The effect of platelet-rich plasma on female androgenetic alopecia: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) may be a useful treatment for androgenetic alopecia (AGA), although objective studies are needed. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether PRP injections improve female AGA. METHOD: Prospective randomized controlled trial of 30 women diagnosed with AGA. Patients received subdermal scalp injections of Eclipse system PRP or placebo saline at weeks 0, 4, and 8. Outcome measures were changes in hair density (hair/cm2), hair caliber (mm), and blinded global photographic assessment (improved or not improved) at week 24. RESULTS: Blinded global photographic assessment indicated that 57% of patients receiving PRP versus 7% of patients receiving saline improved at week 24 from baseline (P < .01). Compared to baseline, there was improvement in mean density in the PRP group versus the placebo group at week 8 (+71.1 vs -26.7 hairs/cm2; P < .01) and week 24 (+105.9 vs -52.4 hairs/cm2; P < .01). Compared to baseline, there was improvement in mean caliber in the PRP group versus the placebo group at week 8 (+0.0043 vs -0.0034 mm; P < .01) and week 24 (+0.0053 vs -0.0060 mm; P < .01). Adverse effects included headache, scalp tightness, swelling, redness, and postinjection bleeding. LIMITATIONS: Two patients lost to follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: PRP with the Eclipse system is a safe and effective intervention for female AGA.

JUN-CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein complexes inhibit surfactant-associated protein B promoter activity.

The murine surfactant-associated protein B (Sftpb) gene promoter, spanning nucleotides -653 to +42, is composed of functionally distinct proximal and distal regions. Although both regions contain consensus/putative activator protein 1 (AP-1) sites, the distal, but not the proximal, region mediates the inhibition by jun proto-oncogene (JUN) of Sftpb promoter activity. In transient cotransfection assays, JUN inhibited the luciferase reporter activity of plasmid constructs containing Sftpb promoter fragments that lacked the distal putative AP-1 site, indicating that another regulatory motif mediates JUN-dependent inhibition. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and in silico analyses identified a DNA target sequence (Sftpb nucleotides -339 to -316) and transcription factors that regulate Sftpb promoter activity. The identified sequence contains a CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) consensus recognition element. Mutation of the site reduced Sftpb promoter activity and sensitivity to inhibition by JUN. Purified recombinant JUN, which did not recognize the -339 to -316 target sequence when added alone, supershifted the mobility of in vitro translated C/EBP-α and C/EBP-ß proteins complexed with the identified cis-regulatory element. These findings support the idea that heterodimerization between JUN and C/EBP-α and/or C/EBP-ß targets JUN to the Sftpb promoter, thereby mediating its inhibitory regulatory role.

Bilateral lower extremity hyperkeratotic plaques: a case report of ichthyosis vulgaris.

Here, we report a case of a middle-aged woman presenting with severe, long-standing, hyperkeratotic plaques of the lower extremities unrelieved by over-the-counter medications. Initial history and clinical findings were suggestive of an inherited ichthyosis. Ichthyoses are genetic disorders characterized by dry scaly skin and altered skin-barrier function. A diagnosis of ichthyosis vulgaris was confirmed by histopathology. Etiology, prevalence, and treatment options are discussed.

Collaborative testing improves performance but not content retention in a large-enrollment introductory biology class.

Collaborative testing has been shown to improve performance but not always content retention. In this study, we investigated whether collaborative testing could improve both performance and content retention in a large, introductory biology course. Students were semirandomly divided into two groups based on their performances on exam 1. Each group contained equal numbers of students scoring in each grade category ("A"-"F") on exam 1. All students completed each of the four exams of the semester as individuals. For exam 2, one group took the exam a second time in small groups immediately following the individually administered test. The other group followed this same format for exam 3. Individual and group exam scores were compared to determine differences in performance. All but exam 1 contained a subset of cumulative questions from the previous exam. Performances on the cumulative questions for exams 3 and 4 were compared for the two groups to determine whether there were significant differences in content retention. Even though group test scores were significantly higher than individual test scores, students who participated in collaborative testing performed no differently on cumulative questions than students who took the previous exam as individuals.