Comprehensive circRNA-microRNA-mRNA network analysis revealed the novel regulatory mechanism of Trichosporon asahii infection.

Background: Invasive Trichosporon asahii (T. asahii) infection frequently occurs with a high mortality in immunodeficient hosts, but the pathogenesis of T. asahii infection remains elusive.

Consensus on Pre-examination and Triage in Clinic of Dermatology During Outbreak of COVID-19 From Chinese Experts.

The 2019 novel coronavirus infection has brought a great challenge in prevention and control of the national epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China. During the fight against the epidemic of COVID-19, properly carrying out pre-examination and triage for patients with skin lesions and fever has been a practical problem encountered in hospitals for skin diseases as well as clinics of dermatology in general hospitals. Considering that certain skin diseases may have symptom of fever, and some of the carriers of 2019 novel coronavirus and patients with COVID-19 at their early stage may do not present any symptoms of COVID-19, to properly deal with the visitors to clinics of dermatology, the Chinese Society of Dermatology organized experts to formulate the principles and procedures for pre-examination and triage of visitors to clinics of dermatology during the epidemic of COVID-19.

Adipose tissue-derived stem cells ameliorates dermal fibrosis in a mouse model of scleroderma.

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic potential of adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) for limited cutaneous scleroderma (LS) in mouse models.

Methods: ADSCs were isolated from pathogen-free female C57BL/6 mice and LS was induced in wild type (WT) C57BL/6 mice via daily injection of bleomycin (0.1 mL × 300 μg/mL) for 4 weeks; then the ADSCs were subcutaneously injected into the dorsal area in the model treatment group, and 100 μL of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution was injected into the same site in the model control group.

Angiotensin II stimulates melanogenesis via the protein kinase C pathway.

Melanogenesis is a physiological process that results in the synthesis of melanin pigments, which serve a crucial function in hyperpigmentation. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of angiotensin II (Ang II) on melanogenesis and to elucidate the molecular events of Ang II-induced melanogenesis. Experiments were performed on human melanocytes to elucidate the pigmenting effect of Ang II and the underlying mechanisms.

Donor-antigen Inoculation in the Testis Promotes Skin Allograft Acceptance Induced by Conventional Costimulatory Blockade via Induction of CD8 + CD122+ and CD4 + CD25+ Regulatory T Cells.

Background: Immune responses are somewhat suppressed in immune privileged sites, including the testes, which provide a preexisting opportunity to prolong allograft survival. Previous studies have shown that intratesticular islet allografts enjoy extended survival even without any immunosuppression. However, it is unknown if testicular immune privilege can be exploited to prolong the survival of a solid allograft, including the skin, because it is impractical to implant a solid tissue in human testes.

Astragalus polysaccharide suppresses excessive collagen accumulation in a murine model of bleomycin-induced scleroderma.

Systemic scleroderma is an autoimmune disease characterized by fibrotic changes in skin and other organs involving excessive collagen deposition. The transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling pathway plays a key role in the fibrotic process in systemic scleroderma (SSc). Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) isolated from one of the Chinese herbs, Astragalus mongholicus, are known to have a variety of immunomodulatory activities.

Angiotensin II promotes melanogenesis via angiotensin II type 1 receptors in human melanocytes.

Angiotensin II (AngII) is a hormone with long-established cardiovascular actions. Previous studies have revealed an additional role for AngII in the regulation of cutaneous wound healing. To evaluate the association between AngII and abnormal pigmentation of cutaneous wound healing, the present study used human melanocytes to investigate the effects of AngII on melanogenesis, and to elucidate the possible underlying mechanisms.

Activating transcription factor 3 interferes with p21 activation in histone deacetylase inhibitor-induced growth inhibition of epidermoid carcinoma cells.

Inhibition of histone deacetylase (HDAC) activity by HDAC inhibitors (HDACis) results in cancer cell growth inhibition, and HDACis have been revealed as potential anti-skin cancer agents. p21 is a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor and an essential regulator of growth inhibition. Recently, we reported that activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) could significantly promote skin cancer cell growth.

Targeting the TGF-β receptor with kinase inhibitors for scleroderma therapy.

Scleroderma (systemic sclerosis) is a connective tissue disease that affects various organ systems; the treatment of scleroderma is still difficult and remains a challenge to the clinician. Recently, kinase inhibitors have shown great potential against fibrotic diseases and, specifically, the transforming growth factor-β receptor (TGF-βR) was found as a new and promising target for scleroderma therapy. In the current study, we propose that the large pool of existing kinase inhibitors could be exploited for inhibiting the TGF-βR to suppress scleroderma.

The antifungal effect of silver nanoparticles on Trichosporon asahii.

Background/purpose: Silver nanoparticles are receiving increasing attention in biomedical applications. This study aims at evaluating the antifungal properties of silver nanoparticles against the pathogenic fungus Trichosporon asahii.

Methods: The growth of T.

ATF3 activates Stat3 phosphorylation through inhibition of p53 expression in skin cancer cells.

Aim: ATF3, a member of the ATF/CREB family of transcription factors, has been found to be selectively induced by calcineurin/NFAT inhibition and to enhance keratinocyte tumor formation, although the precise role of ATF3 in human skin cancer and possible mechanisms remain unknown.

