Skin Diseases in Elite Athletes.

An athlete's skin has to cope with various stressors that influence skin integrity. This study investigated the effect of intense sporting activity at a competitive level on skin health, independent of the type of sport. The prevalence of dermatoses in elite athletes who exercise 8 or more hours per week was compared to recreational athletes.

Retrospective evaluation of the performance of the electrical impedance spectroscopy system Nevisense in detecting keratinocyte cancers.

Background: Keratinocyte cancers, also referred to as non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs), are one of the most common malignant skin tumors. We performed a retrospective analysis of lesions from patients of a private dermatology practice to evaluate the use of electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in detecting keratinocyte malignancies. The aim of the study is to assess the accuracy of the technique and to rate its use as supportive tool in NMSC diagnosis.

Sphingosine 1-Phosphate Produced by Sphingosine Kinase 2 Intrinsically Controls Platelet Aggregation In Vitro and In Vivo.

Rationale: Platelets are known to play a crucial role in hemostasis. Sphingosine kinases (Sphk) 1 and 2 catalyze the conversion of sphingosine to the bioactive metabolite sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P). Although platelets are able to secrete S1P on activation, little is known about a potential intrinsic effect of S1P on platelet function.

Reciprocal coupling of coagulation and innate immunity via neutrophil serine proteases.

Blood neutrophils provide the first line of defense against pathogens but have also been implicated in thrombotic processes. This dual function of neutrophils could reflect an evolutionarily conserved association between blood coagulation and antimicrobial defense, although the molecular determinants and in vivo significance of this association remain unclear. Here we show that major microbicidal effectors of neutrophils, the serine proteases neutrophil elastase and cathepsin G, together with externalized nucleosomes, promote coagulation and intravascular thrombus growth in vivo.

Platelets contribute to postnatal occlusion of the ductus arteriosus.

The ductus arteriosus (DA) is a fetal shunt vessel between the pulmonary artery and the aorta that closes promptly after birth. Failure of postnatal DA closure is a major cause of morbidity and mortality particularly in preterm neonates. The events leading to DA closure are incompletely understood.

Protein disulfide isomerase as a trigger for tissue factor-dependent fibrin generation.

Recent evidence suggests that protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) represents an injury response signal that can activate tissue factor (TF), a major initiator protein of blood coagulation. PDI was found to be specifically exposed at the site of vessel injury, originating both from disrupted vessel-wall cells and adhering platelets. The exposed PDI promotes TF-dependent fibrin deposition in different mouse models of thrombosis.

Extracellular RNA constitutes a natural procoagulant cofactor in blood coagulation.

Upon vascular injury, locally controlled haemostasis prevents life-threatening blood loss and ensures wound healing. Intracellular material derived from damaged cells at these sites will become exposed to blood components and could contribute to blood coagulation and pathological thrombus formation. So far, the functional and mechanistic consequences of this concept are not understood.