Epimorphin is a novel regulator of the progesterone receptor isoform-a.

Epimorphin/syntaxin-2 is a membrane-tethered protein localized extracellularly (Epim) and intracellularly (Stx-2). The extracellular form Epim stimulates morphogenic processes in a range of tissues, including in murine mammary glands where its overexpression in luminal epithelial cells is sufficient to drive hyperplasia and neoplasia. We analyzed WAP-Epim transgenic mice to gain insight into how Epim promotes malignancy.

A comparison of stigma among patients with leprosy in rural Tanzania and urban United States: a role for public health in dermatology.

Background:   Leprosy is a chronic infection of the skin and peripheral nerves caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae, which causes peripheral insensitivity and disfigurements of the skin, limbs, and digits. Social stigma is a common consequence of leprosy and may differ according to level of physical disfigurement and geographic location. The objective of this study was to assess social stigma encountered by patients with leprosy in clinical settings located in rural Tanzania and urban USA and to compare the social stigma reported in these regions.

Utilizing hairdressers for early detection of head and neck melanoma: an untapped resource.

This commentary raises an important issue that has not been sincerely considered in the field of dermatology, which is the vital role of hairdressers--a group that makes daily observations of the general populations' scalp and neck--in the detection of head and neck melanomas in the general population. We note several key areas of research that are needed to assess the feasibility of using hairdressers as a resource for melanoma detection and referral. If research suggests hairdressers can be trained and are willing to make appropriate referrals then implementing these efforts will likely reduce the increasing disease burden of head and neck melanomas.

A case report of cyclic neutropenia associated with pyoderma gangrenosum.

We present a 24-year-old female referred with non-healing wound of a few days duration on anterior aspect of her right foreleg. Biopsy of the wound was reported to be pyoderma gangrenosum on pathologic report. Further work up of the patient for high grade fever and occasional leukopenias revealed the diagnosis of cyclic neutropenia.

Incidence of isolation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from blood samples in tuberculosis patients in Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran, Iran.

It is estimated that one third of the world's population is latently infected with tuberculosis (TB). The HIV epidemic fuels the TB epidemic by increasing the risk of reactivation of latent TB infection and by facilitating a more rapid progression of TB disease. Although the incidence of TB is constant or decreasing in many regions of the world, rates remain high in developing countries as a consequence of the HIV epidemic.

Skin disease and stigma in emerging adulthood: impact on healthy development.

Background: Visible skin disorders can limit healthy psychosocial development in several domains owing to the stigma these disorders create.

Objective: To assess if emerging adults with acne and eczema perceive stigma in diverse developmental domains resulting from their visible skin conditions.

Methods: A convenience sample of 336 emerging adults attending a diverse public university in northern California completed a Web-based survey.

The WNT receptor FZD7 contributes to self-renewal signaling of human embryonic stem cells.

A number of recent studies identified nuclear factors that together have the unique ability to induce pluripotency in differentiated cell types. However, little is known about the factors that are needed to maintain human embryonic stem (ES) cells in an undifferentiated state. In a search for such requirements, we performed a comprehensive meta-analysis of publicly available SAGE and microarray data.