Fine mapping of a psoriasis-susceptibility locus within the HLA class II region by using microsatellite markers in an association study of Japanese cases and controls.

Background: The association between psoriasis and the HLA antigens encoded by the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) genomic region is well known, but the role of the HLA class II region in susceptibility to psoriasis is unclear.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to map the psoriasis-susceptibility locus within the HLA class II region.

Methods: Three hundred seventy five unrelated Japanese patients with psoriasis vulgaris and 375 unrelated Japanese healthy controls were studied by an association analysis using 15 polymorphic microsatellite markers.

The role of NK cells in antitumor activity of dietary fucoidan from Undaria pinnatifida sporophylls (Mekabu).

Fucoidan from Mekabu (sporophyll of Undaria pinnatifida), a dietary alga, exerts antitumor activity possibly through enhancing the immune response. The present report describes the effects of dietary Mekabu fucoidan on the tumor growth of mouse A20 leukemia cells and on T cell-mediated immune responses in T cell receptor transgenic (DO-11 - 10 - Tg) mice. The animals were fed with a diet containing 1% Mekabu fucoidan (0.

Identification and characterization of novel variants of the thioredoxin reductase 3 new transcript 1 TXNRD3NT1.

We have identified and characterized a new gene sequence, TXNRD3NT1, whose transcripts, corresponding to the EST AA430236, were found by Affymetrix DNA chip analysis to be significantly down regulated in affected psoriatic tissue. The full-length cDNA of TXNRD3NT1 was isolated and characterized by combining 5'- and 3'-RACE (rapid amplication of cDNA ends) with screening a keratinocyte cDNA library, designing appropriate PCR primers, cloning amplified products, sequencing, and sequence analysis. Because part of this gene overlaps the previously described thioredoxin reductase 3 (TXNRD3) gene, we have named it TXNRD3NT1 (TXNRD3 new transcript 1).

Identification, expression analysis and polymorphism of a novel RLTPR gene encoding a RGD motif, tropomodulin domain and proline/leucine-rich regions.

We describe the isolation and characterization of a full-length cDNA encoded by a gene that was significantly down-regulated in the affected skin of patients with psoriasis vulgaris. The cDNA was isolated from a keratinocyte cDNA library and its sequence was found to correspond to a hypothetical locus recorded in GenBank with the accession number . The nucleotide sequence of the full-length cDNA was found to have an open reading frame of 1365 amino acids and to span approximately 12 kb of genomic DNA with 39 exons on chromosome 16q22.

A case of atypical benign fibrous histiocytoma.

A case of atypical benign fibrous histiocytoma is reported. A 62-year-old Japanese female visited our clinic because of an asymptomatic solitary lesion on the skin of the left leg. Physical examination revealed a polypoid mass lesion (2.

hRDH-E2 gene polymorphisms, variable transcriptional start sites, and psoriasis.

hRDH-E2 is a member of the short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) family that converts retinol to retinaldehyde as the first and rate-limiting step in the retinoic acid synthetic pathway. This pathway is critical for the maintenance of epidermal homeostasis in vivo. Previously, we reported that the mRNA levels of hRDH-E2 in psoriatic skin were elevated significantly compared with that in healthy individual skin and psoriatic unaffected skin.

Genetic association analysis using microsatellite markers in atopic dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is presumed to be influenced by genetic and environmental factors. In this study, 54 patients with AD were examined for disease association by the use of 12 microsatellite markers. Several significant associations were recognized in the alleles on chromosome 5, 7 and 11.