Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M Morohashi.
Immunofluorescence studies were carried out in 7 cases of lichen amyloidosus, chiefly to detect deposition of complement components in the cutaneous lesions. Examination of skin biopsy specimens revealed deposition of Clq, C3, C9 and IgM in all the patients studied. Complement and immunoglobulin levels by assays of simultaneously obtained serum samples were found to be almost within the normal limits.
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The deposition of complement components (Clq, C4 C3, C5 and C9) and properdin in scalp hair follicles was examined by the immunofluorescence method in patients with alopecia areata and in normal subjects. C3, C5 and C9 were found deposited there. The complement deposition was most frequent in the case of C3 and less frequent in C9 and C5. There was no difference regarding deposition between normal subjects and patients with alopecia areata. No deposition of Clq, C4 or properdin was observed in the hair follicles of the scalp. These findings suggest a relationship between the hair cycle and the activity of C3 and its late complement components in the scalp.
Two unusual structures were found in the epidermal Langerhans' cells of normal human adult skin: (1) an intramitochondrial crystalline lattice structure composed of numerous electron-dense, fine particles approximately 90 A in diameter, with a lucent spacing of nearly 90 A; (2) bundles of unusual cytoplasmic tubular structures, approximately 120 A wide.
In 16 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, blood vessels in the affected region of the skin were examined regarding localization of immune complexes. Deposition of IgG, IgA, IgM, IgE, beta 1C and fibrin in the vessel walls was more frequently observed in intramural and perivascular sites than in intimal sites. IgM and fibrin were usually detected in intramural sites only. In large caliber arteries of the skin the intima was the main site of deposition of immune reactants, whereas, in small-caliber vessels, including capillaries, immune reactants were more often found in intramural and perivascular sites.
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Immunofluorescence studies were made on light (L) chain of immunoglobulins in patients with pemphigus. These patients fell into two groups: a subcorneal bulla group, consisting of 10 patients with Senear-Usher syndrome, and one with pemphigus foliaceus, and a suprabasal bulla group consisting of 8 patients with pemphigus vulgaris. In the former group there was deposition of L chains of either type alone in the intercellular spaces of the upper epidermis: kappa type alone in 9 and lambda type alone in 2 patients. Deposition of L chains of both types was observed in the intercellular spaces of the lower epidermis in all patients of the latter group. No significant difference existed between groups as to the titre of circulating intercellular antibodies of either type. Some comments are made on the significance of the L chain of immunoglobulins in a pemphigus.
Of sebaceous gland-containing specimens of melanocytic nevi, a total of 79 specimens from 70 cases of nevocellular nevus (consisting of 10 cases of compound nevus and 60 of intradermal nevus), four cases of juvenile melanoma and three of blue nevus were examined light-microscopically in detail for the presence or absence of nevus cells or dermal melanocytes in the sebaceous glands. As a result, clusters of cells that appeared to be nevus cells were found in the sebaceous glands of specimens from a total of three cases, that is, two cases of nevocellular nevus i.e. compound nevus, and one of the cases of juvenile melanoma. Two cases were infantile and one case was the age of puberty. The origin of the nevus cells found in the sebaceous glands is discussed.
Studies of early progressive vitiligo, Vogt-Koyanagi syndrome, and incontinentia pigmenti achromians were made by electron microscopy. At the periphery of the depigmented lesion, the melanocytes had several subcellular abnormalities, ie, vacuolization of the cytoplasm, aggregation of melanosomes, autophagic vacuoles, fatty degeneration, pyknosis or homogeneous cytoplasmic degeneration, and others. Numerous nerve endings were seen in close contact with the basal lamina of the epidermis or even within the epidermis. Direct continuities between Schwann cell basal lamina of nerve endings and the basal lamina of the melanocytes were observed. Nerve endings could be associated with either normal or abnormal melanocytes.
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Lipodystrophia centrifugalis abdominalis infantilis (LCAI) in a 2.5-year-old Japanese girl is reported. Clinically she had a curved cutaneous depression with a slightly elevated erythematous border on the left abdomen beyond the left groin. The regional lymph node was palpable. Histologic examination showed a decrease of the fat, an inflammatory infiltrate mainly composed of lymphocytes, and septal fibrosis in the subcutaneous tissue. Immunohistochemical analysis found that infiltrating lymphocytes were mainly positive against CD4. Ultrastructurally nuclei in the adipocytes were crescent shaped and located toward the periphery of the cell. Some banded structures with a periodicity of 150 nm, and with intraperiodic bands, referred to as fibrous long-spacing collagen (FLSC), were observed in the septal area of the fatty tissue. These results indicated that FLSC was correlated with the breakdown of fibrillar collagens in LCAI.
We examined the in vitro sensitivities of three bacteria: Propionibacterium acnes, and Staphylococcus epidermidis, commonly detected in acne lesions, and Staphylococcus aureus, a common cause of skin infections, to 10 Kampo formulations (Chinese herbal medicines; combinations of powdered extracts of crude drugs). Both Staphylococcus species showed similar sensitivities to all 10 formulations, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 25 to 400 mg/ml. P. acnes, however, was particularly sensitive to one formulation, keigai-rengyo-to (MIC, 0.78-25 mg/ml), prompting speculation that it might contain components with strong antibacterial activity to P. acnes. P. acnes showed similar sensitivities to all the other formulations (MIC 6.25-200 mg/ml). The ranges of MICs and the MIC50S (concentrations that inhibit 50% of isolates) were very similar to those previously recorded in 1990 for the two Staphylococcus species.
The Staphylococcus species present in microbiological samples from the facial skin of 10 infants with atopic dermatitis and eight healthy infants were studied. S. aureus colonization was detected on the cheek and nose skin of most of the infants with atopic dermatitis (9/10 and 7/10, respectively). Among the coagulase-negative staphylococci found, S. epidermidis was detected commonly on the skin of healthy infants; several other species of coagulase-negative staphylococci were found on the skin of infants with atopic dermatitis and of healthy infants.
Shiunko is a typical Kampo drug made from herbal extracts and used to treat a range of conditions including atopic dermatitis. Shiunko, white petrolatum and 3.5% salt water were applied to the skin of atopic dermatitis patients, and their clinical effectiveness, and the changes in bacterial species and cell numbers on the skin were studied. Staphylococcus aureus was the main species seen but several other coagulase-negative staphylococci were also identified on some patients. Shiunko was clinically effective in four of seven patients (57%) compared with no patients for petrolatum and one of seven (14%) for salt water. Bacterial counts were reduced with Shiunko in four of seven patients compared with one of seven patients (14%) for both petrolatum and salt water. The results suggest that Shiunko may have antibacterial effects on staphylococci, and may be an effective treatment for atopic dermatitis and other skin infections caused mainly by Staphylococcus species.