Data on 134 consecutive nickel-sensitive subjects attending our contact dermatitis clinic were analysed. The female to male ratio was 8 to 1, with a mean age at presentation of 35 years for women and 53 years for men. Hand dermatitis occurred in 49% of patients and in 70% of men. It was usually preceeded by jewellery or metal contact dermatitis for some months or years. Although office workers made up the largest occupational group, cleaners, housewives, catering staff, nurses and hairdressers were represented among the women. Several of the men had had heavy occupational exposure to nickel. Cobalt co-sensitivity occurred in 29% of subjects. Sensitivity to 3 or more allergens was found in 32% of those studied but was seen in 2/3 of the men. The prevalence of a personal history of atopy was not raised. A majority of women had had their ears pierced: in 2/3 the nickel dermatitis followed this procedure but in a third it had occurred before. Female sex, jewellery contact and wetwork occupations all predispose to the development of nickel sensitivity.

Objective: Pancreatic islet β-cells are factories for insulin production; however ectopic expression of insulin is also well recognized. The gallbladder is a next-door neighbour to the developing pancreas. Here, we wanted to understand if gallbladders contain functional insulin-producing cells. Design: We compared developing and adult mouse as well as human gallbladder epithelial cells and islets using immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, ELISAs, RNA-sequencing, real time PCR, chromatin immunoprecipitation and functional studies. Results: We demonstrate that the epithelial lining of developing, as well as adult mouse and human gallbladders naturally contain interspersed cells that retain the capacity to actively transcribe, translate, package, and release insulin. We show for the first time that human gallbladders also contain functional insulin-secreting cells with the potential to naturally respond to glucose in vitro and in situ. Notably, in a NOD mouse model of type 1 diabetes, we observed that insulin-producing cells in the gallbladder are not targeted by autoimmune cells. Conclusion: In summary, our biochemical, transcriptomic, and functional data in human gallbladder epithelial cells collectively demonstrate their potential for insulin-production under pathophysiological conditions, opening newer areas for diabetes research and therapy.

Stomach cancer is still a leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the Asia-Pacific region. The risk factors are well known. However, the clinical symptoms are very nonspecific. Indeed, most of the stomach cancers are diagnosed at a late stage in most countries outside Japan. This contributes to the overall poor survival rate. Surgery remains the main modality for curative treatment. However, there are controversies over the extent of surgical resection. For locally advanced and metastatic disease, other nonsurgical modalities play an increasing role. Future efforts to improve the outcome of the disease should therefore focus on early detection.