Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate Regulates the Expression of Inflammatory Biomarkers in Cultured Sebocytes.

BACKGROUND: Acne is an inflammatory skin disorder caused by inflammatory biomarkers. Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate (MAP) is a stable precursor of vitamin C. It achieves a constant delivery of vitamin C into the skin and has antioxidative effects. OBJECTIVE: We performed this study to evaluate the effect of MAP on the expression of inflammatory biomarkers in cultured sebocytes. METHODS: Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were performed for inflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) before and after treatment of cultured sebocytes with MAP (10(-2) M), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (5 µg/ml) and a combination of MAP and LPS. RT-PCR and western blotting were also performed for antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 before and after treatment of cultured sebocytes with MAP, LPS, and a combination of MAP and LPS. Quantification of lipid peroxidation was also conducted. RESULTS: The increased expression of inflammatory cytokines after treatment of cultured sebocytes with LPS was decreased after treatment with MAP. MMPs, AMPs, and TLR-4 were decreased after treatment of cultured sebocytes with MAP and a combination of MAP and LPS, and increased after treatment of cultured sebocytes with LPS alone. Lipid peroxidation was significantly decreased after treatment of cultured sebocytes with MAP and a combination of MAP and LPS. MAP decreased the increased lipid peroxidation after treatment of cultured sebocytes with LPS. CONCLUSION: MAP may be an effective alternative agent to improve inflammatory reactions in acne.

A multicenter study on extramammary Paget's disease in Korea.

BACKGROUND: There has been little research on extramammary Paget's disease (EMPD) conducted in Asia. METHODS: The aim of this multicenter study was to investigate the clinicopathological features, biological behavior, and treatment of EMPD in 194 Korean patients over a five-year period. RESULTS: As expected, this disease exhibited a male dominance (3.9:1) pattern. To distinguish the true association of malignancy with EMPD from coincidental occurrence of malignancy, we modified Chanda's guidelines. This analysis determined that there was an accompanying malignancy in 26 patients (14.4%), which included stomach (six cases), rectum (three cases), and colon (three cases) malignancies. With regard to treatment, 112 patients (58%) underwent conventional excisions, and 22 (11.4%) had Mohs surgery. Follow-up data for periods of 3-180 months were available for 147 patients; these data indicated that 42 patients (28.6%) experienced local recurrences. Patients who underwent Mohs micrographic surgery experienced a lower rate of recurrence (12.5%) than patients who underwent conventional excision (33.3%). CONCLUSIONS: In summary, this Korean population-based study demonstrated that the clinical features of EMPD, such as gender predominance, are consistent with reports from other Asian population-based studies. However, this study additionally demonstrated that the rate of association with malignancy in the Korean population (14.4%) was higher than that observed in other Asian studies.

A Case of Xanthoma Disseminatum Accentuating over the Eyelids.

Xanthoma disseminatum (XD) is a rare, benign non-familial mucocutaneous disorder, which is a subset of non-Langerhans cell histiocytosis. It is characterized by mucocutaneous xanthomas in a disseminated form typically involving the eyelids, trunk, face, and proximal extremities and occurs in flexures and folds such as axillae and the groin. Mucosal involvement of the respiratory or gastrointestinal tracts may lead to hoarseness or intestinal obstruction from a mechanical mass effect. This paper outlines the case of a 47-year-old female with progressive yellow-to-brown confluent nodules and plaques of various sizes on her scalp, face, oral mucosa, neck, shoulder, axillary folds, and perianal area. Xanthomas accentuating over the eyelids and eyelashes led to partial obstruction of her visual field and interfered with blinking. Further, she suffered from xerophthalmia. The presentation of histopathological features including foamy histiocytes, inflammatory cells, and Touton giant cells in conjunction with her clinical findings indicated a diagnosis of XD. Evaluations for extracutaneous involvement including the central nervous system, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and bone resulted in nonspecific findings. Although she has been treated with surgical excisions, CO(2) laser therapy, and oral prednisolone, new lesions are still emerging.

The vein hook successfully used for eradication of steatocystoma multiplex.

BACKGROUND: Steatocystoma multiplex is characterized by the formation of the numerous cutaneous cysts in the exposed area leaving some cosmetic problems for the patients. Only surgical excision has been effective, and its several variations were done with limited success. Because the patients usually have many cysts, excision of cysts was tedious for the doctors and left scars on the patients. METHOD: Five patients agreeing to participate in this experiments were selected. The vein hook used for ambulatory phlebectomy was employed to eradicate the cysts. The skin was incised approximately 2 to 3 mm in length. Then the mosquito forceps removed the cysts by gently squeezing or hooking the inner or outer cyst wall. By completely removing tissue around the cyst, recurrence was able to be prevented. RESULT: It took approximately 1 minute to excise one cyst completely, it left no hypertrophic scars except for transient postinflammatory hyperpigmentation, and it had no recurrences for 14 to 30 months on five patients. CONCLUSION: The use of this instrument is very simple and time-saving, providing excellent success rate with favorable cosmetic results. It can be a good alternative for eradication of the cysts in steatocystma multiplex. The authors have indicated no significant interest with commercial supporters.