Olopatadine hydrochloride inhibits capsaicin-induced flare response in humans.

Capsaicin, a vanilloid, has the potential for releasing substance P (SP) from sensory nerves. Topical application of capsaicin induces a flare response in the skin. However, it has not been clarified whether the release of SP is involved in the process of flare response or not. A potent antihistamine drug, olopatadine hydrochloride, is known to have inhibitory action against the release of SP. We examined the effects of olopatadine (at a dose of 5 mg) on skin reaction induced by topical application of capsaicin in 10 healthy subjects. The scores of capsaicin-induced flare responses after olopatadine administration were significantly lower at 30 min than at baseline. Our findings suggest that olopatadine hydrochloride could inhibit capsaicin-induced flare responses.

Thermie and friction therapy performed using a special instrument.

"Thermie" therapy is one of the folk remedies in Japan and is mainly done by rubbing the skin with special instruments. The therapy is believed to relieve several symptoms which include pain, common cold and ileus. We report here the first two cases of thermie dermatosis in the English published work. The first patient had suffered from poikiloderma-like eruptions for 30 years after the initiation of a thermie therapy. The eruptions were on both the upper back and the abdomen. The second patient presented with a hyperpigmented plaque on the right femoral region, and excoriated papules and a hyperpigmented plaque on the left lower leg. The patient had received thermie therapy for 3 years. The histopathology of the first case revealed features of cutaneous amyloidosis, and, of the second case, superficial dermatitis and hypermelanosis in the epidermal basal layer. A common cause of both cases was regarded as the thermie therapy. This report suggests the importance of getting a thorough history including folk remedies in patients presenting such pigmented lesions.

Treatment of pigmented lesions of neurofibromatosis 1 with intense pulsed-radio frequency in combination with topical application of vitamin D3 ointment.

Cafe-au-lait spots and pigmented freckling are found in most of patients with neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1). Although many modalities have been used for treating the pigmented lesions, the response to treatment has been variable. Therefore, we performed the treatment of pigmented lesions with NF1 by intense pulsed-radio frequency (IPL-RF) in combination with topical application of vitamin D(3) ointment. Eight patients were treated in this study and the improvement was moderate to good in six cases (75%) although the response was relatively mild. Thus, results from our study indicate that IPL-RF irradiation in combination with topical application of vitamin D(3) ointment would be useful as new modalities, especially for treatment of numerous small pigmented lesions in patients with NF1. Although further studies with large groups of patients should be performed for a better conclusion, it could improve quality of life with NF1 patients who are concerned with serious cosmetic and social problems.

Drug susceptibility of isolates from severe postoperative intraperitoneal infections causing multiple organ failure.

PURPOSE: To select the most appropriate antibiotic regimens for life-threatening postoperative infections, we obtained isolates from patients with severe postoperative infections over a 12-year-period, and examined their drug susceptibility. METHODS: The subjects of this study were 55 patients with multiple organ failure (MOF) caused by postoperative infection. RESULTS: All strains of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were susceptible to Vancomycin (VCM) and Teicoplanin (TEIC). Only 0.3% of all the Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains were resistant to Imipenem (IPM), but 53.6% of the strains from the severe infections were resistant to IPM. On the other hand, there were few P. aeruginosa strains resistant to Meropenem (MEPM), Ceftazidime (CAZ), Ciprofloxacin (CPFX), and Pazufloxacin (PZFX), even among strains isolated from severe infections. The resistant rate of Bacteroides fragilis to Clindamycin (CLDM) was 35.9%, but there were strains resistant to IPM and Panipenem. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that VCM or TEIC are most appropriate for severe abdominal abscess caused by MRSA, whereas MEPM, CAZ, CPFX, and PZFX are more effective against P. aeruginosa infections. The only antibiotic effective against B. fragilis infections in this study was IPM.