alteration and ophthalmological disease. TCS use can also exacerbate periorificial rosacea. TCS are very effective treatments for eczema. When they are used to treat active eczema and stopped once the active inflammation has resolved, adverse effects are minimal. TCS should be the cornerstone treatment of atopic eczema in children.     

Influence of the stiffness of three-dimensional alginate/collagen-I interpenetrating networks on fibroblast biology

Wound dressing biomaterials are increasingly being designed to incorporate bioactive molecules to promote healing, but the impact of matrix mechanical properties on the biology of resident cells orchestrating skin repair and regeneration remains to be fully understood. This study investigated whether tuning the stiffness of a model wound dressing biomaterial could control the behavior of dermal fibroblasts. Fully interpenetrating networks (IPNs) of collagen-I and alginate were fabricated to enable gel stiffness to be tuned independently of gel architecture, polymer concentration or adhesion ligand density. Three-dimensional cultures of dermal fibroblasts encapsulated within matrices of different stiffness were shown to promote dramatically different cell morphologies, and enhanced stiffness resulted in upregulation of key-mediators of inflammation such as IL-10 and COX-2. These findings suggest that simply modulating the matrix mechanical properties of a given wound dressing biomaterial deposited at the wound site could regulate the progression of wound healing.     

EGFR、p53在db/db自发性糖尿病小鼠颌下腺的表达

目的 观察表皮生长因子受体（EGFR）、p53在糖尿病小鼠颌下腺中的表达。方法 选取3、4、6、8、10月龄db／db糖尿病小鼠及相应月龄的db／＋m正常小鼠颌下腺。应用HE染色及免疫组织化学方法染色后进行图像分析，统计EGFR、p53在颌下腺组织内表达的细胞阳性率。结果 随着糖尿病的发展，颌下腺组织出现腺叶萎缩及实质细胞排列不整齐，堆集呈簇。纤维及血管增多；EGFR、p53在对 照组及糖尿病组颌下腺中均有表达。其细胞阳性率随月龄增大均呈增高趋势。且糖尿病组显著高于对照组。结论 ①db／db糖尿病可导致颌下腺组织萎缩及实质细胞形态学改变。②EGFR、p53表达增多。说明糖尿病时EGFR作为多效应受体，可能被激活从而诱导了颌下腺的细胞凋亡；p53表达的上升。提示随着糖尿病发展，颌下腺实质细胞有凋亡趋势。     

The relationship between elastase and lactoferrin in healthy, gingivitis and periodontitis sites

OBJECTIVES: To compare the relative amounts of elastase (primary polymorphonuclear leucocyte granule constituent) and lactoferrin (secondary PMN granule constituent) in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of healthy, gingivitis and periodontitis sites.
DESIGN: This cross-sectional study looked at the two GCF constituents in three categories of disease status within the same subject.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with chronic adult periodontitis were screened and those exhibiting all three types of sites ie periodontally healthy, gingivitis and periodontitis sites were recruited (n = 10) and had GCF collected from the three sites. Lactoferrin and elastase were measured in eluates of GCF by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
RESULTS: The absolute amount of lactoferrin measured in ng per 30 s samples was significantly lower in healthy and gingivitis sites as compared to periodontitis sites however this difference failed to reach significance when the concentration of lactoferrin in GCF was used as the analytical unit. No significant differences were found for elastase levels at any sites when expressed as either absolute amounts or concentrations. Secondary granule release, as evidenced by lactoferrin levels, occurs during cell migration and the process is independent of primary granule release, which is thought to correlate with PMN activation. The relationship between granule constituents in the samples showed significant differences, the highest lactoferrinlelastase ratio being at periodontitis sites (P < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS These findings imply a change in the relative amounts of elastase and lactoferrin released at different disease level sites, with an almost 10-fold increase in the proportion of lactoferrin to elastase in periodontitis sites over healthy and gingivitis sites. This variation in the release by PMNs of primary and secondary granule constituents may indicate alterations in PMN function in different disease environments.     

