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Background: Vesiculobullous disorders (VBD) are heterogeneous group of dermatoses in which the primary lesion is a vesicle or a bulla. These disorders can be extremely debilitating and even fatal. Histopathological evaluation of skin punch biopsy is the gold standard, widely available and cost effective test for the diagnosis of VBD. Aims and objectives: To evaluate the clinico-demographic profiles of patients with vesiculobullous disorders of skin and to study their characteristic histopathological findings. Materials and methods: This is a descriptive study conducted in Department of pathology Government Siddhartha medical college, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India for 3 years period between March 2021 - February 2024. All the cases presenting with vesiculobullous lesions in the OPD and inpatient department during the study period were included after recording detailed history. Paraffin embedded, Haematoxylin & eosin stained tissue sections of skin punch biopsy were evaluated under light microscope. Results: During the study period a total of 745 skin punch biopsy specimens were received out of which 49 were vesiculobullous lesions which constituted 6.6% of skin biopsy specimens. Bullous pemphigoid (BP) (14 cases; 28.6%) was most frequently diagnosed VBD with male preponderance. Concordance between clinical and histopathological diagnosis was observed in 44 cases (89%). Conclusion: Histopathological evaluation of skin punch biopsy is a cost effective, widely available and reliable diagnostic modality in diagnosis of VBD of skin. Present study showed 89% concordance between clinical and histopathological diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims/hypothesis: Our aim was to investigate structural changes of cutaneous Schwann cells (SCs), including nociceptive Schwann cells (nSCs) and axons, in individuals with diabetic polyneuropathy. We also aimed to investigate the relationship between these changes and peripheral neuropathic symptoms in type 1 diabetes. Methods: Skin biopsies (3 mm) taken from carefully phenotyped participants with type 1 diabetes without polyneuropathy (T1D, n=25), type 1 diabetes with painless diabetic polyneuropathy (T1DPN, n=30) and type 1 diabetes with painful diabetic polyneuropathy (P-T1DPN, n=27), and from healthy control individuals (n=25) were immunostained with relevant antibodies to visualise SCs and nerve fibres. Stereological methods were used to quantify the expression of cutaneous SCs and nerve fibres. Results: There was a difference in the number density of nSCs not abutting to nerve fibres between the groups (p=0.004) but not in the number density of nSCs abutting to nerve fibres, nor in solitary or total subepidermal SC soma number density. The overall dermal SC expression (measured by dermal SC area fraction and subepidermal SC process density) and peripheral nerve fibre expression (measured by intraepidermal nerve fibre density, dermal nerve fibre area fraction and subepidermal nerve fibre density) differed between the groups (all p<0.05): significant differences were seen in participants with T1DPN and P-T1DPN compared with those without diabetic polyneuropathy (healthy control and T1D groups) (all p<0.05). No difference was found between participants in the T1DPN and P-T1DPN group, nor between participants in the T1D and healthy control group (all p>0.05). Correlational analysis showed that cutaneous SC processes and nerve fibres were highly associated, and they were weakly negatively correlated with different neuropathy measures. Conclusions/interpretation: Cutaneous SC processes and nerves, but not SC soma, are degenerated and interdependent in individuals with diabetic polyneuropathy. However, an increase in structurally damaged nSCs was seen in individuals with diabetic polyneuropathy. Furthermore, dermal SC processes and nerve fibres correlate weakly with clinical measures of neuropathy and may play a partial role in the pathophysiology of diabetic polyneuropathy in type 1 diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: It is paramount to preserve the genetic material of endangered wildlife species for future generations, including that of the African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana). By analyzing their genetic information, it is possible to decipher how endangered species such as elephants adapted to live on our planet and how they are related to one another and to their extinct ancestors. This information can further assist us in the protection of endangered animals and the habitats they live in. One way of doing this is through the cryopreservation of elephants' primary cell lines. This protocol presents the successful establishment of primary dermal fibroblast cell lines using a simple explant outgrowth method, starting from a small punch biopsy sample, which is minimally invasive and allows sample collection of free-roaming elephants. The average explant outgrowth, doubling time and further characterization of the dermal fibroblast cells of different elephants have been evaluated and compared. This preliminary method illustrates the potential to establish cell lines from living elephants, which contributes to the conservation of their genetic material and allows further research on the cancer suppressing ability of elephants. Following population declines of the African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) across the African continent, the establishment of primary cell lines of endangered wildlife species is paramount for the preservation of their genetic resources. In