An Mixed Infection Model With Commensal and Pathogenic Staphylococci for the Exploration of Interspecific Interactions and Their Impacts on Skin Physiology.

The skin microbiota has been recognized to play an integral role in the physiology and pathology of the skin. The crosstalk between skin and the resident microbes has been extensively investigated using two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) cell cultures ; however, skin colonization by multiple species and the effects of interspecific interactions on the structure and function of skin remains to be elucidated. This study reports the establishment of a mixed infection model, incorporating both commensal () and pathogenic () bacteria, based on a 3D human epidermal model.

Novel pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis from the view of cytokines in mice and humans.

Type 2 immunity and inflammation underlie allergic skin disorders, such as atopic dermatitis (AD). In type 2 inflammation, IL-4, IL-13, and IL-5, which are signature type 2 cytokines, are mainly produced by type 2 helper T (Th2) cells and form the characteristic features of AD. Epithelial cell-derived cytokines such as IL-25, IL-33, and TSLP initiate type 2 inflammation by modulating various cells, including group 2 innate lymphoid cells.

In vitro Antifungal Activity of Japanese Folk Herb Extracts against Trichophyton rubrum.

Folk herbs are vital to the Japanese health care system, with some being used to treat fungal skin infections. We tested folk herbs used in traditional Japanese medicine for in vitro antifungal activity against Trichophyton rubrum, the most common pathogen in patients with superficial dermatitis. Acetone, ethanol, methanol, water, and acetic acid extracts from 15 species of Japanese folk herbs (Bi-wa, Aka-me-gashiwa, Ta-mushi-ba, Yomogi, Shi-so, Ku-ko, So-ba, Yama-momo, Kuro-mo-ji, Ichi-ji-ku, Kaki-no-ki, Kuwa-no-ki, Kusa-gi, Chimaki-zasa, and I-bukijya-kou-sou) were evaluated for fungal growth inhibition, as measured by absorbance.

Bullous Pemphigoid IgG Induces Cell Dysfunction and Enhances the Motility of Epidermal Keratinocytes via Rac1/Proteasome Activation.

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is an autoimmune disease characterized by the formation of blisters, in which autoantibodies mainly target type XVII collagen (ColXVII) expressed in basal keratinocytes. BP IgG is known to induce the internalization of ColXVII from the plasma membrane of keratinocytes through macropinocytosis. However, the cellular dynamics following ColXVII internalization have not been completely elucidated.

Antifungal activity and mechanism of action of Ou-gon (Scutellaria root extract) components against pathogenic fungi.

Ou-gon, an extract from Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi root, has been shown to exhibit pronounced antifungal activity. The present study aimed to identify antifungal components of Ou-gon and to determine their mechanism of action against pathogenic fungi. Antifungal activity was assessed by the microbroth dilution method using four common human pathogenic fungi, Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Candida albicans.

Case of bullous pemphigoid coexisting with anti-desmoglein autoantibodies.

A 79-year-old Japanese woman had clinical and histopathological features of bullous pemphigoid, while direct immunofluorescence test revealed C3 and immunoglobulin G depositions in the lower cell surfaces of the epidermis in addition to those in the dermoepidermal junction. Chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassays were positive for desmoglein-1 and -3 antibodies in addition to anti-BP180 antibodies. In an immunoblotting study, antibodies against both 180-kDa bullous pemphigoid antigen and 130-kDa pemphigus vulgaris antigen were detected.

Toxic epidermal necrolysis induced by methazolamide in a Chinese-Korean man carrying HLA-B*59:01.

Background: Methazolamide is used to lower intraocular pressure in patients with glaucoma. Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) associated with methazolamide treatment have been diagnosed in Korean, Japanese, and Japanese-American patients. According to recent research, the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) allele HLA-B*59:01 is strongly linked to SJS/TEN associated with methazolamide treatment.

[Establishment of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the detection of BP180NC16A-specific IgE and its significance in bullous pemphigoid].

Objective: To establish a method of detecting circulating immunoglobulin E (IgE) autoantibodies for BP180NC16A and evaluate its significance in bullous pemphigoid (BP).

Methods: GST-NC16A fusion proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli using the pGEX-2T expression system and purified by glutathione affinity chromatography.For optimal working conditions of enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA), checkerboard titrations were performed with serial dilutions of antigen.