No abstract

The proteins induced by heat and other stressors, called heat shock proteins (HSP) or stress proteins, are considered to play a general role in protection from cellular injury. Exposure to UVA (320-400 nm) following application of 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP), termed PUVA is commonly used in the field of dermatology. In order to understand the induction of HSP in PUVA-treated human skin, indirect immunofluorescence using a monoclonal antibody specific for the 72 kDa HSP (HSP 72) was carried out in organ-cultured normal human skin that was treated with PUVA. When the organ-cultured skin was treated at 37 degrees for 1 h with 8-MOP at a final concentration of 10 or 100 micrograms/mL and exposed to UVA (51.3 kJ/m2), nuclear immunofluorescence of HSP 72 was detected in the epidermal cells 12 h after UVA irradiation. In contrast, the induction of HSP 72 was not detected either by UVA irradiation or 8-MOP treatment. These results suggest that PUVA treatment is one of the stressors for human skin, and DNA damage caused by PUVA induces HSP 72.

We herein report two cases of unilateral axillary Paget's disease. Extramammary Paget's disease commonly occurs in the anogenital area. Unilateral axillary occurrence is relatively rare. One defect was reconstructed with a pedicled scapular flap, and the other was reconstructed with split-skin graft after excision of the tumor. No recurrence was seen in either patient three years postoperatively. However, although the patient who had been reconstructed with a pedicled flap recovered uneventfully, the other patient, who had been reconstructed with a split-skin graft, suffered from axillary contracture due to the shrinkage of the grafted skin after surgery. A skin graft requires fixation for a long period to prevent shrinkage, which causes axillary contracture. Therefore, from the viewpoint of quality of life, reconstruction using flaps is recommended for axillary lesions.

A case report of Klinefelter's syndrome is presented that shows features of systemic lupus erythematosus, arteriographically-proven peripheral artery occlusion with leg ulcers, multiple cerebral infarcts and persistent elevations of anticardiolipin antibodies.

A case is reported of a 60-year-old woman with acantholytic vesiculopustular dermatosis and IgA-λ monoclonal gammopathy. The histopathology of vesiculopustular lesions showed intraepidermal acantholytic and neutrophilic blisters. Direct immunofluorescence revealed intercellular (IC) IgG deposition with concurrent deposits of IgA and C3. Indirect immunofluorescence and immunoblotting studies revealed that the patient had circulating IgG and IgA anti-IC antibodies both of which recognized the 150-kD desmoglein that was pemphigus foliaceus antigen in a bovine desmosome preparation.