Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen in Psoriasis: An Immunohistochemical Study

BackgroundSquamous cell carcinoma antigens (SCCA1, SCCA2) are members of the ovalbumin serpin family that have been described as biomarkers of squamous cell carcinomas. Different studies to date have stated the involvement of SCCA in the pathogenesis of certain immunological diseases, such as asthma and atopic dermatitis.ObjectiveWe sought to assess the expression of SCCA2 in the skin of patients with chronic plaque psoriasis and to detect its correlation with the clinical severity of psoriasis and with the density of inflammatory infiltrates in the skin lesions.MethodsSkin biopsies were taken from 24 patients with psoriasis vulgaris and 24 healthy controls by 5-mm punches. Tissues were stained with hematoxylin and eosin to confirm the diagnosis and to assess the grade of inflammation. The expression level of SCCA2 in the skin was assessed by immunohistochemical analysis.ResultsThe tissue SCCA2 level was significantly higher in psoriatic patients than controls and correlated positively with the severity of psoriasis. In addition, the dermal SCCA2 expression correlated positively with the density of dermal inflammatory infiltrates.ConclusionSCCA2 could be a useful marker of the clinical severity and the grade of inflammation of psoriasis.     

Use of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation for chronic pruritus

Pruritus is a distressing symptom in many dermatological as well as systemic conditions, and it is sometimes very chronic and relapsing. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is an inexpensive form of analgesia that could also ameliorate itching. This study aimed to evaluate TENS efficacy in patients with pruritus due to some types of chronic eczema, and in patients with chronic hepatic disease. Ten patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), 20 patients with lichen simplex chronicus (LSC), and 16 patients with chronic liver disease having chronic distressing pruritus received three sessions of TENS weekly for 12 sessions, and the effect on the visual analogue scale (VAS) scores was recorded after 2 weeks of therapy, at treatment end, and after an additional month for follow up. There was a statistically significant decline in the mean VAS score for studied groups at weeks 2 and 4 of therapy compared to baseline, but the improvement was more significant in patients with AD, and LSC (p < 0.001 for both) than in those with chronic liver disease (p < 0.01) who also showed an early re‐elevation of VAS score on follow up. TENS therapy holds promise as a palliative, alternative, safe and inexpensive treatment for patients with some chronic pruritic conditions.     

Laryngeal epidermoid carcinoma in a young adult without risk factors: a case report

Head and neck carcinomas are rare in young patients without a history of tobacco consution, tho two classical risk factors. Our report is about 20 year-old patient without a history exosure to radiations or of alcohol / tobacco consumption, who presented with repeated episodes of dysphonia that didn't improve under medical treatment. Endoscopy showed a fungating hemilaryngeal lesion with a histology of epidermoid carcinoma stage T3N0. The patient initially 3 courses of cisplatin-5 fluorouracil resulting in a 90% objective response, followed by a loco-regional radiotherapy. 36 months after the diagnosis and 24 after the end of therapy, the patient is still alive and in complete remission.     

Effects of date seed oil on normal human skin in vitro

Oxidative stress has been implicated in various skin diseases through the generation of reactive oxygen species and the depletion of endogenous antioxidant systems. The administration of antioxidants or free radical scavengers is reportedly helpful, notably in order to enhance the healing process. We investigated the protective effect of one new natural product:"date seed oil: DSO" against hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-induced oxidative stress, in terms of lipid peroxidation, depletion of endogenous antioxidant defense enzymes such as glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT), one day after a 2 h exposure to H(2)O(2), using human skin organ culture as an in vitro model. In the investigated model system, DSO has significant protective effect, by inhibition of damage caused by H(2)O(2), endowing a radical scavenging ability. Treatment of skin with DSO inhibited H(2)O(2)-induced lipid peroxidation. In addition, this oil inhibited H(2)O(2)-induced depletion of antioxidant defense components, such as superoxide dismutase and catalase. We conclude that DSO could be useful in the attenuation of H(2)O(2)-induced oxidative stress-mediated skin diseases in human skin, possibly due to antioxidant properties.     

