Immunofluorescence findings in a reactivating lichenoid photoallergic chronic dermatitis (actinic reticuloid).

Background: Chronic photosensitivity dermatitis (CPD) (also named actinic reticuloid) is an unusual disease classically referred often in elderly men. Affected patients have severely itchy, thickened dry skin in areas exposed to the sun throughout the years.

Method: A Caucasian female patient who worked most of her life outside who had "chronic dermatitis" in her neck started planting chrysanthemum in her garden on a sunny day.

Extrusion of pilosebaceous units into blisters of patients affected by a new variant of endemic pemphigus in El Bagre, Colombia, South America.

Background: A new variant of endemic pemphigus foliaceus is present in El Bagre, Colombia, and surrounding municipalities (El Bagre-EPF) that affects the skin and in some presentations affects other organs with autoantibodies directed against cell junctions.

Methods: We studied 200 El Bagre-EPF patient perilesional skin biopsies, as well as 200 skin biopsies from normal controls in the endemic area.

Results: We observed blister extrusions of sebaceous glands or entire pilosebaceous units via the isthmus in 23% of the patients and not in the controls.

Involvement of the Areae Compositae of the Heart in Endemic Pemphigus Foliaceus.

Background: A new variant of endemic pemphigus foliaceus in El Bagre (El Bagre-EPF), Colombia, South America, shares features with Senear-Usher syndrome and occurs in an endemic fashion. Patients affected by El Bagre-EPF have heterogeneous antigenic reactivity not only to the skin but to other organs, including the heart. Here we test for autoantibodies to the areae compositae of the heart (structure consisting of typical desmosomal amalgamated fascia adherens molecules) and evaluate any possible clinical correlation.

Subclinical oral involvement in patients with endemic pemphigus foliaceus.

Background: We have described a variant of endemic pemphigus foliaceus (EPF) in El Bagre area known as pemphigus Abreu-Manu. Our previous study suggested that Colombian EPF seemed to react with various plakin family proteins, such as desmoplakins, envoplakin, periplakin BP230, MYZAP, ARVCF, p0071 as well as desmoglein 1.

Objectives: To explore whether patients affected by a new variant of endemic pemphigus foliaceus (El Bagre-EPF) demonstrated oral involvement.

Patients affected by endemic pemphigus foliaceus in Colombia, South America exhibit autoantibodies to optic nerve sheath envelope cell junctions.

Background: The majority of the patients affected by a new variant of endemic pemphigus foliaceus in El Bagre, Colombia (El Bagre EPF or pemphigus Abreu-Manu), have experienced vision problems; we have previously reported several ocular abnormalities.

Methods: Here, we aimed to investigate reactivity to optic nerves in these patients. We utilized bovine, rat and mouse optic nerves, and performed immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy to test for optical nerve autoreactivity.

Cell junction protein armadillo repeat gene deleted in velo-cardio-facial syndrome is expressed in the skin and colocalizes with autoantibodies of patients affected by a new variant of endemic pemphigus foliaceus in Colombia.

Background: We previously described a new variant of endemic pemphigus foliaceus in El Bagre, Colombia, South America (El Bagre-EPF, or pemphigus Abreu-Manu). El Bagre-EPF differs from other types of EPF clinically, epidemiologically, immunologically and in its target antigens. We reported the presence of patient autoantibodies colocalizing with armadillo repeat gene deleted in velo-cardio-facial syndrome (ARVCF), a catenin cell junction protein colocalizing with El Bagre-EPF autoantibodies in the heart and within pilosebaceous units along their neurovascular supply routes.

Periodic Acid-Schiff Staining Parallels the Immunoreactivity Seen By Direct Immunofluorescence in Autoimmune Skin Diseases.

Background: In many countries and laboratories, techniques such as direct immunofluorescence (DIF) are not available for the diagnosis of skin diseases. Thus, these laboratories are limited in the full diagnoses of autoimmune skin diseases, vasculitis, and rheumatologic diseases. In our experience with these diseases and the patient's skin biopsies, we have noted a positive correlation between periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining and immunofluorescence patterns; however, these were just empiric observations.

Immunofluorescence Patterns in Selected Dermatoses, Including Blistering Skin Diseases Utilizing Multiple Fluorochromes.

Background: Autoimmune vesiculobullous disorders represent a heterogeneous group of dermatoses whose diagnosis is made based on clinical history, histologic features, and immunopathologic features. The most commonly used techniques for the diagnosis of these diseases are direct and indirect immunofluorescence (DIF and IIF), including salt-split processing. NaCl split skin is used to determine the level of blister formation, and the localization of autoantibodies relative to the split.

Palmar and plantar lichen planus: a case report and review of the literature.

Palmoplantar lichen planus is an uncommon dermatosis. We present a case of 38-year-old Caucasian male with a history of pruritic, scaly lesions on the right plantar foot. Physical examination revealed whitish plaques and numerous spiny hyperkeratotic papules and focal scaling.

Markers for Sebaceoma Show a Spectrum of Cell Cycle Regulators, Tumor Suppressor Genes, and Oncogenes.

Background: Sebaceoma is a tumor for which the causative oncogenes are not well-understood. Sebaceomas demonstrate some histopathologic features similar to basal cell carcinoma (BCC), such as palisading borders and basaloid cells with additional features, including foamy cytoplasm and indented nuclei.

