bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Pemphigus and pemphigoid‐like effects of nifedipine on in vitro cultured normal human skin explants
Authors: Brenner Sarah , Ruocco Vincenzo , Bialy‐Golan Anat , Tur Ethel , Flaminio Concetta , Ruocco Eleonora , Lombardi Maria Luisa 
Published: March 2003

Abstract Background A variety of drugs have been implicated in the onset and exacerbation of pemphigus and bullous pemphigoid. The demonstration of biochemical acantholysis in skin explants to various drugs in the absence of autoantibodies, in which the tested drugs evoke a biochemical reaction that leads to desmosomal function loss, may be a valuable adjunct to patient management by confirming the suspicion of drug‐related pemphigus or bullous pemphigoid. Objective To determine whether a skin explant model might serve as a possible in vitro correlate of drug‐induced pemphigus and pemphigoid‐like effects related to the calcium channel blocker nifedipine. Methods Normal human breast skin obtained from nonpemphigus and nonpemphigoid patients undergoing mastectomy was cultured with nifedipine at final concentrations of 2, 4, and 8 mm. The drug effect on skin explants evidenced by morphologic changes was evaluated by microscopy by three observers. Results Five out of seven explants cultured with nifedipine at concentrations ranging from 2 to 8 mm exhibited obvious morphologic changes of two types: intraepithelial (or pemphigus‐type) splittings and subepithelial (or pemphigoid‐type) splittings. Two explants showed no acantholysis and no subepithelial splittings. Control cultures without polyethylene glycol 200 (PEG) showed no changes. Skin control samples cultured in medium supplemented with 10% PEG displayed vacuolar degeneration throughout the entire epidermis, but no sign of cell–cell dyshesion or dermo‐epidermal detachment. Conclusions A type of skin susceptibility to nifedipine may be genetically determined, with some nifedipine‐treated patients developing an acantholytic reaction and others a subepidermal bullous eruption.
Modified technique of suction blistering for epidermal grafting in vitiligo
Authors: Gupta Somesh , Shroff Satish , Gupta Sanjeev 
Published: March 2003

Abstract Background Suction blister epidermal grafting is a useful modality of treatment of resistant and stable vitiligo; however, it requires expensive and heavy suction apparatus. This study is an attempt to develop a cheap and small apparatus which can be assembled in the physician’s own office. Patients and methods The method was tried in 22 vitiligo/leukoderma patients. The apparatus consisted of a cylindrical funnel connected with a three‐way tap , and suction was given by a 50‐mL syringe. The pressure inside the suction cup was retained by changing the position of lock of the three‐way tap. The pressure was measured by connecting the three‐way tap to a vacuum gauge. The apparatus remained adhered to the donor area because of negative pressure. The blister was formed in about 1.5 h. The roof of the blister was grafted onto the dermabraded recipient site. Results The pigmentation was complete in 20 out of 22 patients. There were no complications. Conclusions The technique is inexpensive and easy and obviates the need of cumbersome and heavy equipment.
Basal cell carcinoma of the lower extremities
Authors: Pearson Greg , King Lloyd E. , Boyd Alan S. 
Published: March 2003

Abstract Background The most common malignancy in the USA is basal cell carcinoma. It is most prevalent on the head and neck, but can occur elsewhere. We sought to determine the frequency of basal cell carcinomas arising on the lower extremities, as well as the gender of affected patients, the histologic subtype, and the specific sites of involvement. Methods We reviewed cases submitted to the Vanderbilt Dermatopathology Service between 1994 and 1997 which were diagnosed as basal cell carcinoma. A subset of 150 cases which arose on the lower extremities and a control group of 150 cases which arose at other anatomic sites were studied further. Results A significantly greater number of basal cell carcinomas of the lower extremities arose in women, were of the superficial subtype, and were found below the knee; 59% of basal cell carcinomas in both sexes arose on the right limb. Conclusion Basal cell carcinomas of the lower extremities occur more often in women in the USA and are of the superficial subtype. This may be due to differing patterns of dress and exposure to the sun.
Psoralen–ultraviolet A therapy vs. psoralen–ultraviolet B therapy in the treatment of plaque‐type psoriasis: our experience with Fitzpatrick skin type IV
Authors: Khurshid Khawar , Haroon T. S. , Hussain I. , Pal S. S. , Jahangir M. , Zaman T. 
Published: March 2003

