Japanese Dermatological Association's Clinical Practice Guidelines for Alopecia Areata 2024: A Complete English Translated Version.

This is an English-translated version of the Japanese Dermatological Association's clinical practice guidelines for alopecia areata (AA) 2024. It includes the sections of summary, pathogenesis and epidemiology, evaluation and diagnosis, and treatment of AA. Updates based on recent evidence/advances were made in each part.

Prevalence and clinical features of interstitial lung disease in patients with psoriasis.

Background: Despite the autoimmune nature of psoriasis, the potential association between psoriasis and interstitial lung disease (ILD) remains underexplored. This study aimed to investigate the frequency and clinical features of ILD in patients with psoriasis and propose a new conceptual framework of "ILD associated with psoriasis".

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 117 patients with psoriasis was conducted, excluding those without chest imaging prior to methotrexate or biologic use and those with other comorbidities leading to ILD.

Enhancing carbapenem antimicrobial dosing optimization: synergy of antimicrobial stewardship teams and ward-based clinical pharmacists.

Antimicrobial-product package inserts and insufficient staffing impede routine carbapenem monitoring in the inpatient setting in Japan. The collaboration between antimicrobial stewardship teams and clinical pharmacists was associated with a sustained improvement in carbapenem dosing optimization. Our findings could be of use to countries with inadequate monitoring of carbapenem antimicrobial use.

Inflammatory loops in the epithelial-immune microenvironment of the skin and skin appendages in chronic inflammatory diseases.

The epithelial-immune microenvironment (EIME) of epithelial tissues has five common elements: (1) microbial flora, (2) barrier, (3) epithelial cells, (4) immune cells, and (5) peripheral nerve endings. EIME provides both constant defense and situation-specific protective responses through three-layered mechanisms comprising barriers, innate immunity, and acquired immunity. The skin is one of the largest organs in the host defense system.

Alopecia areata: What's new in the epidemiology, comorbidities, and pathogenesis?

Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is a common, acquired, and nonscarring type of hair loss that affects people of every generation and is intractable in severe and relapsing cases. Patients with AA, especially those with greater scalp involvement, have poor health-related quality-of-life scores.

Purpose: Following our previous review article in the April 2017 issue of the Journal of Dermatological Science, we aim to provide a pair of review articles on recent progress in multidisciplinary approaches to AA.

Incidental finding of extramammary Paget's disease during active surveillance for early-stage prostate cancer in a prostate biopsy.

Introduction: Skin tissue contamination within transcutaneous visceral organ biopsies is seldom found. We encountered a rare case of extramammary Paget's disease incidentally diagnosed by prostate biopsy during active surveillance for prostate cancer.

Case Presentation: A 71-year-old Japanese patient was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and active surveillance was selected.

A Phenotypic Analysis of Involucrin-Membrane-Bound Ovalbumin Mice after Adoptive Transfer of Ovalbumin-Specific CD8 T Cells.

To investigate the mechanism of autoimmunity and peripheral tolerance in the skin, several transgenic mouse strains expressing membrane-bound ovalbumin (mOVA) as an epidermal self-antigen under the control of keratinocyte-specific promotors, such as keratin 5 and keratin 14, were employed in combination with adoptive transfer of CD8 T cells from OT-I mice (OT-I T cells) that recognize an ovalbumin-derived peptide. However, these strains showed bodyweight loss and required additional inflammatory stimuli, such as γ-irradiation and tape-stripping, to induce skin inflammation. In this study, we generated a mouse strain expressing mOVA under the control of human involucrin promoter (involucrin-mOVA mice).

C10orf99/GPR15L Regulates Proinflammatory Response of Keratinocytes and Barrier Formation of the Skin.

The epidermis, outermost layer of the skin, forms a barrier and is involved in innate and adaptive immunity in an organism. Keratinocytes participate in all these three protective processes. However, a regulator of keratinocyte protective responses against external dangers and stresses remains elusive.

IFN-γ‒Induced APOBEC3B Contributes to Merkel Cell Polyomavirus Genome Mutagenesis in Merkel Cell Carcinoma.

Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV) is the causative agent of an aggressive skin tumor, Merkel cell carcinoma. The viral genome is integrated into the tumor genome and harbors nonsense mutations in the helicase domain of large T antigen. However, the molecular mechanisms by which the viral genome gains the tumor-specific mutations remain to be elucidated.

Apalutamide-associated skin rash in patients with prostate cancer: Histological evaluation by skin biopsy.

Introduction: Apalutamide-associated skin rash is a more common adverse event in the Japanese population than in the global population. However, its mechanism remains elusive, and limited histopathological information hampers further understanding.

Case Presentation: Case 1: a 71-year-old man with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer developed a skin rash after 70 days of apalutamide treatment.