BACKGROUND: In patients with systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE), LE-specific cutaneous lesions include malar rashes, widespread/morbilliform erythema, oral ulcer and bullous lesions. OBJECTIVE: Clinical observations were carried out to define cutaneous features of morbilliform erythema and to see possible relevancy of this erythema to disease activity of SLE. METHODS: Examinations were performed on 7 SLE patients with morbilliform erythema regarding the distribution and course of the cutaneous lesions; some SLE-activity related hematologic/immunologic data taken during/around the time of this skin disease were also assessed in each patient. RESULTS: In most of those patients with morbilliform erythema, which covered the trunk and extremities, the skin lesions lasted for about 2 weeks until their disappearance. At or around the time of suffering from this skin disease of acute eutaneous LE, activities of systemic disease were recognized as "in a state of flare-up or aggravation" with hypocomplementemia and high titers of anti-nDNA autoantibodies. CONCLUSION: As with malar rashes, morbilliform erythema of acute cutaneous LE seems to develop more frequently at the time of severe systemic involvement of immunopathological processes of SLE.
Autoantibodies ; Blister ; Erythema* ; Exanthema ; Extremities ; Humans ; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic* ; Oral Ulcer ; Skin ; Skin Diseases

No abstract available.
Family Practice* ; Humans ; Smoke* ; Smoking*

No abstract available.
Keratinocytes*

BACKGROUND: Superoxide dismutases (SOD) are important metallo-enzymes which scavenge and dismutase the superoxide free radical. They are thought to be the main enzymes in the antioxidant defense system. In the several cell ines the induction of Mn-SOD expression by tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha which is a known inflammatory cytokine, suggests that Mn-SOD may play a role in the inflammatory process. However, this effect is occurred. OBJECTIVE: The present study was undertakento determine whether the induction of SOD expression by TNF-alpha, in the keratinocytes is occurred. METHODS: Primary keratinocyte cultures from neonatal foreskins were grown in complete MCDB 153 medium. Measurement of superoxide radical and SOD activity were performed according to Babior and Fridovich methods, respectively. RESULTS: 1. The release of superoxide radical were measured after 30, 60, 90 minutes exposure to 10ng/ms TNF-alpha, THE RESULTS SHOWS 2.94+/-0.30 NMOL/2x105, 3.55+/-0.52 NMOL/2x105, 4.13+/-0.70 nmol/2x105 respectivelyl The increase of superoxide radical release was detectable in a time dependent manner. 2. Total SOD activity without treatment of TNF-alpha at 24 hours was 18.46+/-2.85, Total SOD activities after treatment of 1, 10, 100 ng/ml TNF-alpha at 24hours were 36.47+/-6.80, 88.01+/-7.79, 94.50+/-8.97 respectively, which suggested that TNF-alpha induced increase of total SOD significantly (p<0.050. TNF-alpha stimulate total SOD induction in a dose and time dependent manner, although the effects were not outstanding. Mn-SOD activity after treatment of 100 ng/ml TNF-alpha at 48 hours was 84.12+/-14.83, which was approxdimately 10.5 fold of that of the untredated case. TNF-alpha also induced the Cu, Zn-SOD activity, but the effect was not so much as in the case of Mn -SOD. CONCLUSION: TNF-alpha induces production of total SODD activities, especially Mn-SOD in the human kerati ocytes, which may be to protect cells from inflammation mediated oxidative damage, namely production of total SOD protein, especially Mn-SOD in response to TNF-alpha induced and scavenged overproduced superoxide radical which in turn may result in protection of the keratinocytes.
Foreskin ; Humans* ; Inflammation ; Keratinocytes* ; Superoxide Dismutase* ; Superoxides* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha*

BACKGROUND: Superoxide disrnutase(SOD) provides a protective defease mechanism against potential cytotoxicity of superoxide radical in the aerobic organism. Although human skin is constantly at risk for developing acute and chronic changes by ultraviolet radiation and phototoxic reactions with exogenous and endogenously procluced photosensitizing molecules, studies in SOD in the human skin are rare. OBJECTIVE: We measured the level of SOD activities in the scar tissues and the normal human skin specimens. This study was to investigate changes of SOD activity by age, sex, and regional differences of SOD activities in the scar issues and the normal skin. METHODS: Aut,hors assayed the level of SOD activit,ies in 32 scar tissues(male 8, female 24) and 11 normal human skin specimens(male 8, female 3), which were obtaine 3 from face/neck(17 and 3 specimens), forearm(only 4 scar tissues), trunk(10 and 8 specimens), and lower extremity(only 1 scar tissue). RESULTS: First, activities of total SOD, Cu, Zn-SOD, and Mn-SOL ere 18.93+5.49, 16.97+55.31, and 1.96+0.90 units/mg proteiii respectively in the scar tissues. Second activities of total SOD, Cu, Zn-SOD, and Mn-SOD were 17.27+7.09, 13.82+6.44, and 3.45+1.07 units/mg protein respectively in the normal skin. Third, the changes of total SOD, Cu, Zn-SOD, and Mn-SOD activities by age and sex were similar each other and three were no significant, differneces between age groups in total, Cu, Zn- SOD, and Mn-SOD activities. Fourth, in sun exposed area and unexposed area there were no significant differences in the scar tissues in SOD activities. But, SOD activite.(total, Cu, Zn, and Mn-SOD) in face/neck were higher than those in trunk and lower extremity in tae normal skin(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that there are no differences in the intrinsic SOD activities by age and sex in the mature scar tissues and the normal skin. Differences between exposed and unexposed area in the normal skin are due to the induction of exogenous SOD activity by sun-light generation of superoxide radicals. In wound, increased production of leukocyte derived superoxide radicals is the main factor of increased level of SOD activity.
Cicatrix* ; Female ; Humans ; Leukocytes ; Lower Extremity ; Skin ; Solar System ; Superoxide Dismutase* ; Superoxides* ; Wounds and Injuries

