The clinical cross-reactivity and immunological cross-antigenicity of wheat and barley.

BACKGROUND: Some patients with wheat allergy have been reported to show clinical cross-reactivity to barley. However, it is not clear whether the development of barley allergy in patients with wheat allergy is due to cross-antigenicity between wheat and barley. This study aimed to determine the clinical cross-reactivity and immunological cross-antigenicity of wheat and barley. METHODS: The results of barley oral food challenges (OFCs) were compared before and after oral immunotherapy (OIT) for wheat in nine patients with wheat allergy to estimate the clinical cross-reactivity of wheat and barley. Moreover, we performed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) inhibition and immunoblotting inhibition using serum from seven patients allergic to wheat and barley. RESULTS: Nine patients who had positive barley-OFC results performed before OIT for wheat were all negative on barley-OFC performed after OIT. In ELISA inhibition, preincubation of serum from patients allergic to wheat and barley with a high barley extract concentration inhibited binding of IgE to wheat extract by less than 10%. On the other hand, wheat and barley extracts equally inhibited binding to barley sIgE at high concentrations. In the immunoblotting inhibition test, the spots of wheat were inhibited but weakly by barley extracts, and most of the spots of barley were inhibited even by low concentrations of the wheat and barley extract. CONCLUSIONS: We showed that barley allergy associated with wheat allergy is caused by cross-reactivity from wheat. The OIT for wheat is one of the promising options for barley allergy.

Rhododendrol-induced leukoderma update I: Clinical findings and treatment.

Individuals who used skin-whitening cosmetics (quasi-drugs) containing 2% rhododendrol-containing agents, developed leukoderma at a higher frequency than those who have used other skin-whitening cosmetics. The Rhododenol Research Team (RD-Team) was formed and commissioned by Kanebo Cosmetics Inc. to conduct research in treatments of rhododendrol-induced leukoderma (RDL), to evaluate effective treatment options from a medical standpoint, and provide information to a wide range of people. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of various treatments for RDL from a medical perspective, based on the information published in the literature as original or review articles. We searched the PubMed (international) and the Igaku Chuo Zasshi (ICHUSHI) (Japanese) databases using the keywords "Rhododenol" and "rhododendrol", for articles published between July 2013 and November 2020. We discuss the main clinical findings and treatments (topical, oral, phototherapy, and surgical) of this condition based on the literature review. We found that ultraviolet light therapy is the most effective treatment for RDL. We have also summarized reports of the efficacy of oral vitamin D3 in RDL. A topical prostaglandin derivative has been reported in a new study to be effective. We have provided guidance for patients using self-tanning and skin-whitening agents to improve their quality of life. Finally, we have highlighted the importance of providing patients with information on contact dermatitis and instructing them to discontinue product use immediately if they develop any symptoms of contact dermatitis while using skin-whitening agents.

The clinical experience and efficacy of bipolar radiofrequency with fractional photothermolysis for aged Asian skin.

Bipolar radiofrequency (RF) technology is developed based on fractional thermolysis, and the literature concerning the efficacy of the rejuvenation and treatment of acne scars has been reported in Europe and the United States of America. Therefore, we examined bipolar RF treatment using fractional thermolysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the treatment of Asian photo-aging skin, particularly 'wrinkles' and 'sagging.' Ten Japanese women (mean age: 58.6, skin type III-IV) received three fractional bipolar RF treatments every 4-6 weeks. For the objective evaluation, we evaluated the improvement of the wrinkles on the forehead, lateral canthus (crow's feet) and lower eyelid, and the sagging of the nasolabial fold using digital photographs captured using Visia(™) . For the subjective evaluation, the participants were asked to describe the improvements observed in the wrinkles on the forehead, lateral canthus (crow's feet) and lower eyelid, and sagging nasolabial fold and to evaluate the level pain experienced using a 10-point VAS score. The objective evaluation in each category showed significant improvements in the wrinkles on the lateral canthus (crow's feet) and lower eyelid. As for the nasolabial fold, 60% of the subjects showed improvements, scoring from good to excellent (51-100% improvement), although there was a little improvement of the wrinkle on the forehead. Similar improvements were observed in the subjective evaluation. During each treatment, oedema and erythema were observed in all participants, but the oedema disappeared the following day in all cases. However, mild erythema persisted for an average of 3.1 days. Micro debris disappeared after an average of 5.2 days. The participants were satisfied, as we allowed them to apply make-up the next day. There were no other severe adverse reactions observed during the treatment. The 10-point VAS score was 3.8, and no participants dropped out due to discomfort. Little improvement was observed in the forehead wrinkles in either the objective or the subjective evaluation. The results obtained in this study indicate that fractional bipolar RF is an effective and safe treatment for the 'wrinkling' and 'sagging' of Asian photo-aging skin.

Bimodal effect of retinoic acid on melanocyte differentiation identified by time-dependent analysis.

Retinoic acid (RA) is considered to control melanocytes; however, its precise mechanism remains unclear because of a bimodal effect, which promotes or inhibits melanin synthesis depending on the cell type, culture condition of melanocytes and skin conditions. In this study, we examined the effects of RA throughout each stage of differentiation of melanocytes using a mouse embryonic stem cell culture system to induce melanocytes. The results showed that RA has significantly different effects depending on the stage of differentiation of melanocytes. More specifically, RA promoted differentiation in earlier stages, wherein embryonic stem cells became melanoblasts via neural crest cells, and inhibited differentiation in later stages, wherein melanoblasts became melanocytes. It was revealed for the first time that melanocytes show markedly different reactions to RA depending on the stage of differentiation.

