Alopecia universalis after injection of messenger RNA COVID-19 vaccine. A case report.

Messenger RNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 infection, or COVID-19 dramatically changed the landscape of the fight against COVID-19 pandemic. However, they might be associated with various side effects, such as myocarditis. Herein we report a case of alopecia universalis occurring after injection of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in a Japanese patient.

The landscape of genetic alterations of UVB-induced skin tumors in DNA repair-deficient mice.

Non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is mainly caused by ultraviolet (UV)-induced somatic mutations and is characterized by UV signature modifications. Xeroderma pigmentosum group A (Xpa) knockout mice exhibit extreme UV-induced photo-skin carcinogenesis, along with a photosensitive phenotype. We performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) samples after repetitive ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure to investigate the differences in the landscape of somatic mutations between Xpa knockout and wild-type mice.

Evaluation of Acute Reactions on Mouse Skin Irradiated with 222 and 235 nm UV-C.

Biological response and DNA damage following irradiation with shorter wavelengths in the UV-C range were evaluated to investigate the safety at three wavelengths because of the recent emergence of germicidal equipment emitting short-wavelength UV-C for various purposes, including medical uses. To estimate an acceptable safety dose for human skin in the UV-C range, especially short UV-C, we studied the biological effects of 207, 222 and 235 nm UV-C using albino hairless mice and evaluated the inflammatory reactions in the skin. To explore an appropriate indicator to evaluate the biological response, we employed determination of the minimal perceptible response dose (MPRD), by which any subtle cutaneous response; erythema, edema and scale could be observed by visual inspection.

Exploratory clinical trial on the safety and bactericidal effect of 222-nm ultraviolet C irradiation in healthy humans.

Introduction: Surgical site infection is one of the most severe complications of surgical treatments. However, the optimal procedure to prevent such infections remains uninvestigated. Ultraviolet radiation C (UVC) with a short wavelength has a high bactericidal effect; however, it is cytotoxic.

Long-term Effects of 222-nm ultraviolet radiation C Sterilizing Lamps on Mice Susceptible to Ultraviolet Radiation.

Germicidal lamps that emit primarily 254 nm ultraviolet radiation (UV) are routinely utilized for surface sterilization but cannot be used for human skin because they cause genotoxicity. As an alternative, 222-nm UVC has been reported to exert sterilizing ability comparable to that of 254-nm UVC without producing cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs), the major DNA lesions caused by UV. However, there has been no clear evidence for safety in chronic exposure to skin, particularly with respect to carcinogenesis.

Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived melanocyte precursor cells undergoing differentiation into melanocytes.

Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology offers a novel approach for conversion of human primary fibroblasts into melanocytes. During attempts to explore various protocols for differentiation of iPSCs into melanocytes, we found a distinct and self-renewing cell lineage that could differentiate into melanocytes, named as melanocyte precursor cells (MPCs). The MPCs exhibited a morphology distinctive from that of melanocytes, in lacking either the melanosomal structure or the melanocyte-specific marker genes MITF, TYR, and SOX10.

Inflammation Due to Voriconazole-induced Photosensitivity Enhanced Skin Phototumorigenesis in Xpa-knockout Mice.

Voriconazole is an antifungal agent and used as a prophylactic measure, especially in immunocompromised patients. However, there have been several reports of its adverse reactions, namely photosensitivity with intense inflammatory rashes and subsequent skin cancer development. To assess the effects of photosensitizing drugs voriconazole and hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) on the enhancement of UV-induced inflammatory responses and UV-induced tumorigenesis, we utilized Xpa-knockout mice, which is DNA repair-deficient and more susceptible to UV-induced inflammation and tumor development than wild-type mice.

CXCL1 Inhibition Regulates UVB-Induced Skin Inflammation and Tumorigenesis in Xpa-Deficient Mice.

Xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A is a hereditary disease characterized by early onset of skin cancers and freckle-like pigmented maculae in sun-exposed sites. Although the etiology of the predisposition to UVR-induced skin tumors in xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A is well investigated as a repair deficiency in UVR-induced DNA damage, the mechanism of exaggerated sunburn in patients with xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A and whether UVR-induced inflammation relates to a skin tumor-prone phenotype remains to be elucidated. Using gene profiling of xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group A model mice, Xpa-deficient mice, we found that expression of CXCL1 in the skin and blood of Xpa-deficient mice increased significantly after UVB exposure over even a limited area compared with that of wild-type mice.

Multiple apocrine poromas: a new case report.

Apocrine poromas are rare and distinctive benign adnexal neoplasms featuring tumor cells differentiating toward folliculosebaceous-apocrine units. We report an extremely rare case with multiple apocrine poromas in a single patient. Fifteen tumors were distributed on the head, neck, forearm and axilla of a 74-year-old man.

Detection of UV-induced cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers by near-infrared spectroscopy and aquaphotomics.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation causes cellular DNA damage, among which cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) are responsible for a variety of genetic mutations. Although several approaches have been developed for detection of CPDs, conventional methods require time-consuming steps. Aquaphotomics, a new approach based on near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and multivariate analysis that determines interactions between water and other components of the solution, has become an effective method for qualitative and quantitative parameters measurement in the solutions.

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor of the distal phalanx of the fifth toe: a case report.

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) involving bone is rare. We report a case of MPNST of the fifth toe. The lesion was located in the distal phalanx of the right fifth toe and extended into surrounding subcutaneous tissues.