Segmental cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis associated with herpes zoster: a case report and literature review.

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection may cause large or medium vessel vasculitis, including granulomatous arteritis of the nervous system and central nervous system vasculitis. However, small vessel vasculitis, such as cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV) associated with localized cutaneous VZV infection, herpes zoster, is uncommon. Herein, we present the case of a 75- year-old man with segmental leukocytoclastic vasculitis associated with herpes zoster on the leg.

Bilateral ballism as limb-shaking transient ischemic attacks treated with unilateral carotid artery stent placement.

Bilateral limb-shaking transient ischemic attack (LS-TIA) is a rare disease involving carotid artery stenosis, characterized by ballism-like involuntary movements of the arms and legs. We describe the case report of a male patient in his 80s presented with continuous bilateral ballism in the arms and legs and tongue dyskinesia. Magnetic resonance imaging showed no ischemic lesions, while cerebral angiography revealed right internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion and 80% stenosis of the left ICA.

Role of VEGF and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in peritumoral brain edema associated with supratentorial benign meningiomas.

Accumulating evidence indicates that VEGF and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) play a central role in the development of peritumoral brain edema (PTBE) associated with human brain tumors. However, the roles of these proteins, particularly of MMP-9, in PTBE associated with benign meningiomas have not been elucidated. We investigated the association between clinical features and biological factors, such as VEGF and MMP-9, and the incidence of PTBE and edema index (EI) in 60 patients with benign meningiomas.

Actual conditions of the mixing of antineoplastic drugs for injection in hospitals in Osaka Prefecture, Japan.

We conducted a questionnaire survey in order to grasp the actual conditions under which antineoplastic drugs are mixed for injection in hospitals. Questionnaires were sent to all 155 hospitals with 100 or more beds for general patients in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. The response rate was 69.

Skin-derived dendritic cells can mediate deletional tolerance of class I-restricted self-reactive T cells.

Skin-draining lymph nodes contain a number of dendritic cell (DC) subsets of different origins. Some of these are migratory, such as the skin-derived epidermal Langerhans cells and a separate dermal DC subset, whereas others are lymphoid resident in nature, such as the CD8+ DCs found throughout the lymphoid tissues. In this study, we examine the DC subset presentation of skin-derived self-Ag by migratory and lymphoid-resident DCs, both in the steady state and under conditions of local skin infection.

Effects of dioxin on metabolism of estrogens in waste incinerator workers.

The authors measured the concentrations of serum dioxins and urinary estrogen metabolites in 57 male waste incinerator workers to determine whether dioxin influenced the metabolism of estrogens. Concentrations of serum dioxin levels and urinary estrogen metabolites, such as estrone, 17beta-estradiol, 2-hydroxyestrone, 2-methoxyestrone, 2-hydroxyestradiol, 2-methoxyestradiol, 4-hydroxyestrone, 4-hydroxyestradiol, 4-methoxyestradiol, 16-hydroxyestrone, and estriol from the workers were measured. An analysis of covariance showed that mean estriol concentrations, adjusted for confounding factors among 3 serum dioxin levels, indicated a progressive increase with increasing serum dioxin level: 1.

Genotoxic risks to nurses from contamination of the work environment with antineoplastic drugs in Japan.

The aims of the present study were to clarify the work environment contamination by antineoplastic drugs in a hospital ward and to assess the genotoxic risks to nurses who routinely handle antineoplastic drugs in Japan. The exposed group consisted of 19 female nurses who routinely handled antineoplastic drugs. The control group consisted of 18 female nurses who did not handle antineoplastic drugs in the same hospital as the exposed group.

[Equipment at the special nursing homes for the elderly: a workplace survey of new nursing homes in Osaka Prefecture].

The number of those who need nursing care and the workers who provide it have been increasing year after year. In April 2000, the public nursing care insurance system was enacted by the Japanese government. After its enaction, care equipment came under scrutiny, but the situation regarding the installation of equipment is not fully understood.

Sebaceous carcinoma arising in nevus sebaceus.

A 53-year-old woman had had a pale-brown lesion on her right cheek and neck from birth. Since she was about 40 years old, part of the lesion had gradually elevated and increased in size. At the first examination, there was a huge mass measuring 110 x 70 x 35 mm on the right cheek.

Negative association between serum dioxin level and oxidative DNA damage markers in municipal waste incinerator workers.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of dioxin on the formation of oxidative DNA damage and urinary mutagenicity, we measured the concentrations of serum dioxins and lymphocytic 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG) in 57 male waste incinerator workers, urinary 8-OH-dG and urinary mutagenicity in 29 male waste incinerator workers.

Methods: Information about the subjects was obtained from a questionnaire. Concentrations of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD), polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDF), and coplanar-polychlorinated-biphenyl (Co-PCB) in serum samples from the workers were measured with a high-resolution gas chromatograph /high-resolution mass spectrometer.

[Load on the low back of care workers in nursing homes for the elderly].

