Raman microspectroscopy was applied to analyze the changes in structural conformation and chemical composition of the mass of human skin pilomatrixoma (PMX). The normal skin dermis, collagen type I, and hydroxyapatite (HA) were used as control. The excised specimens from two patients diagnosed as a typical PMX were detected, in which one specimen was a soft mass, but the other was a hard mass with somewhat calcified deposits via histopathological examination. The Raman spectrum of normal skin dermis was found to be similar to the Raman spectrum of collagen type I, confirming that the collagen type I was a predominant component in normal skin dermis. The differences of Raman peak intensity between normal skin dermis and soft or hard PMX mass were obvious at 1,622-1,558, 1,400-1,230, 1,128, 1,000-850, 749, and 509 cm(-1). In particular, the peak at 1,665 cm(-1) assigned to amide I band shifted to 1,655 cm(-1) and the peak at 1,246 cm(-1) corresponding to amide III band was reduced in its intensity in hard PMX mass. The significant changes in collagen content and its structural conformation, the higher content of tryptophan, and disulfide formation in PMX masses were markedly evidenced. In addition, the shoulder and weak peak at 960 cm(-1) assigned to the stretching vibration of PO(4) (3-) of HA also appeared respectively in the Raman spectra of soft and hard PMX masses, suggesting the occurrence of calcification of HA in the PMX tissue, particularly in the hard PMX mass. The result indicates that the micro-Raman spectroscopy may provide a highly sensitive and specific method for identifying normal skin dermis and how it differs in chemical composition from different PMX tissues.

Calcinosis cutis is characterized by the deposition of calcium salts in the subcutaneous tissues. Both Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and Raman microspectroscopic analysis have been applied to easily get the chemical compositions of the skin calcified deposit (SCD), which was surgically excised from a female patient. This SCD was cut into two parts for histopathological (H&E stain) examination and vibrational microspectroscopic study. The result indicates that the whole SCD in the skin lesion was found to be a well-developed, mature and hard mass. Several FTIR absorption bands at 873, 961 and 1,031 cm(-1) [the stretching modes of carbonate and phosphate of hydroxyapatite (HA)], 1,547 and 1,658 cm(-1) (the amide I and II bands of collagen) were detected in the IR spectrum of SCD. The Raman spectral bands at 1,665 and 1,450 cm(-1) (collagen); 1,519 and 1,156 cm(-1) (beta-carotene); and 1,072 and 958 cm(-1) (HA) were also obtained. To our knowledge, this is the first report using FTIR and Raman microspectroscopies to quickly identify and quantify three predominant components, collagen, beta-carotene and type B carbonated HA, in the SCD of a patient.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a common cancer predisposition syndrome affecting the nervous system. The disease is one of the most common autosomal dominant diseases in all ethnic groups. Although the gene was mapped to human chromosome 17 and isolated in 1990, the detection of NF1 mutation is still considered to be a challenge as the gene is large and contains multiple exons. Here we report the detection of three genomic mutations in three Chinese patients living in Taiwan. A DNA diagnosis procedure was established to investigate the NF1 gene mutation at both the transcript and genomic DNA levels. Mutations causing transcript alteration were uncovered in three patients. In the first case, we detected a deletion involving exons 39-45 (nucleotide 7,260-8,167 in GenBank accession No. M89914). In the second case, a 2,199-2,448 deletion resulted in skipping of exon 13. The third case skipped the exon 3 in the mutant transcript. We further investigated what caused the cDNA deletion by PCR using genomic DNA as a template. In the first patient, we identified an approximately 17.5 kbp deletion in the NF1 gene. In the other two patients, we identified a singlebase substitution (IVS13+1G>A) at the splicing donor site in the second case, and an IVS3+1G>T substitution in the third case. We conclude that genomic deletion and alteration of splicing signal caused abnormal transcripts and truncated proteins in the three Taiwanese NF1 cases.