Drug-induced erythroderma in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome.

BACKGROUND: To explore the clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) complicated with drug-induced erythroderma. METHODS: The clinical data of 12 AIDS patients with drug-induced erythroderma in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The general information, offending medications, complications, modified severity-of-illness score for toxic epidermal necrolysis (SCORTEN) scores, and disease outcome spectrums were analyzed. RESULTS: Drug-induced erythroderma was mostly caused by antiviral drugs, antituberculosis drugs, antibiotics, traditional Chinese medicine, and immune checkpoint inhibitors. The spectrum of sensitizing drugs was broad, the clinical situation was complex, and infections were common. The affected areas were greater than 40% body surface area in all patients. The modified SCOTERN score averaged 3.01±0.99. All patients were treated with glucocorticoids, and nine patients were treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) pulse therapy at the same time. The average time to effectiveness was 7.08±2.23 days, and the average hospital stay was 17.92±8.46 days. Eleven patients were cured, and one patient died of secondary multiple infections, who had a modified SCORTEN score of 5 points. The mortality rate in this study was 8.3%. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical situation of AIDS patients with drug-induced erythroderma in hospitalized patients is complex and the co-infection rate is high. The use of modified SCORTEN score may objectively and accurately assess the conditions, and the use of glucocorticoid combined with IVIG therapy may improve the prognosis.

Dynamic Wnt5a expression in murine hair follicle cycle and its inhibitory effects on follicular.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the dynamic expression of Wnt family member 5A (Wingless-type MMTV integration Wnt site family, member 5a) in murine hair cycle and its inhibitory effects on follicle in vivo. METHODS: Situ hybridization in full-thickness skin was used to observe the change of mouse protein expression in different growth stages, and Ad-Wnt5a was injected after defeathering to observe the hair follicle growth in vivo. RESULTS: The Wnt5a mRNA was expressed at birth, and was firstly increased then decreased along with the progress of the hair cycle. It reached the peak in advanced stage of growth cycle (P<0.05). Rhoa and ß-catenin expression levels were significantly decreased in three groups. Rac2 expression was significantly up-regulated, and the expression level of Wnt5a, Shh and Frizzled2 was increased, but less significantly than group 2. CONCLUSIONS: The expression of Wnt5a mRNA is consistent with change of murine follicle cycle, and has obvious inhibitory effects on the growth of hair follicle in vivo, indicating that it is antagonistic to Wnts pathway and interferes the growth of follicle together.

Matrine inhibits invasiveness and metastasis of human malignant melanoma cell line A375 in vitro.

BACKGROUND: Matrine is a traditional Chinese medicine with significant inhibitory activity against malignant tumors. Its effects on the invasiveness and metastasis of malignant tumors have rarely been reported. AIM: To investigate whether matrine can inhibit the metastasis-related activities of the human malignant melanoma cell line A375 in vitro. METHODS: 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and Annexin-V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide (Annexin-V-FITC/PI) affinity assay were used to examine the effects of matrine on the proliferation and apoptosis induction of A375 cells. The morphologic changes of A375 cells were observed by light and electron microscopy. Semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting were performed to evaluate the expression of heparanase mRNA and protein. The effect of matrine on the adhesion ability and invasiveness of treated A375 cells was tested by cell-Matrigel adhesion assay and Matrigel invasion assay, respectively. RESULTS: Matrine showed significant inhibition of the proliferation of A375 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. It also induced apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. Compared with the control group, the levels of heparanase mRNA and protein expression of A375 cells treated with different concentrations of matrine were decreased significantly, as were their adhesion ability and invasiveness. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that matrine inhibits the invasiveness and metastasis of A375 cells in vitro. The mechanisms may be linked to the inhibition of cellular proliferation, induction of apoptosis, and downregulation of heparanase mRNA and protein expression.

[Inhibition of invasiveness and expression of heparanase-mRNA in human malignant melanoma cell line A375 by matrine].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of matrine on the invasiveness and expression of heparanase-mRNA in human malignant melanoma cell line A375. METHODS: The A375 cells were treated by matrine in different concentration. The total RNAs were extracted from the cells 48 hours after treatment and then semi-quantitative RT-PCR were performed to evaluate the heparanase-mRNA expression levels. Effect of matrine on adhesion of treated A375 cells was tested by cell-Matrigel adhesion assay. The invasiveness of treated A375 cells was measured by Matrigel invasion assay. RESULTS: The hepanase-mRNA expression, adhesion and invasiveness of A375 cells treated with matrine of different final concentrations significantly decreased compared with that of the controls (p < 0.01). Besides, the inhibitory effects were signifcantly different when the cells treated with matrine of different concentrations (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: By down-regulating the expression of heparanase-mRNA, matrine has a significant inhibitory effect on the adhesion and invasiveness of human malignant melanoma cell line in a dose-dependent manner.