Acitretin modulates HaCaT cells proliferation through STAT1- and STAT3-dependent signaling.

Acitretin has been a valuable option for the treatment of psoriasis, however, the molecular events of acitretin leading to the normalization of keratinocytes differentiation on psoriasis patients have not been fully explored. To investigate whether there were certain relationship between keratinocytes proliferation and JAK/STAT signaling pathways in psoriasis, and how acitretin modulated the signaling pathways. HaCaT cells, an in vitro immortal human keratinocyte cell line, was chosen as a in vitro model of psoriasis. The small interfering RNA targeting STAT1 (siRNA-STAT1) and STAT3 (siRNA-STAT3) were subsequently transfected into the HaCaT cells which were treated with or without acitretin. We found that HaCaT cells proliferation and the expression of STAT1 or STAT3 were inhibited by acitretin, siRNA-STAT1 and siRNA-STAT3. Our experimental data shows that acitretin might inhibit HaCaT cells proliferation in psoriasis by decreasing the expression of STAT- and STAT3-dependent mechanism.

Incontinentia pigmenti-associated ocular anomalies of paediatric incontinentia pigmenti patients in China.

PURPOSE: To characterize ocular manifestations in a cohort of paediatric patients with incontinentia pigmenti (IP) and to define the guidelines for grading of IP-associated retinopathy (IPR). METHODS: This retrospective review was performed on patients under the age of 18 years with a diagnosis of IP. Data included demographics, medical history, ocular examination, and accessory examination. Ocular and systemic physical examinations of the parents were carried out to determine the familial history. RESULTS: Sixty-one children (58 females and three males) with median age of 3.7 months were observed consecutively. The median follow-up duration was 13.4 months (range: 6.5-75.0 months). A total of 47 patients had various ocular anomalies. Among them, 28 patients had bilateral ocular anomalies and 19 had unilateral anomalies. Vitreoretinal changes were noted in 73 of 122 eyes, including eight eyes with retinal pigment epithelium changes only (Stage 1), 22 eyes with retinal vascular abnormalities (Stage 2), five eyes with epiretinal membranes or fibrotic hyperplasia combined with avascularized zones (Stage 3), six eyes with retinal neovascularization (Stage 3), one eye with vitreous haemorrhage (Stage 3), 10 eyes with partial retinal detachment (RD) (Stage 4a), 15 eyes with total RD (Stage 4b) and eight eyes with phthisis bulbi and secondary glaucoma (Stage 5). CONCLUSION: Various vitreoretinal manifestations can be found in paediatric patients with IP and classified into five stages, which are characterized by retinal vasculopathy.