Diagnosis and management of atopic dermatitis.

ABSTRACT: Atopic dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory skin condition that affects patients of all ages. The disease is characterized by xerosis (dry skin) and intensely pruritic lesions distributed throughout the body. This article reviews diagnostic features and treatments for atopic dermatitis.

The Application of CRISPR/Cas Technology to Efficiently Model Complex Cancer Genomes in Stem Cells.

CRISPR/Cas gene editing technologies have emerged as powerful tools in the study of oncogenic transformation. The system's specificity, versatility, and ease of implementation allow researchers to identify important molecular markers and pathways which grant cancers stem cell like properties. This technology has already been applied to researching specific cancers, but has seen restricted therapeutic applications due to inherent ethical and technical limitations. Active development and adaptation of the CRISPR/Cas system has produced new methods to take advantage of both non-homologous end joining and homologous recombination repair mechanisms in attempts to remedy these limitations and improve the versatility of gene edits that can be created. Nonetheless, until issues with specificity and in vivo efficiency are resolved, utilization of CRISPR/Cas systems would be best employed in the modeling and study of various cancer genes. While it may have potential therapeutic applications to targeted cancer therapies in the future, presently CRISPR/Cas is a remarkable technique that can be utilized for easy and efficient gene editing when it comes to cancer research. J. Cell. Biochem. 119: 134-140, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Clinical outcomes: endoscopic resection of duodenal ampullary lesions.

Background: Ampullary adenomas are lesions at the duodenum's major papilla commonly associated with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) but may also occur sporadically. Historically, ampullary adenomas were removed surgically, however endoscopic resection has become the preferred method of resection. Most of the literature on management of ampullary adenomas are small single-center retrospective reviews. The objective of this study is to describe endoscopic papillectomy outcomes to further refine management guidelines. Methods: This is a retrospective study of patients who underwent endoscopic papillectomy. Demographic data were included. Details regarding lesions and procedures were also collected, including endoscopic impression, size, resection method and adjunctive therapies. Chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis rank-sum, and t-tests were performed. Results: A total of 90 patients were included. 60% patients (54 of 90) had pathology-proven adenomas. 14.4% of all lesions (13 of 90) and 18.5% of adenomas (10 of 54) were treated with APC. Among APC-treated lesions, 36.4% developed recurrence (4 of 11) vs. 7.1% developed residual lesion (1 of 14) (P=0.019). 15.6% of all lesions (14 of 90) and 18.5% of adenomas (10 of 54) reported complications, and the most common was pancreatitis (11.1% and 5.6%). Median follow-up time was 8 months for all lesions and 14 months (range, 1-177 months) for adenomas, with time to recurrence 30 and 31 months (range, 1-137 months), respectively. Recurrence was observed in 16.7% of all lesions (15 of 90) and 20.4% of adenomas (11 of 54). Endoscopic success was observed in 69.2% of all lesions (54 of 78) and 71.4% of adenomas (35 of 49) after removing patients lost to follow-up. Conclusions: Endoscopic papillectomy is an effective method for managing duodenal adenomas. Pathology-proven adenoma should undergo surveillance for at least 31 months. Lesions treated with APC may require closer follow-up and for a prolonged period.

Identification of allergens by IgE-specific testing improves outcomes in atopic dermatitis.

INTRODUCTION: IgE quantitative assaying of allergens (IgEQAA) has long been implemented by allergists in determining patients' reactivities for allergic rhinitis and asthma, two of the three diagnoses in atopic syndrome. This test operates by measuring the patient's IgE response to different allergens and can identify potential triggers for a patient's symptoms. Despite this, IgEQAA has yet to see the same widespread use in the field of dermatology, specifically in the treatment of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The affected body surface area (BSA) at first presentation, IgEQAA classes, and total immunoglobulin E (IgE) concentration were taken retrospectively for 54 patients with AD. RESULTS: Of the 54 patients observed, 41 had an abnormally high total IgE concentration (76%). Additionally, it was observed that nine (17%) of our patients significantly improved after making lifestyle changes. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of the identified specific antigens can guide patients to make lifestyle modifications that may improve disease outcomes. IgEQAA and avoidance of allergens may help some patients with AD.

A septo-temporal molecular gradient of sfrp3 in the dentate gyrus differentially regulates quiescent adult hippocampal neural stem cell activation.

BACKGROUND: A converging body of evidence indicates that levels of adult hippocampal neurogenesis vary along the septo-temporal axis of the dentate gyrus, but the molecular mechanisms underlying this regional heterogeneity are not known. We previously identified a niche mechanism regulating proliferation and neuronal development in the adult mouse dentate gyrus resulting from the activity-regulated expression of secreted frizzled-related protein 3 (sfrp3) by mature neurons, which suppresses activation of radial glia-like neural stem cells (RGLs) through inhibition of Wingless/INT (WNT) protein signaling. RESULTS: Here, we show that activation rates within the quiescent RGL population decrease gradually along the septo-temporal axis in the adult mouse dentate gyrus, as defined by MCM2 expression in RGLs. Using in situ hybridization and quantitative real-time PCR, we identified an inverse septal-to-temporal increase in the expression of sfrp3 that emerges during postnatal development. Elimination of sfrp3 and its molecular gradient leads to increased RGL activation, preferentially in the temporal region of the adult dentate gyrus. CONCLUSIONS: Our study identifies a niche mechanism that contributes to the graded distribution of neurogenesis in the adult dentate gyrus and has important implications for understanding functional differences associated with adult hippocampal neurogenesis along the septo-temporal axis.