In order to evaluate the load on the low back of care workers in nursing homes for the elderly, basic activities and working postures were analyzed for six care workers using the 30-s snap reading method. The trunk inclination angle (TIA) was also measured continuously using an inclination monitor. The analysis of basic activities showed that 22.

Prevention of toxic epidermal necrolysis by regulatory T cells.

To analyze immunoregulation of autoreactive T cells specific for epidermal skin antigens, we crossed transgenic mice expressing ovalbumin selectively in keratinocytes under the keratin 5 promoter (K5-mOVA) with mice expressing a K(b)-restricted OVA-specific T cell receptor transgene (OT-I). In athymic double-transgenic mice, OT-I cells developed extrathymically and, at 8-12 weeks of age, initiated severe epidermal damage mimicking toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN). In contrast, euthymic double-transgenic mice showed thymic deletion of OT-I cells, had few of these cells in the periphery, and never developed skin changes mimicking TEN.

Rare Helicobacter pylori infection as a factor for the very low stomach cancer incidence in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

To elucidate factors associated with the very low risk of gastric neoplasia in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, approximately 1/50 of the level in Japan, we recruited 52 male and 39 female participants from the general populace in the city of Yogyakarta in October 2003. Helicobacter pylori IgG antibodies were found in only 5% (0-13) (95% confidence interval) and 4% (0-9) for Javanese males and females, respectively, and were statistically lower than the 62% (58-65) and 57% (53-60), respectively, in Japanese. Furthermore, positive findings of pepsinogen test were only 0 and 2% (0-6) for males and females, in Yogyakarta, and were again significantly lower than the 23% (22-25) and 22% (20-23), in Japan.

A study on the effect of lead on event-related potentials among lead-exposed workers.

Objectives: In order to clarify the effect of lead on higher cerebral functions, lead-exposed workers (Pb group) and controls were examined for event-related potentials.

Subjects And Methods: Fourteen lead-exposed workers with a mean age of 57.1 yr (SD=4.

[Relationships between dioxin concentrations in deposited dust and those in serum of workers at municipal waste incineration plants].

Relationships between concentrations of polychlorodibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorodibenzofurans (PCDFs) in deposited dust and those in the serum of incinerator workers were examined at 13 municipal incineration plants. The following results were found. 1) Dust analysis showed that dominant constituents were octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD) and 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8-heptachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (HpCDD) among PCDDs, and 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8-heptachlorodibenzofuran (HpCDF) and octachlorodibenzofuran (OCDF) among PCDFs.

Vesiculobullous dermatomyositis with panniculitis without muscle disease.

Vesicles and bullae formation is rare in dermatomyositis. We describe a 60-year-old woman who presented with vesiculobullous dermatomyositis with panniculitis and no muscle disease.

Induction of T-cell-mediated skin disease specific for antigen transgenically expressed in keratinocytes.

Transgenic mice were generated to establish an animal model for T-cell-mediated autoimmune skin disease. A membrane-bound form of OVA (mOVA) was specifically expressed under the control of the keratin 5 (K5) promoter in the epidermal and hair follicular keratinocytes of mice. Syngeneic, wild-type mice rejected the skin grafts of K5-mOVA mice with the generation of OVA-specific CTL.

Inefficient response of T lymphocytes to glycosylphosphatidylinositol anchor-negative cells: implications for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria.

Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a hematopoietic stem cell disorder in which clonal cells defective in glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) biosynthesis are expanded, leading to complement-mediated hemolysis. PNH is often associated with bone marrow suppressive conditions, such as aplastic anemia. One hypothetical mechanism for the clonal expansion of GPI(-) cells in PNH is that the mutant cells escape attack by autoreactive cytotoxic cells that are thought to be responsible for aplastic anemia.

PDX-1 induces differentiation of intestinal epithelioid IEC-6 into insulin-producing cells.

A homeodomain containing transcription factor PDX-1 can induce beta-cell-specific gene expressions in some non-beta-cells and may therefore be useful for future diabetes gene/cell therapy. Among the potential target organs or tissues for transcription factor-mediated induction of beta-cell-like differentiation are the intestinal epithelial cells. They have certain merits over other tissues and organs in terms of accessibility for gene delivery and of similarity in developmental background to the pancreatic primordium.

Inhalation toxicokinetics of p-dichlorobenzene and daily absorption and internal accumulation in chronic low-level exposure to humans.

Inhalation toxicokinetics of p-dichlorobenzene ( p-DCB) in humans was evaluated, and the amounts of daily absorption and internal accumulation were estimated in order to obtain fundamental data for the risk assessment of chronic low-level exposure in the general population. Seven male subjects continuously inhaled about 2.5 ppm of p-DCB vapor for 1 h, and the concentration-time courses of p-DCB in their exhaled air and serum and of urinary 2,5-dichlorophenol (2,5-DCP), a major metabolite of p-DCB, were examined.