Evaluation of a Piezo-Actuated Sensor for Monitoring Elastic Variations of Its Support with Impedance-Based Measurements.

This study exposes the assessment of a piezo-actuated sensor for monitoring elastic variations (change in Young's modulus) of a host structure in which it is attached. The host structure is monitored through a coupling interface connected to the piezo-actuated device. Two coupling interfaces were considered (an aluminum cone and a human tooth) for the experimental tests.

Folliculitis decalvans: Effectiveness of therapies and prognostic factors in a multicenter series of 60 patients with long-term follow-up.

Background: Folliculitis decalvans (FD) is a rare neutrophilic cicatricial alopecia that poses a therapeutic challenge.

Objectives: To describe the therapeutic response in a large number of cases of FD with long-term follow-up and analyze potential prognostic factors associated with severity of form and with a better therapeutic response.

Methods: This multicenter prospective study included patients with FD who had a minimum of 5 years of follow-up.

MOHS micrographic surgery for treating erosive adenoma of the nipple: a case report and review of the literature.

Background: Erosive adenoma of the nipple (EAN) is a benign condition that involves major ducts of the nipple. Its clinical presentation may resemble other disorders. Complete removal of the nipple is often suggested because of frequent relapse.

Folliculitis decalvans: a multicentre review of 82 patients.

Background: Folliculitis decalvans (FD) is a rare neutrophilic scarring alopecia that represents a therapeutic challenge for dermatologists.

Objective: To describe the epidemiology, comorbidities, clinical presentation, diagnostic findings and therapeutic options in a large series of patients with FD.

Methods: This retrospective multicentre review includes patients diagnosed with FD based on clinical and histopathologic findings.

The role of health plans in improving quality of care.

Regulations and accrediting bodies have charged health plans with assuring and improving the quality of care delivered to plan members. Now, health plans also have an opportunity to promote payment reform designed to align incentives so that plans, providers, employers, and patients can all focus on achieving high-quality care.

Global brain ischemia in Mongolian gerbils: assessing the level of anastomosis in the cerebral circle of Willis.

The Mongolian gerbil has been widely used as a global brain ischemia model because of its incomplete cerebral circle of Willis. However, the inter-individual anatomic variability of this vascular structure interferes with the reliability of the model. The aim of this work was to introduce modifications to the protocol of global brain ischemia experiments in Mongolian gerbils in an attempt to increase the reliability and usefulness of this model.

Erythropoietin: still on the neuroprotection road.

Acute stroke is one of the major causes of death and disabilities. Since the 1980s many clinical studies have been conducted to evaluate neuroprotective approaches to treat this important brain vascular event. However, to date the only drug approved (recombinant tissue plasminogen activator [rtPA]) represents a thrombolytic, nonneuroprotective approach.

Coadministration of epidermal growth factor and growth hormone releasing peptide-6 improves clinical recovery in experimental autoimmune encephalitis.

Purpose: Multiple sclerosis is a complex and devastating autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. Up to now, a constellation of candidate drugs have been evaluated with no major success. Experimental Autoimmune Encephalitis (EAE) is the animal counterpart that reproduces critical features of the human MS process.

[Treatment of moderate-severe psoriasis with etanercept in patients with chronic human immunodeficiency virus infection].

Cutaneous and articular psoriasis usually have a more complicated course in patients chronically infected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), not only for its particular presentation in these subjects, but also because of their modified immunological scenario and potential drugs interactions with antiretroviral therapy. Because of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) downregulation may improve the evolution of chronic infections, some authors support biological TNF blockers as an effective and safe therapeutical approach for the treatment of psoriasis in patients with HIV infection. We present the case of a man with cutaneous and articular psoriasis and chronic HIV infection who responded successfully to etanercept, and we make a review of the literature.

Therapeutic effect of the combined use of growth hormone releasing peptide-6 and epidermal growth factor in an axonopathy model.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease of the central nervous system characterized by loss of spinal motor neurons, for which no effective treatment exists. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and growth hormone releasing peptide-6 (GHRP-6) have been considered as good candidates for the treatment of this disease, due to their well documented effects in eliciting pleiotrophic and cell survival mechanisms. The aim of the present work was to evaluate the separate and combined effects of both peptides in an experimental animal model of ALS, the proximal axonopathy induced by 1,2 diacetylbenzene (1,2 DAB) in mice.

Treatment of acrodermatitis continua of Hallopeau with TNF-blocking agents: case report and review.

