Kiyoshi Toda

English version of the interim report published in 1998 by the members of the Advisory Committee on Atopic Dermatitis Severity Classification Criteria of the Japanese Dermatological Association

The Japanese Dermatological Association established an advisory committee in 1995 to set up severity scoring systems for atopic dermatitis (AD). Its interim report was published in Japanese in the Japanese Journal of Dermatology (108: 1491–1496, 1998) by Chairman Hikotaro Yoshida. Because of the strong demand for an English version, we have decided to publish the report in English. This prospective study was designed to evaluate the status of 259 AD patients using Method 1, which involves a simple global evaluation of disease severity; Method 2, which involves global evaluation by summing severity scores obtained from five body regions (i.e. the head and neck, anterior and posterior trunks, and upper and lower limbs); Method 3, which consists of both assessment of the extent of involved areas at each of the five body regions and that of the severity scores of each eruption component observed in the most severely affected body region; and Method 4, which consists of the evaluation of only subjective components (daytime pruritus and sleep disturbance). Employing the results obtained with Method 1 as a tentative benchmark, we analyzed its correlation with those of Methods 2, 3 and 4 to statistically assess the validity and reliability of these methods. Method 2, Method 3 and the portion of Method 4 involving evaluation of only the subjective symptom of daytime pruritus but not the sleep disturbance were considered useful in evaluating AD severity.

English version of the concluding report published in 2001 by the Advisory Committee on Atopic Dermatitis Severity Classification Criteria of the Japanese Dermatological Association

The Japanese Dermatological Association established an advisory committee in 1995 to develop a severity scoring system for atopic dermatitis (AD). Its interim and concluding reports were published in Japanese in the Japanese Journal of Dermatology (108: 1491–1496, 1998 and 111: 2023–2033, 2001). Because of the strong demand for an English version, we have decided to publish the reports in English. This manuscript is the English version of the concluding report. The interim report suggested that eruption components such as erythema, papule, erosion, crust, excoriation and lichenification with extent of involved areas in five body regions, including the head and neck, anterior and posterior trunks, and upper and lower limbs, were important items for assessing AD severity. Additionally, it was recommended that streamlining of eruption components was mandatory for improving the statistical validity and reliability. The committee members subsequently concentrated their efforts on this task, and finally proposed an Atopic Dermatitis Severity Classification Criteria of the Japanese Dermatological Association.

A case of fibrous histiocytoma associated with xanthogranulomatous alteration.

We report here an unusual case of fibrous histiocytoma in which an area of xanthogranuloma was observed histologically. Our case suggests that adult xanthogranuloma is a variant of fibrous histiocytoma.

The Two Dimensional Peptide Mappings of the Nail Low Sulfur S‐carboxymethyl Keratins

The peptide map patterns of the nail low sulfur (LS) S‐carboxymethyl keratins were investigated using Staphylococcus aureus V8 protease (V8 protease) and subtilisin. The nail LS‐keratins which were analyzed by two dimensional (2D) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) comprised eight major polypeptides. Since these nail LS‐keratins were well separated from each other by 2D‐PAGE, we could compare peptide fragments of each LS‐keratin by a 2D peptide mapping. Among the eight major LS‐keratins of the nail, the LS‐keratins of similar size and pI values yielded many same sized peptide fragments with either proteinase. From these results, we could divide the nail LS‐keratins into three groups by their molecular weights, pI values and the PAGE patterns of their peptide fragments by the proteinase digestion.

EFFECT OF UVA IRRADIATION ON B16 MELANOMA CELLS IN MONOLAYER CULTURE

B16 murine melanoma cells in monolayer culture were exposed to a single dose of long wave ultraviolet light (UVA). The number of viable melanoma cells was decreased at 10 hrs post irradiation in parallel to the increase in UVA dose (104~107 ergs/cm2). After ten hours, the cultured cells entered the logarithmic growth phase. The doubling time of the cells exposed to the low dose of UVA was similar to that of nonirradiated cells, but the exposure to higher doses of UVA (105~106 ergs/cm2) elongated the doubling time of these cells. Still higher doses of UVA exposure (107 ergs/cm2) caused no further elongation of doubling time.

PHENYLALANINE HYDROXYLASE DEFICIENCY IN THE PERIPHERAL LYMPHOCYTES FROM PHENYLKETONURIA

A radiograph of the incorporation of 3H‐phenylalanine and 3H‐tyrosine into cultured lymphocytes in a phenylketonuria patient indicates phenylalanine hydroxylase deficiency in the peripheral lymphocytes.