arima masaru

Hair follicle stem cells (HFSC) are localized in the bulge region of the hair follicle and play a role in producing hair. Recently, it has been shown that the number of HFSC decreases with age, which is thought to be a cause of senile alopecia. Therefore, maintaining HFSC may be key for the prevention of age-related hair loss, but the regulatory mechanisms of HFSC and the effects of aging on them are largely unknown. In general, stem cells are known to require regulatory factors in the pericellular microenvironment, termed the stem cell niche, to maintain their cell function. In this study, we focused on the extracellular matrix proteoglycan decorin (DCN) as a candidate factor for maintaining the human HFSC niche. Gene expression analysis showed that DCN was highly expressed in the bulge region. We observed decreases in DCN expression as well as the number of KRT15-positive HFSC with age. In vitro experiments with human plucked hair-derived HFSC revealed that HFSC lost their undifferentiated state with increasing passages, and prior to this change a decrease in DCN expression was observed. Furthermore, knockdown of DCN promoted HFSC differentiation. In contrast, when HFSC were cultured on DCN-coated plates, they showed an even more undifferentiated state. From these results, as a novel mechanism for maintaining HFSC, it was suggested that DCN functions as a stem cell niche component, and that the deficit of HFSC maintenance caused by a reduction in DCN expression could be a cause of age-related hair loss.

Interfollicular epidermal stem cells (IFE-SCs) have self-renewal and differentiation potentials, and maintain epidermal homeostasis. Stem cells in vivo are regulated by the surrounding environment called niche to function properly, however, IFE-SC niche components are not fully understood. In order to elucidate the mechanisms of keeping epidermal homeostasis and of skin aging, and also to develop new therapeutic technologies for skin diseases, we searched for niche factors that regulate IFE-SCs. We found that laminin-332, a basement membrane component, was highly expressed at the tips of the dermal papillae, where IFE-SCs are localized, and that the stem cells by themselves expressed laminin-332. Knockdown of laminin-332 during the culture of IFE-SC-model cells to construct 3-dimensional epidermis in vitro resulted in failure to form proper structure, although no significant change was observed in either cell growth or apoptosis. Pre-coating of the culture insert with laminin-332 restored the normal formation of 3-dimensional epidermis. From these results, it was shown that laminin-332 is an essential niche component for the proper differentiation of IFE-SCs.

Background: Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) are a robust, multipotent cell source. They are easily obtained and hold promise in many regenerative applications. It is generally considered that the function of somatic stem cells declines with age. Although several studies have examined the effects of donor age on proliferation potential and pluripotency of ASCs, the results of these studies were not consistent. Objective: This study tested whether the donor age affects the yield of ASCs from adipose tissue, as well as the proliferation and differentiation potentials of ASCs. Methods: This study used ASCs obtained from adipose tissues of 260 donors (ages 5-97 years). ASCs were examined for individual differences in proliferation, and adipogenic, osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation potentials in vitro. Characteristics of ASCs from each donor were evaluated by the principal component analysis (PCA) using their potential parameters. Results: Analyses on ASCs demonstrated that adipogenic potentials declined with age, but proliferation, osteogenic and chondrogenic potentials were not correlated with age. Interestingly, in all ASC potentials, including adipogenesis, individual differences were observed. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that individual differences became evident in the elderly, and those variations were more prominent in females than in males. Conclusions: This study demonstrated age-related changes in the potentials of ASCs and revealed that the individual differences of ASCs become significant in people over 60 years of age (for females over 60, and for males over 80). We believe that it is important to carefully observe ASC potentials in order to achieve effective regenerative medicine treatments using ASCs. (C) 2017, The Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.

A 72-year-old male visited a nearby hospital with a large tumor in his occipital region, which had existed since 20 years. Since malignant tumor was suspected, he was referred to our department. At the initial consultation, an elastic-hard, yellow-brown, sessile tumor, measuring 8 Ã&#151 7 Ã&#151 5 cm and with a flat surface, was observed in the occipital region. The tumor was resected and covered with artificial dermis. Histopathologically, the lesion was composed of basal-cell-like cells with nest formation in the dermis. A rippled pattern, or the single-line arrangement of tumor cells involving the stroma, was present. In addition, some tumor clusters revealed the differentiation to sebaceous glands, and these cells were positive for cytokeratin (AE1/AE3) and epithelial membrane antigen, which is consistent with the staining of sebaceous glands. On the contrary, tumor cells were negative for epithelial antigen (Ber-EP4), and Ki67 (MIB1) index was 5% or lower. Therefore, we diagnosed the tumor as rippled-pattern sebaceoma and not as basal cell carcinoma. Although this case was quite unique in its large size, immunostaining was useful for the definite diagnosis.

Background: In recent years, it has been proposed that the primary mechanism for the development of food allergies is percutaneous sensitization. Since 2010, in Japan, the number of immediate-type wheat allergy due to hydrolyzed wheat protein has dramatically increased among those who have been using soap containing hydrolyzed wheat. This incidence supports the hypothesis that food allergens arise through percutaneous sensitization. Clinical Summary: A 25-year-old man (case 1) and an 18-year-old girl (case 2) with atopic dermatitis visited our Department because of food allergy and hand eczema. After starting their work with fish, severe itchy eczema appeared on their hands. They subsequently started to experience oral allergic symptoms, intraoral itchiness and dyspnea after eating fish. Specific IgE antibodies were detected for many fishes, and skin prick tests showed positive reactions for a variety of fishes in both cases. Furthermore, the fluorescence intensities of specific IgE antibodies against parvalbumin from various types of fish in microarray immunoassay analysis showed positive reactions. We diagnosed them as contact urticaria caused by percutaneous sensitization to parvalbumin through job-related physical contact with fish. Conclusion: The patients' histories and findings indicate the possibility of percutaneous sensitization through occupational exposure to parvalbumin, leading to food allergy.

The patient was a 13-year-old female. Six years previously, she developed alopecia areata when her parents divorced. One year after that, the bald area drastically expanded when her mother remarried. She was treated at her local hospital however, no improvement was observed. She then visited our hospital for examination. A bald patch was covering &gt 80% of her head. Self Grow-Up Egogram indicated the basic interpersonal relationship stance of 'I am not OK, You are OK'. We therefore implemented a transactional analysis approach to increase the patient's score on the Free Child subscale. New hair growth was observed after 6 months and the bald patch disappeared after 2 years. Our results suggest that this method could also be easily applied in a clinical setting by dermatologists.

In patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), psychosomatic factors are important elements in treating the condition. In this study, we surveyed 51 outpatients with AD who consulted the Department of Dermatology of Fujita Health University Hospital using a questionnaire involving present illness/treatment history regarding AD to analyze psychosomatic factors. The severity of AD was evaluated using the severity classification described by Yoshiike et al. Four psychological tests were used to examine depression, anxiety, personality, and upbringing experiences during childhood. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was used as a scale for depression, Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) as a scale for anxiety, the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) as a scale for the personality tendency, and the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) as a scale for upbringing experiences during childhood. The BDI and SAS scores were high in the severe AD group. Among patients with the same grade of AD, the BDI and SAS scores were higher in the low IgE RIST group. In the patients with AD, the BDI scores were significantly higher than those in the healthy controls (P < 0.05). In clinical practice, the treatment of AD should include psychosomatic approaches.