Clinical Features and Awareness of Hand Eczema in Korea.

Background: Hand eczema is one of the most common skin disorders and negatively affects quality of life. However, a large-scale multicenter study investigating the clinical features of patients with hand eczema has not yet been conducted in Korea.

Objective: To identify the prevalence of various hand diseases, which is defined as all cutaneous disease occurring in hands, and to investigate the clinical features of patients with hand eczema and the awareness about hand eczema in the general population and to compare the prevalence of hand eczema between health care providers and non-health care providers.

Role of Arachidonic Acid in Promoting Hair Growth.

Background: Arachidonic acid (AA) is an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid present in all mammalian cell membranes, and involved in the regulation of many cellular processes, including cell survival, angiogenesis, and mitogenesis. The dermal papilla, composed of specialized fibroblasts located in the bulb of the hair follicle, contributes to the control of hair growth and the hair cycle.

Objective: This study investigated the effect of AA on hair growth by using in vivo and in vitro models.

Decreased ATP synthesis and lower pH may lead to abnormal muscle contraction and skin sensitivity in human skin.

Background: Sensitive skin represents hyperactive sensory symptoms showing exaggerated reactions in response to internal stimulants or external irritants. Although sensitive skin is a very common condition affecting an estimated 50% of the population, its pathophysiology remains largely elusive, particularly with regard to its metabolic aspects.

Objective: The objective of our study was to investigate the pathogenesis of sensitive skin.

Long-term utility and durability of the therapeutic effects of bimatoprost 0.03% for eyelash augmentation in healthy Asian subjects.

Background: Eyelashes of Asians differ from those of Caucasians in morphology and growth characteristics. Ethnic differences also exist for the tolerability profile of prostaglandin analogues.

Objective: To evaluate the long-term utility and durability of bimatoprost 0.

Valproic acid promotes human hair growth in in vitro culture model.

Background: β-Catenin, the transducer of Wnt signaling, is critical for the development and growth of hair follicles. In the absence of Wnt signals, cytoplasmic β-catenin is phosphorylated by glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3 and then degraded. Therefore, inhibition of GSK-3 may enhance hair growth via β-catenin stabilization.

Exomic sequencing of immune-related genes reveals novel candidate variants associated with alopecia universalis.

Alopecia areata (AA) is a common autoimmune disorder mostly presented as round patches of hair loss and subclassified into alopecia totalis/alopecia universalis (AT/AU) based on the area of alopecia. Although AA is relatively common, only 5% of AA patients progress to AT/AU, which affect the whole scalp and whole body respectively. To determine genetic determinants of this orphan disease, we undertook whole-exome sequencing of 6 samples from AU patients, and 26 variants in immune-related genes were selected as candidates.

Clinical characteristics and prognostic factors in early-onset alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis.

Alopecia totalis (AT) and alopecia universalis (AU), severe forms of alopecia areata (AA), show distinguishable clinical characteristics from those of patch AA. In this study, we investigated the clinical characteristics of AT/AU according to the onset age. Based on the onset age around adolescence (< or ≥ 13 yr), 108 patients were classified in an early-onset group and the other 179 patients in a late-onset group.

Comparative secretome analysis of human follicular dermal papilla cells and fibroblasts using shotgun proteomics.

The dermal papilla cells (DPCs) of hair follicles are known to secrete paracrine factors for follicular cells. Shotgun proteomic analysis was performed to compare the expression profiles of the secretomes of human DPCs and dermal fibroblasts (DFs). In this study, the proteins secreted by DPCs and matched DFs were analyzed by 1DE/LTQ FTICR MS/MS, semi-quantitatively determined using emPAI mole percent values and then characterized using protein interaction network analysis.

Evaluation of scientific programs at a large-scale academic congress: lessons from the 22nd World Congress of Dermatology.

Background: The organization of a scientific program and the arrangement of the speakers require a considerable amount of time and effort. However, little is known about how to reinforce the participants' satisfaction with scientific programs at a large-scale academic congress with multiple parallel sessions.

Objectives: This study had three main purposes: (1) to create a reference for future congresses, (2) to determine session popularity and participation rate, and (3) to identify which characteristics of sessions can affect the perception of the audience.

Lipid ingredients in moisturizers can modulate skin responses to UV in barrier-disrupted human skin in vivo.

