Harukuni Urabe

Present state of yusho patients.

“Yusho” is the Japanese term for a notorious mass case of PCB poisoning that occurred in Japan in 1968 as the result of distributing cooking oil, Kanemi Rice Oil, which had been polluted with PCB. At the beginning of the outbreak the hazard was limited to the western part of Japan, particularly Kyushu, where the contaminated Kanemi Rice Oil was intensively marketed. Tracking down the culpable substance and the treatment of the patients were soon undertaken by large-scale collaborative teams from Kyushu University. The history and present status of the catastrophe was stated.

Surgical treatment of genital Paget's disease in men

Twenty-one men with genital Paget’s disease were treated in our clinic from 1968 to 1983. We report our policy regarding treatment of the clinical disorder, particularly our surgical approach. We also stress that, when considering treatment, the circumstances of the aged patients should lake precedence over aggressive treatment of the clinical state of the dermal disease.

Pericytes on the dermal microvasculature of the rat skin.

SummarySurface morphology of pericytes of the subepidermal capillary network of rat skin was studied by scanning electron microscopy. Pericytes showed considerable variation in shape, one end of the spectrum representing a fusiform cell body and lateral projections, the other end a club-like, undulated appearance. Most cells of whatever form were disposed parallel to the capillary course and aligned on the dermal side of the vessels. The pericytic processes encompassed up to half of the endothelial circumference, and were not tapered but spatulated at the ends; the cells adhered to the vessel wall only in certain areas.These findings, together with our previous observation that the subepidermal capillaries exhibit fenestrations mainly at the epidermal side of the endothelial lining, suggest a possible functional role of the pericyte in control of material exchange through the vessel wall. The lateral processes of the fusiform pericytes may, by contraction, cause thinning of the capillary endothelium and the formation of fenestrae, while the club-like pericytes may straighten and push the capillary towards the epidermis, if pericytes are indeed contractile cells, as recent studies indicate.

A New Apparatus for Hair Regrowth in Male-pattern Baldness

A newly devised apparatus (Scalp‐Tension‐Relaxer, STR) can efficiently promote hair regrowth in patients with male‐pattern baldness. When this apparatus is applied, the scalp is pushed up to relieve tension on the vertex. The efficacy rate of hair regrowth in alopecia patients was 40%. An investigation into the basis for the hair regrowth caused by this apparatus was directed toward the changes in hemodynamics and skin temperature of the scalp. During and after use of this apparatus, subjects exhibited an increase both in the cutaneous blood flow rate (as determined by laser Doppler flowmetry) and in the cutaneous temperature (as determined by thermography).

ELECTRON MICROSCOPE STUDY ON THE HEMANGIOMAS IN POEMS SYNDROME

We examined by light and electron microscopy the cutaneous hemangiomas of the POEMS syndrome (1, 2). The reddish papules showed histologic features of a lobulated cellular capillary hemangioma and overlapping features of a pyogenic granuloma and a cherry angioma. Interesting findings of these angiomas were 1) the intravascular endothelial proliferation not in the preexisting large vessels but in the capillaries composing the tumor and 2) the presence of particles resembling Epstein‐Barr virus and fine filamentous structures in the cytoplasma of the intravascular cells.

Degradation of deoxyribonucleic acid by guinea pig epidermal extracts.

SummaryThe capability of guinea pig epidermal extracts to hydrolyze deoxyribonucleic acid has been studied. The results of investigation by gel filtration on Sephadex G-75 column and by viscometry on the mode of hydrolysis of deoxyribonucleic acid by epidermal extracts revealed that deoxyribonucleic acid was degraded by both endonuclease and exonuclease activities. The exhaustive digestion by epidermal extracts yielded the complete degradation of deoxyribonucleic acid to mononucleosides or further metabolites. The enzyme systems involved in the deoxyribonucleic acid degradation include at least an endonuclease, an exonuclease and a phosphatase.ZusammenfassungEine Untersuchung über die DNS-Hydrolyse durch Meerschweinchen-Epidermis-Extrakt wurde durchgeführt. Gel-Filtration in der Sephadex G-75 Säule und Viskometrie ergaben eine DNS-Zerstörung durch Endonuclease- wie auch der Exonuclease-Aktivitäten. Die Verdauung zeigt eine völlige DNS-Zerstörung bis zu Mononucleosiden oder weitergehenden Metaboliten. Unter den Enzymen der DNS-Verdauung spielen zumindest eine Endonuclease, eine Exonuclease und eine Phosphatase eine Rolle.

Perioral dermatitis and rosacea-like dermatitis: clinical features and treatment.

Nine cases of perioral dermatitis and 16 cases of rosacea-like dermatitis have been treated for the last 3 years at our clinic. These cases were all females whose ages ranged from 18 to 61 years with a mean of 45 years. All had been under treatment with fluorinated steroids for a period of from 3 months to 10 years, about 3 years on the average. Tetracyclines were beneficial as remedies for these conditions, bringing about healing or remission in approximately 3 months. About 1 year was required for the recovery from atrophy of the skin and telangiectasia. Hydrocortisone 17-butyrate was more useful as a topical medication than hydrocortisone acetate but gave rise to withdrawal rebound eruptions in some cases.

STUDIES OF CELL AND ORGAN CULTURE OF PSORIATIC AND NORMAL EPIDERMIS IN VITRO

Involved and noninvolved epidermis from 15 psoriatic patients, and epidermis from 12 normal individuals were grown under various conditions in vitro as cell and organ cultures. In the organ cultures of normal or noninvolved psoriatic skin, epidermal cells migrated around the dermis and differentiated. In psoriatic organ cultures, progressive necrotic changes were observed in the spinous cells including gradual detachment of the spinous layer from the dermis. In spite of these necrotic changes, newly‐grown basal cells which appeared on the dermal tissue in the 9 to 12‐day psoriatic explants clearly incorporated 3H‐thymidine into nuclear DNA. By electron microscopy these cells were observed to have numerous ribosomes, a few mitochondria, tonofilament‐like structures in the cytoplasm, and no hemi‐desmosomes. Dissociated epidermal cells from the involved psoriatic skin failed to grow on plastic dishes. When these cells were plated on dishes coated with increasing amounts of collagen, the rate of cellular attachment was proportional to the thickness of the collagen coating, but they were unable to grow and form epidermal monolayers. In contrast, normal and noninvolved psoriatic epidermal cells attached to the dishes regardless of the presence of collagen and formed differentiated epidermal monolayers.

REDUCTION OF CHEMOTACTIC ACTIVITIES IN PSORIATIC LESIONS BY HYPERTHERMIA TREATMENTS

The effect of the local heat treatment on the chemotactic activity in psoriatic scales was studied by using a modified Boyden chamber method. Hyperthermic treatments were given to psoriasis plaques and scales were taken from these plaques before and after treatment. The psoriasis improved over a two week period of these treatments, but plaques were still present and scaling at that time. Treatment with local hyperthermia significantly reduced the activity for polymorphonuclear leukocytes in psoriatic scales (p<0.05).

Effect of local hyperthermia on two cases of psoriasis vulgaris.

Two psoriatic patients were treated with an exothermic pad, “Erhitzen”, on one site, and Goeckermans regimen on the contra‐lateral site. Erhitzen produced quicker clearing and longer duration of remission than Goeckermans regimen.