Yutaka Hozumi

Organ culture of human scalp hair follicles: effect of testosterone and oestrogen on hair growth

SummaryWhole human scalp hair follicles were cultured. The follicles were dissected from skin pieces of normal scalp and put into 1.5 ml of incubation medium in a closed 5 ml glass tube under an atmosphere of 95% O2 and 5% CO2. The tube was rolled at 15 rpm at 36‡C. Remarkable hair growth was noticed for 7 to 8 days. Hair root sheaths also grew with the hair shafts. The structure of the hair bulbs was well maintained for at least 6 days, and then the hair matrix cells started to degenerate. Fetal calf serum was not essential for hair growth in vitro, but increased the growth rate slowly. Testosterone and oestrogen inhibited hair growth in vitro to a similar extent. The minimum effective doses of both hormones to suppress hair growth were around 5 ng/ml, which corresponds well to the normal plasma level of testosterone in adult males in vivo, suggesting that scalp hair growth may be critically controlled by testosterone in adult males.

An immunohistochemical study of lysozyme, CD-15 (Leu M1), and gross cystic disease fluid protein-15 in various skin tumors : assessment of the specificity and sensitivity of markers of apocrine differentiation

We investigated immunohistochemically the localization of lysozyme and Leu M1 in normal skin, 76 cases of benign sweat gland tumors, 28 cases of malignant sweat gland tumors, 23 cases of extramammary Pagets disease, 7 cases of sebaceous carcinoma, 6 cases of malignant trichilemmoma, 10 cases of squamous cell carcinoma, and 10 cases of basal cell carcinoma and compared the results with those for gross cystic disease fluid protein (GCDFP)-15 to assess the sensitivity and specificity of our assay conditions for apocrine differentiation. Normal apocrine glands were stained with all three antibodies, while eccrine glands were positive only for GCDFP-15, and other portions of normal skin were not stained with any of the antibodies used. In neoplastic tissue thought to be from apocrine tumors, antibodies raised against lysozyme and GCDFP-15 had a greater specificity (100%) for apocrine differentiation, while Leu M1 had a greater sensitivity (88%). Tissues that were stained with two or three of these antibodies appeared to exhibit apocrine differentiation. In the tumors examined, the specificity for apocrine differentiation was 100% and the sensitivity for such differentiation was 92% by these criteria. According to these criteria, some cases of syringocystadenoma papilliferum, primary mucinous carcinoma of the skin, and extramammary Pagets disease with underlying adenocarcinoma showed apocrine differentiation.

A histochemical and immunohistochemical study of extra-ocular sebaceous carcinoma

A histochemical and immunohistochemical study of five cases of extra‐ocular sebaceous carcinoma was performed using formalin‐fixed and paraffin‐embedded tissue specimens. Histochemically, the clear cells of sebaceous carcinomas were negative with periodic acid‐Schiff and alcian blue staining. Immunohistochemically, the tumour cells of sebaceous carcinomas showed positive reactions for epithelial membrane antigen, human milk fat globules subclass 1, human milk fat globules subclass 2 and Leu M1, but did not express carcinoembryonic antigen, breast carcinoma associated antigen, S‐100 protein, gross cystic disease fluid protein‐15 or Dako M1. These histochemical and immunohistochemical findings were compared with those of other skin cancers which must be distinguished histopathologically from sebaceous carcinoma. We conclude that sebaceous carcinoma can be distinguished from eccrine porocarcinoma, malignant clear cell hidradenoma, extramammary Pagets disease, malignant trichilemmoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma by histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques using formalin‐fixed and paraffin‐embedded tissue specimens.

Effects of Angiotensin II Receptor Signaling during Skin Wound Healing

The tissue angiotensin (Ang) system, which acts independently of the circulating renin Ang system, is supposed to play an important role in tissue repair in the heart and kidney. In the skin, the role of the system for wound healing has remained to be ascertained. Our study demonstrated that oral administration of selective AngII type-1 receptor (AT(1)) blocker suppressed keratinocyte re-epithelization and angiogenesis during skin wound healing in rats. Immunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis indicated the existence of AT(1) and AngII type-2 receptor (AT(2)) in cultured keratinocytes and myofibroblasts. In a bromodeoxyuridine incorporation study, induction of AT(1) signaling enhanced the incorporation into keratinocytes and myofibroblasts. Wound healing migration assays revealed that induction of AT(1) signaling accelerated keratinocyte re-epithelization and myofibroblasts recovering. In these experiments, induction of AT(2) signaling acted vice versa. Taken together, our study suggests that skin wound healing is regulated by balance of opposing signals between AT(1) and AT(2).

An immunohistochemical study of E-cadherin expression in human squamous cell carcinoma of the skin: relationship between decreased expression of E-cadherin in the primary lesion and regional lymph node metastasis.

E‐cadherin is a Ca2+‐dependent, intercellular adhesion molecule that is specifically expressed in epithelial tissues and is essential for maintaining intercellular connections. It has been reported that E‐cadherin expression of tumor cells is often decreased in some types of metastasizing carcinomas as compared with those without metastasis.