Background: Chemicals with a molecular weight <500 and adequate lipid solubility can penetrate the intact human skin. As many lipid ingredients in moisturizers have molecular weights <500, the lipid ingredients may penetrate into the skin and affect skin responses to UV; however, little is known about this phenomenon.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of major lipid ingredients in moisturizers on skin responses to UV in tape-stripped human skin in vivo.

Gene mapping study for constitutive skin color in an isolated Mongolian population.

To elucidate the genes responsible for constitutive human skin color, we measured the extent of skin pigmentation in the buttock, representative of lifelong non-sun-exposed skin, and conducted a gene mapping study on skin color in an isolated Mongolian population composed of 344 individuals from 59 families who lived in Dashbalbar, Mongolia. The heritability of constitutive skin color was 0.82, indicating significant genetic association on this trait.

Linkage and association scan for tanning ability in an isolated Mongolian population.

Tanning ability is important, because it represents the ability of the skin to protect itself against ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Here, we sought to determine genetic regions associated with tanning ability. Skin pigmentation was measured at the outer forearm and buttock areas to represent facultative and constitutive skin color, respectively.

Intrinsic aging- and photoaging-dependent level changes of glycosaminoglycans and their correlation with water content in human skin.

Background: Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) have various structural and physiological regulatory functions in skin, including tissue water maintenance, due to their high water-holding capacity.

Objective: To investigate changes of GAGs during intrinsic aging and photoaging of human skin and their correlations with water content.

Methods: Samples of sun-protected buttock and sun-exposed forearm skin were obtained from young male (21-30 years, n=8) and female (20-33 years, n=8) subjects, as well as old male (70-78 years, n=8) and female (70-80 years, n=8) subjects, and their epidermal and dermal contents of hyaluronic acid (HA), total sulfated GAG (tsGAG), total uronic acid (tUA), and tissue water were measured.

Temporary increase of PPAR-γ and transient expression of UCP-1 in stromal vascular fraction isolated human adipocyte derived stem cells during adipogenesis.

In this study, cells from the stromal vascular fraction of human subcutaneous tissues were induced to differentiate toward adipose cells in vitro for 2 weeks. During adipogenic differentiation, we followed the chronological changes in their morphology with Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) microscopy and checked the PPAR-γ and UCP-1 expression with RT-PCR. On day 4 after inducing adipogenic differentiation, CARS imaging showed multiple small lipid droplets (LD) distributed peripherally along the cellular membrane.

Characteristics of wasteform composing of phosphate and silicate to immobilize radioactive waste salts.

In the radioactive waste management, metal chloride wastes from a pyrochemical process is one of problematic wastes not directly applicable to a conventional solidification process. Different from a use of minerals or a specific phosphate glass for immobilizing radioactive waste salts, our research group applied an inorganic composite, SAP (SiO(2)-Al(2)O(3)-P(2)O(5)), to stabilize them by dechlorination. From this method, a unique wasteform composing of phosphate and silicate could be fabricated.

Efficacy, safety, and tolerability of dutasteride 0.5 mg once daily in male patients with male pattern hair loss: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III study.

Background: Dutasteride (Avodart) is a dual inhibitor of both type I and type II 5 alpha reductases, and thus inhibits conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, a key mediator of male pattern hair loss.

Objectives: The aim of this randomized double-blind phase III study was to compare the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of dutasteride (0.5 mg) and placebo for 6 months of treatment in male patients with male pattern hair loss.

Chemical Leukoderma Improved by Low-dose Steroid Pulse Therapy.

Chemical leukoderma occurs due to the toxic effect of a specific chemical preceding allergic contact dermatitis. The mechanism is either destruction or inhibition of melanocytes by the offending substance. Clinicohistopathologically, no absolute criteria can differentiate chemical leukoderma from vitiligo.

Ultraviolet irradiation induces thrombospondin-1 which attenuates type I procollagen downregulation in human dermal fibroblasts.

Background: Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is a matricellular glycoprotein and recognized as an inhibitor of angiogenesis and an activator of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta). Although TSP-1 expression has been shown to be regulated by various stimuli including UV in some types of cell, more work need to be done to understand the regulation of TSP-1 expression and its functional significances in many other types of cell.

Objective: In this study, we investigated the effect of UV on TSP-1 expression in human skin dermis and dermal fibroblasts and the role of TSP-1 on the type I procollagen expression after UV exposure.