These biomarkers, specifically the surface markers FGFR3 and DSG2, may facilitate the isolation and enrichment of human stem and/or progenitor spermatogonia and thus lay a foundation for studies of long-term maintenance of human SSCs/progenitor cells, spermatogonial self-renewal, clonal expansion and differentiation.

CL seems often to be misdiagnosed clinically in countries where it is not endemic. Histopathologically, CL may be misinterpreted as sarcoidosis, foreign body granuloma, lupoid rosacea and granuloma annulare, especially when Leishmania is not seen microscopically. We suggest that in Northern Europe, PCR for Leishmania-specific DNA should be performed routinely in any granulomatous dermatitis presenting as a single or few nodules on the extremities or face, even when a diagnosis of CL was not considered by the referring clinician.

Keratinocytes were established in serum-free culture medium from lesional and nonlesional skin of a patient with vitiligo (skin type III) and from an age-matched healthy control subject. Both differentiating and undifferentiated cells were examined for the presence of beta 2-adrenoceptors in culture medium containing either low (0.1 x 10(-3) M) or high (1.5 x 10(-3) M) calcium concentrations. Binding experiments were performed with saturating levels of radiolabeled (--)-[3H] CGP 12177, a nonselective beta-adrenergic antagonist. Controls for nonspecific binding were determined by the addition of the beta-adrenergic antagonist, propranolol (5 mumol), before the introduction of (--)-[3H] CGP 12177 to cell cultures. Undifferentiated keratinocytes yielded the highest expression of beta 2-adrenoceptors, whereas differentiating keratinocytes grown in medium with a low calcium concentration (0.1 x 10(-3) M) had a significantly lower expression of receptors with the exception of vitiliginous cells, which retained high densities of receptors, similar to undifferentiated cells. In addition, these vitiliginous keratinocytes showed a defect in 45calcium uptake. In contrast, differentiated keratinocytes from all three cell strains, grown in medium containing a high calcium concentration (1.5 x 10(-3) M) revealed a significantly lower receptor density compared to undifferentiated cells. This finding identified the importance of the extracellular calcium concentration in the expression of beta 2-adrenoceptors.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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