Chondroitin Sulfate Promotes the Proliferation of Keloid Fibroblasts Through Activation of the Integrin and Protein Kinase B Pathways.

Keloids are dermal fibroproliferative tumors that arise beyond the boundary of the original wound edges and invades adjacent tissue. Keloids are characterized by the extensive production of extracellular matrix (ECM) and abnormal fibroblast proliferation. Chondroitin sulfate (CS) is one of the major structural components of cartilage and ECM.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Keloids and Hypertrophic Scars-Japan Scar Workshop Consensus Document 2018.

There has been a long-standing need for guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of keloids and hypertrophic scars that are based on an understanding of the pathomechanisms that underlie these skin fibrotic diseases. This is particularly true for clinicians who deal with Asian and African patients because these ethnicities are highly prone to these diseases. By contrast, Caucasians are less likely to develop keloids and hypertrophic scars, and if they do, the scars tend not to be severe.

Simple chest closure of open window thoracostomy for postpneumonectomy empyema: a case report.

Background: Management of postpneumonectomy empyema requires comprehensive strategies, especially when the condition is associated with large bronchopleural fistulae. We report a case involving the simple chest closure of open window thoracostomy with remaining residual space.

Case Presentation: We performed open window thoracostomy for empyema with a huge bronchial stump dehiscence after right pneumonectomy for a large lung cancer.

HtrA1 Is Specifically Up-Regulated in Active Keloid Lesions and Stimulates Keloid Development.

Keloids occur after failure of the wound healing process; inflammation persists, and various treatments are ineffective. Keloid pathogenesis is still unclear. We have previously analysed the gene expression profiles in keloid tissue and found that HtrA1 was markedly up-regulated in the keloid lesions.

β-Adrenergic Receptor Blockers Reduce the Occurrence of Keloids and Hypertrophic Scars after Cardiac Device Implantation: A Single-Institution Case-Control Study.

Background: Keloids and hypertrophic scars are characterized by excessive proliferation of fibroblasts; abnormal accumulation of extracellular matrix; and clinical findings of raised, red, itchy, and painful lesions. There are few sufficient interventions for keloids, and the development of new therapeutic agents is urgently needed. Several studies suggest that a therapeutic possibility is β-adrenergic receptor blocker treatment.

Regeneration of elastic fibers by three-dimensional culture on a collagen scaffold and the addition of latent TGF-β binding protein 4 to improve elastic matrix deposition.

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of latent TGF-β binding protein 4 (LTBP-4) on elastic fiber regeneration in three-dimensional cultures of human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs). Appropriate collagen scaffold for elastic fiber regeneration was also examined. Collagen sponges cross-linked at 120 °C and composed of small pores (25 μm on average) was favorable for elastic fiber regeneration by HDFs.

The Shear Wave Velocity on Elastography Correlates with the Clinical Symptoms and Histopathological Features of Keloids.

Background: Keloids present as red, painful lesions causing serious functional and cosmetic problems; however, there is no consensus regarding tools for objectively evaluating keloids. To demonstrate the utility of shear wave elastography in keloids, we investigated the correlations between clinical symptoms, ultrasound shear wave velocity, and histopathological findings.

Methods: Three patients with keloids containing both red hypertrophic and mature areas were evaluated using the shear wave velocity and histopathological findings.

Severe Acute Radiodermatitis in a Keloid Patient with Takayasu's Arteritis.

Although combination therapy for keloid including postoperative radiation therapy (RT) is common, the radiation toxicity of RT in a patient with a history of collagen vascular disease has not been fully recognized. We experienced a case of an acute radiodermatitis in a patient with keloid. This patient had a chest keloid because of the bypass surgery for Takayasu's arteritis.

A toe keloid after syndactyly release treated with surgical excision and intralesional steroid injection.

A keloid is a benign fibroproliferative disease of unknown etiology. Although it is common among Asians, the development of keloid on the foot is rare. We experienced a case of a keloid which arose on the foot of a 4-year-old boy after the surgical release of syndactyly.

Conchal Cartilage Graft for Correction of Bilateral Cleft Lip Nasal Deformities during Childhood.

Background: Various methods for primary repair of bilateral cleft lip have been developed, but they often produce inadequate results, such as an upturned nose or a short columella. We perform primary lip repair with muscle reconstruction to correct depression of the nasal floor and inferoposterior displacement of the alar base. Then, open rhinoplasty to project the nasal tip is performed during childhood.

Treatment for infection of artificial dura mater using free fascia lata.

Synthetic artificial dura mater materials, such as expanded polytetrafluoroethylene sheets, are widely used in dura mater reconstruction in cases involving brain tumors or trauma surgery. In patients with postoperative infection related to the use of artificial dura mater, surgical debridement of the infected wound and removal of the artificial dura mater materials are necessary to control infection. In cases involving cerebrospinal fluid leakage, dura mater reconstruction must be performed immediately.