Aims: We examine multiple cell-cycle, oncogene, and tumor suppressor gene markers in sebaceomas, to try to find some suitable biological markers for this tumor, and compare with other published studies.

Tumor-suppressor Genes, Cell Cycle Regulatory Checkpoints, and the Skin.

The cell cycle (or cell-division cycle) is a series of events that take place in a cell, leading to its division and duplication. Cell division requires cell cycle checkpoints (CPs) that are used by the cell to both monitor and regulate the progress of the cell cycle. Tumor-suppressor genes (TSGs) or antioncogenes are genes that protect the cell from a single event or multiple events leading to cancer.

Ribosomal protein s6-ps240 is expressed in lesional skin from patients with autoimmune skin blistering diseases.

Background: The in situ signaling transduction within skin biopsies from patients affected by autoimmune skin blistering diseases is not well-characterized.

Aim: In autoimmune skin blistering diseases, autoantibodies seem to trigger several intracellular signaling pathways and we investigated the presence of the phosphorylated form of ribosomal protein S6-pS240 within autoimmune skin blistering diseases biopsies.

Materials And Methods: We utilized immunohistochemistry to evaluate the presence of S6-pS240 in lesional skin biopsies of patients affected by autoimmune skin blistering diseases including patients with an endemic and nonendemic pemphigus foliaceus (non EPF), with bullous pemphigoid (BP), pemphigus vulgaris (PV), dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), and the respective controls.

CD45/CD8 Myeloid Histioid Antigen and Plasma Cell Antibody Immune Response in a Case of Malignant Melanoma.

The immune response in metastatic melanoma is not well established and therefore is of particular interest to test for recruitment of immune cells to the tumor. A 46-year-old Caucasian female was evaluated for an asymptomatic right forearm mass. The lesion had been present for at least 4 years and had become painful 4 months ago.

Immune reactivity in psoriatic munro-saboureau microabscesses, stratum corneum and blood vessels.

Background: A characteristic feature of early active psoriatic lesions is the intraepidermal penetration of neutrophils, with attendant formation of Munro-Saboureau microabscesses. Previous immunofluorescence studies have shown reactivity of in vivo binding of stratum corneum antibodies (SCAs) within the Munro-Saboreau microabscesses in cases of psoriasis.

Aims: In our study, we aimed to investigate any correlation between the SCAs and the Munro-Saboureau microabscesses.

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) and alpha 1 antitrypsin: a fatal outcome in a patient affected by endemic pemphigus foliaceus.

Background: Herpes virus infections are well known infectious complications of pemphigus and bullous pemphigoid. We describe pathologic findings utilizing autopsy tissue from several organs from a patient affected by a new variant of endemic pemphigus in El Bagre, Colombia, South America.

Case Report: We describe a patient by a new variant of endemic pemphigus foliaceus from El Bagre that was receiving high-dosage immunosuppressants when hospitalized and died suddenly following contact with a second patient affected by chicken pox.

Activation of the signaling cascade in response to T lymphocyte receptor stimulation and prostanoids in a case of cutaneous lupus.

Context: Discoid lupus erythematosus is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder presenting with scarring lesions that occur predominately on sun exposed areas of the face and scalp.

Case Report: A 22-year-old male was evaluated after presenting with reddish-purple, atrophic and erythematous plaques on the scalp, with loss of hair within the plaques. Biopsies for hematoxylin and eosin examination, direct immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry analysis were performed.

Survivin, p53, MAC, Complement/C3, fibrinogen and HLA-ABC within hair follicles in central and centrifugal cicatricial alopecia.

Context: Central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA; originally entitled follicular degeneration syndrome, or hot comb alopecia) was first described in African American women utilizing hot combs and/or strong chemical hair care products.

Case Report: A 67 year old African American female was evaluated for the presence of alopecic areas occurring on the scalp vertex, and spreading centrifugally. The alopecic lesions appeared as diffuse patches, including atrophic small areas surrounding individual hair follicles.

Overexpression of linker for activated T cells, cyclooxygenase-2, CD1a, CD68 and myeloid/histiocyte antigen in an inflamed seborrheic keratosis.

Context: Inflamed seborrheic keratoses are generally associated with the accumulation of variable numbers of lymphocytes and histiocytes in the superficial dermis. The precise immunologic mechanism of this histologic phenomenon is not known

Case Report: A 62-year-old male presented with a patch on the right neck with additional features of inflammation. Skin biopsies for hematoxylin and eosin examination, as well as for immunohistochemistry analysis were performed.

Collagen IV in Normal Skin and in Pathological Processes.

Context: Type IV collagen is a type of collagen found primarily in the skin within the basement membrane zone. The type IV collagen C4 domain at the C-terminus is not removed in post-translational processing, and the fibers are thus link head-to-head, rather than in a parallel fashion. Also, type IV collagen lacks a glycine in every third amino-acid residue necessary for the tight collagen helix.

HAM56 and CD68 antigen presenting cells surrounding a sarcoidal granulomatous tattoo.

Context: Tattoos are produced by introducing colorants of various compositions into the skin, either accidentally or for cosmetic purposes.

Case Report: A 62-year-old male presented with a cosmetic tattoo and requested a total excision of the lesion. Dermatopathologic analysis of the excised tissue with hematoxylin and eosin examination, as well as immunohistochemistry was performed.