Eponyms and clinical entities from the land of Israel.

Seven eponyms have been pioneered by dermatologists in Israel: Brenner's sign, Chanarin-Dorfman syndrome, granulated sweetener packet sign, isopathic phenomenon of Sagher, lanolin paradox, Nakar-Ingber disease, and Wolf's isotopic response. In addition, there are three id reactions described by Israeli dermatologists: leishmanid, pediculid, and scabid. There is also the acronym PEMPHIGUS, which stands for the causative reasons for pemphigus.

Plant mitochondrial RNA editing factors can perform targeted C-to-U editing of nuclear transcripts in human cells.

RNA editing processes are strikingly different in animals and plants. Up to thousands of specific cytidines are converted into uridines in plant chloroplasts and mitochondria whereas up to millions of adenosines are converted into inosines in animal nucleo-cytosolic RNAs. It is unknown whether these two different RNA editing machineries are mutually incompatible.

Effect of Solar Radiation on Skin Microbiome: Study of Two Populations.

Here, we examined the skin microbiome of two groups of healthy volunteers living on the Mediterranean coast with different exposures to sun radiation. One group, exposed to the sun in the summer, was compared with a group covered with clothing throughout the year. The seasonal effects on the skin microbiome of three body sites were determined before and after summer.

The dual-targeted RNA editing factor AEF1 is universally conserved among angiosperms and reveals only minor adaptations upon loss of its chloroplast or its mitochondrial target.

Upon loss of either its chloroplast or mitochondrial target, a uniquely dual-targeted factor for C-to-U RNA editing in angiosperms reveals low evidence for improved molecular adaptation to its remaining target. RNA-binding pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins specifically recognize target sites for C-to-U RNA editing in the transcriptomes of plant chloroplasts and mitochondria. Among more than 80 PPR-type editing factors that have meantime been characterized, AEF1 (or MPR25) is a special case given its dual targeting to both organelles and addressing an essential mitochondrial (nad5eU1580SL) and an essential chloroplast (atpFeU92SL) RNA editing site in parallel in Arabidopsis.

Multifarious Evolutionary Pathways of a Nuclear RNA Editing Factor: Disjunctions in Coevolution of DOT4 and Its Chloroplast Target rpoC1eU488SL.

Nuclear-encoded pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins are site-specific factors for C-to-U RNA editing in plant organelles coevolving with their targets. Losing an editing target by C-to-T conversion allows for eventual loss of its editing factor, as recently confirmed for editing factors CLB19, CRR28, and RARE1 targeting ancient chloroplast editing sites in flowering plants. Here, we report on alternative evolutionary pathways for DOT4 addressing rpoC1eU488SL, a chloroplast editing site in the RNA polymerase β' subunit mRNA.

Generating Attention, Inhibition, and Memory: A Pilot Randomized Trial for Preschoolers With Executive Functioning Deficits.

This goal of this study was to assess the initial feasibility and efficacy of a play-based intervention targeting executive functions (EF) and parent-child relationships in preschoolers compared with an active control group. Preschoolers with EF deficits (M age = 3.7 ± 0.

Are sluggish cognitive tempo symptoms associated with executive functioning in preschoolers?

The aim of this study is to investigate whether sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) symptoms are associated with neurocognitive task performance and ratings of real-world executive functioning (EF) in preschoolers at risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The associations between parent- and teacher-rated SCT symptoms and neuropsychological task performance and ratings of EF in 61 4-year-old preschool children (51 boys, 10 girls) with self-regulation difficulties were examined, with regression analyses controlling for the effects of ADHD inattention symptoms. In the study sample, higher teacher-rated SCT symptoms are significantly associated with poorer performance on tasks of visual-perceptual abilities, auditory and visual attention, sustained and selective attention, inhibitory control, pre-numerical/numerical concepts, and slower processing speed, but SCT symptoms are not significantly associated with working memory, attention shifting or cognitive flexibility when controlling for ADHD inattention.

Photo-damage protective effect of two facial products, containing a unique complex of Dead Sea minerals and Himalayan actives.

Background: Skin appearance is badly affected when exposed to solar UV rays, which encourage physiological and structural cutaneous alterations that eventually lead to skin photo-damage.

Aims: To test the capability of two facial preparations, extreme day cream (EXD) and extreme night treatment (EXN), containing a unique complex of Dead Sea water and three Himalayan extracts, to antagonize biological effects induced by photo-damage.

Methods: Pieces of organ cultures of human skin were used as a model to assess the biological effects of UVB irradiation and the protective effect of topical application of two Extreme preparations.

In vitro release of interferon-gamma from peripheral blood lymphocytes in cutaneous adverse drug reactions.