Good response to chemotherapy spares irradiation for extrarenal rhabdoid tumor conferring better activities of daily living.

A 7-year-old girl with stage IIA extrarenal rhabdoid tumor near the left cubital fossa received preoperative chemotherapy and surgical resection with median nerve reconstruction followed by postoperative high-dose chemotherapy. As preoperative chemotherapy resulted in decreased tumor size, disappearance of fluorodeoxyglucose-uptake, and pathologic complete response with total tumor resection, irradiation was successfully spared to avoid injury to the reconstructed nerve and inhibition of normal bone development. Two years after diagnosis, recurrence has not been observed and median nerve palsy is improving.

Response to comment on "Drug screening for ALS using patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells".

Our work and the study of Bilican et al. highlight the need for complementary assays to detect subtle phenotypic differences between control and mutant induced pluripotent stem cell lines.

A case of giant naevus followed up for 22 years after treatment with artificial dermis.

We present an ultra-long followed-up case in which an artificial dermis was used for the treatment of a giant naevus. A 5-year-old boy had a giant naevus on his lower back and both buttocks. The light black pigmentation extended to the lower abdomen and both upper thighs.

Chondroitinase injection improves keloid pathology by reorganizing the extracellular matrix with regenerated elastic fibers.

Keloids are a proliferative fibrotic disease characterized by abnormal accumulation of extracellular matrix in the dermis. Keloid lesions lack skin plasticity due to deficiencies in elastic fiber formation in the extracellular matrix. The loss of elastic fiber is caused by excessive accumulation of chondroitin sulfate (CS), a sulfated glycosaminoglycan.

Modeling Alzheimer's disease with iPSCs reveals stress phenotypes associated with intracellular Aβ and differential drug responsiveness.

Oligomeric forms of amyloid-β peptide (Aβ) are thought to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the mechanism involved is still unclear. Here, we generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from familial and sporadic AD patients and differentiated them into neural cells. Aβ oligomers accumulated in iPSC-derived neurons and astrocytes in cells from patients with a familial amyloid precursor protein (APP)-E693Δ mutation and sporadic AD, leading to endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and oxidative stress.

Multipotent stem cells are effectively collected from adult human cheek skin.

Skin-derived precursor (SKP) cells are a valuable resource for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine, because they represent multipotent stem cells that differentiate into neural and mesodermal progenies. Previous studies suggest that the stem cell pool decreases with age. Here, we show that human multipotent SKP cells can be efficiently collected from adult cheek/chin skin, even in aged individuals of 70-78years.

Drug screening for ALS using patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a late-onset, fatal disorder in which the motor neurons degenerate. The discovery of new drugs for treating ALS has been hampered by a lack of access to motor neurons from ALS patients and appropriate disease models. We generate motor neurons from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from familial ALS patients, who carry mutations in Tar DNA binding protein-43 (TDP-43).

External fistulous wound with Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection and massive bleeding following rupture of pulmonary suppuration.

We present a 54-year old man with a pulmonary infectious cavity continuing to a cutaneous fistula. Before he was admitted to our hospital, he had undergone open-window surgery for a left thoracic empyema due to the rupture of pulmonary suppuration of the left upper lobe. He had then undergone thoracoplasty with the plombage of the cavity using left pectoralis major muscle.

Open rhinoplasty using conchal cartilage during childhood to correct unilateral cleft-lip nasal deformities.

Background: Although many articles have investigated the optimal method for the primary correction of nasal deformities during unilateral cleft lip repair, residual nasal deformities often remain. Such residual deformities are commonly corrected around the age of 5. We have started performing two-stage nasal repair operations for unilateral cleft lip patients.

Keloids can be forced into remission with surgical excision and radiation, followed by adjuvant therapy.

We have treated keloids using a combination of surgical excision and postoperative irradiation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the results of our treatment over 12 years. From 1995 until 2006, we treated keloids using the aforementioned treatment.

The combined use of hyoid bone flap and radial forearm free flap for reconstruction following partial laryngopharyngectomy.

In hypopharyngeal carcinoma, even partial laryngopharyngectomy, results in functional disorders involving swallowing and speaking. We reconstructed partial defects following partial laryngopharyngectomy using a combined flap of a hyoid bone flap and radial forearm free flap. Before ablative surgery, we prepared an ipsilateral hyoid bone as a bone flap with sternohyoidal muscle.

Elastic fiber assembly is disrupted by excessive accumulation of chondroitin sulfate in the human dermal fibrotic disease, keloid.

Keloid is a fibrotic disease characterized by abnormal accumulation of extracellular matrix in the dermis. The keloid matrix contains excess collagen and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), but lacks elastic fiber. However, the roles of these matrix components in the pathogenesis of keloid are largely unknown.