Methods: In this study, clinical analysis of 30 skin cancer patients and 30 normal donors revealed that ATF3 was accumulated in skin cancer tissues. Functional assays demonstrated that ATF3 significantly promoted skin cancer cell proliferation.

Environmental investigations and molecular typing of Aspergillus in a Chinese hospital.

Invasive fungal infections due to Aspergillus species have become a major cause of morbidity and mortality among immunocompromised patients. In order to determine the possible relationship between environmental contamination by Aspergillus and the occurrence of invasive aspergillosis, a 1-year prospective study was carried out in a tertiary hospital in China. Air, surface, and tap water sampling was performed twice monthly at the bone marrow transplant (BMT) department, intensive care unit (ICU), neurosurgery intensive care unit (NICU), and outdoors.

Randomized trial of three phototherapy methods for the treatment of acne vulgaris in Chinese patients.

Background And Aims: Acne vulgaris is common in Asian populations. We compared three methods of phototherapy for the treatment of moderate to severe facial acne vulgaris in Chinese patients.

Methods: Patients were randomly assigned to receive photodynamic therapy (PDT), intense pulsed light (IPL) or blue-red light-emitting diode (LED) phototherapy to the right side of the face until the inflammatory lesion count reduced by ≥ 90%.

Histological and electron microscopic analysis of fractional micro-plasma radio-frequency technology effects.

Objective: The aim of this explorative study was to investigate the histological effects of a novel micro-plasma radio-frequency technology for skin rejuvenation the assessment of different parameters.

Methods: Thirty guinea pigs were randomly selected and were distributed into three treatment groups: 40W/10KJ, 60W/10KJ, and 80W/10KJ. The treated skin was analyzed immediately, one week and one month post-treatment using histology and transmission electron microscope (TEM).

Epidemiology of opportunistic invasive fungal infections in China: review of literature.

Objective: To summarize the recent findings on the epidemiology of medically important, opportunistic invasive fungal infections (IFIs) in China and discuss the relevant social, economical reasons and medical factors.

Data Sources: We performed a comprehensive search of both English and Chinese literatures of opportunistic IFIs from China up to April 2012.

Study Selection: Relevant literatures involving researches and cases/case series were identified, retrieved and reviewed.

Slowly progressive cutaneous, rhinofacial, and pulmonary mucormycosis caused by Mucor irregularis in an immunocompetent woman.

We herein report a case of slowly progressive cutaneous, rhinofacial, and pulmonary mucormycosis caused by Mucor irregularis in an immunocompetent woman who was successfully managed by combined surgical debridement and antifungal therapy. Slow progression, pulmonary involvement, occurrence in an immunocompetent patient, and good prognosis are unusual features of our case.

Genome sequence of the Trichosporon asahii environmental strain CBS 8904.

This is the first report of the genome sequence of Trichosporon asahii environmental strain CBS 8904, which was isolated from maize cobs. Comparison of the genome sequence with that of clinical strain CBS 2479 revealed that they have >99% chromosomal and mitochondrial sequence identity, yet CBS 8904 has 368 specific genes. Analysis of clusters of orthologous groups predicted that 3,307 genes belong to 23 functional categories and 703 genes were predicted to have a general function.

Draft genome sequence of CBS 2479, the standard type strain of Trichosporon asahii.

Trichosporon asahii is one of the important opportunistic pathogenic fungi. Here, we first report the draft nuclear chromosome genome sequence and mitochondrial genome sequence of T. asahii CBS 2479, which is a standard strain of T.

Breakthrough trichosporonosis in patients receiving echinocandins: case report and literature review.

Trichosporon species now ranks as the second most common cause of disseminated yeast infections with a high mortality rate. Breakthrough trichosporonosis in patients receiving echinocandins therapy is being recognized recently. We present a case of breakthrough trichosporonosis with acute viral myocarditis while receiving caspofungin therapy.

Environment surveillance of filamentous fungi in two tertiary care hospitals in China.

Background: Invasive fungal infections have constituted an increasingly important cause of morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients. In this study, a surveillance project was conducted in three different intensive care units of two large tertiary hospitals in China.

Methods: A one-year surveillance project was conducted in two tertiary hospitals which located in northern China and southwest China respectively.

Chemical analysis of Agaricus blazei polysaccharides and effect of the polysaccharides on IL-1beta mRNA expression in skin of burn wound-treated rats.

Agaricus blazei polysaccharides were analyzed by GC-MS. Results indicated that the polysaccharides contained glucose (93.87%), mannose (3.

[Migratory and chemoattractant responses of mesenchymal stem cells to oxidative stress injury of endothelial cell in vitro].

Objective: To investigate the possibilities of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) migrating toward the oxidative stress injuries of endothelial cells.

Methods: hMSCs were isolated and cultured from human marrow in vitro and the multipotential differentiation of P3 hMSCs identified by specific medium induced to differentiate into osteoblasts, adipocytes and endothelial cells. And the marker antigen of P3 hMSCs was detected by flow cytometry (FCM) and immunohistochemistry.