Background: Cutaneous drug reactions are common but diagnostically challenging due to phenotypic heterogeneity and simultaneous exposure to multiple drugs. These limitations prompted the development of diagnostic tests.

Aims: To evaluate the performance of an in vitro assay measuring interferon-gamma release from patients' lymphocytes in the presence of causative drugs for the diagnosis of drug reactions.

Drug-induced pemphigus.

Pemphigus is an autoimmune bullous disease that may be influenced by genetic and exogenous factors. Drugs are a leading cause of pemphigus. There is a need for a thorough history taking so as to find the culprit medication.

Interferon-gamma (INF-gamma) release test can detect cutaneous adverse effects to statins.

Background: An increasing number of cutaneous adverse effects are being reported as use of statins becomes more widespread. A study was undertaken to establish the relationship between statin and a cutaneous reaction by the in vitro interferon-gamma (INF-gamma) release test.

Methods: The lymphocytes of 20 patients with suspected drug-induced skin reaction were incubated with and without the drug.

Differences in cytokine levels in melanoma patients with and without redness (Brenner sign).

Background: In view of several studies highlighting an observation of an erythematous eruption in the vicinity of or distant from the lesion in melanoma patients (The Brenner sign), this study sought to assess whether this phenomenon might be related to the blood level of cytokines IL-6 and IL-8.

Patients And Methods: Sera specimens obtained from 27 patients with melanoma, of which 15 had erythematous eruptions and 12 did not, were studied by immunohistochemistry for the expression of IL-6 and IL-8.

Results: IL-6 was detected in all melanoma patients in both groups.

Eczema craquelé with purpura: a sign of internal malignancy or malabsorption syndrome?

We describe a patient with eczema craquelé associated with adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. Following a Whipple operation, zinc malabsorption was ruled out as the cause based on the distribution of the dermatitis, alkaline phosphatase levels within reference range, and response to pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy. Because the patient's skin changes appeared following removal of the malignancy and resolved shortly after the second course of pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy, fat malabsorption probably was responsible for the skin changes rather than a direct paraneoplastic expression of the cancer.

An unusual case of DRESS syndrome.

Background: DRESS syndrome (drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms) is a rare but severe drug reaction.

Observations: A 27-year-old male with paranoid schizophrenia was hospitalized with all three diagnostic criteria of DRESS syndrome: cutaneous drug eruption, hematological abnormalities (presence of atypical lymphocytes on blood smear) and systemic involvement (generalized lymphadenopathy and hepatitis). On hospitalization the patient exhibited an unusual fever pattern of high temperatures in the morning hours and lower temperatures towards evening.

In vitro interferon-gamma release test in patients with drug-induced pemphigus.

Background: Drug-specific CD8+ TH1 lymphocytes have been found in the peripheral blood and involved skin of patients with drug-induced bullous exanthems.

Objectives: To determine whether the interferon-gamma release test can identify culprit drugs in pemphigus patients.

Methods: Clinical and laboratory workup for pemphigus was performed in 14 pemphigus vulgaris patients who had been exposed to drugs, and the IFN-gamma release test was conducted on their lymphocytes from heparinized venous blood cultured with medium, phytohemagglutinin and one of 32 drugs, or medium and phytohemagglutinin alone.

Unilateral spiny hyperkeratosis: case report and review of the literature.

We describe the first case of unilateral spiny hyperkeratosis (SH) of the left hand, review the literature and discuss possible patho- mechanisms. SH can be sporadic or familial, often appearing in healthy individuals. However, there is an association with various malignancies in a significant number of the sporadic cases.

Expression of vinculin in autoimmune cutaneous diseases.

Background: Reports have appeared that sera of patients with systemic autoimmune disorders have demonstrated autoantibodies to vinculin.

Objective: To determine the presence and distribution of vinculin in the skin of patients with cutaneous autoimmune disorders.

Methods: Semiquantitative immunohistochemistry investigations for presence of vinculin were conducted on skin biopsy specimens from patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV), bullous pemphigoid (BP), and various collagen vascular diseases, and from healthy controls.

Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms syndrome: sex and the causative agent.

The study was conducted to determine whether there is a sex difference in the causative agent of drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome. A retrospective review of hospital records from 1999 to 2006 in the dermatology department of a large municipal medical center found 8 patients who met the criteria for DRESS syndrome: drug-induced generalized eruption, associated systemic involvement (lymph node or visceral), and presence of eosinophilia (eosinophil count > or =1500/microL and/or circulating atypical lymphocytes). There were 4 men and 4 women, aged 19 to 53 years, with a mean age of 38 years.