Abnormalities in stratum corneum function in patients recovered from leprosy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Leprosy involves both the skin and peripheral nervous system. Leprosy patients display an increased incidence of xerosis and altered sensory thresholds, which persist in previously active skin sites. We assessed here whether alterations in stratum corneum (SC) function persist in cured leprosy, and the relationship of epidermal functional abnormalities to each clinical subtype of leprosy. METHODS: A total of 43 cured leprosy subjects and 29 normal control subjects were enrolled in this study. Basal skin surface pH, SC hydration, permeability barrier function as well as barrier recovery rates were measured over previously involved skin sites with a skin physiology monitor. One-way ANOVA and two-tailed Student's t test were used to determine the significance between 2 groups and 3 or more groups, respectively. RESULTS: Competent barrier function was observed in all subtypes of cured leprosy subjects. All cured leprosy subjects except those with the borderline tuberculoid type exhibited a significantly lower SC hydration in comparison with normal subjects. Skin surface pH was significantly elevated in all cured leprosy subjects in comparison with normal subjects. CONCLUSIONS: A varied spectrum of alterations in SC function remains in all subjects who have recovered from leprosy, but the spectrum of SC functional abnormalities varies with disease subtype.

A study on carcinogenesis of endogenous nitrite and nitrosamine, and prevention of cancer.

Cancer patients show a salivary NO2- density that is twice that of healthy individuals. This indicates that endogenous NO2- is correlated with the cancer. By applying a culture medium modified by vitamin B1 or KCIO3, we have found that many bacteria in the human body (especially the bowels) can nitrify NH4+ to NO2-. NO2- can be combined with a second amine to form nitrosamine which is a carcinogen. We fed mice using G+ coccus, which can lead to a precancerous lesion and mammary carcinoma, and proved that nitrification in vivo is carcinogenic. We have tested a method to prevent cancer in 7392 workers. Patients with a salivary density of NO2- over 10 ppm for 3 consecutive days and with light symptoms were our targets for preventive treatment using antibiotics and nitrosamine destroyers. The result shows that the average cancer incidence rate in the control group is 58.4% higher than in the experimental group over 9 years. The difference between the two groups is statistically significant (x2 = 8.5, p < 0.01). This is reliable evidence that preventive treatment is effective when based on the idea that endogenous NO2- and nitrosamine are the carcinogens.