Efficacy of Janus kinase inhibitors in the treatment of psoriasiform atopic dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin disease with multiple clinical manifestations. Among AD phenotypes, psoriasiform AD shows the coexistence of eczematous itching lesions in flexural areas with psoriasiform plaques. The use of anti-interleukin (IL)-4 and anti-IL-13 in psoriasiform AD may lead to therapeutic failure or worsening of manifestations.

Gait analysis in children treated by surgery followed by adjuvant therapy for posterior fossa tumors.

Children affected by posterior fossa tumors show signs and symptoms of neurological dysfunction, associated both to cancer itself and to cancer therapies. Abnormal gait and coordination difficulties are frequent presenting features. Radiation therapy represents the main adjuvant treatment for these patients.

Sensitization effect of thimerosal is mediated in vitro via reactive oxygen species and calcium signaling.

Thimerosal, a mercury derivative composed of ethyl mercury chloride (EtHgCl) and thiosalicylic acid (TSA), is widely used as a preservative in vaccines and cosmetic products and causes cutaneous reactions. Since dendritic cells (DCs) play an essential role in the immune response, the sensitization potency of chemicals was studied in vitro using U937, a human promyelomonocytic cell line that is used as a surrogate of monocytic differentiation and activation. Currently, this cell line is under ECVAM (European Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods) validation as an alternative method for discriminating chemicals.

Activity of the hSPCA1 Golgi Ca2+ pump is essential for Ca2+-mediated Ca2+ response and cell viability in Darier disease.

Keratinocyte differentiation, adhesion and motility are directed by extracellular Ca2+ concentration increases, which in turn increase intracellular Ca2+ levels. Normal keratinocytes, in contrast to most non-excitable cells, require Ca2+ release from both Golgi and endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ stores for efficient Ca2+ signaling. Dysfunction of the Golgi human secretory pathway Ca2+-ATPase hSPCA1, encoded by ATP2C1, abrogates Ca2+ signaling and causes the acantholytic genodermatosis, Hailey-Hailey disease.

Calcium pump disorders of the skin.

The causes of Darier disease (DD) and Hailey-Hailey disease (HHD) have eluded clinicians and scientists for more than 60 years. DD is characterized by loss of adhesion between suprabasal epidermal cells associated with abnormal keratinization, while loss of epidermal cell-to-cell adhesion is predominant in HHD. The genes for both conditions have recently been identified using candidate positional cloning approaches.

A novel method to isolate the common fraction of two DNA samples: hybrid specific amplification (HSA).

Hybrid specific amplification (HSA) is a novel simple method elaborated in order to isolate the common fraction of two DNA samples while avoiding the background due to repeated sequences. The method is based on the suppressive PCR principle, associated with a Cot1 pre-hybridization step. In recent work we demonstrated that hyperprolificity observed in Booroola ewes is associated with a mutation in the bone morphogenetic protein receptor IB gene (BMPR-IB).

[A correlation between food allergy, the autonomic nervous system and the central nervous system: a study of 8 patients in childhood].

The aim of our study was demonstrate the correlation between immunoallergic system, autonomous nervous system (SNA) and central nervous system (SNC). Eight children allergic to food and with asthma, damage of handwriting, deambulation and behaviour were deprived of food allergens. The RAW (indicator of SNA activation) diminished and the respiratory flow increased.

Auditory brainstem responses in thyroid diseases before and after therapy.

The aim of this study was to evaluate through the auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) the electrical events generated along the auditory pathway in 56 adult patients affected with hyper- and hypothyroidism. Twenty-four normal-hearing hyperthyroid patients affected with Graves' disease and 32 normal-hearing hypothyroid patients (9 with subclinical and 23 with overt hypothyroidism) were subjected to standard (clicks at 21 pps) and sensitized ABR with masking wide-band (masking noise). In addition, thyroid scintiscan and ultrasonography, free T3 and T4, total T3 and T4, TSH, antimicrosomal and antithyroglobulin antibodies, audiogram and impedance tests were performed in all the patients.

[Changes in the motor apparatus of the bronchial cilia. Comparative study of two types of myopathies: nemaline myopathy and the Werdnig-Hoffmann syndrome].

The Authors during an extensive applications of nasal brushing in infancy according to Rutland and Cole, remarked--first time in literature--the contemporary presence in a child of the nemaline myopathy syndrome and immotile cilia syndrome. Supposing the possibility that in other myopathy may be present the same ciliary immotile syndrome, they studied with nasal brushing three cases of Werdnig-Hoffman syndromes: but they presented normal ciliary conformation. The Authors suppose that in case in future it should be found in other cases of nemaline myopathy the contemporary presence of dinein arms lack, it should be demonstrated that this syndrome takes derivation from a genetic alteration both of the muscular apparatus and the ciliary mobility system of bronchial epithelius.

EEG findings in minor head trauma as a clue for indication to CT scan.

In order to investigate the role of EEG in minor head traumata in the pediatric age, EEG and CT scan findings were compared in a series of 103 consecutive cases of children hospitalized within 24 h after head trauma. The EEGs were classified as normal in 50 patients, borderline in 10 patients, and abnormal in 43 patients. CT scan showed contusion in 6 patients and extracerebral hematoma in 4.