Abstract Background  Oral psoralen, when combined with UVB, shows an increased response in psoriasis. In this study, conventional psoralen–UVA (PUVA) therapy was compared with psoralen–UVB (PUVB) therapy in plaque‐type psoriasis in patients with Fitzpatrick skin type IV.Patients and methods  Equal numbers of patients with stable, plaque‐type psoriasis were treated with either PUVA (n = 22) or PUVB (n = 22), three times weekly until 90% clearance was achieved. A final evaluation was made 3 months later.Results  The two groups showed no significant differences in terms of clearance of disease, mean number of exposures, or the average duration of therapy; however, the cumulative dose of UVB required for clearance was significantly lower than that of UVA. Both groups had a similar acute side‐effects' profile.Conclusions  PUVB therapy is as effective as conventional PUVA in the treatment of stable, plaque‐type psoriasis in patients with Fitzpatrick skin type IV. A significantly lower dose of UVB is required for clearance as compared with UVA.
Cutaneous and gastrointestinal tract hemangiomas associated with disappearing bones: Gorham syndrome
Authors: Hsu Te‐Shao , Cooper Leslie T. , Maus Timothy P. , Miller Edmund A. , Barlow James H. , Davis Mark D. P. 
Published: March 2003

A 42‐year‐old woman presented with a 15‐year history of increasingly severe headaches. Since birth, she had hemangiomas involving predominantly her sacrum and rectum that were associated with episodes of rectal and back pain and hematochezia. During adolescence, she had multiple surgical procedures to repair the hemangiomas. Her family had no history of similar disease.Parietal headaches developed at age 27 years. Radiographic evaluation revealed destructive lesions of the cranium, the right scapula, the symphysis pubis, and the sacroiliac joint. Her headaches were managed conservatively with pain medication and observation. When her headaches steadily worsened, she was referred to our institution for another opinion.On physical examination, her skull appeared flattened bilaterally (Fig. 1) and was soft to palpation. Multiple, flesh‐colored skin polyps involving the sacral areas were noted (Fig. 2); these were 3‐4 cm in diameter, soft, and compressible.Patient’s skull appears flattened bilaterally with an asymmetric contourimageHemangiomas are present in the sacral areaimageRadiographic examination of the skull showed extensive bony defects involving the parietal areas bilaterally and extending into the right occipital region (Fig. 3). A review of the results of the patient's previous radiographic studies beginning in 1982, including computed tomographic scans and magnetic resonance imaging, demonstrated lytic lesions consistent with osseous hemangiomas, with significant progression in the size and extent of the lytic areas in 1997 and 1998. A sheath of soft tissue was noted at the sites of the former bones. The studies showed mixed sclerotic and lytic lesions involving the right humerus and multiple bony lesions of the left superior and inferior pubic rami with associated destruction at the pubic symphysis.Coronal computed tomographic scan through the level of the temporomandibular joint shows bony defectsimageExtended upper gastrointestinal tract endoscopy showed exophytic jejunal hemangiomas and a gastric hemangioma. Colonoscopy displayed no evidence of vascular malformation. Laboratory tests showed mild normocytic anemia. Results of other laboratory investigations were unremarkable. The patient refused a skin biopsy.The headaches were believed to be related to the mass effect of the enlarging hemangiomas of the skull. Because a trial of valproic acid gave only minimal relief, the decision was made to use radiotherapy for the involved bones (cranium, pelvis, and humerus). A total of 34 Gy was delivered in 17 fractions. The patient reported an improvement in her headaches, which is sustained a year later. Follow‐up radiographic studies at the end of treatment showed no progression of the osseous hemangiomas.
Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome‐related oral and/or cutaneous histoplasmosis: a descriptive and comparative study of 21 cases in French Guiana
Authors: Couppié Pierre , Clyti Emmanuel , Nacher Mathieu , Aznar Christine , Sainte‐Marie Dominique , Carme Bernard , Pradinaud Roger 
Published: March 2003

