| 1. |
- Biro, T, et al.
(author)
-
How best to fight that nasty itch - from new insights into the neuroimmunological, neuroendocrine, and neurophysiological bases of pruritus to novel therapeutic approaches
- 2005
-
In: Experimental Dermatology. - : Wiley. - 0906-6705 .- 1600-0625. ; 14:3, s. 225-225
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- While the enormous clinical and psychosocial importance of pruritus in many areas of medicine and the detrimental effects of chronic 'itch' on the quality of life of an affected individual are widely appreciated, the complexity of this sensation is still often grossly underestimated. The current Controversies feature highlights this complexity by portraying pruritus as a truly interdisciplinary problem at the crossroads of neurophysiology, neuroimmunology, neuropharmacology, protease research, internal medicine, and dermatology, which is combated most successfully if one keeps the multilayered nature of 'itch' in mind and adopts a holistic treatment approach - beyond the customary, frequently frustrane monotherapy with histamine receptor antagonists. In view of the often unsatisfactory, unidimensional, and altogether rather crude standard instruments for pruritus management that we still tend to use in clinical practice today, an interdisciplinary team of pruritus experts here critically examines recent progress in pruritus research that future itch management must take into consideration. Focusing on new insights into the neuroimmunological, neuroendocrine, and neurophysiological bases of pruritus, and discussing available neuropharmacological tools, specific research avenues are highlighted, whose pursuit promises to lead to novel, and hopefully more effective, forms of pruritus management.
|
|
| 2. |
|
|
| 3. |
|
|
| 4. |
- Asplund, Anna, et al.
(author)
-
Genetic mosaicism in basal cell carcinoma
- 2005
-
In: Experimental dermatology. - : Wiley. - 0906-6705 .- 1600-0625. ; 14:8, s. 593-600
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Human basal cell cancer (BCC) shows unique growth characteristics, including a virtual inability to metastasize, absence of a precursor stage and lack of tumour progression. The clonal nature of BCC has long been a subject for debate because of the tumour growth pattern. Despite a morphologically multifocal appearance, genetic analysis and three-dimensional reconstructions of tumours have favoured a unicellular origin. We have utilized the X-chromosome inactivation assay in order to examine clonality in 13 cases of BCC. Four parts of each individual tumour plus isolated samples of stroma were analysed following laser-assisted microdissection. In 12/13 tumours, the epithelial component of the tumour showed a monoclonal pattern suggesting a unicellular origin. Surprisingly, one tumour showed evidence of being composed of at least two non-related monoclonal clones. This finding was supported by the analysis of the ptch and p53 gene. Clonality analysis of tumour stroma showed both mono- and polyclonal patterns. A prerequisite for this assay is that the extent of skewing is determined and compensated for in each case. Owing to the mosaic pattern of normal human epidermis, accurate coefficients are difficult to obtain; we, therefore, performed all analyses both with and without considering skewing. This study concludes that BCC are monoclonal neoplastic growths of epithelial cells, embedded in a connective tissue stroma at least in part of polyclonal origin. The study results show that what appears to be one tumour may occasionally constitute two or more independent tumours intermingled or adjacent to each other, possibly reflecting a local predisposition to malignant transformation.
|
|
| 5. |
|
|
| 6. |
|
|
| 7. |
- Hagströmer, Lena, et al.
