Skin lesion characteristics such as time point of appearance and extent affect the survival outcomes of secondary cutaneous lymphoma. Cell lineage did not influence survival outcomes but the two lineages are associated with different prognostic factors.

Several studies observed that adiponectin, an important adipokine that improves glucose metabolism by regulating AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling, is dermatologically beneficial. In our recent microarray data, we found that adiponectin expression was lower in lesional skin than in non-lesional skin of melasma patients. Given that AMPK is a key adiponectin signaling mediator, we investigated the role of adiponectin and AICAR, a cell-permeable AMPK activator, in melanogenesis. We herein showed that adiponectin and AICAR downregulated MITF, tyrosinase, TRP-1, and DCT expression and reduced melanin content in normal human and mouse melanocytes. The depigmenting effect of adiponectin was mediated via AMPK activation, which induced the inhibitory phosphorylation of CREB-regulated transcription co-activators (CRTCs) and subsequent suppression of the novel CRTC/CREB pathway in melanocytes. These findings suggest that adiponectin and its analogs are useful as a clinical strategy for treating hyperpigmentation disorders.

We have demonstrated previously that the 20(S) but not the 20(R) form of ginsenoside Rg 3 inhibited K ϩ currents flowing through Kv1.4 (hKv1.4) channels expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes, pointing to the presence of specific interaction site(s) for Rg 3 in the hKv1.4 channel. In the current study, we sought to identify this site(s). To this end, we first assessed how point mutations of various amino acid residues of the hKv1.4 channel affected inhibition by 20(S)-ginsenoside Rg 3 (Rg 3 ). Lys531 residue is known to be a key site for K ϩ activation and to be part of the extracellular tetraethylammonium (TEA) binding site; the mutation K531Y abolished the Rg 3 effect and made the Kv1.4 channel sensitive to TEA applied to the extracellular side of the membrane. Mutations of many other residues, including the pH sensitive-site (H507Q), were without any significant effect. We next examined whether K ϩ and TEA could alter the effect of Rg 3 and vice versa. We found that 1) raising [K ϩ ] o reduced the inhibitory effect of Rg 3 on hKv1.4 channel currents, whereas Rg 3 shifted the K ϩ activation curve to the right, and 2) TEA caused a rightward shift of the Rg 3 concentration-response curve of wild-type hKv1.4 channel currents, whereas Rg 3 caused a rightward shift of the TEA concentration-response curve of K531Y mutant channel currents. The docked modeling revealed that Lys531 plays a key role in forming hydrogen bonds between Rg 3 and hKv1.4 channels. These results indicate that Rg 3 inhibits the hKv1.4 channel current by interacting with residue Lys531.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) can be separated into 2 groups: nodal and extranodal disease. The aim of this study was to analyse the clinical features of skin lesions and survival outcomes of cutaneous DLBCL according to the primary tumour site. A total of 44 patients with cutaneous DLBCL were classified as primary cutaneous DLBCL, leg type or cutaneous DLBCL secondary to primary disease. Although skin lesion characteristics did not differ significantly between groups, extensive cutaneous lesions were more often observed in secondary cutaneous DLBCL compared with DLBCL, leg type. Secondary cutaneous DLBCL was more commonly associated with an advanced stage and higher International Prognostic Index score than DLBCL, leg type. DLBCL, leg type demonstrated a better survival outcome than secondary cutaneous DLBCL. The multiplicity of skin lesions and time-point of cutaneous involvement were associated with prognosis in secondary cutaneous DLBCL. Survival outcomes and prognostic factors differ depending on the primary tumour site of cutaneous DLBCL.

Background: The clinical features of nasal rosacea have not been described in detail. Objective: To describe the clinical features of nasal rosacea. Methods: 599 patients were classified into those with rosacea in both the nasal and extra-nasal areas (group A), localized nasal rosacea (group B) and rosacea without nasal involvement (group C). Results: The mixed subtype was more common in group A (n = 337) than in group C (n = 231). The severity score was higher in group A than in group C. Erythematotelangiectatic rosacea was the most common subtype in group B (n = 31) and was more common in group B than in group A. Rosacea mainly affected the lower half of the nose in group B, but affected the entire nose in group A. Conclusion: Nasal involvement may be an index of severe rosacea. Localized nasal rosacea is a separate spectrum with different clinical features.

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BackgroundFractional laser resurfacing treatment has been extensively investigated and is widely used. However, the mechanism underlying its effects is poorly understood because of the ethical and cosmetic problems of obtaining skin biopsies required to study the changes after laser treatment.ObjectiveTo evaluate the usefulness of human skin explants for the investigation of fractional photothermolysis.MethodsFull-thickness discarded skin was treated in 4 ways: no treatment (control), fractional carbon dioxide laser, fractional Er:YAG laser, and fractional 1,550-nm erbium-doped fiber laser. Both treated and non-treated skin samples were cultured ex vivo at the air-medium interface for 7 days. Frozen tissue was sectioned and stained with hematoxylin & eosin for histologic examination and nitro blue tetrazolium chloride for viability testing.ResultsSkin explants cultured for up to 3 days exhibited histologic changes similar to those observed in in vivo studies, including microscopic treatment zones surrounded by a thermal coagulation zone, re-epithelialization, and formation of microscopic epidermal necrotic debris. However, the explant structure lost its original form within 7 days of culture. The viability of skin explants was maintained for 3 days of culture but was also lost within 7 days.ConclusionThe skin explant model may be a useful tool for investigating the immediate or early changes following fractional photothermolysis, but further improvements are required to evaluate the long-term and dermal changes.

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