Single-center, noninterventional clinical trial to assess the safety, efficacy, and tolerability of a dimeticone-based medical device in facilitating the removal of scales after topical application in patients with psoriasis corporis or psoriasis capitis.

Introduction: Psoriasis is a frequent inflammatory skin disease affecting ~2%-3% of the population in western countries. Scaling of the psoriatic lesions is the most impairing symptom in patients with psoriasis. In contrast to conventional keratolytic treatment concepts containing salicylic acid or urea, a dimeticone-based medical device (Loyon) removes scales in a physical way without any pharmacological effect.

Topical, Non-Medicated LOYON(®) in Facilitating the Removal of Scaling in Infants and Children with Cradle Cap: a Proof-of-Concept Pilot Study.

Introduction: Cradle cap is a very common condition in infants that presents as greasy, scaly patches on the scalp within the first weeks of life. Although usually disappearing by itself, the condition worries parents because of its appearance. When removing the scales, it is crucial to prevent spot bleedings to avoid infections.

Efficacy of chemical and botanical over-the-counter pediculicides available in Brazil, and off-label treatments, against head lice ex vivo.

Background: There is a lack of reliable data on the efficacy of over-the-counter (OTC) pediculicides in Brazil.

Methods: We performed ex vivo assays of eight marketed pediculicides: 1% permethrin (Kwell, Clean Hair, Keltrina, Nedax), 0.02% deltamethrin (Deltacid, Pediderm), and two "natural" products (Piolho e Lêndea, Pilogenio).

Role of erythropoietin receptor expression in malignant melanoma.

Recombinant human erythropoietin (Epo) is used to prevent and treat tumor-related anemia and improve quality of life in cancer patients. Recent evidence suggested that Epo may adversely affect the survival of selected cancer patients by promoting tumor growth, inhibition of apoptosis, and induction of migration. Epo unfolds its effect on the Epo receptor (EpoR).

Bed bugs, leeches and hookworm larvae in the skin.

Bed bugs, leeches, and hookworm-related cutaneous larva migrans are skin infestations that are usually considered of minor importance because they produce discomfort rather than cause or transmit disease. Bed bugs have been increasing tremendously in high-income countries in recent years, causing distress to affected individuals and economic loss. Infestation by land leeches causes mainly unpleasant skin reactions, whereas infestation by aquatic leeches may be more dangerous, leading to anemia and in severe cases, to death.

Accuracy of diagnosis of pediculosis capitis: visual inspection vs wet combing.

Objective: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of visual inspection and wet combing in pediculosis capitis (head lice infestation). Visual inspection of 5 predilection sites (temples, behind the ears, and neck) was performed first, followed by wet combing of hair moistened with conditioner. Presence of mobile stages was defined as active infestation, presence of nits alone as historic infestation.

The epidemiology of scabies in an impoverished community in rural Brazil: presence and severity of disease are associated with poor living conditions and illiteracy.

Background: We sought to study the epidemiology of scabies and to identify risk factors of severe disease in an impoverished rural community in northeast Brazil.

Methods: The study was designed as a repeated cross-sectional study based on two door-to-door surveys. One survey was carried out in the rainy season, the other in the dry season.

Transcriptional regulation of ASK/Dbf4 in cutaneous melanoma is dependent on E2F1.

Background: Melanoma is a complex genetic disease, the management of which will require an in-depth understanding of the biology underlying its initiation and progression. Recently, we have reported the differential regulation of a novel gene, namely ASK/Dbf4, in melanoma and suggested upregulation of ASK/Dbf4 as a novel molecular determinant with prognostic relevance that confers a proliferative advantage in cutaneous melanoma. As trans-acting factor binding is fundamental to understand the regulation of gene expression, this study focuses on characterization of the specific transcriptional regulation of ASK/Dbf4 in melanoma.

Cutaneous melanoma: fishing with chips.

DNA microarray technology is a versatile platform that allows rapid genetic analysis to take place on a genome-wide scale and has revolutionized the way cancers are studied. This platform has enabled researchers to characterize mechanisms central to tumorigenesis and understand important molecular events in the multi-step tumor progression model of cutaneous melanoma and other cancers. In melanoma, multiple global gene expression profiling studies using various DNA microarray platforms and various experimental designs have been performed.

Behavioral conditioning of antihistamine effects in patients with allergic rhinitis.

Background: Allergic symptoms can be induced by behavioral conditioning. However, the conditionability of antiallergic effects has not yet been studied. Thus, we investigated whether the effects of a histamine 1 (H(1)) receptor antagonist are inducible in patients suffering from house-dust mite allergy using a behavioral conditioning procedure.

