Role of infectious agents in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: facts and controversies.

The etiology of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) remains unknown, with potential infectious causes having been explored. This contribution evaluates the evidence suggesting an infectious etiology and pathogenesis of the disease, characterizes the relationships between various specific pathogens and CTCL, and discusses some of the difficulties in establishing a causal link between infectious agents and CTCL carcinogenesis. Researchers have evaluated CTCL specimens for evidence of infection with a variety of agents, including human T-lymphotropic virus, Epstein-Barr virus, human herpesvirus-8, and Staphylococcus aureus, although other pathogens also have been detected in CTCL.

Risk assessment in surgical patients: balancing iatrogenic risks and benefits.

Cutaneous procedures are associated with a wide variety of potential risks. This contribution discusses risk-related considerations in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative management of dermatologic surgery patients. In the preoperative setting, major considerations include bleeding risks, the presence of pacemakers or defibrillators, risks of local and systemic infection, and the possibility of adverse reactions to local anesthetics and topical agents used for dermatologic procedures.

Cutaneous reactions to epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors.

Cutaneous toxicities are the most common adverse effects of antineoplastic therapy with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors. Skin reactions to this class of agents usually present as papular and/or pustular follicular eruptions developing within two weeks of treatment onset. Other manifestations include generalized xerosis and pruritus, as well as abnormalities of the hair and nails.

Infectious agents in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

Infectious agents have long been suspected as potential causative agents in cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). Tissues of patients with CTCL have been evaluated for evidence of infection with a number of agents, including Staphylococcus aureus, retroviruses, and herpesviruses. These studies have failed to reveal a consistent association of CTCL with investigated agents.

Posttransplant cutaneous T-cell lymphoma: case reports and review of the association of calcineurin inhibitor use with posttransplant lymphoproliferative disease risk.

Background: Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma occurring in the context of posttransplant immunosuppression is rare, with 27 cases documented to date.

Observations: We report 2 new cases of posttransplant cutaneous T-cell lymphoma in patients treated at our institution. Both were male recipients of renal transplants who had undergone transplantation a mean of 5.

Follow-up of psoriatic arthritis mutilans patients treated with anti-TNF-alpha therapy.

Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a chronic inflammatory joint disease associated with psoriasis. Arthritis mutilans is a rare clinical form of PsA in which osteolysis and destructive changes in the joints lead to irreversible deformity and loss of function. This paper describes three patients with psoriatic arthritis mutilans who were followed for up to two years and received treatment with etanercept, a TNF-alpha targeting agent that is used to treat PsA and psoriasis.

The epidermal growth factor receptor signaling network in head and neck carcinogenesis and implications for targeted therapy.

Improved understanding of the molecular signaling pathways that mediate cellular transformation has led to the development of novel strategies for the treatment of cancer. The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a transmembrane protein with intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity, transduces important signals from the surface of epithelial cells to the intracellular domain. Aberrant signaling through EGFR plays a key role in the carcinogenesis of squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (SCCHN).

Mutation of p53 in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma correlates with Bcl-2 expression and increased susceptibility to cisplatin-induced apoptosis.

Background: The p53 protein, a well-known tumor suppressor that functions primarily as a transcription factor, initiates cell cycle arrest and apoptosis after genotoxic stress. The antiapoptotic regulator Bcl-2 is a downstream modulator of p53-induced apoptosis. Loss of function of the p53 tumor suppressor through mutation is an important event that contributes to cellular transformation.

The role of epidermal growth factor receptor in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Growth factor receptors play a crucial role in the cell proliferation pathways involved in the development of cancer. One such receptor, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), is upregulated in many types of human tumors, particularly head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). EGFR overexpression in HNSCC has been the basis for investigation of therapeutic strategies that target EGFR.

Measurement of facial muscle strength in normal subjects.

Objectives: Muscle strength is a fundamental measure of function for neuromuscular systems; however, mimetic facial muscle strength has never been recorded. The objective of the present feasibility project was to measure facial muscle strength.

Study Design: The study design was a prospective experimental trial in 10 normal subjects.