An exploratory study of the efficacy and safety of amenamevir for the treatment of herpes zoster in patients receiving immunosuppressive drugs.

Amenamevir is an oral once-daily antiherpesvirus drug that can be administered without dose adjustment in patients with impaired renal function. There are currently no clinical data on immunocompromised patients with herpes zoster treated with amenamevir. Therefore, an exploratory study of the efficacy and safety of amenamevir against herpes zoster in patients with immunosuppression was conducted.

Human dermal fibroblast migration induced by fibronectin in autocrine and paracrine manners.

Although fibronectin (FN) is known as a chemoattractant for human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs), it is unclear whether HDF migration is stimulated by FN produced by HDFs (autocrine manner) or by keratinocytes (paracrine manner). In this study, we investigated HDF migration by Boyden chamber assay using conditioned media from HDFs and HaCaT cells (keratinocyte cell line). Immunoblotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay revealed that FN existed in both conditioned media.

Morphological changes of the hair roots in alopecia areata: a scanning electron microscopic study.

Alopecia areata is a chronic inflammatory condition causing non-scarring patchy hair loss. Diagnosis of alopecia areata is made by clinical observations, hair pluck test and dermoscopic signs. However, because differentiation from other alopecia diseases is occasionally difficult, an invasive diagnostic method using a punch biopsy is performed.

Two cases of pemphigus vegetans with IgG anti-desmocollin 3 antibodies.

Importance: Pemphigus vegetans shows clinically vegetating and/or pustular skin lesions mainly on the intertriginous areas and histopathologically neutrophilic and eosinophilic pustules in the epidermis. Pemphigus vegetans shows IgG reactivity mainly with desmoglein (Dsg) 3, but also with other autoantigens, including Dsg1 and desmocollins (Dscs).

Observations: We examined antigen profiles in 2 cases of pemphigus vegetans.

Two Japanese cases of dermatitis herpetiformis associated each with lung cancer and autoimmune pancreatitis but showing no intestinal symptom or circulating immunoglobulin A antibodies to any known antigens.

Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is common in some Caucasian populations but extremely rare in Japanese, probably because of different immunogenetic backgrounds. We report two Japanese DH cases with typical clinical, histological and direct immunofluorescence features. However, no symptom of gluten-sensitive enteropathy was shown.

Low-dose cyclosporin improves the health-related quality of life in Japanese psoriasis patients dissatisfied with topical corticosteroid monotherapy.

Psoriasis greatly impacts the health-related quality of life of patients, including any dermatological conditions that are listed in the dermatology life quality index (DLQI). We investigated the relationships between DLQI and the degree of patient satisfaction using questionnaires among psoriasis patients treated only with topical corticosteroids. Patients who were dissatisfied with topical corticosteroids alone and agreed to receive cyclosporin were given low-dose oral cyclosporin.

Oral zinc therapy for zinc deficiency-related telogen effluvium.

Zinc is crucial for maintaining human body homeostasis and is one of the major components of hormones, signal molecules, and enzymes. Zinc deficiency is caused by insufficient uptake of zinc from food, or caused by malabsorption syndromes, increased gastrointestinal and urinary losses, and administration of various medications. In order to test whether oral zinc administration can successfully improve zinc deficiency-related alopecia, we treated five patients with zinc deficiency-related telogen effluvium with oral zinc administration in the form of polaprezinc (Promac®).

Comparison between famciclovir and valacyclovir for acute pain in adult Japanese immunocompetent patients with herpes zoster.

Famciclovir is a guanine analog antiviral drug used commonly for herpes zoster. Efficacy of famciclovir treatment has been reported to be comparable to valacyclovir treatment. Both of these medications reduce the time to complete cessation of zoster-associated pain including post-herpetic neuralgia, as compared to acyclovir.

Interaction of plectin and intermediate filaments.

Background: Plectin, a member of the plakin family proteins, is a high molecular weight protein that is ubiquitously expressed. It acts as a cytolinker for the three major components of the cyotoskeleton, namely actin microfilaments, microtubules and intermediate filaments.

Objective: The aim of our experiments was to identify new binding sites for intermediate filaments on plectin and to specify these sites.

[Genital candidiasis].

Genital candidiasis occurs mainly in women referred as vulvovaginal candidiasis (VVC), and occasionally occurs in men as to be called balanitis. VVC is one of the most common causes of infectious vaginitis. Approximately three-quarters of women will experience an episode of VVC at least once in their life and 5-8% of them will have more than four attacks within a year; this condition has been designated as recurrent VVC (RVVC).

Efficacy of interferon-gamma in patients with refractory bullous pemphigoid.

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) usually responds well to conventional therapies, although some severe cases show less response to various therapies or develop side-effects due to long-term drug administration using high doses. Most BP patients are elderly and are thus prone to systemic deterioration or unfavorable outcome. In the present study, we investigated the efficacy of interferon-gamma on severe BP patients resistant to conventional therapies.

CD34+ cells in the peripheral blood transport herpes simplex virus DNA fragments to the skin of patients with erythema multiforme (HAEM).

Herpes simplex virus (HSV)-associated erythema multiforme (HAEM) is a recurrent disease characterized by the presence and expression of HSV DNA fragments in lesional skin. Our studies examined the mechanism of viral DNA transport to the skin of HAEM patients. CD34+ cells were isolated from the blood of normal subjects and HSV and HAEM patients during acute lesions and at quiescence.

An epidermoid cyst with atypical keratinocytes in the lowermost portion of the cyst wall.

We report on a 31-year-old Japanese female with an epidermoid cyst developed in the right inguinal region. The lesion was excised and drained by a surgeon. Since there was a local recurrence of the lesion within 2 months, the patient visited us, and the lesion was completely excised.