Miki Tanioka

Palmitoylation of Human EndothelinB ITS CRITICAL ROLE IN G PROTEIN COUPLING AND A DIFFERENTIAL REQUIREMENT FOR THE CYTOPLASMIC TAIL BY G PROTEIN SUBTYPES

By site-directed mutagenesis, three cysteine residues (amino acids 402, 403, and 405) in the carboxyl terminus of human endothelinB (ETB) were identified as potential palmitoylation sites. Substitutions of all of the three cysteine residues with serine gave an unpalmitoylated mutant, C2S/C3S/C5S. When expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells, C2S/C3S/C5S was localized on the cell surface, retained high affinities to ET-1 and ET-3, and was rapidly internalized when bound to the ligand. However, unlike the wild-type ETB, C2S/C3S/C5S transmitted neither an inhibitory effect on adenylate cyclase nor a stimulatory effect on phospholipase C, indicating a critical role of palmitoylation in the coupling with G proteins, regardless of the G protein subtypes. Truncation of the carboxyl terminus including Cys403/Cys405 gave a deletion mutant Δ403 that was palmitoylated on Cys402 and lacked the carboxyl terminus downstream to the palmitoylation site. Δ403 did transmit a stimulatory effect on phospholipase C via a pertussis toxin-insensitive G protein but it failed to transmit an inhibitory effect on adenylate cyclase. These results indicated a differential requirement for the carboxyl terminus downstream to the palmitoylation site in the coupling with G protein subtypes, i.e. it is required for the coupling with Gi but not for that with Gq.

Molecular Clocks in Mouse Skin

Clock genes in the skin exhibit day-night changes in expression; however, whether these changes are brought by external light or intrinsic mechanisms is unclear. In this study, we demonstrated that expression of the clock and clock-controlled genes showed robust rhythms in mouse skin under constant dark conditions, whereas these rhythms were completely lost in Cry1/Cry2 knockout mice lacking a molecular clock. At the cellular level, the main oscillatory protein in the mammalian molecular clock, PER2, was expressed in the nuclei of keratinocytes in the epidermis and hair follicles, with expression peaking at CT16 (subjective dusk), 4-8 hours after expression of its mRNA. These expression patterns in the skin stopped after the ablation of the central clock in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which was not recovered even in animals housed in 12 hour-light/12 hour-dark conditions. These findings demonstrate that the intrinsic oscillating molecular clock exists in the epidermis, and that signaling from the SCN is essential for the maintenance of the epidermal clock, and cannot be compensated by external light.

Camouflage for patients with vitiligo vulgaris improved their quality of life

Background  Cosmetic camouflage is important for patients with vitiligo vulgaris. However, few studies have investigated its benefit for vitiligo patients.

High ratio of IgG4-positive plasma cell infiltration in cutaneous plasmacytosis—is this a cutaneous manifestation of IgG4-related disease?

Cutaneous plasmacytosis is a rare condition affecting middle-aged individuals, characterized by multiple red-brown papules and plaques over the trunk. It has been reported mainly in Japan. The condition is accompanied by polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia and superficial lymphadenopathy. Lung or retroperitoneal involvement occurs rarely. In the present study, 3 consecutive cases of cutaneous plasmacytosis were observed histologically to have abundant infiltration of IgG4-bearing plasma cells. All 3 were associated with superficial lymphadenopathy, one with interstitial lung involvement showing ground-glass opacity on computed tomography and the others with bone marrow plasmacytosis, showing histologic evidence of more IgG4-positive plasma cells. All 3 had polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia, one had high serum concentration of IgG4, and all had elevated serum IL-6. The ratios of IgG4+ to IgG+ plasma cells were assessed using skin biopsy specimens with pemphigus (n = 7), discoid lupus erythematosus (n = 5), and morphea (n = 2) (mean ratios, 19%, 0%, and 0%, respectively); we noted the proportion of IgG4-positive plasma cells in cutaneous plasmacytosis (mean, 48%). IgG4-related sclerosing disease is a newly recognized systemic disorder characterized by lymphoplasmacytic infiltration and fibrosis and by a high serum IgG4 level and increased IgG4-positive plasma cells in the tissues. Skin manifestations of this disorder have not been described. Although cutaneous plasmacytosis could be a chronic allergic hypersensitivity reaction, our findings raise the possibility of a relationship in pathogenesis between cutaneous plasmacytosis and IgG4-related sclerosing disease.

Clustering of Syndecan-4 and Integrin β1 by Laminin α3 Chain–derived Peptide Promotes Keratinocyte Migration

Syndecans function as receptors for extracellular matrix (ECM) with integrins in cell spreading. However, the molecular mechanism of their specific involvement in cell migration or in wound healing has not been elucidated yet. Here, we report that a synthetic peptide, PEP75, which contains the syndecan-binding sequence of the laminin alpha 3LG4 module, induces keratinocyte migration in in vitro and in vivo. Soluble PEP75 induced the clustering of syndecan-4 and conformation-modified integrin beta1 colocalized with syndecan-4 in soluble PEP75-induced clusters. Treatment of cells in solution with PEP75 resulted in the exposure of the P4G11 antibody epitope of integrin beta1 in immunostaining as well as in flow cytometry and augmented integrin beta1-dependent cell adhesion to ECM. Pulldown assays demonstrated that PEP75 bound to syndecan-4, but not to integrin beta1. A siRNA study revealed a role for syndecan-4 in PEP75-induced up-regulation of P4G11 antibody binding and migration of HaCaT cells. We conclude that binding of soluble PEP75 to syndecan-4 induces the coupling of integrin beta1, which is associated with integrin beta1-conformational changes and activation, and leads to keratinocyte migration. To activate integrin function through syndecans could be a novel therapeutic approach for chronic wound.

