Consensus recommendations on the aesthetic usage of botulinum toxin type A in Asians.

Background: The use of botulinum toxin has rapidly expanded into various aesthetic applications. Any guideline representing a consensus for aesthetic treatments using botulinum toxin type A (BTA) in Asians has not been published.

Objectives: To provide consensus recommendations on common aesthetic problems which are treated by neurotoxin in Asians.

Role of PKC-delta as a signal mediator in epidermal barrier homeostasis.

The skin shows an important "epidermal permeability barrier homeostasis" in response to barrier disruption. Calcium ion (Ca(2+)), a major regulator in keratinocyte differentiation and proliferation, plays a crucial role in skin barrier homeostasis. Acute barrier disruption induces an immediate depletion of both extra- and intracellular calcium ions in the epidermis, especially in the upper granular layers, and results in the loss of normal epidermal calcium gradient.

Pyodermatitis-pyostomatitis vegetans with circulating autoantibodies to bullous pemphigoid antigen 230.

We describe a woman from Korea with pyodermatitis-pyostomatitis vegetans associated with ulcerative colitis. On immunofluorescence examination, she demonstrated in vivo bound and circulating IgG antibasement membrane zone antibodies. The immunoelectron microscopy and immunoblot analysis showed that the antibodies reacted with the bullous pemphigoid antigen 230.