Abnormal expressions of inflammatory cytokines and apoptosis-related factors in lesions of early alopecia areata / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective To detect the expressions of apoptosis-related factors and inflammatory cytokines in superficial and deep layers of as well as anagen hair follicles in lesions of early alopecia areata (AA).Methods Scalp biopsy samples were collected from 25 patients with early AA and 15 healthy human controls.Fluorescence-based quantitative PCR was performed to detect mRNA expressions of apoptosis-related genes p53,caspase 3,Fas,survivin and bcl-2,as well as those of inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-4,IL-10,IL-12 and interferon (IFN)-γ.An immunohistochemical assay was conducted to measure the expression of p53 protein in anagen hair follicles.Results Compared with control skin samples,anagen hair follicles in AA lesions showed significantly increased mRNA expression levels (expressed as 2-△△Ct) of pro-apoptotic factors caspase 3,p53 and Fas (6.78,8.01,9.74,respectively,all P ＜ 0.05),but decreased mRNA expression levels of antiapoptotic factors bcl-2 and survivin (0.08 and 0.03 respectively,both P ＜ 0.01),and similar mRNA expression levels of inflammatory cytokines.There was a significant increase in mRNA expression levels of Th1 cytokines IFN-γ and IL-12 (2.75 vs.1.00,P ＜ 0.05; 85.67 vs.1.00,P ＜ 0.01),but a significant decrease in the expression level of the Th2 cytokine IL-10 (0.002 vs.1.000,P ＜ 0.01) in superficial layers of AA lesions compared with those of normal control skin.The degree of changes in mRNA expression levels of IL-10 and IL-12 was significantly higher in superficial layers than in deep layers of AA lesions (P＜0.01 and 0.05 respectively).The immunohistochemical assay showed that the number of p53-positive cells per 100 cells in anagen hair follicles of AA lesions was higher than that in those of control skin (t =23.79,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions Anagen hair follicles in AA lesions exhibit high expressions of pro-apoptosis factors,but low expressions of antiapoptotic factors,suggesting that apoptotic factors play a role in the occurrence of AA.

Study on waist circumference and hip circumference of 7 - 18 year-old children and adolescents in Shandong province / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the development of waist circumference (WC) and hip circumference (HC) in children and adolescents in Shandong province, and to provide scientific data for developing related reference values for screening central obesity in Chinese children and adolescents.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Using data from 'Student physical fitness and health surveillance 2010 project' in Shandong province, a total of 42 275 students aged 7 - 18 years were selected to participate in this study. WC, HC, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and wrist-to-stature ratio (WSR) of subjects were measured. Comparison of data from the current study and other similar studies was made.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The mean values of WC increased with age, and boys all significantly higher than girls in all age categories (P < 0.01). There were two crosses on gender regarding the HC curves: before the age of 11 years, with mean HC higher in boys than in girls, but girls were higher than boys between the age of 12 to 14 while boys were also higher than girls after the age of 15 years. The 50(th) percentiles (P(50)) of WC of children and adolescents aged 7 to 18 years in Shandong appeared above the figures by 1.3 - 3.1 cm (boys) and 1.2 - 2.0 cm (girls) from 15 provinces in China as well as above the data from Hong Kong by 1.9 - 5.4 cm (boys) and 2.0 - 6.5 cm (girls), respectively. Overall, 20.20% of the boys and 16.57% of the girls had a WC of ≥ 90(th) percentile and 15.73% and 7.38% of the boys and girls had a WHtR of ≥ 0.5 which both showed significant differences between genders (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Children and adolescents from Shandong province had a high level of WC.</p>