The effects of natural S-equol supplementation on skin aging in postmenopausal women: a pilot randomized placebo-controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the natural S-equol supplement on skin aging in equol-nonproducing Japanese postmenopausal women. METHODS: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial examined the use of the natural S-equol supplement for 12 weeks in 101 postmenopausal Japanese women who were equol nonproducers. They were randomly assigned to one of three groups: placebo (n = 34), 10 mg S-equol/day (EQL10; n = 34), or 30 mg S-equol/day (EQL30; n = 33). Skin parameters of crow's-feet wrinkles (area and depth), hydration, transepidermal water loss, and elasticity were measured at baseline and at monthly intervals during treatment. Vaginal cytology, endometrial thickness, and mammography were performed before and after treatment. Serum hormone concentrations were measured at the same time as skin parameters. RESULTS: The EQL10 and EQL30 groups showed significant reductions in wrinkle area compared with the placebo group (P < 0.05). There was a significant difference in wrinkle depth between the placebo group and the EQL30 group (P < 0.05). Other skin parameters did not show significant differences after the treatment in any group. There were no abnormal results in hormone status or gynecological examinations. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that natural S-equol supplementation (EQL10 and EQL30) may have a beneficial effect on crow's-feet wrinkles in postmenopausal women without serious adverse events.

Acne management in Japan: study of patient adherence.

Obtaining good adherence to acne therapy is a challenge for all dermatologists. We studied 428 acne patients in Japan to determine the likelihood of good adherence and factors associated with medication-taking. This study utilized a simple validated questionnaire to assess risk of poor adherence; information about patient and treatment characteristics was also collected. There was an overall rate of poor adherence in 76% of subjects. Adherence to topical medication was poor in 52% of those treated with a topical agent only (n = 123). Among those taking combination therapies (n = 275), adherence to the topical portion of therapy was poor in 49% of subjects. The likelihood of poor adherence to oral medication was higher, both when administered alone (n = 30, 93% poor adherence) and when given as part of a combination regimen (n = 275, 86%). Factors with an impact on adherence included satisfaction with treatment (p = 0.023) and the experience of side effects (p = 0.027). Patients who felt they had a good understanding of acne and its treatment were more likely to have good adherence. These data suggest that there is significant room for improvement in acne adherence in Japan, as in other areas of the world, and that improved education may enhance adherence.

Sensitization profiles of a case of pollen-food allergy syndrome.

A 13-year-old girl who had had pollinosis since the age of eight began to experience itching of the ears and vomiting after eating fresh fruits such as peach, apple and watermelon. This occurred at 10 years of age. The girl displayed positive reactions to six kinds of pollens, eleven kinds of fruits, numerous vegetables and to recombinant: rBet v2 present in specific IgE antibodies. She also reacted positively to several pollens, fruits and rBet v2 in the skin prick test. In the component-resolved diagnosis (CRD) using microarray technology, she also tested positive for profilin, a pan-allergen among plants. It is reported that profilin cross-reacts between pollen, fruits, vegetables and latex. From these results, we concluded that the allergic reactions to multiple kinds of foodstuff and pollens observed in this subject were due to cross-reactivity induced by profilin. Our results demonstrate that CRD by microarray is a reliable test in the diagnosis of PFAS.

Syringoma of the face treated with fractional photothermolysis.

We experienced that two Japanese women diagnosed with syringoma, confirmed by a punch biopsy, were successfully treated with fractional resurfacing. Both clinical cases have had positive results after only a few treatments, with high patient satisfaction, not only for the improvement of syringoma, but also for the improvement of aging skin, and with no side effects. From that aspect, laser treatment with fractional photothermolysis may be considered to be one of the effective treatment methods for syringoma. Although fractional photothermolysis was originally developed for an aesthetic purpose, it also can be utilized for intractable skin disease, as demonstrated by taking the concept of fractional photothermolysis and the results from this study with skin biopsy.

[A case of the latex-induced anaphylaxis by contact with barium enema catheter].

The subject was a 34-year-old female with asthma and atopic dermatitis who had previously undergone a Cesarean section. In December 1995, the patient had an acute abdominal pain, so she underwent a barium enema examination. During the procedure, severe anaphylactic shock developed, and the examination was stopped. The patient responded well to appropriate emergency therapy, and her symptoms were resolved. However, the woman visited our outpatient clinic because the symptoms of her atopic dermatitis got worse. She indicated that she felt itchy when using rubber gloves. Also, at the age of thirty, she had urticaria and dyspnea after drinking a glass of fruit juice. Subsequently radioallergosorbent testing demonstrated the presence of specific IgEs against latex, banana, kiwi, grapefruit, and avocado. Skin prick tests were positive for banana, grapefruit, avocado, and latex extract at a dilution of 1:1000. A scratch test was positive to an extract of a balloon catheter which included 0.3 microg/g latex proteins by the LEAP method. In conclusion, the patient was diagnosed with an anaphylaxis to the latex contained in a balloon catheter used for the barium enema.