A case of ductal sweat gland carcinoma connected to syringocystadenoma papilliferum arising in nevus sebaceus

We report a case of a tumor arising in the preauricular region in a 50‐year‐old woman. The histopathological findings revealed it to be a ductal sweat gland carcinoma connected to a syringocystadenoma papilliferum (SCAP) arising in a nevus sebaceus. Mucinous stroma, considered to be deposition of hyaluronic acid, was also observed in the ductal carcinoma portion. The immunohistochemical and ultrastructural findings in the ductal carcinoma were compared with those in the SCAP. The proliferating cell nuclear antigen labeling index of the cells in the ductal carcinoma was higher than that of those in the SCAP. Both the ductal sweat gland carcinoma and SCAP showed findings compatible with the ductal segment of a sweat gland.

C2-ceramide induces apoptosis in a human squamous cell carcinoma cell line

Background Previous studies have demonstrated that synthetic cell‐permeable analogues of ceramide promote differentiation and inhibit proliferation of keratinocytes, and that the vitamin D3 inducible sphingomyelin cycle generates ceramide in keratinocytes. Although it has been suggested that exogenous ceramide induces apoptosis of keratinocytes, which is similar to their effect on other cell types, such as leukaemia cells, only a few studies have reported ceramide‐induced apoptosis of keratinocytes.

An Immunohistochemical Study of Sebaceous Carcinoma with Anti‐Keratin Monoclonal Antibodies: Comparison with Other Skin Cancers

Formalin‐fixed and paraffin‐embedded tissue specimens of six cases of extraocular sebaceous carcinoma were studied immunohistochemically with eight anti‐keratin monoclonal antibodies, 34βB4, 35βH11, Ks13.1, Ks19.1, PKK1, LP34, KL1 and AE1. The staining patterns of sebaceous carcinoma were compared with those of normal sebaceous glands and other skin cancers which should be distinguished from sebaceous carcinoma histopathologically. The other skin cancers compared were eccrine porocarcinoma, malignant clear cell hidradenoma, extramammary Pagets disease with underlying adenocarcinoma, malignant trichilemmoma, and squamous cell carcinoma. Most cases of sebaceous carcinoma were stained with 35βH11, Ks19.1, LP34, KL1 and AE1, while normal sebaceous glands were positive only with 35βH11, LP34, KL1 and AE1. By immunostaining, sebaceous carcinoma was distinguishable from extramammary Pagets disease with underlying adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, malignant trichilemmoma, and eccrine porocarcinoma, but was not clearly distinguishable from malignant clear cell hidradenoma. These findings demonstrate that sebaceous carcinoma shows positive reactions with antibodies to simple epithelial keratin, probably as a result of neoplastic transformation, and that immunohistochemical examination using anti‐keratin monoclonal antibodies is useful in distinguishing sebaceous carcinoma from several other skin cancers.

A Case of Infantile Digital Fibromatosis with Spontaneous Regression

We reported a fourteen‐month‐old boy with infantile digital fibromatosis. At the age of seven months, a nodule appeared on the back of the left third toe, and developed into a slight red tumor divided into five hemispherical nodules. Histopathologically, spindle‐shaped tumor cells with an eosinophilic inclusion body in the cytoplasm were seen in the dermis. Electron microscopy showed a dense body in the cytoplasm of the tumor cells. One year and two months after the first visit, the tumor regressed without any aggressive treatment. Japanese cases of infantile digital fibromatosis were reviewed. The literature review and our case suggest that the tumor should be observed without any aggressive treatment unless it causes mobile dysfunction of the affected finger or toe.

An immunohistochemical study of BCA-225 in various skin cancers

We performed an immunohistochemical study of BCA‐225, which is a glycoprotein secreted by the T47D breast carcinoma cell line and recognized by monoclonal antibody BRST‐1 (clone name: CU‐18), in normal skin and various skin cancers. In normal skin, BCA‐225 was positive only in the secretory portion of both eccrine and apocrine glands and in mature cells of the sebaceous gland. We observed 10 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, 10 cases of basal cell carcinoma without sebaceous differentiation, 3 cases of basal cell carcinoma with sebaceous differentiation, 6 cases of malignant trichilemmoma, 8 cases of eccrine porocarcinoma, 3 cases of ductal carcinoma, 1 case of malignant clear cell hidradenoma, 1 case of apocrine adenocarcinoma, 6 cases of extra‐ocular sebaceous carcinoma, 5 cases of extramammary Pagets disease with underlying adenocarcinoma, and 11 cases of extramammary Pagets disease without underlying adenocarcinoma. Most of the cases of sweat gland carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma with sebaceous differentiation, sebaceous carcinoma, and extramammary Pagets disease were positive for BCA‐225, while none of the cases of squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma without sebaceous differentiation, or malignant trichilemoma were positive. Based on these findings, we believe that BCA‐225 is useful in distinguishing tumors with sweat gland and sebaceous differentiation and extramammary Pagets disease from tumors without such differentiation.