Expression of filaggrin in alopecia areata lesions of patients / 中华皮肤科杂志

ObjectiveTo assess the relationship of filaggrin expression with atopic diathesis and disease severity in patients with alopecia areata (AA).MethodsThirty-seven patients with AA aged (26.3 ± 10.6) years were enrolled in this study.Atopic diseases were noted in 8 of these patients.Clinical data and laboratory test resuhs were reviewed.Immunohistochemical staining was performed to quantify the expression of filaggrin protein in scalp biopsy specimens from all of the 37 patients with AA and from 10 human controls,and fluorescence-based semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR to detect the expression of filaggrin mRNA in scalp biopsy specimens from 22 patients with AA and 13 healthy controls.Data were statistically analyzed by Mann Whitney U test,chi-square test,and Spearman's rank correlation test.ResultsThe expressions of filaggrin protein and mRNA were significantly lower in patients with AA than in the controls(P ＜ 0.05 or 0.01 ),and the decrease seemed more obvious in patients with large areas of lesions,long duration of disease,and nail abnormalities,but the degree of decrease was unrelated to the complication with atopic diseases.No significant differences were observed in sex ratio,age at onset,disease duration,area of hair loss,the prevalence of family history or incidence of nail abnormalities and increase in serum IgE and eosinophils,between patients with atopic diseases and those without.ConclusionsThe expressions of filaggrin protein and mRNA are decreased in patients with AA,suggesting that filaggrin may participate in the development of AA and is correlated with the severity of AA.

Dermoscopic features of alopecia areata and their correlation with clinicopathological manifestations / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective To observe the microstructural changes in lesions of alopecia areata (AA) with dermoscopy and to evaluate their correlation with clinicopathological manifestations. Methods The area of alopecia of 62 patients with AA and 44 patients with other types of hair loss were observed by using a noncontact polarized dermoscope (Dermlite, USA). Clinical data on and laboratory findings from these patients were collected. Pathological examination was carried out with scalp biopsy specimens from the alopecia area of 15 AA patients. Results Characteristic dermoscopic signs of AA included yellow dots, black dots, broken hairs, exclamation mark hairs, short vellus hair and newly-grown short hairs. Among these signs, yellow dots showed the highest prevalence (83.9%). Exclamation mark hairs, black dots and broken hairs were rather specific signs for AA, and the prevalence of the three signs was positively correlated with disease activity and positivity rate of hair-pull test. A positive correlation was also noted between the prevalence of elevated thyroid peroxidase antibody levels and positivity rate of hair-pull test (r = 0.269, P ＜ 0.05 ) as well as prevalence of broken hairs (r = 0.445, P ＜ 0.05), and between the prevalence of yellow dots and that of keratinous plug in follicular orifice. There was a negative correlation between the prevalence of newly-grown short hairs and perifollicular mast cell infiltration and between the prevalence of black dots and the anagen/catagen ratio. Conclusions Yellow dots can serve as a preliminary screening marker for AA. Exclamation mark hairs, black dots and broken hairs are highly sensitive for the confirmation of diagnosis of AA, and often predict progressive AA.Dermoscopic signs are well correlated to the histopathology features of AA, and may be useful for the evaluation of disease severity and guidance on the treatment of AA.

Effects of the first premolar extraction on the third molar angulation / 华西口腔医学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze the effects about inclinations of the second and the third molars in patients treated with or without premolar extractions.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Fifty-six adolescents were chosen and divided into the first premolar extraction and non-extraction groups, 30 and 26 patients respectively. The pre-treatment and post-treatment panoramic radiographs were made. Angles between long axis of the third molar and the occlusal plane (the second molar alike), and long axis of the second and the third molar were measured and evaluated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The maxillary and mandibular third molar angulations were all improved after treatment in two groups. Compared with non-extraction group, the average changes of angle between long axis of the third molar and the occlusal plane increased significantly in maxilla and mandible (P < 0.05). Average changes of angles between long axis of the second and the third molar decreased and had statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). The change of angle between long axis of mandibular second molar and the occlusal plane had statistically significant difference (P < 0.05), but there was no statistically significant difference in maxillary second molar (P > 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The first premolar extraction in orthodontic treatment could improve the third molar angulations and it would promote the eruption of the third molar.</p>