The effects of green tea on acne vulgaris: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Green tea extract (GTE) has been studied for the treatment of acne based on its anti-inflammatory/antioxidant properties. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to examine the effects of GTE on acne. Electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library were systematically searched up to August 2019. The effect size of acne lesion counts is presented as mean differences and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Five randomized-controlled studies were included in the meta-analysis (N; experimental = 125, control = 122). GTE significantly reduced the number of inflammatory lesions (-9.38; 95% CI: -14.13 to -4.63). In subgroup analysis, topical GTE application significantly reduced the inflammatory lesion counts (-11.39; 95% CI: -15.91 to -6.86) whereas oral GTE intake showed minimal effect (-1.40; 95% CI: -2.50 to -0.30). Although GTE did not significantly reduce the number of non-inflammatory lesions (-21.65; 95% CI: -47.52 to 4.22), when stratified by the route of admission, non-inflammatory acne lesions were significantly reduced by topical GTE application (-32.44; 95% CI: -39.27 to -25.62) but not with oral GTE administration (0.20; 95% CI: 0.00 to 0.40). This systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that topical GTE application is beneficial for the treatment of acne without causing significant adverse events while oral GTE intake has limited effects. Further high-quality clinical trials are warranted.

Expression of heat shock protein 105 and 70 in malignant melanoma and benign melanocytic nevi.

BACKGROUND: Heat shock proteins (HSPs) restore immature proteins or denatured proteins, thus protecting cells. Also, the expression of some HSPs is elevated substantially in malignant tumors, but the expression of HSPs in association with melanoma has yet to be studied. Therefore, we examined the expression patterns of HSP 70 and 105 in melanoma, benign melanocytic nevi and normal human skin. METHODS: Two specimens of malignant melanoma, two of benign melanocytic nevi and six of normal human skin were analyzed using Western blot analysis for expression of HSP 70 and 105. In another set, 16 specimens of malignant melanoma, 24 of benign melanocytic nevi and eight of normal human skin were analyzed for the expression of HSP 105 using immunohistochemical studies. RESULTS: The Western blot analysis showed that HSP 70 was overexpressed in all three types. But, the HSP 105 was hardly expressed in normal human skin and benign melanocytic nevi. However, in malignant melanoma, the HSP 105 was overexpressed, and immunohistochemical examination of HSP 105 showed a result similar to that of Western blot analysis. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, HSP 105 is thought to be a more relevant tumor-associated antigen in malignant melanoma than is HSP 70.

Unilateral ovarian metastasis in a case of squamous cervical carcinoma IA1.

Ovarian metastasis from early-stage squamous cervical cancer is rare. We report a case of unilateral ovarian metastasis from squamous cervical cancer IA1. Although ovarian metastasis from early-stage squamous cervical cancer is rare, gynecological oncologists should not overlook its possibility.

Genetic and epigenetic changes in the APC gene in sporadic colorectal carcinoma with synchronous adenoma.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Somatic APC mutation, frequently associated with colorectal tumors, is implicated in the early stage of tumorigenesis. This study was performed to identify APC-related colorectal tumorigenesis in sporadic colorectal carcinomas with synchronous adenoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We screened the entire coding region of APC and also assessed 5q LOH, 5q MSI, and promoter hypermethylation in fresh colorectal tissue and the lymphocytes of 31 patients with synchronous colorectal adenoma and carcinoma. RESULTS: The APC mutation prevalence was greater in carcinomas (70%) than in adenomas (45%). The 5q LOH and MSI were identified in 7 and in 5 of 31 carcinomas and in 6 each of 43 adenomas, respectively. The APC promoter methylation was identified in 3 cases each of both carcinomas and adenomas. Mutations in cases with 5q LOH were identified exclusively from codons 959 to the 3' end of exon 15. Otherwise mutations identified between exons 1 and 14 showed additional mutation on exon 15 and no additional mutation in two cases. All carcinomas with 5q LOH, 5q MSI, or methylation included at least one APC mutation, whereas 5 carcinomas and 6 adenomas showed solely an APC mutation. Both alleles were disrupted in 1 of 31 normal mucosa (3.2%), 12 of 40 adenomas (30%), and 18 of 33 carcinomas (54.5%). CONCLUSION: Genetic and epigenetic events encompassing APC occur variously among patients and tissues in sporadic colorectal cancer patients with synchronous colorectal adenoma. Moreover, these changes sometimes appear to be accumulated in all of the stages of colorectal tumorigenesis.