Communication Skills and Illness Perception Among Non-Japanese-Speaking Patients in Japan.

Background: Non-Japanese-speaking patients taking medical treatment in Japan face language barriers and lack of language assistance. Language barriers influence all processes from preventive services to treatment, and insufficient communication can affect patient outcomes. Illness perception, which is related to illness-coping behaviors and self-care behaviors, is an important factor for effective treatment, but no studies have investigated the relationship between communication skills and illness perception among non-Japanese-speaking patients.

An Investigation into the Prevention of Turnover of Medical Interpreters.

Objective: Since there have been no studies for the prevention of job turnover among medical interpreters, this study examined the effects of social support, professional career maturity and stress coping on their attitudes toward job continuity intentions.

Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the relationships between social support, professional career maturity, stress coping and job continuity intentions.

Methods: Stress coping was measured by using a simplified stress coping scale (with 9 items and 1 factor structure).

Relationship between Illness Perception and the need for Professional Medical Interpretation for International Patients in Japan.

This study aimed to conduct a cross-sectional questionnaire survey of foreign patients to analyze the impact of patients' illness perceptions on their need for professional medical interpreters. From February 2022 to May 2023, an online questionnaire was distributed to 4,962 individuals aged 18 years or older who were non-native speakers of Japanese. These individuals were enrolled in organizations such as international exchange associations and Japanese language support classes and had utilized medical institutions in Japan due to their own illness or injury or that of their children.

Calcitriol modulates epidermal tight junction barrier function in human keratinocytes.

Background: The aberrant expression of tight junction (TJ) proteins play an important role in several diseases with impaired skin barriers, including atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and chronic wounds. The evidence provided thus far suggests an important role of calcitriol in skin homeostasis. However, it is not known whether calcitriol improves the impaired skin barrier.

Illness Perception Accorded by Language Assistance in Non-Japanese-Speaking Patients.

Background and objective While over half of foreign residents in Japan need language assistance during medical consultations, no extant studies have clarified illness perception accorded by language assistance in non-Japanese-speaking patients. This cross-sectional study conducted an online questionnaire survey to investigate the illness perception of non-Japanese-speaking patients and analyze the factors related to illness perception. Methodology The survey was conducted twice, from February to May 2022 and from February to April 2023, targeting non-Japanese-speaking individuals.

Relationship Between Patient-Provider Language Discordance and the Need for Professional Medical Interpretation for International Patients in Japan.

Background: Language barriers between patients and healthcare providers pose significant challenges in medical care in Japanese hospitals. Inadequate patient understanding of discussions with healthcare providers because of patient-provider language discordance has been reported in previous studies. There are growing expectations of professional medical interpreters to address these challenges.

Calcitriol, an Active Form of Vitamin D3, Mitigates Skin Barrier Dysfunction in Atopic Dermatitis NC/Nga Mice.

Atopic dermatitis and psoriasis are prevalent chronic inflammatory skin diseases that are characterized by dysfunctional skin barriers and substantially impact patients' quality of life. Vitamin D3 regulates immune responses and keratinocyte differentiation and improves psoriasis symptoms; however, its effects on atopic dermatitis remain unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of calcitriol, an active form of vitamin D3, on an NC/Nga mouse model of atopic dermatitis.

The Antimicrobial Peptide AMP-IBP5 Suppresses Dermatitis-like Lesions in a Mouse Model of Atopic Dermatitis through the Low-Density Lipoprotein Receptor-Related Protein-1 Receptor.

The antimicrobial peptide derived from insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 5 (AMP-IBP5) exhibits antimicrobial activities and immunomodulatory functions in keratinocytes and fibroblasts. However, its role in regulating skin barrier function remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of AMP-IBP5 on the skin barrier and its role in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis (AD).

Cathelicidin LL-37 Activates Human Keratinocyte Autophagy through the P2X₇, Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin, and MAPK Pathways.

Human cathelicidin LL-37 is a multifunctional antimicrobial peptide that exhibits antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities. LL-37 regulates skin barrier function and was recently reported to activate autophagy in macrophages. Because autophagy deficiency is associated with skin diseases characterized by a dysfunctional epidermal barrier, we hypothesized that LL-37 might regulate the skin barrier through autophagy modulation.

Experimental and Clinical Evidence Suggests That Treatment with Betacellulin Can Alleviate Th2-Type Cytokine-Mediated Impairment of Skin Barrier Function.

Betacellulin (BTC) is a peptide ligand that belongs to the epidermal growth factor family, the members of which have been implicated in skin morphogenesis, homeostasis, repair, and angiogenesis; however, the role of BTC in the regulation of the skin barrier remains unknown. To examine the role of BTC in skin barrier function, we analyzed atopic dermatitis (AD) transcriptomic data from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets, performed BTC immunohistochemistry using human skin tissues, and evaluated the effects of BTC on primary human keratinocytes by real-time PCR, Western blotting, and assay of the transepidermal electrical resistance (TER), a functional parameter to monitor the tight junction barrier. We found that the gene expression of BTC was downregulated in skin lesions from patients with AD, and this downregulated expression recovered following biological treatments.

The Antimicrobial Peptides Human β-Defensins Induce the Secretion of Angiogenin in Human Dermal Fibroblasts.

The skin produces a plethora of antimicrobial peptides that not only show antimicrobial activities against pathogens but also exhibit various immunomodulatory functions. Human β-defensins (hBDs) are the most well-characterized skin-derived antimicrobial peptides and contribute to diverse biological processes, including cytokine production and the migration, proliferation, and differentiation of host cells. Additionally, hBD-3 was recently reported to promote wound healing and angiogenesis, by inducing the expression of various angiogenic factors and the migration and proliferation of fibroblasts.

