The effects of recombinant interferon-?on Proliferation and HLA-DR antigen expression in cultured human melanocyts / 대한피부과학회지

BACKGROUND: The main function of melanocyte is known to protect the skin from hazardous sunlight. But, some investigators have claimed lately that melanocytes are also related to the immunologic role in the epidermis because these cells produce IL-1 activity and IL-1beta convertase activity, in vitro. OBJECTIVE: Our purposes were to investigate the effects of rIFN-gammaon the proliferation of melanocytes, melanin content, and the expression of HLA-DR antigen on melanocytes after a rIFN-gammaexposure. MEHTODS: The number of melanocytes, the melanin content, and the expression of HLA-DR antigen were evaluated on cultured human melanocytes according to a time sequence and various concentrations of rIFN-gamma. RESULTS: Antiproliferative activity on melanocytes was dependent on the exposure time and the concentration of rIFN-gamma. According to the exposure time and the concentration of rIFN-gamma, melanogenic acivity was inhibitd or stimulated. Normal melanocytes didn't express HLA-DR antigen, but when normal melanocytes were exposed to rIFN-gamma, the expression of HLA-DR antigen increased in a time-and concentration-dependent fashion. After the removal of rIFN - gammafrom the culture media, the expression of HLA-DR antigen on melanocytes also disappeared. CONCLUSION: In our study, melanocytes seem to be related to the immunologic role in the epidermis because these cells expressed HLA-DR antigen after rIFN-gammaexposure and we think that study could help to investigate between melanocytes and immunologic mechanisms in various inflammatory skin diseases.

Leukemia Cutis in a Patient with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia / 대한피부과학회지

Leukemia cutis, skin lesions in leukemia, are clinically divided into specific and nonspecific types. Specific skin lesions demonstrate malignant cell infiltrate when the biopsy is done. We have encountered a typical case of specific skin lesions of leukemia cutis associated with acute lymphocytic leukemia in a 18-year-old male patient. There were multiple, pinhead to rice sized, skin colored to lemon yellow colored, discrete papules on the face, neck and trunk. A review of the literature is presented with a brief discussion of this case.

Two Cases of Superficial Migratory Thrombophlebitis / 대한피부과학회지

Superficial migratory thrombophlebitis (SMT) represents multiple, tender, often cordlike nodules, usuallyion the legs but occationally on the arms. In some instances the nodules slowly migrate along the course of a vein. It can occur in association with carcinoma of internal organ or other diseases but also idiopathically. In 1865 Trousseau first wrote about that patients who have carcinoma involving an internal organ are prone to develop thrombophlebitis in one or more superficial veins so he drew attention to the fact that thrombophlebitis may be a first presenting sign of carcinomatosis. In fact, it is not uncommon for the ordinary thrombotic lesions to be observed several months or even a year before the carcinoma would otherwise diagnosed. So the clinical manifestation of SMT may be very important dermatologic finding to find hidden cancer of visceral organ. We present two cases of SMT, first case is a 25-year-old male patient who had multiple, tender nodules on both lower extremities and second case is 32-year-old male patient who had multiple, tender, linear, often cordlike nodules along the inner aspect of right lower extremity. Because we could not find any internal carcinoma or other diseas esexcept histories of hepatitis, we regard them as idiopathic type, but continuous follow up observation must be needed under the importance of possible presence of internal carcinoma.