Application of a pigment measuring device – Mexameter®– for the differential diagnosis of vitiligo and nevus depigmentosus

Background/purpose: Vitiligo and nevus depigmentosus (ND) present similar hypopigmented macules with significantly different prognoses. Although the distinction between the two diseases is important, differential diagnosis relies on medical history and physical examination, which is far from decisive in some cases. The Mexameter^® is an objective skin color-measuring device, and has been reported to provide a reproducible and sensitive means of quantifying small skin color differences. In this study, we investigated the usefulness of a Mexameter^® for discriminating these diseases.
Methods: A selection of 202 hypopigmented skin lesions (182 from vitiligo and 20 from ND) were the objects of this study. Using a Mexameter, MIs were obtained from lesions and symmetrically located control skin. RMIs, ratios of the MIs of lesional skins to control skins, were calculated.
Results: The mean MIs and RMIs were significantly different for vitiligo and ND. The mean RMI of ND lesions was 74±13, which was significantly higher than that of vitiligo lesions (50±24). No ND lesion had an RMI of <50%.
Conclusion: This study shows that the Mexameter^®, an objective pigment-measuring device, can be used to achieve a more accurate diagnosis of hypopigmentary disorders, and that the relative melanin index (RMI), which represents the relative pigment levels, might be a more effective parameter than the melanin index (MI) itself for comparing pigmentation differences.     

Molecular cloning of agonistic and antagonistic monoclonal antibodies against human 4-1BB.

Previously, we prepared two different monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against human 4-1BB (CD137): an agonistic mAb BBK-1 and an antagonistic mAb BBK-2. In this paper, we describe the molecular cloning of these two mAbs and present comparisons of their amino acid sequences. cDNAs encoding the heavy (H) and light (L) chains of the two mAbs were cloned by screening of cDNA libraries constructed from hybridomas secreting these mAbs. Comparisons of amino acid sequences of the two mAbs showed that, while the constant regions of the H and L chains were identical between the two mAbs, the variable region showed 45% identity in H chains and 48% identity in L chains. This suggests that these two mAbs recognize different epitopes of 4-1BB and may have different effects on the activity of 4-1BB.     

Controlled trial of clinical utility of serum salicylate monitoring in rheumatoid arthritis

A crossover double-blind controlled trial was performed on 36 patients with rheumatoid arthritis to assess the necessity for serum salicylate monitoring in determining optimal dosage. There was no clinically or statistically significant increase in the clinical improvement of patients associated with serum monitoring but potentially toxic serum levels occurred without tinnitus when serum monitoring was not used.     

Surface properties of endosseous dental implants after NdYAG and CO2 laser treatment at various energies.

OBJECTIVES: Dental lasers have been used for uncovering submerged implants as well as decontaminating implant surfaces when treating peri-implantitis. The objective of this study was to compare the possible alterations of the smooth surface and resorbable blast material (RBM) surface implants after using NdYAG and CO(2) lasers at various energies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten smooth surface implants and 10 RBM surface implants were used. Two smooth surface implants and 2 RBM surface implants served as a control group that was not lased. The remaining implants were treated using NdYAG and CO(2) lasers. The surface of each implant was treated for 10 seconds on the second and third threads. The smooth surface implants (group 1) were treated using a pulsed contact NdYAG laser at power settings of 1, 2, 3.5, and 5 W, which are commonly used for soft tissue surgery; the corresponding energy and frequency were 50 mJ and 20 Hz, 100 mJ and 20 Hz, 350 mJ and 10 Hz, and 250 mJ and 20 Hz, respectively. The group 2 RBM implants were treated using a pulsed contact NdYAG laser. The group 3 smooth surface implants were treated using a pulsed wave non-contact CO(2) laser at 1, 2, 3.5, and 5 W, and the group 4 RBM implants were treated using a pulsed wave non-contact CO(2) laser. Data were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy. RESULTS: The control surface was very regular and smooth. After NdYAG laser treatment, the implant surface showed alterations of all the surfaces. The amount of damage was proportional to the power. A remarkable finding was the similarity of the lased areas on the smooth and RBM surfaces. CO(2) laser at power settings of 1.0 or 2.0 W did not alter the implant surface, regardless of implant type. At settings of 3.5 and 5 W, there was destruction of the micromachined groove and gas formation. CONCLUSION: This study supports that CO(2) laser treatment appears more useful than NdYAG laser treatment and CO(2) laser does not damage titanium implant surface, which should be of value when uncovering submerged implants and treating peri-implantitis.     

Central metabotropic glutamate receptors differentially participate in interleukin-1beta-induced mechanical allodynia in the orofacial area of conscious rats.

The present study investigated the role of central metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) in interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta)-induced mechanical allodynia and mirror-image mechanical allodynia in the orofacial area. Experiments were carried out on male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 230 to 280 g. After administration of 0.01, 0.1, 1, or 10 pg of IL-1beta into a subcutaneous area of the vibrissa pad, we examined the withdrawal behavioral responses produced by 10 successive trials of an air-puff ramp pressure applied ipsilaterally or contralaterally to the IL-1beta injection site. Subcutaneous injection of IL-1beta produced mechanical allodynia and mirror-image mechanical allodynia in the orofacial area. Intracisternal administration of CPCCOEt, a mGluR1 antagonist, or MPEP, a mGluR5 antagonist, reduced IL-1beta-induced mechanical allodynia and mirror-image mechanical allodynia. Intracisternal administration of APDC, a group II mGluR agonist, or L-AP4, a group III mGluR agonist, reduced both IL-1beta-induced mechanical allodynia and mirror-image mechanical allodynia. The antiallodynic effect, induced by APDC or L-AP4, was blocked by intracisternal pretreatment with LY341495, a group II mGluR antagonist, or CPPG, a group III mGluR antagonist. These results suggest that groups I, II, and III mGluRs differentially modulated IL-1beta-induced mechanical allodynia, as well as mirror-image mechanical allodynia, in the orofacial area. PERSPECTIVE: Central group I mGluR antagonists and groups II and III mGluR agonists modulate IL-1beta-induced mechanical allodynia and mirror-image mechanical allodynia in the orofacial area. Therefore, the central application of group I mGluR antagonists or groups II and III mGluR agonists might be of therapeutic value in treating pain disorder.