CD8+tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes at primary sites as a possible prognostic factor of cutaneous angiosarcoma

Tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) have been reported as a prognostic factor in various cancers and are a promising target for immunotherapy. To investigate whether TILs have any impact on the prognosis of angiosarcoma patients, 55 non‐treated patients (40 patients at stage 1 with cutaneous localized tumors, 4 patients at stage 2 with lymph node metastases and 11 patients at stage 3 with distant metastases) with angiosarcoma were evaluated retrospectively by immunohistochemistry stained CD4, CD8, FOXP3 and Ki67. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to estimate overall survival with patients at stage 1. Survival differences were analyzed by the log‐rank test. Patients with higher numbers of CD8+ TILs in their primary tumors survived significantly longer compared with patients with lower values. Moreover, the number of CD8 in TILs was positively correlated with a distant metastasis‐free period. The total number of primary TILs (CD4 plus CD8) and CD8+ primary TILs of stage 3 patients with distant metastases was positively correlated with their overall survival. To evaluate whether CD8+ effector T cells are activated or differentiated, flow cytometric analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) was performed. The percentages of CD8+ T cells producing IFN‐γ in PBMC were significantly higher in patients with angiosarcoma (n = 10) compared not only with that of healthy controls (n = 20) but also patients with advanced melanoma (n = 11). These results suggest that anti‐tumor immunity is clinically relevant in angiosarcoma.

Germline mutations of the PTCH gene in Japanese patients with nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome

We identified seven novel germline mutations of the PTCH gene in eight unrelated Japanese patients with nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS). In order to ensure genetic diagnosis, all 23 coding exons of the PTCH gene were amplified from genomic DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced. Mutations were found in all eight patients with NBCCS. The mutations detected in this study include one insertion/deletion mutation, one 1-bp insertion, two 1-bp deletions, one nonsense mutation and two missense mutations. None of the mutations have been previously reported. Five mutations caused premature stop codons that are predicted to result in a truncated protein. In the two missense mutations, the strong basic residue arginine was substituted by serine or glycine in highly conserved components of the putative transmembrane domain of PTCH, and these mutations may therefore affect the conformation and function of the PTCH protein. No phenotype-genotype relationships were found in the Japanese NBCCS patients, consistent with results of previous studies on NBCCS in African-American and Caucasian patients.

Poor adherence to medication as assessed by the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale-8 and low satisfaction with treatment in 237 psoriasis patients

Previously we assessed the medication adherence for oral and topical remedies by a translated Japanese version of the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale‐8 (MMAS‐8) together with socioeconomic backgrounds in 3096 Japanese dermatological patients, and found the medication adherence, especially to topical drugs, was poor in these patients. In order to elucidate the disease‐specific sociomedical factors, we further sub‐analyzed the medication adherence in 237 psoriasis patients and compared it with that in other dermatological diseases such as atopic dermatitis, urticaria or tinea. This study was conducted among patients registered in monitoring system and 3096 eligible patients were enrolled. Our web‐based questionnaire included the following items such as age, sex, annual income, main health‐care institution, experience of effectiveness by oral or topical medication, overall satisfaction with treatment, and MMAS‐8 for oral or topical medication. Mean adherence score by MMAS‐8 was 5.2 for oral and 4.3 for topical medication. More patients with psoriasis used a university hospital and fewer used a private clinic compared with those with the other skin disease patients. Experience of drug effectiveness by oral medication and overall satisfaction with treatment was lower in psoriasis patients than in other patients. In oral medication, significantly better adherence was observed in those of higher age and with higher annual income. The adherence to medication, especially to topical drugs, was poor in 237 psoriasis patients. We speculated that some severe psoriasis patients were not sufficiently treated systemically and were resistant to topical therapy, leading to poor adherence.

Intralymphatic histiocytosis associated with rheumatoid arthritis

vaccination sites. On clinical examination, there was a red, crusted plaque, 30 · 15 mm in size, on the deltoid region of the right arm and a similar lesion on the left upper arm with an atrophic centre. Histological examination of both of these lesions showed superficial BCC, with the lesion on the left arm showing an early nodular component. Both lesions were subsequently fully excised. No further BCCs have developed elsewhere. Non-melanoma skin cancer is well known to develop within chronic inflammation or scars. There have been several reports of BCCs developing in smallpox vaccination sites and an isolated case within a chronic leishmanial scar. To date, there have been three reports of BCCs within BCG vaccination scars. To our knowledge, no cases have been reported in association with travel vaccine, specifically hepatitis A and typhoid. The aetiology of malignant transformation of scars is yet to be elucidated. Chronic irritation is proposed to be a predisposing factor, as is trauma. Tight, thickened or ulcerated scars and those with slow healing initially are considered to be the most at risk. There is no evidence to suggest that vaccination causes localized immunosuppression. With foreign travel being commonplace, particularly to tropical countries, which require more immunizations and allow greater sun exposure, we feel it is important to highlight this rare presentation of BCC.

Effects of cyclosporine on pruritus and serum IL-31 levels in patients with atopic dermatitis

ejd.2011.1470 Auteur(s) : Atsushi Otsuka1, Miki Tanioka1, Yujin Nakagawa2, Tetsuya Honda1, Akihiko Ikoma1, Yoshiki Miyachi1, Kenji Kabashima1 kaba@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp 1 Department of Dermatology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawara, Sakyo Kyoto 606-8507, Japan 2 Department of Dermatology, Fukui Red Cross Hospital, Fukui, Japan Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a relapsing chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by eczematous skin lesions and intense pruritus, which impacts [...]