Acrodermatitis continua of Hallopeau (ACH) is a rare acropustular eruption, characterized by sterile pustules, paronychia and atrophic skin changes, onychodystrophy and osteolysis of the distal phalanges of the fingers and toes. It is considered to be a variant of pustular psoriasis with a chronic relapsing course and frequent refractoriness to many therapeutic modalities, which can be amenable to successful treatment by tumor necrosis factor alpha antagonists. We report 1 patient with pustular psoriasis and ACH whom we have treated successfully with etanercept (for 30 months) and then adalimumab (for 13 months and ongoing).

Neutrophilic dermatoses in a patient with collagenous colitis.

We report the case of a 75-year old woman with collagenous colitis who presented with erythematous and edematous plaques on the periorbital and eyelid regions, accompanied by oral ulcers. Histopathology showed a dermal neutrophilic infiltrate plus mild septal and lobular panniculitis with lymphocytes, neutrophils and eosinophils. Five years earlier she had presented a flare of papules and vesicles on the trunk, together with oral ulcers; a skin biopsy revealed a neutrophilic dermal infiltrate and Sweet's syndrome was diagnosed.

Treatment of psoriasis with anti-TNF drugs during pregnancy: case report and review of the literature.

Published experiences of TNF-alpha inhibition during pregnancy consist of a limited number of case reports, series and ongoing registry data in patients with arthritis and inflammatory bowel disease. A 28-year-old woman - with psoriasis vulgaris since she was 8 years of age and generalized pustular psoriasis during her first pregnancy (partially controlled with ciclosporin, oral prednisone and topical corticosteroids, when lupus anticoagulant was detected at another hospital) - presented 4 months after delivery with severe psoriasis (PASI = 15.4) that did not respond to ciclosporin (3 mg/kg/day).

Treponema pallidum distribution patterns in mucocutaneous lesions of primary and secondary syphilis: an immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study.

To study the different patterns of Treponema pallidum distribution in primary and secondary syphilis, 34 biopsy specimens of 8 patients with primary and 26 with secondary syphilis were assessed. Histopathological features, silver stain, and immunohistochemical T pallidum polyclonal antibody expression were investigated. The number and distribution of spirochetes were evaluated, and ultrastructural studies were performed.

[Xerosis: a dysfunction of the epidermal barrier].

Xerosis or dry skin is a common skin disorder among the general population. It is characterized clinically by rough, scaly, and often itchy skin. This disorder is present in the course of some dermatoses such as atopic dermatitis, although it can also occur in healthy individuals if a combination of certain etiologic factors is present.

The pro-inflammatory environment in recalcitrant diabetic foot wounds.

Lower extremity ulceration is one of the serious and long-term diabetic complications rendering a significant social burden in terms of amputation and quality-of-life reduction. Diabetic patients experience a substantial wound-healing deficit. These lesions are featured by an exaggerated and prolonged inflammatory reaction with a significant impairment in local bacterial invasion control.

Boosting controlled autoimmunity: a new therapeutic target for CNS disorders.

In most tissues, the immune system plays an essential role in protection, repair and healing. Although immunologically privileged, the CNS remains subject to a highly regulated form of immunosurveillance that is of increasing interest. There is evolving evidence that repair mechanisms within the CNS may be enhanced by exploiting an innate process of protective immunity.

[Rosacea].

Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin disease appearing in the central area of the face of middle-aged patients. It is characterized by flushing, permanent erythema, telangiectasia, papules, pustules, and the absence of comedones. Its underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are not completely understood, although a number of hypotheses point to vascular abnormalities and infection by microorganisms such as Demodex folliculorum.

Are sequence variations in the BK virus control region essential for the development of polyomavirus nephropathy?

BK virus replication is regulated by the noncoding control region (NCCR); major NCCR rearrangements could modify the strength of viral replication, having a role in the development of polyomavirus-associated nephropathy (PAN). Urine (n = 34), blood (n = 32), and renal biopsy samples (n = 13) from 5 transplant recipients with PAN underwent nested polymerase chain reaction to search for the NCCR region. Sequence analysis was performed on all NCCR fragments obtained.

Periodic assessment of urine and serum by cytology and molecular biology as a diagnostic tool for BK virus nephropathy in renal transplant patients.

Objective: To investigate the significance of polyomavirus (PV) viruria and viremia by morphologic, immunohistochemical and molecular analysis (multiplex nested-polymerase chain reaction) in renal transplant patients.

Study Design: Urine (n=328), serum (n= 53) and renal biopsies (n=24) from renal transplant patients (n=106) were studied.

Results: Decoy cells were found in 53 samples (16%) from 19 patients (18%); viral DNA was amplified in all urinary samples and disclosed BK virus (BKV) (n=24), JC virus (JCV) (n=16), and JCV and BKV DNA (n=13).