OBJECTIVE To provide family physicians with a background understanding of the therapeutic regimens and treatment outcomes for alopecia areata (AA), as well as to help identify those patients for whom dermatologist referral might be required. SOURCES OF INFORMATION PubMed was searched for relevant articles regarding the treatment of AA. MAIN MESSAGE Alopecia areata is a form of autoimmune ha...

The percentages of dark keratinocytes was quantitatively assessed in normal epidermis of Sencar mice before and after birth and in adult epidermis after topical application of several compounds of varying promoting efficiency. The percentage of dark keratinocytes reached a maximum at the 19th day of gestation (approximately 40%) and fell abruptly after birth (approximately 3%). Old animals exhi...

Several 10-substituted anthralins were readily prepared. Their oxidation with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-1,4-benzoquinone gave the corresponding novel heteroatomic systems. All derivatives were fully characterized by IR, Mass and 1HNMR spectroscopy.  

Published dose-response curves of promoters of multistage carcinogenesis were selected that met the combined criteria of long study times, multiple doses, and low doses. In rat liver, 12 dose-response studies of 7 different promoters (phenobarbital, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin [TCDD], clophen A-50 (a polychlorinated biphenyl), alpha-, beta-, and gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane [HCH], and ch...

12-0-Tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA) applied to mouse ears rapidly induces an edema which is maximal by 6 hr but has substantially waned by 24 hr. (This is in contrast to many inflammatory agents that cause a prolonged edema lasting many days.) Reapplication of TPA at 16-24 hr will not provoke a second edematous response although increased erythema is evident. Arachidonic acid (AA) applied t...

Psoriasis is a chronic disease that has a substantial effect on quality of life of patients and often needs long-term treatment. Topical treatments for psoriasis include corticosteroids, vitamin D derivatives, tazarotene, anthralin, tacrolimus, pimecrolimus, and newer formulations of tar. Although many of these treatments are effective, they must be prescribed appropriately and used consistentl...

Eggs of leaf beetles of the tribe Galerucini, subfamily Galerucinae, contain polyketides that are unusual in insects: 1,8-dihydroxylated anthraquinones (chrysazin, chrysophanol) and anthrones (dithranol, chrysarobin) deterring predators. The host plants do not contain these compounds. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that the beetles, but not bacterial or fungal microorganisms liv...

We studied the effect of tacalcitol (1 alpha, 24 dihydroxy vitamin D3) ointment on clinical and immunohistochemical efficacy in psoriatic patients during 2 months of treatment. The psoriasis area and severity index decreased significantly after only 1 month and the total body surface index decreased 55% after 2 months. To characterize the epidermal compartment keratin 14, keratin 16, epidermal ...