Changes in hair weight and hair count in men with androgenetic alopecia, after application of 5% and 2% topical minoxidil, placebo, or no treatment.

Quantitative estimation of hair growth using hair weight and number was recorded for 120 weeks in 4 groups of 9 men with androgenetic alopecia. Three double-blind groups applied either 2% or 5% minoxidil solution, or vehicle. The fourth group, unblinded, received no treatment.

Clinical dose ranging studies with finasteride, a type 2 5alpha-reductase inhibitor, in men with male pattern hair loss.

Background: Androgenetic alopecia is a common condition of adult men. Finasteride, a type 2 5alpha-reductase inhibitor, decreases the formation of dihydrotestosterone from testosterone.

Objective: Two separate clinical studies were conducted to establish the optimal dose of finasteride in men with this condition.

Recalcitrant scarring follicular disorders treated by laser-assisted hair removal: a preliminary report.

Background: Recalcitrant scarring follicular disorders have been treated previously by removing hair follicles both surgically by scalp resection with skin grafting and with X-ray epilation. Laser-assisted hair removal may provide an alternate method of hair removal with less associated morbidity.

Objective: The goal is to determine whether laser-assisted hair removal can be used to treat follicular inflammatory disorders by destroying hair follicles.

Finasteride in the treatment of men with androgenetic alopecia. Finasteride Male Pattern Hair Loss Study Group.

Background: Androgenetic alopecia (male pattern hair loss) is caused by androgen-dependent miniaturization of scalp hair follicles, with scalp dihydrotestosterone (DHT) implicated as a contributing cause. Finasteride, an inhibitor of type II 5alpha-reductase, decreases serum and scalp DHT by inhibiting conversion of testosterone to DHT.

Objective: Our purpose was to determine whether finasteride treatment leads to clinical improvement in men with male pattern hair loss.

Boston HAPPENS Program: a model of health care for HIV-positive, homeless, and at-risk youth. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Adolescent Provider and Peer Education Network for Services.

The Boston HAPPENS [Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Adolescent Provider and Peer Education Network for Services] Program is a project supported by Special Projects of National Significance (SPNS) Program, HIV/AIDS Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration, which provides a network of care for homeless, at-risk, and HIV-positive youth (ages 12-24 years), involving eight agencies. The program has provided services to 1301 youth, including 46 who are HIV-positive. Boston HAPPENS provides a citywide network of culturally and developmentally appropriate adolescent-specific care, including: (a) outreach and risk-reduction counseling through professional and adult-supervised peer staff, (b) access to appropriate HIV counseling and testing support services, (c) life management counseling (mental health intake and visits as part of health care and at times of crisis), (d) health status screening and services needs assessment, (e) client-focused, comprehensive, multidisciplinary care and support, (f) follow-up and outreach to ensure continuing care, and (g) integrated care and communication among providers in the metropolitan Boston area.

Expression and purification of correctly processed, active human TACE catalytic domain in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Human tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF alpha) converting enzyme (TACE) releases soluble TNF alpha from cells. It is a member of the adamalysin family of metalloproteases. A truncated form of TACE cDNA was expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and purified to homogeneity in order to study TACE structure and function.

Inhibition of platelet function by recombinant soluble ecto-ADPase/CD39.

Excessive platelet accumulation and recruitment, leading to vessel occlusion at sites of vascular injury, present major therapeutic challenges in cardiovascular medicine. Endothelial cell CD39, an ecto-enzyme with ADPase and ATPase activities, rapidly metabolizes ATP and ADP released from activated platelets, thereby abolishing recruitment. Therefore, a soluble form of CD39, retaining nucleotidase activities, would constitute a novel antithrombotic agent.

Hair regrowth. Therapeutic agents.

Today there are new classes of hair growth promotors with proven efficacy. This article reviews the current state of the art agents for treatment of two of the most common forms of hair loss encountered in clinical practice, androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata. Current therapeutic strategies are based on recent advances in the understanding of disordered hair growth.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae-secreted fusion proteins Pfs25 and Pfs28 elicit potent Plasmodium falciparum transmission-blocking antibodies in mice.

Transmission-blocking vaccines based on sexual-stage surface antigens of Plasmodium falciparum may assist in the control of this lethal form of human malaria. Two vaccine candidates, Pfs25 and Pfs28, were produced as single recombinant fusion proteins. The 39-kDa chimeric proteins, having a C-terminal His6 tag, were secreted by Saccharomyces cerevisiae, using the prepro-alpha-factor leader sequence.

Different levels of 5alpha-reductase type I and II, aromatase, and androgen receptor in hair follicles of women and men with androgenetic alopecia.

In this study, 12 women and 12 men, ages 18-33 y, with androgenetic alopecia were selected for biopsies from frontal and occipital scalp sites. The androgen receptor, type I and II 5alpha-reductase, cytochrome P-450-aromatase enzyme were measured and analyzed in hair follicles from these scalp biopsies. Findings revealed that both women and men have higher levels of receptors and 5alpha-reductase type I and II in frontal hair follices than in occipital follicles, whereas higher levels of aromatase were found in their occipital follicles.

Pancreas and kidney allograft-infiltrating cells in simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation.

Background: Rejection after pancreas-kidney transplantation may occur isolated or concurrently in both grafts. To get more insight into the cellular mechanisms underlying these rejection episodes, we compared the functional characteristics of pancreas and kidney graft-infiltrating T cells.

Methods: Graft-infiltrating T cell (GIC) lines were cultured from simultaneously taken pancreas and kidney biopsies from eight patients.

What's it all about, empathy?

This paper investigates the concept of empathy, a core element of all helping relationships. A discussion of its prevalence in the nursing literature is traced, before a discussion ensues as to whether it is a naturally acquired ability which develops with maturity, or whether it is a skill that can be taught and learnt. It is concluded that empathy remains a poorly defined, multidimensional concept which still remains not fully identified.

Cuticle cell defects in lamellar ichthyosis hair and anomalous hair shaft syndromes visualized after detergent extraction.

Background: The biochemical bases for fragility in most of the rare brittle hair shaft syndromes are unknown. The hypothesis being investigated in several syndromes is that the hair cuticle cells show defects in cross-linked protein features. Since transglutaminases stabilize protein structures by cross-linking them, hair from autosomal recessive lamellar ichthyosis patients lacking keratinocyte transglutaminase was examined to find whether this enzyme participates in hair shaft stabilization.

Heritable factors distinguish two types of alopecia areata.

Alopecia areata (AA) has been shown to be associated with the inheritance of HLA class II alleles. HLA-DQ3 appears to be the general susceptibility allele for AA. Patients with long-standing disease patterns, namely, longterm patchy AA and long-term alopecia totalis and alopecia universalis (AT/AU), can be differentiated by their particular HLA associations.