Background: Lac color, a natural red dye derived from the larvae of laccifer lacca kerr, is one of the most commonly used substances in food. To date, no studies have reported on the antigenicity of lac color and the other biomarkers that can determine anaphylactic reactions. To address this, we evaluated the antigenicity of lac color through active systemic anaphylaxis (ASA) in addition to identifying potential biomarkers performing exploratory studies. For ASA test, Guinea pigs (n = 5) were sensitized with 0(negative control), 4 mg/kg of lac color, 4 mg/kg of lac color + FCA, and 5 mg/kg of ovalbumin + FCA (positive control) 3 times a week for three weeks. Fourteen days after the last sensi‑ tization, animals were challenged intravenously weekly for two weeks. Hematological and histopathological analyses were performed and compared to control groups. Results: In the ASA test, all lac color groups showed mild symptoms such as nose rubbing, urination, and evacuation, which are insufficient indicators of anaphylaxis. Exploratory studies identified several biomarkers: decreased platelet count, and increased basophil count; distention in the lung, and redness on the inner wall of trachea; mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltration (MICI) in the ear, and heart hemorrhage. When these biomarkers were applied to the ASA test of lac color, in comparison to the negative control group, the positive control group (ovalbumin + FCA) showed a significant over 60-fold reduction in platelet count and nearly threefold higher basophil count compared to other groups. Furthermore, only positive control group exhibited full lung distention and severe redness on the inner wall of the trachea. Mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltration (MICI) in the ear was about three times higher, and heart hemorrhage was only present in the positive control group compared to others. None of the lac color groups were different from the negative control group (p > 0.05), whereas the positive control group was significantly different (p < 0.05). Conclusions Our study concludes that lac color, at the tested concentrations, does not induce antigenicity in the guinea pig model, providing valuable safety data. Furthermore, the biomarkers identified in this study offer a supportive approach to evaluating the immunogenicity of substances in future research.

Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a progressive complication among patients with diabetes and the most common cause of end-stage kidney disease. Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are known to play a role in kidney disease, thus this study aimed to determine their role in the development of diabetic kidney disease using diabetic murine models. Results: Protein and histological analyses revealed that db/db mice and streptozotocin DN models expressed no significant NET-related proteins, myeloperoxidase, citrullinated histone H3 (citH3), neutrophil elastase, and lymphocyte antigen 6 complex locus G6D (Ly6G). However, the inflamed individuals in the DN model showed that citH3 and Ly6G were highly deposited in the renal system based on immunohistochemistry images. In vitro, NET treatment did not induce apoptosis in glomerular endothelial and renal tubular epithelial cells. NET inhibition by DNase administration demonstrated no significant changes in cell apoptosis. Conclusions NET-related proteins were only expressed in the DN model with tubulointerstitial inflammation. Our study revealed that NETs are only induced in mice with hyperglycemia-induced inflammation.

Background: Primary cicatricial alopecia (PCA) is a rare disease that causes irreversible destruction of hair follicles and affects the quality of life (QOL). Objective: We aimed to investigate the disease awareness, medical use behavior, QOL, and real-world diagnosis and treatment status of patients with PCA. Methods: A self-administered questionnaire was administered to patients with PCA and their dermatologists. Patients aged between 19 and 75 years who visited one of 27 dermatology departments between September 2021 and September 2022 were included. Results: In total, 274 patients were included. The male-to-female ratio was 1:1.47, with a mean age of 45.7 years. Patients with neutrophilic and mixed PCA were predominantly male and younger than those with lymphocytic PCA. Among patients with lymphocytic PCA, lichen planopilaris was the most common type, and among those with neutrophilic PCA, folliculitis decalvans was the most common type. Among the total patients, 28.8% were previously diagnosed with PCA, 47.0% were diagnosed with PCA at least 6 months after their first hospital visit, 20.0% received early treatment within 3 months of disease onset, and 54.4% received steady treatment. More than half of the patients had a moderate to severe impairment in QOL. Topical/intralesional steroid injections were the most common treatment. Systemic immunosuppressants were frequently prescribed to patients with lymphocytic PCA, and antibiotics were mostly prescribed to patients with neutrophilic PCA. Conclusion This study provides information on the disease awareness, medical use behavior, QOL, diagnosis, and treatment status of Korean patients with PCA. This can help dermatologists educate patients with PCA to understand the necessity for early diagnosis and steady treatment.

Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) has dramatically altered the landscape of noninvasive glioma evaluation, offering complementary insights to those gained through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). PET/CT scans enable a multifaceted analysis of glioma biology, supporting clinical applications from grading and differential diagnosis to mapping the full extent of tumors and planning subsequent treatments and evaluations. With a broad array of specialized radiotracers, researchers and clinicians can now probe various biological characteristics of gliomas, such as glucose utilization, cellular proliferation, oxygen deficiency, amino acid trafficking, and reactive astrogliosis. This review aims to provide a recent update on the application of versatile PET/CT radiotracers in glioma research and clinical practice.