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The article focuses on the global interest in skin whitening, revealing its popularity in regions like South Asia, West Africa, and the Caribbean, driven by complex historical and cultural factors. Using Google Trends data, the study highlights the prevalence of searches related to skin whitening products, indicating a significant market demand despite concerns over safety and long-term consequences.

Background: Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19) is a viral illness caused by the novel coronavirus SARS‐CoV‐2 which spreads via droplets from an infected person. There has been an unprecedented rise in the use of personal protective equipment and practice of personal hygiene measures against COVID‐19. The extended use of protective measures (PM) can lead to ill effects on the skin. Our aim was to investigate PM‐induced dermatoses amongst healthcare workers and the general population during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods: A cross‐sectional study was conducted over a period of 2 months. The study subjects were patients who presented to dermatology outpatient clinics or sought teleconsultation for skin problems related to the use of PMs against COVID‐19. A detailed history was obtained and cutaneous examination was documented for all the patients in a pre‐set proforma. Diagnoses of the adverse skin effects were formulated based upon history and clinical examination. Results: A total of 101 cases with cutaneous adverse effects due to the use of PMs against COVID‐19 were included in the study. The general population and healthcare workers were affected similarly, comprising of 54.5% and 45.5%, respectively. The mean age of the study participants was 36.71 ± 15.72 years. The most common culprit material was soap and water (56.4%). Contact dermatitis was found to be the most common adverse effect in the majority of our patients (72.3%). The most common symptom reported was pruritus (45.5%). The wearing of personal protective equipment for a longer duration was significantly associated with multiple symptoms (P = 0.026). Conclusion: The enhanced use of different PMs against COVID‐19 can result in a variety of adverse skin effects. In our study, the use of soap and water was the most common culprit PM, and contact dermatitis was the most common adverse effect noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the functions of critical adhesion molecules ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 in a keratin-14 IL-4-transgenic (Tg) mouse model of atopic dermatitis, the skin lesions of which are characterized by prominent inflammatory cell infiltration, significantly increased mRNAs and proteins of ICAM-1, VCAM-1, E-selectin, P-selectin, L-selectin, and PSGL-1, and significantly increased numbers of dermal vessels expressing these adhesion molecules. We tested the hypotheses that deletion or blockade of these molecules may impede the inflammation by examining the disease progresses in the Tg mice crossed with ICAM-1-knockout mice and Tg mice received anti-VCAM-1-neutralizing antibody. Although the findings of the ICAM-1-knockout Tg mice (Tg/ICAM-1−/−) developed skin lesions similar to wide-type ICAM-1 Tg mice (Tg/ICAM-1+/+) were surprising, a compensatory mechanism may account for it: the frequency of VCAM-1 ligand, CD49d, on CD3+ T cells in the lesional skin significantly increased in the Tg/ICAM-1−/− mouse, compared with the Tg/ICAM-1+/+ mice. In contrast, anti-VCAM-1-treated Tg/ICAM-1−/− or Tg/ICAM-1+/+ mice had significantly delayed onset of skin inflammation compared with isotype antibody-treated groups. Moreover, anti-VCAM-1 significantly reduced the skin inflammation severity in Tg/ICAM-1+/+ mice, accompanied with reduction of mast cell, eosinophil, and CD3+ T cell infiltration. VCAM-1 is more critical in developing skin inflammation in this model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Paracrine interactions between adipose fibroblasts and malignant epithelial cells are essential for structural and hormonal support of breast tumors. Factors derived from malignant epithelial cells inhibit adipogenic differentiation of fibroblasts and upregulate expression of aromatase, which stimulates estrogen synthesis and creates a localized, growth-stimulatory environment. Here, we characterized the gene expression profile of breast adipose fibroblasts in an in vitro model of malignancy to identify other paracrine interactions that support tumor growth. Primary breast adipose fibroblasts from cancer-free women were treated with conditioned media from malignant breast epithelial cells or normal breast epithelial cells, and differences in gene expression were identified by microarray. A total of 79 differentially regulated genes encoding cytokines, enzymes, angiogenic factors, cytoskeletal proteins, extra-cellular matrix remodeling proteins, signal transduction proteins and cell surface receptors were identified, and 6 of these were verified by real-time PCR. Among these, the expression of aldo-keto reductase family 1, member C3 (AKR1C3) was upregulated. AKR1C3 has multiple enzymatic properties, including conversion of estrone to estradiol and androstenedione to testosterone. Immunoreactive AKR1C3 was detected in epithelial and stromal components of benign lesions and ductal carcinomas in situ, and in 59.8% of epithelial and 69.6% of stromal cells in invasive breast carcinomas. AKR1C3 expression was significantly higher in myoepithelial cells surrounding the neoplastic