Relative contributions of the nasal septum and airways to total nasal capsule volume in normal and cleft lip and palate fetal specimens

The present study examines the relative contributions of the nasal septum and airway volumes to the total volume of the fetal nasal capsule. For comparative purposes, 29 human fetal specimens (20 "normal" and 9 with cleft lip and palate (CLP] were celloidin embedded, sectioned, and stained with hemotoxylin and eosin. The specimens ranged from 8 to 21 weeks in postmenstrual age. Photomicrographs of the serial sections allowed selected anatomic structures to be computer digitized, reconstructed as three-dimensional computer representations, and quantified. Various nasal capsule component measurements were compared with overall nasal capsule size values, producing relative size indices. Significant differences (p less than 0.05) were noted between the "normal" and CLP fetal samples in the relative sizes of the nasal capsule, airways, and septum. Relative mean CLP nasal capsule volume was 14% smaller than normal, relative mean CLP airway volume was approximately 43% smaller than that of the normal specimens, whereas relative mean CLP septum volume was approximately 45% larger. Aspect ratios (i.e., height:width ratios) were utilized for shape analysis of the nasal septal cartilage and indicated that the CLP septal shape was one of increased width relative to height compared with normal specimens. Results were consonant with clinical impressions of nasal capsule deficiency in the CLP nasal capsule and revealed some new structural associations in the fetal nasal capsule.     

Testing causal mechanisms of nonsyndromic craniosynostosis using path analysis of cranial contents in rabbits with uncorrected craniosynostosis.

OBJECTIVE: Various causal mechanisms of familial nonsyndromic craniosynostosis have been presented. One hypothesis suggests that overproduction of bone at the suture is the primary origin of craniosynostosis, which affects brain and cranial growth secondarily through altered intracranial pressure (Primary Suture Fusion Model). Other hypotheses suggest that decreased cranial base growth or abnormal brain growth are the primary cause of craniosynostosis (Cranial Base, Brain Parenchyma Models, respectively). This study was designed to investigate which model best describes neurocranial changes associated with craniosynostosis in a rabbit model through multivariate path analysis. DESIGN: Serial magnetic resonance imaging scans and intracranial pressure measurements were obtained at 10, 25, and 42 days of age from 18 rabbits: six controls, six with delayed-onset synostosis, and six with early-onset synostosis. Five variables were collected from each rabbit: calvarial thickness at the affected suture, cranial base length, brain volume, cerebrospinal fluid volume, and intracranial pressure. This data set was used to test causal pathway relationships generated by the proposed models. Goodness of fit was measured by experimental group for each model. RESULTS: Primary Suture Fusion Model best explained the variables in both delayed-onset and early-onset synostotic rabbits (Goodness of fit = 93%, 97%, respectively). Cranial Base Model (Goodness of fit = 94%) best explained the data in control rabbits. CONCLUSION: Results suggest that the primary site of craniosynostosis in craniosynostotic rabbits is most likely the synostosed suture. Other cranial vault anomalies are most likely secondary compensatory changes. Results of the present study may provide insight regarding the causal pathway of craniosynostosis.     

Humoral immune response in early-onset periodontitis: influence of smoking

Sixty-five patients with generalised early-onset periodontitis (G-EOP) (age range 16-42 years, 32 smokers and 33 non-smokers) were assessed for antibody titres and avidity to a panel of five suspected periodontal pathogens (Porphyromonas gingivalis, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Prevotella intermedia, Treponema denticola and Bacteroides forsythus). Thirty-four of these patients were untreated (17 smokers and 17 non-smokers), and thirty-one were in the maintenance phase of periodontal therapy (15 smokers and 16 non-smokers). Previous studies have investigated the effect of smoking on IgG levels in periodontitis patients in the context of the more extensive periodontal destruction seen in smokers. Based on this literature our hypothesis was that smokers would have depressed serum IgG levels directed against recognised periodontal pathogens compared with non-smokers. Antibody titres were measured by ELISA deploying fixed whole cells as coating. The IgG response was detected with biotin-anti-human IgG and avidin-peroxidase; avidity was determined by elution with ammonium thiocyanate. Median titres to A. actinomycetemcomitans, P. intermedia and T. denticola were significantly lower in maintenance patient smokers (p= 0.02, 0.02 and 0.002 respectively) but not in untreated patients. Avidity to P. gingivalis was also lower in smoking maintenance patients (p = 0.003) but not in untreated patients. These findings may imply some interruption of immune maturation in smokers following periodontal treatment.