Prostaglandin E2 stimulates the production of vascular endothelial growth factor through the E-prostanoid-2 receptor in cultured human lung fibroblasts

Fibroblasts are the major mesenchymal cells present within the interstitium of the lung and are a major source of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which modulates the maintenance of pulmonary microvasculature. Prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) acts on a set of E-prostanoid (EP) receptors that activate multiple signal transduction pathways leading to downstream responses. We investigated the modulation by PGE(2) of VEGF release by human lung fibroblasts. Human lung fibroblasts were cultured until reaching 90% confluence in tissue culture plates, after which the culture media were changed to serum-free Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium, with or without PGE(2), and with specific agonists or antagonists for each EP receptor. After 2 days, culture media were assayed for VEGF by ELISA. The results demonstrated that PGE(2) and the EP2 agonist ONO-AE1-259-01 significantly stimulated the release of VEGF in a concentration-dependent manner. Agonists for other EP receptors did not stimulate the release of VEGF. The stimulatory effect of PGE(2) was blocked by the EP2 antagonist AH6809, but was not blocked by antagonists for other EP receptors. The protein kinase-A (PKA) inhibitor KT-5720 also blocked the stimulatory effect of PGE(2). The increased release of VEGF induced by PGE(2) was accompanied by a transient increase in the concentration of VEGF mRNA. These findings demonstrate that PGE(2) can modulate the release of VEGF by human lung fibroblasts through its actions in the EP2 receptor/PKA pathway. This activity may contribute to the maintenance of pulmonary microvasculature in the alveolar wall.     

A transmission electron microscopy study of the diversity of Candida albicans cells induced by Euphorbia hirta L. leaf extract in vitro

Objective

To determine the major changes in the microstructure of Candida albicans (C. albicans) after treatment with Euphorbia hirta (E. hirta) L. leaf extract.

Methods

Transmission electron microscopy was used to study the ultrastructural changes caused by E. hirta extract on C. albicans cells at various exposure time.

Results

It was found that the main abnormalities were the alterations in morphology, lysis and complete collapse of the yeast cells after 36 h of exposure to the extract. Whereas the control cultures showed a typical morphology of Candida with a uniform central density, typically structured nucleus, and a cytoplasm with several elements of endomembrane system and enveloped by a regular, intact cell wall.

Conclusions

The significant antifungal activity shown by this methanol extract of E. hirta L. suggests its potential against infections caused by C. albicans. The extract may be developed as an anticandidal agent.     

Efficacy of high‐dose steroids for bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome post pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

BOS is the pulmonary manifestation of cGvHD post‐allogeneic HSCT. Survival and treatment of this often fatal complication have not improved over the last 20 years and there is no clear standard of care. For the past 10 years, BOS was treated in our center with monthly cycles of HDPS. We reviewed the outcomes of patients with post‐HSCT BOS who met the diagnostic criteria for BOS as per the NIH consensus and were treated with at least one cycle of methylprednisolone at a dose of 10‐30 mg/kg/d×3 d. We collected demographic and clinical data, responses to treatment and results of pulmonary function tests at several time points. Between January 2007 and January 2014, 12 patients were treated with HDPS for post‐HSCT BOS. Five patients (42%) had a good response to treatment; four patients (33%) stabilized with moderate lung disease; and three patients (25%) progressed to end‐stage disease. No significant acute side effects attributable to the HDPS treatment were identified. HDPS may be an effective treatment option for all but the most severely ill patients with post‐HSCT BOS.     

Proteasome inhibition for antibody-mediated allograft rejection

Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) is a major risk factor for graft loss following kidney transplantation. Traditional anti-humoral therapies provide suboptimal therapy and they do not deplete plasma cells, which are the source of antibody production. Proteasome inhibitors (PI) have been shown to deplete both transformed and nontransformed plasma cells in human transplant recipients and animal models; and therefore, offer a new paradigm for AMR, ie, plasma cell-targeted therapy. Bortezomib, a first in class proteasome inhibitor approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of multiple myeloma, has been used to treat AMR in several solid organ transplant recipients. The greatest experience with PI therapy for treating AMR is in kidney transplant recipients. Experiences to date with PI therapy have demonstrated that: (1) early AMR (within the first 6 months post-transplant) responds better than late AMR, and (2) the nature of the plasma cell clonal population influences sensitivity to PI therapy with plasma subsets greater than long-lived bone marrow niche-resident plasma cells. In conclusion, plasma cell-targeted therapy with PIs is a method for targeting plasma cells (the source of antibody production) with a well-elucidated mechanism of action and subsequent points of synergy, thereby providing an exciting new potential means for enhancing anti-humoral therapies.