epithelium of ductal carcinoma in situ compared with those surrounding benign epithelial lesions. Importantly, AKR1C3 and aromatase mRNA levels correlated positively in 61 malignant breast tumors (R =0.3967, p =0.00156). Malignant epithelial cell-conditioned medium significantly increased formation of testosterone and estradiol from androstenedione in breast adipose fibroblasts. In conclusion, malignant epithelial cell-derived factors significantly upregulate the enzymes AKR1C3 and aromatase that catalyze a series of complementary reactions to convert the circulating precursor androstenedione to biologically active estradiol in vitro in the stromal fibroblasts, and in vivo, in stromal component of breast tumors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aromatase gene encodes the key enzyme for estrogen formation. Aromatase enzyme inhibitors eliminate total body estrogen production and are highly effective therapeutics for postmenopausal breast cancer. A distal promoter (I.4) regulates low levels of aromatase expression in tumor-free breast adipose tissue. Two proximal promoters (I.3/II) strikingly induce in vivo aromatase expression in breast fibroblasts surrounding malignant cells. Treatment of breast fibroblasts with medium conditioned with malignant breast epithelial cells (MCM) or a surrogate hormonal mixture (dibutyryl (Bt2)cAMP plus phorbol diacetate (PDA)) induces promoters I.3/II. The mechanism of promoter-selective expression, however, is not clear. Here we reported that sodium butyrate profoundly decreased MCM- or Bt2cAMP + PDA-induced promoter I.3/II-specific aromatase mRNA. MCM, Bt2cAMP + PDA, or sodium butyrate regulated aromatase mRNA or activity only via promoters I.3/II but not promoters I.1 or I.4 in breast, ovarian, placental, and hepatic cells. Mechanistically, recruitment of phosphorylated ATF-2 by a CRE (-211/-199, promoter I.3/II) conferred inductions by MCM or Bt2cAMP + PDA. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-PCR and immunoprecipitation-immunoblotting assays indicated that MCM or Bt2cAMP + PDA stabilized a complex composed of phosphorylated ATF-2, C/EBPβ, and cAMP-response element-binding protein (CREB)-binding protein in the common regulatory region of promoters I.3/II. Overall, histone acetylation patterns of promoters 1.3/II did not correlate with sodium butyrate-dependent silencing of promoters I.3/II. Sodium butyrate, however, consistently disrupted the activating complex composed of phosphorylated ATF-2, C/EBPβ, and CREB-binding protein. This was mediated, in part, by decreased ATF-2 phosphorylation. Together, these findings represent a novel mechanism of sodium butyrate action and provide evidence that aromatase activity can be ablated in a signaling pathway- and cell-specific fashion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Pathogenesis and growth of three common women''s cancers (breast, endometrium and ovary) are linked to estrogen. A single gene encodes the key enzyme for estrogen biosynthesis named aromatase, inhibition of which effectively eliminates estrogen production in the entire body. Aromatase inhibitors successfully treat breast cancer, whereas their roles in endometrial and ovarian cancers are less clear. Ovary, testis, adipose tissue, skin, hypothalamus and placenta express aromatase normally, whereas breast, endometrial and ovarian cancers overexpress aromatase and produce local estrogen exerting paracrine and intracrine effects. Tissue-specific promoters distributed over a 93-kb regulatory region upstream of a common coding region alternatively control aromatase expression. A distinct set of transcription factors regulates each promoter in a signaling pathway- and tissue-specific manner. In cancers of breast, endometrium and ovary, aromatase expression is primarly regulated by increased activity of the proximally located promoter I.3/II region. Promoters I.3 and II lie 215bp from each other and are coordinately stimulated by PGE2 via a cAMP-PKA-dependent pathway. In breast adipose fibroblasts exposed to PGE2 secreted by malignant epithelial cells, PKC is also activated, and this potentiates cAMP-PKA-dependent induction of aromatase. Thus, inflammatory substances such as PGE2 may play important roles in inducing local production of estrogen that promotes tumor growth. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Binding activity of steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1) to promoters of the majority of steroidogenic genes in response to gonadotropins is a critical mechanism that regulates steroidogenesis in gonads. Thus, the modulation of SF-1 action may be essential for the differential regulation of formation of sex steroids in the ovary. Aromatase P450 (P450arom) is the rate-limiting enzyme for estrogen formation. In this study, we characterize another nuclear receptor half site in the gonadal aromatase promoter which we show to be important for aromatase regulation. We also show herein that the stimulation of P450arom promoter activity by SF-1 in ovarian granulosa, testicular Sertoli and JEG-3 choriocarcinoma cells is inhibited by two transcription factors, Wilms’ tumor suppressor gene (WT1) and dosage sensitive sex reversal adrenal hypoplasia congenita critical region on the X chromosome gene 1 (DAX-1). Given the characterized roles of these transcription factors in gonadal development and function, modulation of SF-1 action by WT1 and DAX-1 may represent an important key mechanism in steroidogenesis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]