A case of idiopathic acquired leukonychia totalis in a 17-year-old boy.

Whitening of the nail, or leukonychia, can have a wide range of etiologies including genetic disorders, trauma, poisoning, autoimmune disorders, and infections. Here we detail a case of idiopathic acquired leukonychia totalis in a 17-year-old boy. This condition has been reported 13 times in the literature previously, with only young boys being affected.

Renal cell tumors convert natural killer cells to a proangiogenic phenotype.

Natural killer (NK) cells are classically associated with immune surveillance and destruction of tumor cells. Inconsistent with this function, NK cells are found in advanced human tumors including renal cell carcinoma (RCC). NK cells with non-classical phenotypes (CD56CD16; termed decidua NK (dNK) cells) accumulate at the maternal-fetal interface during embryo implantation.