An explorative study of non-invasive ultra-weak photon emission and the anti-oxidative influence of oral zinc sulphate in light-sensitive patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria.

Background: Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is a rare, inherited disorder of haem biosynthesis owing to deficient ferrochelatase (FECH) and accumulation of protoporphyrin IX (PPIX). This results in acute cutaneous photosensitivity upon light exposure with production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and ultra-weak photon emission (UPE) as a by-product. We investigated if UPE evaluated the light sensitivity in EPP patients and influence of zinc treatment.

Performance evaluation of a specific IgE assay developed for the ADVIA centaur immunoassay system.

Objective: To develop and evaluate a liquid phase immunoassay for accurate determination of allergen-specific IgE (sIgE) as a useful tool in the diagnosis of allergy patients.

Design And Methods: A fully automated, quantitative sIgE assay was developed for the ADVIA Centaur technology platform using a unique calibration method based on a recombinant reference allergen. Compared to most other IgE-assays, the assay employs a reverse sandwich architecture using monoclonal mouse anti-human IgE antibody covalently bound to paramagnetic particles in the solid phase and capturing the sample IgE.

Dihydroxyacetone, the active browning ingredient in sunless tanning lotions, induces DNA damage, cell-cycle block and apoptosis in cultured HaCaT keratinocytes.

Dihydroxyacetone (DHA), the active substance in sunless tanning lotions reacts with the amino groups of proteins to form a brown-colored complex. This non-enzymatic glycation, known as the Maillard reaction, can also occur with free amino groups in DNA, raising the possibility that DHA may be genotoxic. To address this issue we investigated the effects of DHA on cell survival and proliferation of a human keratinocyte cell line, HaCaT.

Sunless skin tanning with dihydroxyacetone delays broad-spectrum ultraviolet photocarcinogenesis in hairless mice.

Sunless tanning with dihydroxyacetone (DHA) is not considered to be a sunscreen although it does absorb parts of the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum. We investigated the protection with topical application of DHA against solar UV-induced skin carcinogenesis in lightly pigmented hairless hr/hr C3H/Tif mice. Broad-spectrum UV radiation, simulating the UV part of the solar spectrum was obtained from one Philips TL12 and five Bellarium-S SA-1-12 tubes.

Phototoxicity to diuretics and antidiabetics in the cultured keratinocyte cell line HaCaT: evaluation by clonogenic assay and single cell gel electrophoresis Comet assay).

Background: Potential phototoxicity has been described for a number of drugs and chemical substances. Psoralens, chlorpromazines and fluoroquinolones have been described as inducing photomutagenicity and photocarcinogenicity in vitro and in vivo. We wanted to investigate oral antidiabetics and diuretics for potential phototoxicity and possible DNA damage in the HaCaT cell line.