AbstractBackground Oral or cutaneous acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)‐related histoplasmosis is a rare presentation of disseminated histoplasmosis.Objective To describe this clinical presentation and to compare it with other forms of AIDS‐related disseminated histoplasmosis.Methods A cross‐sectional study of patients with AIDS‐related disseminated histoplasmosis was performed. CD4 counts and survival were compared between patients with oral or cutaneous histoplasmosis and patients with nonmucocutaneous disseminated histoplasmosis.Results The mean CD4 lymphocyte count was lower in patients with mucocutaneous lesions than in patients with nonmucocutaneous disseminated histoplasmosis (29 vs. 72/mm3, P = 0.002). The proportion of survivors 1 month after diagnosis did not differ significantly between the two groups (13/21 vs. 32/45, P = 0.4). At 6 months, the proportion of survivors was significantly lower for patients with mucocutaneous lesions (6/21 vs. 22/39, P = 0.03).Conclusions These results suggest that mucocutaneous lesions occur at a later stage of human immunodeficiency virus infection, but are not, in themselves, associated with a higher level of mortality. The excess mortality at 6 months reflects deaths from other complications of severe immunodepression. This study confirms the polymorphism of mucocutaneous lesions, emphasizing the need for systematic testing for Histoplasma in all cases of mucocutaneous lesions in AIDS patients.
The genetic epidemiology of psoriasis vulgaris in Chinese Han
Authors: Zhang Xuejun , Wang Hongyan , Te‐shao Hsu , Yang Sen , Chen Shanyu 
Published: March 2003

AbstractBackground The aim of this study was to explore the effects of genetic factors on the onset of psoriasis vulgaris and to develop a possible genetic model of psoriasis in Chinese Han.Methods Data for 1043 patients with psoriasis vulgaris were obtained by questionnaire. Complex segregation analysis and heritability were performed using Penrose's method, Falconer's method, and the epi info 6.0 and sage‐regtl programs.Results (1) For male and female patients, the peak ages of initial onset were 30–39 and 10–19 years, respectively, with the mean age of initial onset being 27.69 ± 12.32 years in males and 23.26 ± 12.56 years in females. (2) Of 1043 patients with psoriasis, 326 (31.26%) were reported to have a family history of psoriasis. The onset for males with a family history of psoriasis was earlier than that for those without a family history (P < 0.01). The morbidities of first‐degree relatives were 7.67% in patients with type I psoriasis and 5.27% in patients with type II (P < 0.01), and those of second‐degree relatives were 1.04% in type I and 0.24% in type II (P < 0.01). (3) The onset of psoriasis was earlier in females than in males in type I psoriasis (P < 0.01), but this was not the case in type II (P > 0.05). (4) The prevalence of psoriasis in first‐ and second‐degree relatives of the proband with psoriasis was 7.24 and 0.95%, respectively; higher than that in the general population (0.146%). (5) The heritability of psoriasis in first‐ and second‐degree relatives was 67.04 and 46.59%, respectively. The Mendelian, no‐major‐gene and environment model was rejected by complex segregation analysis.Conclusion Psoriasis vulgaris follows a pattern of polygenetic or multifactorial inheritance rather than single‐gene inheritance.
Atypical varicella with palm and sole involvement
Authors: Auvin Stéphane , Catteau Benoît , Ganga‐Zandzou Patrice‐Serge , Ythier Hubert 
Published: March 2003

AbstractVaricella is a common disease characterized by a typical presentation. We report a case of an atypical presentation of varicella with a centrifugal distribution, eruption with many vesicles, no pustular stage in evolution and distal involvement. There were none of the known modifying factors (immunosuppression, skin disease, injury or sun exposure). To explain the distal involvement, we suggest intraepidermic lesions caused by a pre‐existing B1 coxsackie infection.
Cutaneous ciliated cyst on the cheek in a male
Authors: Ohba Norihiro , Tsuruta Daisuke , Muraoka Michinari , Haba Tomoko , Ishii Masamitsu 
Published: March 2003

