Efficacy and Safety of the Traditional Japanese Medicine Keigairengyoto in the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris.

Several traditional Japanese medicines including Keigairengyoto (KRT) are used to treat acne vulgaris, but there is no robust evidence of their effectiveness. In this study, we examined the effectiveness and safety of KRT in treating acne vulgaris. An open-label, randomized, parallel control group comparison was conducted with a conventional treatment group (adapalene and topical antibiotics; control group) and a KRT group (control treatment plus KRT).

Case of diabetic scleredema: diagnostic value of magnetic resonance imaging.

We report the case of a patient with a 20-year history of diabetes mellitus type 2 who developed sclerotic skin lesions on his neck and upper back. Physical and histological findings were compatible with diabetic scleredema. T(2)-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed diffuse thickening of the dermis and subcutaneous tissue, with hyperintense signals.

Bullous pemphigoid followed by pustular psoriasis showing Th1, Th2, Treg and Th17 immunological changes.

Psoriasis vulgaris is occasionally accompanied by autoimmune bullous diseases, but the opposite is very rare. We document here the first reported case of generalized pustular psoriasis that appeared during steroid therapy for bullous pemphigoid. The serum cytokine levels and the results of an immunohistochemical study over the disease course suggest that the immunological state was consistent with a shift from Th2-dominance to Th1-dominance.

Expression of minichromosome maintenance 5 protein in proliferative and malignant skin diseases.

Background: The entire minichromosome maintenance (MCM) family (MCM2-7) play roles in the initiation and elongation of DNA replication. Many studies have demonstrated that MCM proteins may be better indicators of a wide variety of proliferative or cancer cells in malignant tissues.

Objectives: To characterize the pattern and frequency of MCM5 expression in proliferative and malignant skin diseases in comparison with those of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA).

Development of atopic dermatitis-specific communication tools: Interview form and question and answer brochure.

At first consultation, it is sometimes difficult for patients to decide which questions they want to ask most. We investigated whether an improvement in interview forms would identify the questions that patients want to ask doctors and help patients express their needs. First, we developed a two-part interview form specifically for atopic dermatitis (AD) patients.

Expression of p16 and hTERT protein is associated with the presence of high-risk human papillomavirus in Bowenoid papulosis.

Background: High-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) type E6 and E7 oncoproteins contribute to oncogenesis in multiple ways by modulating the activities of host components in cell-cycle regulation including the expression of p16 protein (p16) and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). The expression of p16 and hTERT protein in Bowenoid papulosis (BP) has not been studied.

Methods: Biopsy samples of BP from 26 patients were subjected to in situ hybridization for various HPV strains and immunohistochemical staining for p16 and hTERT.

Overexpression of phosphorylated-STAT3 and phosphorylated-ERK protein in dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans.

The overexpression of phosphorylated signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (p-STAT3) and phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase (p-ERK) have recently been shown to play an important role in the pathogenesis of various human tumors. However, the role of these two major signal transduction pathways in dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) remains unknown. This study was designed to investigate the significance of p-STAT3 and p-ERK expression in DFSP.

Anti-CXCR3 staining is useful for detecting human cutaneous and mucosal mast cells.

Human synovial mast cells (MC) can be immunolabelled with antihuman CXCR3 antibody (Ab) (clone 49801). We have investigated whether cutaneous and mucosal MC are stained with anti-CXCR3 Ab in paraffin-embedded sections. Immunohistochemical staining and immunofluorescence double staining assays were performed with anti-CXCR3, anti-tryptase, and anti-chymase Ab using normal skin, psoriatic skin lesions, and normal colon.

A case of giant porokeratosis with vestiges of a cornoid lamella.

We report a case of giant porokeratosis combined with ulcerative squamous cell carcinoma. In our patient, we biopsied the skin, including the edge of the skin lesion, four times until we obtained histologic proof of a cornoid lamella. After we had established the diagnosis, we totally excised the affected skin including a 10-mm safety margin, because such lesions tend to develop into skin cancer.

Prolonged severe pancytopenia preceding the cutaneous lesions of juvenile xanthogranuloma.

We report a case of juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG) having progressive pancytopenia for 6 months until the proliferating skin lesions. A 2-month-old infant presented recurrent fever, anemia, and hepatosplenomegaly mimicking hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) or juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML). At 8 months of age, the biopsy of a growing papule on the elbow made the diagnosis.