Effect of Helichrysum italicum in Promoting Collagen Deposition and Skin Regeneration in a New Dynamic Model of Skin Wound Healing.

Natural products have many healing effects on the skin with minimal or no adverse effects. In this study, we analyzed the regenerative properties of a waste product (hydrolate) derived from Helichrysum italicum (HH) on scratch-tested skin cell populations seeded on a fluidic culture system. Helichrysum italicum has always been recognized in the traditional medicine of Mediterranean countries for its wide pharmacological activities. We recreated skin physiology with a bioreactor that mimics skin stem cell (SSCs) and fibroblast (HFF1) communication as in vivo skin layers. Dynamic culture models represent an essential instrument for recreating and preserving the complex multicellular organization and interactions of the cellular microenvironment. Both cell types were exposed to two different concentrations of HH after the scratch assay and were compared to untreated control cells. Collagen is the constituent of many wound care products that act directly on the damaged wound environment. We analyzed the role played by HH in stimulating collagen production during tissue repair, both in static and dynamic culture conditions, by a confocal microscopic analysis. In addition, we performed a gene expression analysis that revealed the activation of a molecular program of stemness in treated skin stem cells. Altogether, our results indicate a future translational application of this natural extract to support skin regeneration and define a new protocol to recreate a dynamic process of healing.

Electrospun Nanofibers Encapsulated with Natural Products: A Novel Strategy to Counteract Skin Aging.

The skin is the primary tissue affected by wounds and aging, significantly impacting its protective function. Natural products are widely used in cosmetics, representing a new approach to preventing age-related damage. Nanomedicine combines nanotechnology and traditional treatments to create innovative drugs. The main targets of nanotechnological approaches are wound healing, regeneration, and rejuvenation of skin tissue. The skin barrier is not easily permeable, and the creation of modern nanodevices is a way to improve the passive penetration of substances. In this study, Helichrysum italicum oil (HO) was combined with different types of electrospun nanofibers to study their protective activity on the skin and to evaluate their future application for topical treatments. In the present research, we used biodegradable polymers, including polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), which were characterized by a scanning electron microscope (SEM). All results show a positive trend in cell proliferation and viability of human skin stem cells (SSCs) and BJ fibroblasts pre-treated with combined nanofibers and then exposed to UV stress. Gene expression analysis revealed the activation of a molecular rejuvenation program in SSCs treated with functionalized nanofibers before UV exposure. Understanding the mechanisms involved in skin changes during aging allows for the future application of nanomaterials combined with HO directly to the patients.

Epidemiology and clinical aspects of Werner's syndrome in North Sardinia: description of a cluster.

Werner syndrome (WS, MIM#277700) is a very rare autosomal recessive disorder. WS clinical signs include altered distribution of subcutaneous fat, juvenile bilateral cataracts, a mask-like face and bird-like nose, trophic ulcers of the feet, diabetes mellitus, and premature atherosclerosis. The habitus is characteristic, with short stature, stocky trunk and slender extremities. WS frequency has been roughly estimated to be 1: 100,000 in Japan and 1: 1,000,000-1: 10,000,000 outside of Japan. The only exception to the latter data can be seen in the clustering of WS in Sardinia. Since 2001, 5 new cases have been observed: 4 members of the same family and 1 sporadic case. Therefore, since 1982 the total number of cases described in North Sardinia amounts to 18: 15 are familial (11 members of the same family group) and 3 sporadic. A short clinical description of the 5 new cases is reported.

Second primary melanoma on a patient undergoing vemurafenib therapy. A case report.

BACKGROUND: Several side effects have been reported during treatment with vemurafenib, including multiple benign lesions and, less frequently, atypical melanocytic proliferations and second primary melanomas. METHODS: A 46-year-old man undergoing vemurafenib therapy for metastatic malignant melanoma was clinically and dermoscopically monitored using total-body mapping. RESULTS: During BRAF inhibitor (BRAFi) treatment, the patient developed atypical melanocytic lesions and particularly secondary primary melanoma. CONCLUSIONS: Secondary melanomas are usually diagnosed during the early disease stage, and no case of advanced melanomas is reported in the literature, mostly due to careful surveillance in BRAFi-treated patients.

Environmental factors influence the rate of human herpesvirus type 8 infection in a population with high incidence of classic Kaposi sarcoma.

High prevalence of human herpesvirus type 8 (HHV-8) infection has been reported on the island of Sardinia. Among emigrants from Sardinia, rates of HHV-8 infection are lower than they are in Sardinia and are similar to those observed in the local population. Thus, environmental factors seem to play a relevant role in affecting the prevalence of HHV-8 infection.

Classic Kaposi sarcoma in northern Sardinia: a prospective epidemiologic overview (1977-2003) correlated with malaria prevalence (1934).