BACKGROUND: The large surfaces of the skin are often initial site of contact between microorganism and human. The skin are coated with epidermis and epithelial cells can recognize microorganism and mount a fast defense through the production of various inducible antibiotic peptides. This leads to chracteristic broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Recent studies introduce us new peptides with antimicrobial activity such as P,-defensins and cathelicidins. They are expressed on the epithelia and polymorphonuclear leukocytes, which are first lines of defence from various invasive environments. Futhermore, they are considered very interesting and important endogenous antibiotics. Our previous study has shown that the expression of human defensin(hBD-2) mRNA, which is potent antibiotic peptide against Gram-negative bacteria(P. aeruginosa), was upregulated with ultraviolet(UV) irradiation, tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-α) and lipopolysaccharide(LPS) in HaCaT cells. A novel hBD-3, 5-kDa, nonhemolytic antimicrobial peptide, was demonstrated a salt-insensitive broad spectrum of potent antimicrobial activity against many potentially pathogenic microbes in especially, multiresistant S. aureus. We have analyzed the expression patterns of hBD-3 in HaCaT cell lines. OBJECTIVE: This research have done in order to evaluate the expression and regulation of hBD-3 mRNA in human keratinocyte cell lines. METHODS: HaCaT cell lines were used to all culture experiments. Cultured human keratinocytes were stimulated with UV irradiation or TNF-α or LPS to determine whether hBD-3 mRNA production occurred. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was per-formed to amplify hBD-3 cDNA from stimulated keratinocytes in a time dependant manner, and densitometry was used to verify the specificity of RT-PCR amplication products. RESULTS: Expression of hBD-3 was upregulated with UV irradiation, TNF-α and LPS in Ha-CaT cells compared to control CONCLUSIONS: Human keratinocytes are capable to induce hBD-3 mRNA, as well as hBD-2, in response to UV irradiation, TNF-α and LPS. suggesting that these cells could play an important role against the bacterial infection and UV light damage in human skin.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacteria ; Bacterial Infections ; Cathelicidins ; Cell Line* ; Densitometry ; DNA, Complementary ; Epidermis ; Epithelial Cells ; Fungi ; Humans* ; Keratinocytes ; Necrosis ; Neutrophils ; Peptides ; RNA, Messenger ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin ; Ultraviolet Rays

The development of tophi in th absence of prior episodes of gauty arthritis is unusual. We report a case of extensive tophi in a 31 year-old man, whose initial skin lesion had started without arthritis.
Adult ; Arthritis ; Gout* ; Humans ; Skin

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Learning Disorders* ; Learning*

A 73-year-old female patient, who had been treated with antituberculous drugs for 4 months, was referred to our department because of generalized macules and papules present for 15 days. Clinical examination revealed polygonal, flat papules of erythematous to violaceous hue on the entire skin. Histopathologic findings were similar to those of lichen planus. In a provocation test with ethambutol, the skin lesions were aggravated and the new lesions developed. We considered this case to be a lichenoid drug eruption due to ethambutol. The skin lesions gradually cleared after ethambutol was eliminated from the patient's tuberculosis therapy.
Aged ; Drug Eruptions* ; Ethambutol* ; Female ; Humans ; Lichen Planus ; Skin ; Tuberculosis

Cutaneous horns of the penis are rare. We report a case associated with squamous cell carcinoma in a 56-year-old male. A gradually enlarging nodule had been on the glans penis for four years. He had suffered from an erythematous crusted tumor mass and horny excrescence on the glans penis which recurred and was aggravated after excision of the nodule seven months ago. Histopathologic findings of the lesions showed characteristic findings of squamous cell carcinoma and cutaneous horn. In situ DNA hybridization for human papillomavirus types 6, 11, 16, 18, 32, and 33 were all negative. The tumor mass were surgically excised and we have not found any sign of recurrence since then.
Animals ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell* ; DNA ; Epithelial Cells* ; Horns* ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Penis* ; Recurrence