Nail Lichen Planus: Successful Treatment with Etanercept

BACKGROUND: Etanercept is a fully human tumor necrosis factor a receptor fusion protein that binds tumor necrosis factor a with greater affinity than natural receptors. Biologics are widely used in the treatment of psoriasis and psoriasis arthritis and may represent a new therapeutic option for some patients with psoriatic nail disease. CASE REPORT: We report a case of lichen planus limited to the toe nails successfully treated with etanercept monotherapy. CONCLUSION: The significant improvement of our case suggests that etanercept is an effective treatment modality for lichen planus limited particularly to the nails. Further controlled studies are needed to establish the effectiveness and therapeutic regimes

Resolución de la Ecuación Diferencial Parcial Hiperbólica de segundo orden con término fuente mediante el Método de D’Alembert-Green

In the present work, we study a non-homogeneous second-order partial hyperbolic differential equation, its canonical form, its resolution using D’Alembert’s formula and Green’s theorem. Only mixed initial conditions that are not homogeneous are required to solve this problem. There are several physical problems that lead to this type of mathematical model, so this technique of resolution contributes to the knowledge of finding explicit solutions of problems such as two-dimensional wave type. Within the results the explicit solution of three cases is generated:regarding the homogeneity and non-homogeneity of the initial conditions and the term source, from the point of view of analytical solution for continuous functions.En el presente trabajo se estudia una Ecuación Diferencial Parcial Hiperbólica con término fuente no homogéneo de segundo orden, su forma canónica, su resolución mediante la fórmula de D’Alembert y el Teorema de Green.Para la resolución de este problema solo se requiere las condiciones iniciales mixtas. Existen diversos problemas físicos que conducen a este tipo de modelo matemático, por lo cual esta técnica de resolución contribuye al conocimiento de encontrar soluciones explícitas de problemas como por ejemplo tipo onda bidimensional sometidos a fuerzas exteriores. Dentro de los resultados se genera la solución explícita de tres casos: respecto a la homogeneidad y no homogeneidad de las condiciones iniciales y del término fuente, desde el punto de vista de solución analítica para funciones de clase C2

Deficiency of the Metalloproteinase-Disintegrin ADAM8 Is Associated with Thymic Hyper-Cellularity

Thymopoiesis requires thymocyte-stroma interactions and proteases that promote cell migration by degrading extracellular matrix and releasing essential cytokines and chemokines. A role for several members of the A Disintegrin and Metalloprotease (ADAM) family in T cell development has been reported in the past

Gene therapy for primary immune deficiencies: a Canadian perspective

The use of gene therapy (GT) for the treatment of primary immune deficiencies (PID) including severe combined immune deficiency (SCID) has progressed significantly in the recent years. In particular, long-term studies have shown that adenosine deaminase (ADA) gene delivery into ADA-deficient hematopoietic stem cells that are then transplanted into the patients corrects the abnormal function of the ADA enzyme, which leads to immune reconstitution. In contrast, the outcome was disappointing for patients with X-linked SCID, Wiskott–Aldrich syndrome and chronic granulomatous disease who received GT followed by autologous gene corrected transplantations, as many developed hematological malignancies. The malignancies were attributed to the predilection of the viruses used for gene delivery to integrated at oncogenic areas. The availability of safer and more efficient self-inactivating lentiviruses for gene delivery has reignited the interest in GT for many PID that are now in various stages of pre-clinical studies and clinical trials. Moreover, advances in early diagnosis of PID and gene editing technology coupled with enhanced abilities to generate and manipulate stem cells ex vivo are expected to further contribute to the benefit of GT for PID. Here we review the past, the present and the future of GT for PID, with particular emphasis on the Canadian perspective