addition, it allows molecular and functional studies on the cancer suppression mechanisms of elephants, which have previously been linked to a redundancy of tumor suppressor gene TP53. This methodology describes the establishment of primary elephant dermal fibroblast (EDF) cell lines from skin punch biopsy samples (diameter: ±4 mm) of African savanna elephants (n = 4, 14–35 years). The applied tissue collection technique is minimally invasive and paves the way for future remote biopsy darting. On average, the first explant outgrowth was observed after 15.75 ± 6.30 days. The average doubling time (Td) was 93.02 ± 16.94 h and 52.39 ± 0.46 h at passage 1 and 4, respectively. Metaphase spreads confirmed the diploid number of 56 chromosomes. The successful establishment of EDF cell lines allows for future elephant cell characterization studies and for research on the cancer resistance mechanisms of elephants, which can be harnessed for human cancer prevention and treatment and contributes to the conservation of their genetic material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of pharmacological interventions for wound treatment is challenging due to both poorly understood wound healing mechanisms and heterogeneous patient populations. A standardized and well‐characterized wound healing model in healthy volunteers is needed to aid in‐depth pharmacodynamic and efficacy assessments of novel compounds. The current study aims to objectively and comprehensively characterize skin punch biopsy‐induced wounds in healthy volunteers with an integrated, multimodal test battery. Eighteen (18) healthy male and female volunteers received three biopsies on the lower back, which were left to heal without intervention. The wound healing process was characterized using a battery of multimodal, non‐invasive methods as well as histology and qPCR analysis in re‐excised skin punch biopsies. Biophysical and clinical imaging read‐outs returned to baseline values in 28 days. Optical coherence tomography detected cutaneous differences throughout the wound healing progression. qPCR analysis showed involvement of proteins, quantified as mRNA fold increase, in one or more healing phases. All modalities used in the study were able to detect differences over time. Using multidimensional data visualization, we were able to create a distinction between wound healing phases. Clinical and histopathological scoring were concordant with non‐invasive imaging read‐outs. This well‐characterized wound healing model in healthy volunteers will be a valuable tool for the standardized testing of novel wound healing treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction/Aims: Schwann cell clusters have been described at the murine dermis‐epidermis border. We quantified dermal Schwann cells in the skin of patients with small‐fiber neuropathy (SFN) compared with healthy controls to correlate with the clinical phenotype. Methods: Skin punch biopsies from the lower legs of 28 patients with SFN (11 men, 17 women; median age, 54 [range, 19‐73] years) and 9 healthy controls (five men, four women, median age, 34 [range, 25‐69] years) were immunoreacted for S100 calcium‐binding protein B as a Schwann cell marker, protein‐gene product 9.5 as a pan‐neuronal marker, and CD207 as a Langerhans cell marker. Intraepidermal nerve fiber density (IENFD) and subepidermal Schwann cell counts were determined. Results: Skin samples of patients with SFN showed lower IENFD (P <.05), fewer Schwann cells per millimeter (P <.01), and fewer Schwann cell clusters per millimeter (P <.05) than controls. When comparing SFN patients with reduced (n = 13; median age, 53 [range, 19‐73] years) and normal distal (n = 15, median age, 54 [range, 43‐68] years) IENFD, the number of solitary Schwann cells per millimeter (p <.01) and subepidermal nerve fibers associated with Schwann cell branches (P <.05) were lower in patients with reduced IENFD. All three parameters correlated positively with distal IENFD (P <.05 to P <.01), whereas no correlation was found between Schwann cell counts and clinical pain characteristics. Discussion Our data raise questions about the mechanisms underlying the interdependence of dermal Schwann cells and skin innervation in SFN. The temporal course and functional impact of Schwann cell presence and kinetics need further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The oncologic outcomes of patients diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) based on clinical exam only versus those with dermal lymphatic invasion on skin punch biopsy may be different and are worth further investigation., Methods: Patients diagnosed from 2006 to 2021 with IBC at our institution were grouped according to clinical diagnosis or skin biopsy performed. Oncologic and survival outcomes among groups were compared., Results: A total of 72 IBC patients were identified and grouped into 3 categories based on method of diagnosis: skin biopsy positive (n = 24), skin biopsy negative (n = 10) and no biopsy performed (n = 38). Skin biopsy positive patients had a higher incidence of lymphovascular invasion identified on final pathology and were more likely to experience a chest wall recurrence. At 5.1 yrs of follow-up, 40% of patients experienced recurrence, with 61% overall survival., Conclusion: Clinical diagnosis remains diagnostic for IBC, but skin punch biopsy allows for improved oncologic insight., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Valente, DO, ElSherif, MD, Tran, DO, Tu, MS, Kruse, MD have no conflicts of interest related to this manuscript., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)