Human β-defensin-3 attenuates atopic dermatitis-like inflammation through autophagy activation and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor signaling pathway.

Human β-defensin-3 (hBD-3) exhibits antimicrobial and immunomodulatory activities; however, its contribution to autophagy regulation remains unclear, and the role of autophagy in the regulation of the epidermal barrier in atopic dermatitis (AD) is poorly understood. Here, keratinocyte autophagy was restrained in the skin lesions of patients with AD and murine models of AD. Interestingly, hBD-3 alleviated the IL-4- and IL-13-mediated impairment of the tight junction (TJ) barrier through keratinocyte autophagy activation, which involved aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) signaling.

Candidalysin, a Virulence Factor of Candida albicans, Stimulates Mast Cells by Mediating Cross-Talk Between Signaling Pathways Activated by the Dectin-1 Receptor and MAPKs.

Purpose: Although mast cells (MCs) modulate the activity of effector cells during Candida albicans infection, their role in the pathogenesis of candidiasis remains unclear. Candidalysin, a C. albicans-derived peptide toxin, is a crucial factor in fungal infections.

A Pancancer Analysis of the Oncogenic Role of S100 Calcium Binding Protein A7 (S100A7) in Human Tumors.

Background: Although emerging studies support the relationship between S100 calcium binding protein A7 (S100A7) and various cancers, no pancancer analysis of S100A7 is available thus far.

Methods: We investigated the potential oncogenic roles of S100A7 across 33 tumors based on datasets from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Moreover, a survival prognosis analysis was performed with the gene expression profiling interactive analysis (GEPIA) web server and Kaplan-Meier plotter, followed by the genetic alteration analysis of S100A7 and enrichment analysis of S100A7-related genes.

Antimicrobial peptide derived from insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 5 improves diabetic wound healing.

Impaired keratinocyte functions are major factors that are responsible for delayed diabetic wound healing. In addition to its antimicrobial activity, the antimicrobial peptide derived from insulin-like growth factor-binding protein 5 (AMP-IBP5) activates mast cells and promotes keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation and migration. However, its effects on diabetic wound healing remain unclear.

Opposing Roles of Antimicrobial Peptides in Skin Cancers.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), also known as host defense peptides, are ubiquitous naturally occurring molecules secreted by various cell types of the body. In the skin, AMPs serve as a first-line innate immune defense against exogenous microorganisms, and they orchestrate adaptive immune responses to exert several immunomodulatory functions. Emerging evidence indicates that AMPs not only contribute to certain inflammatory skin diseases but also play a role in skin tumor carcinogenesis.

S100A7 Co-localization and Up-regulation of Filaggrin in Human Sinonasal Epithelial Cells.

Objective: Filaggrin (FLG) is a protein expressed in the epidermis and involved in the maintenance of the epidermal barrier. However, the expression and localization of FLG in the upper airway remain controversial. The present study aimed to determine the significance of FLG and the effect of S100A7 on FLG expression in the upper respiratory mucosa.

The Antimicrobial Peptide Human β-Defensin-3 Accelerates Wound Healing by Promoting Angiogenesis, Cell Migration, and Proliferation Through the FGFR/JAK2/STAT3 Signaling Pathway.

In addition to its antimicrobial activity, the skin-derived antimicrobial peptide human β-defensin-3 (hBD-3) promotes keratinocyte proliferation and migration to initiate the wound healing process; however, its effects on fibroblasts, which are the major cell type responsible for wound healing, remain unclear. We investigated the role of hBD-3 in cell migration, proliferation and production of angiogenic growth factors in human fibroblasts and evaluated the effect of hBD-3 on promoting wound healing and angiogenesis. Following hBD-3 treatment, the mouse wounds healed faster and showed accumulation of neutrophils and macrophages in the early phase of wound healing and reduction of these phagocytes 4 days later.

Enhancement of Mast Cell Degranulation Mediated by Purinergic Receptors' Activation and PI3K Type δ.

Mast cells express multiple metabotropic purinergic P2Y receptor (P2YR) subtypes. Few studies have evaluated their role in human mast cell (HMC) allergic response as quantified by degranulation induced by cross-linking the high-affinity IgE receptor (FcεRI). We have previously shown that extracellular nucleotides modify the FcεRI activation-dependent degranulation in HMCs derived from human lungs, but the mechanism of this action has not been fully delineated.

Intractable Itch in Atopic Dermatitis: Causes and Treatments.

Itch or pruritus is the hallmark of atopic dermatitis and is defined as an unpleasant sensation that evokes the desire to scratch. It is also believed that itch is a signal of danger from various environmental factors or physiological abnormalities. Because histamine is a well-known substance inducing itch, H-antihistamines are the most frequently used drugs to treat pruritus.

Exogenous factors in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis: Irritants and cutaneous infections.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a chronic relapsing inflammatory cutaneous disease that is often associated with other atopic symptoms, such as food allergy, allergic rhinitis and asthma, leading to significant morbidity and healthcare costs. The pathogenesis of AD is complicated and multifactorial. Although the aetiology of AD remains incompletely understood, recent studies have provided further insight into AD pathophysiology, demonstrating that the interaction among genetic predisposition, immune dysfunction and environmental provocation factors contributes to its development.

Role of Antimicrobial Peptides in Skin Barrier Repair in Individuals with Atopic Dermatitis.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common chronic inflammatory skin disease that exhibits a complex interplay of skin barrier disruption and immune dysregulation. Patients with AD are susceptible to cutaneous infections that may progress to complications, including staphylococcal septicemia. Although most studies have focused on filaggrin mutations, the physical barrier and antimicrobial barrier also play critical roles in the pathogenesis of AD.