A 53‐year‐old man presented with a 2‐year history of a painless mass on the right cheek. On physical examination, the lump was a solitary, well‐demarcated, mobile lesion. There was no abnormality in the surrounding skin. Ultrasonography demonstrated a single, cystic, well‐defined, subcutaneous cyst, measuring 20 mm in diameter. Laboratory tests, including sex hormones, were within the normal range. The tumor was resected surgically under local anesthesia. The cyst had a slightly yellow wall and contained clear, watery fluid. The patient had no other medical problems and no history of other skin disease.Histopathologically, the unilocular cyst was lined with two layers of epithelium and was devoid of papillary infolding. The inner layer of the cyst was composed of cuboidal to columnar epithelial cells, most of which demonstrated prominent cilia. The outer layer consisted of polygonal cells that contained clear cytoplasm (Fig. 1). No foci of squamous metaplasia were present and the cyst wall did not contain adnexal structures. The inner layer of the epithelium was positive for periodic acid–Schiff (PAS) stain, but contained no diastase‐resistant granules.Hematoxylin and eosin staining. A unilocular cyst lined with two layers of epithelium (original magnification, &times;&nbsp;200)imageImmunohistochemical staining revealed strong staining in the membrane for epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) and diffuse cytoplasmic reaction to cytokeratin in the epithelial component, but carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) staining was negative. Staining for α‐smooth muscle actin (αSMA) and S‐100 protein was positive in the outer layer (Fig. 2), suggesting myoepithelial cells. There were no desmin, vimentin, amylase or estrogen receptor‐positive cells in the epithelium.α‐Smooth muscle actin (αSMA) staining was positive in the outer layer (original magnification, × 100)image
Women's views of two interventions designed to assist in the prophylactic oophorectomy decision: a qualitative pilot evaluation
Authors: Bhavnani Vanita , Clarke Aileen , Dowie Jack , Kennedy Andrew , Pell Ian 
Published: March 2003