BACKGROUND: Studies have demonstrated considerable variations in classic Kaposi sarcoma (CKS) incidence within Europe, with some of the highest incidences found in the Mediterranean area. As a Mediterranean area, northern Sardinia has a high CKS frequency. OBJECTIVE: In order to determine CKS incidence in people born in and residing in northern Sardinia, a clinical prospective epidemiologic study was carried out between 1977 and 2003 by the Department of Dermatology, University of Sassari. We also evaluated a correlation between malaria prevalence in 1934, estimated on the eight historical sub-areas of the Sassari province, and the standardized morbidity ratio from 1977 to 2003. RESULTS: A total of 332 patients with CKS were identified. Incidence among the northern Sardinian population > or =40 years of age was 4.06/100,000 persons/year and it was almost stable through the years. The male to female ratio showed a significant decline from 3.6 to 2.5 (P = .03). Females had a statistically decreased risk of developing CKS compared to males (adjusted incidence rate ratio = 0.27; 95% CI: 0.21-0.34), and the risk of developing CKS increased exponentially with age. The prevalence of malaria in each sub-area ranged from 9% to 91%. The standardized morbidity ratio for CKS in the years between 1977 and 2003 ranged from 0.27 to 1.76; the regression coefficient was -0.85 (95% CI: -2.94-1.24), yielding a nonsignificant relationship between the two diseases. LIMITATIONS: These results were obtained from patients with CKS in northern Sardinia and may not be applicable to other populations. CONCLUSIONS: The northern Sardinian population consistently has a very high incidence of CKS, while in our data, the correlation between malaria and CKS remains open to question.

Mandibular hypoplasia, deafness, progeroid features and lipodystrophy (MDPL) syndrome in the context of inherited lipodystrophies.

BACKGROUND: Lipodystrophies are a large heterogeneous group of genetic or acquired disorders characterized by generalized or partial fat loss, usually associated with metabolic complications such as diabetes mellitus, hypertriglyceridemia and hepatic steatosis. Many efforts have been made in the last years in identifying the genetic etiologies of several lipodystrophy forms, although some remain to be elucidated. METHODS: We report here the clinical description of a woman with a rare severe lipodystrophic and progeroid syndrome associated with hypertriglyceridemia and diabetes whose genetic bases have been clarified through whole-exome sequencing (WES) analysis. RESULTS: This article reports the 5th MDPL (Mandibular hypoplasia, deafness, progeroid features, and lipodystrophy syndrome) patient with the same de novo p.S605del mutation in POLD1. We provided further genetic evidence that this is a disease-causing mutation along with a plausible molecular mechanism responsible for this recurring event. Moreover we overviewed the current classification of the inherited forms of lipodystrophy, along with their underlying molecular basis. CONCLUSIONS: Progress in the identification of lipodystrophy genes will help in better understanding the role of the pathways involved in the complex physiology of fat. This will lead to new targets towards develop innovative therapeutic strategies for treating the disorder and its metabolic complications, as well as more common forms of adipose tissue redistribution as observed in the metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.

High rate of human herpesvirus-8 seroprevalence in thalassemic patients in Italy.

BACKGROUND: The potential risk of acquiring infection by the novel human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) through blood derivatives is still debated. OBJECTIVES: In the present study, we determined HHV-8 seroprevalence in beta-thalassemic patients living in Italy. STUDY DESIGN: We have analysed 86 patients from Sardinia, an island characterised by a high diffusion of HHV-8, as well as 33 thalassemics from the area of Rome, where a lower rate of HHV-8 infection has been reported. These data have been compared with HHV-8 seroprevalence found in healthy controls living in the same areas of the assayed patients. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A three-fold increase in HHV-8 seroprevalence was found among thalassemic patients when compared to control groups taken from the same regions (17.6% versus 5.1%). This risk factor was statistically significant when considering the Sardinians alone (P = 0.01) and the entire population analysed in the present survey (P = 0.0006). In the Roman area also an increased seroprevalence in thalassemic subjects was found (12.1% versus 4.6%) but it was not statistically significant (P = 0.2). HHV-8 is sporadically present in the blood of healthy individuals and it is unknown whether the virus eventually present in donors' blood is completely cleared by the treatments which blood undergoes before red cells are transfused. Based on these considerations, we hypothesise that multiply transfused subjects living in areas at high HHV-8 prevalence present an increased risk of being infected.

In situ study of chemokine and chemokine-receptor expression in Kaposi sarcoma.

Tissue expression of CC and CXC chemokines and chemokine receptors was investigated in 6 cases of classic non-AIDS Kaposi sarcoma (KS) using immunohistochemistry and RNase protection assay (RPA). Immunostaining of frozen sections of KS skin biopsies revealed that KS spindle cells express several chemokine receptors. In KS nodules, almost all KS spindle cells were intensely stained for CXCR4 and CCR5. Other chemokine receptors as CCR1, CXCR3, and CCR2 were also detected in the large majority of KS spindle cells. A minority of KS spindle cells also expressed the fractalkine receptor (FK-R) CX3CR1. The immunohistochemical findings were confirmed at RNA level. In fact, the RNase protection assay (RPA) revealed in 6 of 6 cases the presence of consistent amounts of mRNAs for CXCR4 and CCR1 and in 5 of 6 cases also for CCR5 and CXCR3. Expression of chemokine receptors by KS cells was associated with chemokine production within the lesions. In the same cases, RPA demonstrated the presence of mRNAs for MCP-1, RANTES, IP-10, MIP-1alpha, and MIP-1beta. Chemokine-producing cells, as detected by immunohistochemistry, were mainly spindle-shaped cells resembling tissue macrophages outside KS lesions and some scattered cells (<5%) present within KS nodules. The demonstration of chemokine receptors in KS cells raises the possibility that recruitment of KS cells in response to locally produced chemotactic stimuli may be one of the events involved in the pathogenesis of Kaposi sarcoma.