To evaluate whether histological findings of skin in sepsis by Pseudomonas aeruginosa could be a predictive factor of progression to death, histological alterations after challenge by one multidrug-resistant isolate were studied in 24 rabbits. Acute pyelonephritis was induced after ligation of the right ureter and injection of 10 8 CFU per kg of body weight into the renal pelvis. Biopsy samples...

Cell migration is an integral part of re-epithelialization during skin wound healing, a complex process involving molecular controls that are still largely unknown. Here we identify a novel role for Tcf3, an essential transcription factor regulating embryonic and adult skin stem cell functions, as a key effector of epidermal wound repair. We show that Tcf3 is upregulated in skin wounds and that...

Radiotherapy is an effective treatment for head and neck, skin, anogenital, and breast cancers. However, radiation-induced skin morbidity limits the therapeutic benefits. A low-toxicity approach to selectively reduce skin morbidity without compromising tumor killing by radiotherapy is needed. We found that the antitumor agents known as histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors (phenylbutyrate, tric...

Exposure to UV radiation likely plays a key role in melanoma development, whereas other etiologic agents remain unknown. Here we show that in normal human skin an increased expression of a combination of three growth factors, basic fibroblast growth factor, stem cell factor, and endothelin-3, along with exposure to UVB can transform normal melanocytes into a melanoma phenotype within 4 weeks. I...

Exposure to UV radiation likely plays a key role in melanoma development, whereas other etiologic agents remain unknown. Here we show that in normal human skin an increased expression of a combination of three growth factors, basic fibroblast growth factor, stem cell factor, and endothelin-3, along with exposure to UVB can transform normal melanocytes into a melanoma phenotype within 4 weeks. I...

The reaction between normal serum and hyaluronidase has been studied in vitro and under in vivo conditions in skin. Using in vitro conditions of incubation, serum exhibits antihyaluronidase activity as measured by assay of hyaluronidase spreading activity in skin. This confirms the work of others, who have previously described the serum inhibitory factor using other tests of hyaluronidase activ...

Skin toxicity is a known clinical signature used to predict the prognosis of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody treatment in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). There are no biological markers to predict skin toxicity before anti-EGFR antibody treatment in mCRC patients. Between August 2008 and August 2011, pretreatment serum samples were obtained from KRAS wild-type (WT) pa...

The growth factors neurotrophin 4 (NT4) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are expressed in the developing skin, activate the trkB tyrosine kinase receptor, and influence the development and survival of specific types of sensory afferents. Whether each factor is capable of regulating the same or overlapping populations of cutaneous afferents during development is unknown. A previous s...

We found that sterile wounding of human skin induced epidermal expression of the antimicrobial (poly)peptides human beta-defensin-3, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin, and secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor through activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor. After skin wounding, the receptor was activated by heparin-binding epidermal growth factor that was released by a met...

Nine skin biopsies from seven herpes gestationis patients were studied by immunofluorescence (IF) techniques. Basement membrane zone (BMZ) deposition of C3 and properdin was present in all nine skin specimens, while IgG deposition was apparent in only one. With in vitro C3 IF staining, positive BMZ staining (HG factor activity) was noted with all seven of our patients' serum samples tested. By ...