Revista de la Facultad de Ciencias Químicas

Este trabajo tiene como objetivo la mejora en la validación de la simulación numérica del flujo bifásico característico del transporte de lecho fluido, mediante la formulación y desarrollo de un modelo numérico combinado Volúmenes Finitos - Elementos Finitos. Para ello se simula numéricamente el flujo de mezcla sólido-gas en una Cámara de Lecho Fluido, bajo implementación en código COMSOL, cuyos resultados son mejores comparativamente a un modelo basado en el método de Elementos Discretos implementado en código abierto MFIX. El problema fundamental de la modelización matemática del fenómeno de lecho fluido es la irregularidad del dominio, el acoplamiento de las variables en espacio y tiempo y, la no linealidad. En esta investigación se reformula apropiadamente las ecuaciones conservativas del fenómeno, tales que permitan obtener un problema variacional equivalente y solucionable numéricamente. Entonces; se define una ecuación de estado en función de la presión hidrodinámica y la fracción volumétrica de sólidos, quedando desacoplado el sistema en tres sub-problemas, garantizando así la existencia de solución del problema general. Una vez aproximados numéricamente ambos modelos, se comparan los resultados de donde se observa que el modelo materia del presente artículo, verifica de forma más eficaz las condiciones de mezcla óptima, reflejada en la calidad del burbujeo y velocidad de mezcla.This rresearch work aims to improve the validation process of two-phase flow numerical simulations, of the fluid bed characteristic transport, through the formulation and development of a combined numerical model Finite Volumes and Finite Element methods. The simulation process, inicially, was performed by COMSOL software and the obtained results showed higher accuracy compare with Discrete Element Method implemented by MFIX. The fundamental problem of bed fluid mathematical modeling phenomenon is the domain irregularity, the coupling variables in space and nonlinearity. In this research conservative equations are formulated, such as, to produce a variational equivalent and numerically solvable problem. A state equation based on the hydrodynamic pressure and the volume fraction of solids is defined. The system was decoupled into three sub-problems, ensuring the solution existence of general problem. A comparison of obtained results showed that the model developed in this article, check more effectively optimal mixing conditions, based on the quality of bubbling and mixing speed.Cuencavolumen 9, número 1

Marked improvement in nail psoriasis during treatment with adalimumab

BACKGROUND: Nail involvement is known as a common finding in psoriatic patients and represents a significant impact on patients' quality of life. The treatment of nail psoriasis is often challenging, and there is a need for new therapeutic options. Biologicals effective in the treatment of moderate to severe chronic plaque psoriasis may represent a new therapeutic modality for this disease. Adalimumab is a fully human IgG1 monoclonal antibody that binds to tumor necrosis factor alpha with high affinity and specificity. OBSERVATIONS: We report two cases of rapid improvement in nail psoriasis under adalimumab monotherapy with maintained effectiveness despite intermittent treatment as well as long remission after therapy discontinuation. CONCLUSION: The marked improvement of our two cases indicates that adalimumab may also help ameliorate nail psoriasis and warrants further controlled studies to establish the effectiveness and therapeutic regimes

Alitretinoin abrogates innate inflammation in palmoplantar pustular psoriasis

Palmoplantar pustular psoriasis is often recalcitrant to therapy. Here we evaluated the therapeutic effect of alitretinoin in patients with recalcitrant palmoplantar pustular psoriasis and investigated subsequent immunopathological alterations.; Seven patients with palmoplantar pustular psoriasis were treated with oral alitretinoin 30 mg once daily for 12 weeks. Efficacy was assessed by palmoplantar pustular psoriasis area and severity index (PPPASI), visual analogue scales (VAS) on intensity of pain and pruritus and an overall patient assessment. Immunohistochemical staining for neutrophil elastase, CD3, CD4, CD8, CD1a CD11c, CD303,CD68, CD69, CD208 and HLA-DR was on lesional skin biopsies obtained before and after 12 weeks of treatment.; PPPASI and VAS for pruritus and pain decreased significantly after 12 weeks of treatment with alitretinoin. The overall patient assessment ranged from 60% to 90% clinical improvement. In correlation with clinical improvement a significant reduction, particularly of neutrophils, macrophages and dendritic cells, was also observed in the skin sections. Alitretinoin was well tolerated except for headache during the first month of treatment in two patients. Limitations of the study are a missing control group and the concomitant usage of topical therapy.; Our findings suggest that alitretinoin may represent a new and promising therapy for recalcitrant palmo-plantar psoriasis and warrants further controlled studies to confirm efficacy and safety of alitretinoin in this disease

Oral mucosal morphea: a new variant

Morphea is a cutaneous disorder characterized by an excessive collagen deposition. While in almost all cases the sclerosing process exclusively affects the skin, there are anecdotal cases in which associated mucosal involvement has been described. We here report the case of a woman developing a whitish indurated plaque over the left upper vestibular mucosa and hard palate leading to dental mobility and exposure of the roots of several teeth. Cone beam computed tomography of the left maxilla showed bone resorption involving the upper cuspid to the second molar region with widened periodontal ligament spaces, while light microscopy studies demonstrated epithelial atrophy and fibrosis of the dermis extending into the submucosa with hyalinization of subepithelial collagen. Our observation expands the spectrum of clinical presentations of morphea and provides the first example of isolated oral morphea. Its recognition is important to avoid significant local complications