Role of viruses in the development of squamous cell cancer and melanoma.

In this chapter, the evidence for the role of human papilloma virus (HPV) in the pathogenesis of squamous cell cancer of the skin will be reviewed. Considerable dispute exists questioning the etiological role of HPV. This is due to the low copy number ofHPV DNA in skin cancers and additional cofactors such as UV exposure, immunosuppression, light skin color and hyperproliferative skin disease as well as the genetic background of the host.

SMaRT technology enables gene expression repair in skin gene therapy.

In this issue, Wally et al. (2008) report successful gene expression repair by spliceosome-mediated RNA trans-splicing (SMaRT), a novel achievement in molecular medicine. In their model, SMaRT was able to replace a mutation of the plectin gene in epidermolysis bullosa simplex with muscular dystrophy.

Interaction of Adenovirus E1A with the HHV8 Promoter of Latent Genes: E1A Proteins are Able to Activate the HHV-8 LANAp in MV3 Reporter Cells.

Human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) is associated with Kaposi's sarcoma, body cavity-based lymphoma, and Castleman's disease. Adenoviral (Ad) E1A proteins regulate the activity of cellular and viral promoters/enhancers and transcription factors and can suppress tumorigenicity of human cancers. As (i) HHV-8 and Ad may co-exist in immunocompromised patients and (ii) E1A might be considered as therapeutic transgene for HHV-8-associated neoplasms we investigated whether the promoter of the latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANAp) controlling expression of vCyclin, vFLIP, and LANA proteins required for latent type infection is regulated by E1A.

Taxol-induced mitochondrial stress in melanoma cells is mediated by activation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 pathways via uncoupling protein 2.

Taxol (paclitaxel) is a new antineoplastic drug that has shown promise in the treatment of different tumor types. However, the molecular mechanisms governing taxol-induced apoptosis are poorly understood. Activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinases is induced by a wide variety of external stress signals and may lead to apoptosis.

Cost-effectiveness of reduced follow-up in malignant melanoma.

Background: Considerable variability exists in the extent and frequency of follow- up examinations for melanoma patients between different countries, generating significantly different total costs and uncertain clinical benefits.

Patients And Methods: We have analyzed the follow-up of melanoma patients under clinical and economic aspects based on the latest recommendations of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) and the German Dermatologic Society (DDG) in the Düsseldorf cohort of 526 patients (stage IIII) during a 5-year follow-up period. Outcome measures were frequency of metastasis detection, most effective detection method, costs per detected metastasis and cost per quality-adjusted life year.

Distinct genotypic distribution of cytomegalovirus (CMV) envelope glycoprotein B (gB) in a Cuban cohort of patients with different CMV diseases.

To investigate the association between human CMV glycoprotein B (gB) genotypes and CMV disease, we retrospectively analysed 73 biological samples from 56 Cuban patients with different CMV-related diseases using a multiplex nested PCR for detection of the reported 5 CMV gB genotypes. All 4 main genotypes 1 to 4 were found in the clinical samples while no genotype 5 was detected. Among the individuals analysed, genotype gB-2 was the most prevalent (38%) followed by gB-1 (30%) and mixed infections (16%) being mainly detected among immunosuppressed patients (7 out of 9), although there was no association between mixed infections and CMV rejection in transplant recipients.

Identification and functional characterization of ASK/Dbf4, a novel cell survival gene in cutaneous melanoma with prognostic relevance.

Malignant melanoma is one of the most aggressive and invasive metastatic tumors derived from melanocytes that have undergone malignant transformation by acquisition of genetic and epigenetic alterations. Oligonucleotide microarray-based screening of distinct stages in the tumor progression model of cutaneous melanoma identified ASK/Dbf4, as a novel determinant for melanoma development. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction-based confirmation of ASK/Dbf4 on a series of benign nevi, dysplastic nevi, primary cutaneous melanomas and cutaneous melanoma metastases; and a number of other controls using normal human melanocytes as calibrator not only revealed a melanoma-specific over-expression but also revealed that higher ASK/Dbf4-expressing melanomas were associated with lower relapse-free survival.

Overexpression of acid sphingomyelinase sensitizes glioma cells to chemotherapy.

Ceramide has been shown by many studies to induce apoptosis. Therefore, upregulation of ceramide is discussed as a novel approach for tumor treatment. However, it is unknown whether overexpression of acid sphingomyelinase releasing ceramide from sphingomyelin sensitizes cells to chemotherapy and, thus, serves as a potential target to amplify chemotherapy.