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Dermatomyositis ( DM) and polymyositis ( PM) are collectively termed autoimmune myopathy. To investigate the difference between muscle- and skin-infiltrating T cells and to address their role for myopathy, we characterized T cells that were directly expanded from the tissues. Enrolled into this study were 25 patients with DM and three patients with PM. Muscle and skin biopsied specimens were immersed in c RPMI medium supplemented with interleukin ( IL)-2 and anti- CD3/ CD28 antibody-conjugated microbeads. The expanded cells were subjected to flow cytometry to examine their phenotypes. We analysed the cytokine concentration in the culture supernatants from the expanded T cells and the frequencies of cytokine-bearing cells by intracellular staining. There was non-biased in-vitro expansion of tissue-infiltrating CD4+ and CD8+ T cells from the muscle and skin specimens. The majority of expanded T cells were chemokine receptor ( CCR) type 7- CD45 RO+ effecter memory cells with various T cell receptor ( TCR) Vβs. The skin-derived but not muscle-derived T cells expressed cutaneous lymphocyte antigen ( CLA) and CCR10 and secreted large amounts of IL-17 A, suggesting that T helper type 17 ( Th17) cells may have a crucial role in the development of skin lesions. Notably, the frequency of IL-4-producing chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor (CX CR)4+ Th2 cells was significantly higher in the muscle-derived cells and correlated inversely with the serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and lactate dehydrogenase ( LDH) levels. stromal-derived factor (SDF)-1/ CXCL12, a ligand for CXCR4, was expressed at a high level in the vascular endothelial cells between muscular fasciculi. Our study suggests that T cell populations in the muscle and skin are different, and the Th2 cell infiltrate in the muscle is associated with the low severity of myositis in DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome ( DIHS), latent human herpesvirus ( HHV)-6 is frequently reactivated in association with flaring of symptoms such as fever and hepatitis. We recently demonstrated an emergence of monomyeloid precursors expressing HHV-6 antigen in the circulation during this clinical course. Methods To clarify the mechanism of HHV-6 reactivation, we immunologically investigated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), skin-infiltrating cells, and lymphocytes expanded from skin lesions of patients with DIHS. Results The circulating monomyeloid precursors in the patients with DIHS were mostly CD11b+ CD13+ CD14− CD16high and showed substantial expression of skin-associated molecules, such as CCR4. CD13+ CD14− cells were also found in the DIHS skin lesions, suggesting skin recruitment of this cell population. We detected high levels of high-mobility group box ( HMGB)-1 in blood and skin lesions in the active phase of patients with DIHS and showed that recombinant HMGB-1 had functional chemoattractant activity for monocytes/monomyeloid precursors in vitro. HHV-6 infection of the skin-resident CD4+ T cells was confirmed by the presence of its genome and antigen. This infection was likely to be mediated by monomyeloid precursors recruited to the skin, because normal CD4+ T cells gained HHV-6 antigen after in vitro coculture with highly virus-loaded monomyeloid precursors from the patients. Conclusions Our results suggest that monomyeloid precursors harboring HHV-6 are navigated by HMGB-1 released from damaged skin and probably cause HHV-6 transmission to skin-infiltrating CD4+ T cells, which is an indispensable event for HHV-6 replication. These findings implicate the skin as a cryptic and primary site for initiating HHV-6 reactivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fill of Noto Airport has been constructed rapidly to a height of 55 m, and its filling material is high water content clay. Geotextile horizontal drain is installed in the fill to accelerate consolidation. To seek reasonable method to simulate the behavior of a fill with horizontal drains, an elasto-visco-plastic FEM is applied in this paper. The result of the simulation agreed well with observed deformation and monitored stress, but horizontal deformation of the fill body measured is much smaller than estimated by FEM. It probably implies that the reinforcing effect due to friction between the soil and the geotexitile is generated in the field, but is not well-modeled in the analysis. Some trial FEM calculations are carried out for various hypothetical cases of field conditions such as filling speed and permeability of filling material. It is shown that the FEM capable of adapting complicated conditions at a given site enables rational design for embedding horizontal geotextile drains. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: Mogamulizumab (Mog) is a defucosylated, therapeutic monoclonal antibody, targeting CCR4 and was first approved in Japan for the treatment of adult T‐cell leukaemia/lymphoma (ATLL), followed by cutaneous T‐cell lymphoma and peripheral T‐cell lymphoma. Objective: To retrospectively investigate development of photosensitivity in patients with mycosis fungoides and other T‐cell neoplasms after treatment with Mog. Methods: We treated seven cutaneous lymphoma patients with Mog. Upon combination treatment with narrow‐band UVB, we noticed that four patients developed photosensitivity dermatitis following Mog therapy, including two cases of mycosis fungoides, one case of adult T‐cell leukaemia/lymphoma and one case of EB virus‐associated T‐cell lymphoproliferative disorder. Phototest was performed with UVA and UVB, and immunohistochemical staining for CD4, CD8 and Foxp3 was conducted in both photosensitivity and lymphoma lesions. Results: Phototest revealed that the action spectrum of the photosensitivity was UVB in three cases and both UVB and UVA in one case. Histopathologically, the photosensitive lesions were characterized by a lichenoid tissue reaction with a CD8+ T cell‐dominant infiltrate, sharing the feature with chronic actinic dermatitis, an autoreactive photodermatosis with a cytotoxic T‐cell response. Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) were decreased in the photosensitivity lesions compared with the lymphoma lesions. Conclusion: Increased incidence of photosensitivity reaction was observed during Mog treatment. Decreased number of Tregs in the lesional skin suggests that this reaction is possibly induced by autoreactive cytotoxic T cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on pustular psoriasis-like lesions linked to hereditary lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) M subunit deficiency without interleukin-36 receptor antagonist mutation. LDH is a major enzyme engaged in the catalysis of the interconversion of pyruvate and lactate in the final step of anaerobic glycolysis, and can be found in almost all cells.

The main components of dermoscopic structures of melanocytic lesions, including naevocellular naevus and melanoma, are (i) pigment network, (ii) dots and globules, and (iii) streaks. Magnified dermoscopic image of regular network, two-dimensional (2D) vertical view image, reconstructed 2D top-down view image and 3D aerial view image are shown in Naevus 1 (reticular naevus, upper limb, 25-year-old man); Naevus 2 (reticular naevus, upper limb, 25-year-old man); and Naevus 3 (globular Naevus, abdomen, 24-year-old woman). Next, the diameter of the network was evaluated to confirm that the dermoscopic network corresponds with the network of rete ridges. [Extracted from the article]

A case study of 54-year-old Japanese woman presented with history of a pruritic, erythrodermic eruption with eosinophilia. Clinical examination showed that she had pigmented erythroderma with lymphoadenopathy on her groins. Patient was treated with systemic antibiotics and showed a higher serum level of interlukin (IL) 22

A letter to the editor is presented in response to a case report which investigated investigated transforming growth factor-beta (TGFb) signalling in a colon neoplasm associated with dermatomyositis.