(author)
-
Expression pattern of somatostatin receptor subtypes 1-5 in human skin : an immunohistochemical study of healthy subjects and patients with psoriasis or atopic dermatitis
- 2006
-
In: Experimental dermatology. - : Wiley. - 0906-6705 .- 1600-0625. ; 15:12, s. 950-957
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In psoriasis and atopic dermatitis, the inflammatory events have neurogenic components and the neuropeptides modify the functions of immuno-active cells in the skin. Somatostatin is a neuropeptide with several neuroendocrine and immunomodulating properties and mediates its actions by five distinct subtypes of G-protein-coupled receptors (SSTR1-5). This study describes the distribution of SSTR1-5, analysed with immunohistochemistry, in psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and controls. Normal human skin and lesional skin from patients with psoriasis or atopic dermatitis showed many similarities, but also some differences, as regards SSTR expression. SSTR1-3 were strongly expressed in the epidermis of healthy skin, and in the skin of patients with psoriasis or atopic dermatitis. It is noteworthy that SSTR4 and 5 were strongly expressed in the epidermis of psoriasis patients, but weakly expressed in the epidermis of those with atopic dermatitis and normal skin. The intensity of the staining also varied considerably between the different layers of the epidermis, especially in psoriasis patients. In all cases, the dendritic cells, found mostly in the papillary and upper reticular dermis, showed a strong expression of SSTR1-4, but a weak expression of SSTR5. SSTR1-5 were strongly expressed in the sweat glands in all skin biopsies. Hair follicles and sebaceous glands expressed all five subtypes. Striated muscle fibres showed an intense positive expression of SSTR1-4, but a weak or negative expression of SSTR5. The wide distribution and expression pattern of all five SSTRs in human skin suggest that somatostatin is involved in the interactions between the nervous system and the skin.
|
|
| 8. |
- Kainu, Kati, et al.
(author)
-
Association of psoriasis to PGLYRP and SPRR genes at PSORS4 locus on 1q shows heterogeneity between Finnish, Swedish and Irish families.
- 2009
-
In: Experimental dermatology. - : Wiley. - 1600-0625 .- 0906-6705. ; 18:2, s. 109-15
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- A susceptibility locus for psoriasis, PSORS4, has been mapped to chromosome 1q21 in the region of the epidermal differentiation complex. The region has been refined to a 115 kb interval around the loricrin (LOR) gene. However, no evidence of association between polymorphisms in the LOR gene and psoriasis has been found. Therefore, we have analysed association to three candidate gene clusters of the region, the S100, small proline-rich protein (SPRR) and PGLYRP (peptidoglycan recognition protein) genes, which all contain functionally interesting psoriasis candidate genes. In previous studies, the SPRR and S100 genes have shown altered expression in psoriasis. Also polymorphisms in the PGLYRP genes have shown to be associated with psoriasis. We genotyped altogether 29 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 255 Finnish psoriasis families and analysed association with psoriasis using transmission disequilibrium test. A five-SNP haplotype of PGLYRP SNPs associated significantly with psoriasis. There was also suggestive evidence of association to SPRR gene locus in Finnish families. To confirm the putative associations, selected SNPs were genotyped also in a family collection of Swedish and Irish patients. The families supported association to the two gene regions, but there was also evidence of allelic heterogeneity.
|
|
| 9. |
- Kurzen, H, et al.
(author)
-
What causes hidradenitis suppurativa?
- 2008
-
In: Experimental dermatology. - : Wiley. - 1600-0625 .- 0906-6705. ; 17:5, s. 455-472
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)
|
|
| 10. |
- Lamminen, Heikki, et al.
(author)
-
Computer-aided skin prick test
- 2008
-
In: Experimental dermatology. - : Wiley. - 0906-6705 .- 1600-0625. ; 17:11, s. 975-976
-
Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The interpretation of the skin prick test is subject to inter-observer variation. To remove this variation, a computerized procedure for the skin prick test is suggested. Instead of manually measuring the emerging wheals, a series of photographs is automatically taken of the forearm. The photographs thus taken are then analyzed with a digital image processing algorithm to give the measurement results. The computerized test has the added benefit of being able to produce a time series for the wheal size. This makes it possible to see the onset time of the reaction in addition to the size of the wheal. Preliminary feasibility test suggests that the simple setup described in this letter is able to perform the skin prick test automatically and to show the kinetic behaviour of the wheal. The main challenges with the test setup are related to illumination and wheal detection algorithms.
|
|
