BACKGOUND: Interferon-alpha2b has already proven to be effective in the clinical treatment of virus-originated diseases such as hairy cell leukemia, condyloma acuminatum, and AIDS-related Kaposi's sarcoma. The use of recombinant interferon-alpha2b may allow various types of wart to be treated relatively atraumatically and with less incidence of recurrence. OBJECTIVE: We tried to compare the effectiveness and safety of intralesional injections of recombinant interferon-alpha2b with natural interferon-alpha2b in the treatment of patients with various types of wart. METHOD: Patients with more than two warts were treated by injecting the different warts with 0.5 to 1.0X105 IU/1mm3 of recombinant and natural interferon-alpha2b, twice per week for 4 to 20 weeks. The response to treatment was followed up at 36 weeks. RESULTS: At the end of treatment, clearing of the treated warts had occurred in 83.3% of the recombinant interferon-alpha2b group and 91.6% of the natural interferon-alpha2b group. A more rapid cure rate was observed in the natural interferon-alpha2b group than in the recombinant interferon-alpha2b group. The rest showed partial improvement. With evaluation for relapse up to 16 weeks after treatment, warts were found to relapse in 11.1% of both the recombinant and natural interferon groups. CONCLUSION: Intralesional natural interferon-alpha2b has a better therapeutic effect than recombinant interferon-alpha2b, and may be considered as a therapeutic modality of recalcitrant verruca or when it can be anticipated that destructive techniques or blistering agents will not be tolerated.
Blister ; Humans ; Incidence ; Injections, Intralesional ; Interferons ; Leukemia, Hairy Cell ; Recurrence ; Sarcoma, Kaposi ; Warts*

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) serves as an extracellular signal triggering apoptosis in tumor cells. To characterize the molecular events involved in TRAIL-induced apoptotic signaling, we investigated the role of extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2(ERK1/2) in the apoptosis using HeLa cells. Here we show that TRAIL pronounced ERK1/2 activation through a tyrosine kinase-dependent mechanism, subsequently elevated anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 protein levels. Pretreatment with Genistein, an inhibitor of tyrosine kinase, significantly attenuated ERK1/2 activation and enhanced cell death. Moreover, inhibition of ERK1/2 with PD98059 promoted apoptotic cell death through the down-regulation of ERK1/2 activity and Bcl-2 protein levels. Taken together, our results suggest that the activation of ERK1/2 via tyrosine kinase pathway plays a protective role as the mechanism of cellular defense through the up-regulation of Bcl-2 protein levels in TRAIL-induced apoptosis.
Apoptosis* ; Cell Death ; Down-Regulation ; Genistein ; HeLa Cells* ; Humans ; Necrosis ; Phosphotransferases ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases* ; Tyrosine* ; Up-Regulation

Various factors such as senescence, stress, neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease (AD) contribute to the impairments of organs, especially brain. Also, they should be negative factors on normal brain function, like as memory and cognition. In this study, the neuroprotective role of BF-7, extracted from Bombyx mori, was examined agaist scopolamine-induced neurotoxicity in SK-N-SH cells. In order to know if the BF-7 has positive role on the cognition and memory, we examined using SD rat model and human. Scopolamine-induced memory impairments were observed, as measured by the passive avoidance and water maze tests, but treatment with BF-7 significantly improved memory and cognitive function. Moreover, the memory index and memory preservation of clinical experiments using MMSE-K tests were significantly improved memory and cognitive function. This results strongly represent that the BF-7 play effectively positive role in the improvement of brain function including learning and memory. Taken together, our results suggested that the BF-7 should be useful for developing strategies protecting nervous system and improving brain function.
Aging ; Alzheimer Disease ; Bombyx ; Brain ; Cognition ; Humans ; Learning ; Memory* ; Models, Animal ; Nervous System ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Scopolamine Hydrobromide