Wristwatches, another very frequently used item, showed alarmingly high incidences of free nickel, with around 64% of the specimens testing positive. Wristwatches are potentially more hazardous as the area of skin contact is a lot more and are normally worn daily for prolonged periods. Though not prone to as much skin contact, spectacle frames showed a surprisingly high incidence rate, with hal...

Vitiligo is a common, acquired pigmentary disorder of unknown pathogenesis that presents a therapeutic challenge to many dermatologists (Figure 1). Although surgery in the form of grafting or transplantation is generally the most definitive treatment option, these procedures are limited by concerns of post-procedure cosmesis. Photochemotherapy using psoralen and ultraviolet A (PUVA) therapy, to...

In the present study, administration of green tea to SKH-1 mice, via the drinking fluid, was found to significantly reduce the incidence and volume of ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation-induced skin tumors. Thirty-six skin tumors induced by UVB and 32 skin tumors induced by UVB, in mice treated with green tea in their drinking water, were collected and examined for the presence of mutations in the p...

AIM To assess the efficacy of betamethasone dipropionate 0.05% cream plus ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation with and without additional penicillin therapy in the treatment of guttate psoriasis, and to compare the efficacies of oral psoralen plus ultraviolet A (PUVA) therapy and systemic retinoids therapy for treatment of generalized psoriasis. METHODS Sixty patients with guttate (n = 20) and gene...

The influence of ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation on transglutaminase 1 (TGase 1), a major factor that regulates skin keratinization, has not been sufficiently characterized especially at the gene or protein level. Thus, we determined whether UVB affects the expression of TGase 1 in human keratinocytes and clarified the intracellular stress signaling mechanism(s) involved. Exposure of human kerati...

Chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD) is a photosensitivity disorder that is characterized by a persistent eczematous eruption in sun-exposed sites. The hallmark of CAD is a reduced minimal erythema dose (MED) to ultraviolet B (UVB), ultraviolet A (UVA), and/or to visible light, which makes phototesting the essential diagnostic investigation. The uncommon subgroup of patients with atopic dermatitis ...

BACKGROUND The human ultraviolet-B (UVB) experimental pain model induces cutaneous neurogenic inflammation, involves hyperalgesia, and is widely used as a pharmacological screening pain model. AIM To estimate the test-retest reliability of the UVB pain model by application of a comprehensive set of vasomotor and quantitative sensory assessment methods and to estimate sample sizes required for...

The exposure of skin to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation has a destructive effect on keratinocytes by causing DNA damage that can subsequently lead to malignant transformation. Cellular defense mechanisms against this injury begin with the immediate UVB-induced death of damaged cells. In less severely affected cells, cell-cycle progression can be blocked and DNA damage can be repaired through nucl...