AbstractIntroduction  A qualitative pilot evaluation of two different decision interventions for the prophylactic oophorectomy (PO) decision: a Decision Chart and a computerized clinical guidance programme (CGP) was undertaken. The Decision Chart, representing current practice in decision interventions, presents population‐based information. The CGP elicits individual values to allow for quality‐adjusted life years to be calculated and an explicit guidance statement is given. Prophylactic oophorectomy involves removal of the ovaries as an adjunct to hysterectomy to prevent ovarian cancer. The decision is complex because the operation can affect a number of long‐term outcomes including breast cancer, coronary heart disease and osteoporosis.Methods  Both interventions were based on the evidence and were administered by a facilitator. The Decision Chart is a file, which progressively reveals information in the form of bar charts. The CGP is a decision‐analysis based program integrating the results from a cluster of Markov cycle trees. The research evidence is incorporated with woman's individual risk factors, values and preferences. A purposive sample of 19 women awaiting hysterectomy used the decision interventions (10 CGP, nine Decision Chart). In‐depth semi‐structured interviews were undertaken. Interviews were transcribed and analysed to derive themes.Results  Reactions to the different decision interventions were mixed. Both were seen as clarifying the decision. Some women found some of the tasks difficult (e.g. rating health status). Some were surprised by the ‘individualized’ guidance, which the CGP offered. The Decision Chart provided some with a sense of empowerment, although some found that it provided too much information.Conclusions  Women were able to use both decision interventions. Both provided decision clarification. Problems were evident with both interventions, which give useful pointers for future development. These included the possibility for women to see how their individual risks of different outcomes are affected in the Decision Chart and enhanced explanation of the CGP tasks. Future design and evaluation of decision aids, will need to accommodate differences between patients in the desire for amount and type of information and level of involvement in the decision‐making process.
Fertility interactions in Drosophila: Theoretical model and experimental tests
Authors: Moya Andrés , Ayala Francisco J. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractThe results of 11 experiments with Drosophila species show that fertility is not a reducible property: the fertility of a mating pair cannot be predicted from the average fertility of the two genotypes involved. We propose a model of fertility selection that does not assume additivity (or multiplicativity) but assumes random mating and that the genotypic frequencies are in Hardy‐Weinberg equilibrium. Numerical simulations show that removal of the assumption of Hardy‐Weinberg frequencies does not significantly change the equilibrium frequencies predicted by the model.
Ancestral patterns in bird limb development: A new look at Hampé's experiment
Authors: Müller Gerd B. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractThe “Archaeopteryx limb” of experimentally treated bird embryos has become a standard quotation in the growing literature on developmental factors in evolution. It has not only been claimed that an early manipulation of the chick limb produces a series of atavistic skeletal features, but the experiment is also frequently interpreted within a genome‐centered concept of atavism. The present study provides a morphological, quantitative, and comparative analysis of the skeletal and muscular reactions to the classic barrier insertion experiment of Hampé. The main result of this operation, traditionally seen as a “full length fibula”, is shown to be a relative effect due to tibia shortening, while all the other ancestral skeletal features, which are usually pointed out as being provoked by the elongated fibula, do not appear. The experimentally generated fibula/tibia length ratio and distance, however, mimic the pattern in developing reptilian limbs and are seen to induce secondary effects in the muscular system that are reminiscent of archosaur reptiles. Similar muscle patterns are found as interspecific variations in several bird species. The revised view of the skeletal changes and the additional data on muscular effects allow for a renewed interpretation of the experiment, shifting the emphasis from atavisms to the role of heterochrony, developmental integration, and epigenetic constraint in the evolutionary modification of organismic structures.
Novel chloroplast DNA polymorphism in a sympatric region of two pines1
Authors: Govindaraju Diddahally R. , Dancik Bruce P. , Wagner David B. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractNine hundred and two individuals from two populations in a Pinus banksiana — P. contora sympatric region were classified by restriction fragment length polymorphisms of two polymorphic chloroplast DNA markers. A large number of novel chloroplast DNA variants were identified which have not been observed in the allopatric ranges of the two parental species. Three apparently recombinant chloroplast DNA genotypes were discovered, in each of which one marker was typical of P. banksiana and the other was typical of P. contorta. These unusual sympatric chloroplast DNA's are evidence that the genetic complexity and rare variants of hybrid zones are not limited to the nuclear genome.
Development of the dimorphic anthers in Collomia grandiflora; evidence for heterochrony in the evolution of the cleistogamous anther
Authors: Lord E. M. , Eckard K. J. , Crone W. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractA modification characterizing all cleistogamous species is reduction in anther size of the CL (cleistogamous or closed) flower. In Collomia grandiflora the CL anther, in addition to being smaller, has only two locules; the CH (chasmogamous or open) flower anther has four locules. As a consequence, there is a modification in CL anther shape. From initially similar primordia, a divergence in histology between the two anther forms appears at archesporial cell differentiation when only two locules are established in the CL anther. The process of form divergence in the two anther types is examined in this study using histological, allometric, and 3‐D computer graphic techniques. Allometric data from SEM images demonstrates the equivalence of primordial shapes at anther inception and divergence just prior to archesporial cell division, which signals the onset of sporogenous cell proliferation. Reconstructions of the anthers at archesporial cell division stage revealed differences in external and internal form and size, features unrelated to locule number. Fewer initial archesporial cells and a shorter duration of sporogenous cell proliferation in the CL anther correlates with a smaller anther with 1/10th the number of pollen grains at maturity. The CL anther shows less cell division activity from the time of archesporial cell division and no trace of the intercalary growth which appears during meiosis in the CH anther. The divergent CL anther size and form may be attributed to an earlier onset of abaxial locule differentiation in a smaller primordium which may itself preclude adaxial locule initiation. Heterochrony, or alteration in developmental timing, is proposed as the mode of evolution of the CL from the ancestral CH form.
Allozyme divergence between different gene arrangements in Drosophila subobscura
Authors: Pinsker W. , Böhm I. 
Published: March 2003

AbstractAllozyme and chromosomal polymorphism were analysed simultaneously in three population samples of Drosophila subobscura from Scotland, Germany and Italy. The study revealed significant genic divergence between the various chromosomal gene arrangements for the loci Acph, Lap and Pep, which are located inside inversions. No difference was found with the loci Me and Odh, which are both on the same chromosome but proximal to the structurally polymorphic region. Samples of a given gene arrangement taken from the different localities are genetically uniform. The data indicate that the observed non‐random associations between enzyme genes and chromosomal inversions are the result of inhibited recombination in heterokaryotypes and gradual differentiation of the separated gene pools, rather than selection and coadaptation.