As a redhead I have had a personal interest in red hair, freckles and sunburns since childhood. An observation of a formaldehyde-induced fluorescence in human epidermal melanocytes initiated my scientific interest in these cells. Prota and Nicolaus demonstrated that oxidation products of cysteinyldopas are the main components of pheomelanin. Our identification of 5-S-cysteinyldopa as the source...

OBJECTIVES To establish whether a questionnaire incorporating MacKie's risk factor flow chart can identify patients at high risk for melanoma so that they can be targeted for primary and secondary prevention. To validate the risk score derived from the questionnaire and test the feasibility of self completion by comparing patients' self reported skin characteristics with a skin examination perf...

Overproduction and stimulation of tyrosinase result in increased melanogenesis of which several skin disorders such as freckles, spots, and hyperpigmentation appear as complications. Limonium tetragonum is a halophyte well-known for its antioxidative properties. This study investigated the anti-melanogenic effects of solvent-partitioned L. tetragonum extracts (LTEs) and its bioactive constituen...

The endothelin signaling pathway plays a crucial role in melanocyte differentiation and migration. In this study, we investigated whether germline mutations of endothelin receptor B (EDNRB), a gene involved in Hirschsprung disease (HSCR), could also predispose for malignant melanoma (MM). The coding region of EDNRB was sequenced in 137 MM patients and in 130 ethnically matched Caucasian control...

We describe a family in which seven members in three generations were affected with a rare spinal neurofibromatosis. The affected adults showed, at the ages of 32, 37, 38, and 61, respectively, multiple spinal neurofibromas symmetrically affecting all spinal roots. Two patients were operated on for histopathologically proven cervical spinal neurofibromas. All patients had café au lait spots, on...

The effect of 0.1% tretinoin cream for the treatment of photoageing was studied in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. All patients applied tretinoin cream to one forearm and the vehicle cream to the other, and half of the patients also applied tretinoin cream to the face and the other half used the vehicle cream. Tretinoin treatment produced an improvement in the signs of extrinsic agein...

Recreational sun exposure and sunburn are causal for melanoma but the risk is strongly genetically determined. Health promotion advice about sun protection should be aimed at susceptible individuals (pale skin, freckles, large numbers of melanocytic nevi and a family history). We discuss here the evidence that sun-sensitive people have lower vitamin D levels and that, in practice, it is very di...

Melanoma is a malignant cancer of pigment-producing cells in our skin, exhibiting an exceptional mutational burden and drug resistance. This partly due to exposure UV radiation higher incidence genetic variations associated with fair freckles, red hair, which can lead DNA damage melanoma development. Defective apoptosis pathways constitute one barrier treatment. Thus, targeting regulators promi...

BACKGROUND Important risk factors for cutaneous melanoma (CM) are recognized, but standardized scores for individual assessment must still be developed. OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to develop a risk score of CM for a Brazilian sample. METHODS To verify the estimates of the main risk factors for melanoma, derived from a meta-analysis (Italian-based study), and externally valid...

Melanoma incidence is increasing rapidly worldwide among white-skinned populations. Earlier diagnosis is the principal factor that can improve prognosis. Defining high-risk populations using risk prediction models may help targeted screening and early detection approaches. In this systematic review, we searched Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library for primary research studies reporting or ...