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Basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) usually develop in sun-exposed areas. The finger, toe, and nail unit are very rare sites of BCC. We describe a patient with BCC on the right hallux. Clinically, it appeared as a brown-colored small plaque with an irregular border on the nail fold and dorsum of the right hallux. Histopathological findings were consistent with the superficial type of BCC.

Here, we investigated whether an anti-allergy drug, terfenadine, affects interleukin-4-modulated cytokine expression in peripheral T cells. Peripheral blood T cells were first stimulated with recombinant interleukin-4 and then tested for modulation of the mRNA of a panel of cytokines using the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction followed by Southern blot analysis. It was found that T cells constitutively expressed mRNA specific to T helper 1 cytokines (interleukin-2, interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha), which was markedly downregulated upon stimulation with interleukin-4, whereas mRNA for T helper 2 cytokines such as interleukins 4, 5, and 6 was induced in response to interleukin-4. Interestingly, the interleukin-4-induced expression of all T helper 2 cytokines examined was markedly downregulated by terfenadine. Among T helper 1 cytokines, interleukin-4-mediated suppression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha was not affected by terfenadine, which, however, markedly restored mRNA expression of interferon-gamma or interleukin-2. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays using [32P]-labeled synthetic oligonucleotides encoding the consensus binding motif of activator protein-1 demonstrated that interleukin-4-induced binding of activator protein-1 composed of JunB was interfered by terfenadine. This study indicates that terfenadine, at least partially, interferes with interleukin-4-activated signaling, leading to terfenadine antagonism against the modulatory impact of interleukin-4 on T cell cytokines.

The rates of recognition and implementation of the complete smoking ban were significantly lower in Amagasaki City than in Kobe City. There needs to be a strong and continuous socialization campaign to promote the ordinance.

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