Immunogenetics of drug-induced skin blistering disorders. Part I: Perspective

The overall immunopathogenesis relevant to a large series of disorders caused by a drug or its associated hyperimmune condition is discussed based upon the examination of the genetics of severe drug-induced bullous skin problems (sporadic idiosyncratic adverse events, including Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis). An overarching pharmacogenetic schema is proposed. Immune cognition and early-effector processes are focused upon and a challenging synthesis around systems evolution is explained by a variety of projective analogies. Etiology, human leukocyte antigen-B, immune stability, clysiregulation, pharmacomimicry, viruses and an aggressive ethnically differentiated 'karmic' response are discussed.

Phoretic mites associated with animal and human decomposition

Phoretic mites are likely the most abundant arthropods found on carcases and corpses. They outnumber their scavenger carriers in both number and diversity. Many phoretic mites travel on scavenger insects and are highly specific; they will arrive on a particular species of host and no other. Because of this, they may be useful as trace indicators of their carriers even when their carriers are absent. Phoretic mites can be valuable markers of time. They are usually found in a specialised transitional transport or dispersal stage, often moulting and transforming to adults shortly after arrival on a carcase or corpse. Many are characterised by faster development and generation cycles than their carriers. Humans are normally unaware, but we too carry mites; they are skin mites that are present in our clothes. More than 212 phoretic mite species associated with carcases have been reported in the literature. Among these, mites belonging to the Mesostigmata form the dominant group, represented by 127 species with 25 phoretic mite species belonging to the family Parasitidae and 48 to the Macrochelidae. Most of these mesostigmatids are associated with particular species of flies or carrion beetles, though some are associated with small mammals arriving during the early stages of decomposition. During dry decay, members of the Astigmata are more frequently found; 52 species are phoretic on scavengers, and the majority of these travel on late-arriving scavengers such as hide beetles, skin beetles and moths. Several species of carrion beetles can visit a corpse simultaneously, and each may carry 1-10 species of phoretic mites. An informative diversity of phoretic mites may be found on a decaying carcass at any given time. The composition of the phoretic mite assemblage on a carcass might provide valuable information about the conditions of and time elapsed since death.

Endocrine disrupters and human health: Could oestrogenic chemicals in body care cosmetics adversely affect breast cancer incidence in women? A review of evidence and call for further research

In the decade that has elapsed since the suggestion that exposure of the foetal/developing male to environmental oestrogens could be the cause of subsequent reproductive and developmental effects in men, there has been little definitive research to provide conclusions to the hypothesis. Issues of exposure and low potency of environmental oestrogens may have reduced concerns. However, the hypothesis that chemicals applied in body care cosmetics (including moisturizers, creams, sprays or lotions applied to axilla or chest or breast areas) may be affecting breast cancer incidence in women presents a different case scenario, not least in the consideration of the exposure issues. The specific cosmetic type is not relevant but the chemical ingredients in the formulations and the application to the skin is important. The most common group of body care cosmetic formulation excipients, namely p-hydroxybenzoic acid esters or parabens, have been shown recently to be oestrogenic in vitro and in vivo and now have been detected in human breast tumour tissue, indicating absorption (route and causal associations have yet to be confirmed). The hypothesis for a link between oestrogenic ingredients in underarm and body care cosmetics and breast cancer is forwarded and reviewed here in terms of. data on exposure to body care cosmetics and parabens, including dermal absorption; paraben oestrogenicity; the role of oestrogen in breast cancer; detection of parabens in breast tumours; recent epidemiology studies of underarm cosmetics use and breast cancer; the toxicology database; the current regulatory status of parabens and regulatory toxicology data uncertainties. Notwithstanding the major public health issue of the causes of the rising incidence of breast cancer in women, this call for further research may provide the first evidence that environmental factors may be adversely affecting human health by endocrine disruption, because exposure to oestrogenic chemicals through application of body care products (unlike diffuse environmental chemical exposures) should be amenable to evaluation, quantification and control. The exposure issues are clear and the exposed population is large, and these factors should provide the necessary impetus to investigate this potential issue of public health. Copyright (C) 2004 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.

Physiological expression of human thermal comfort to indoor operative temperature in the non-HVAC environment

A physiological experiment was carried out in a naturally ventilated, non-HVAC indoor environment of a spacious experimental room. More than 300 healthy university students volunteered for this study. The purpose of the study was to investigate the human physiological indicators which could be used to characterise the indoor operative temperature changes in a building and their impact on human thermal comfort based on the different climatic characteristics people would experience in Chongqing, China. The study found that sensory nerve conduction velocity (SCV) could objectively provide a good indicator for assessment of the human response to changes in indoor operative temperatures in a naturally ventilated situation. The results showed that with the changes in the indoor operative temperatures, the changing trend in the nerve conduction velocity was basically the same as that of the skin temperature at the sensory nerve measuring segment (Tskin(scv)). There was good coherent consistency among the factors: indoor operative temperature, SCV and Tskin(scv) in a certain indoor operative temperature range. Through self-adaptation and self-feedback regulation, the human physiological indicators would produce certain adaptive changes to deal with the changes in indoor operative temperature. The findings of this study should provide the baseline data to inform guidelines for the development of thermal environment-related standards that could contribute to efficient use of energy in buildings in China.

Cognitive influences on the affective representation of touch and the sight of touch in the human brain

We show that the affective experience of touch and the sight of touch can be modulated by cognition, and investigate in an fMRI study where top-down cognitive modulations of bottom-up somatosensory and visual processing of touch and its affective value occur in the human brain. The cognitive modulation was produced by word labels, 'Rich moisturizing cream' or 'Basic cream', while cream was being applied to the forearm, or was seen being applied to a forearm. The subjective pleasantness and richness were modulated by the word labels, as were the fMRI activations to touch in parietal cortex area 7, the insula and ventral striatum. The cognitive labels influenced the activations to the sight of touch and also the correlations with pleasantness in the pregenual cingulate/orbitofrontal cortex and ventral striatum. Further evidence of how the orbitofrontal cortex is involved in affective aspects of touch was that touch to the forearm [which has C fiber Touch (CT) afferents sensitive to light touch] compared with touch to the glabrous skin of the hand (which does not) revealed activation in the mid-orbitofrontal cortex. This is of interest as previous studies have suggested that the CT system is important in affiliative caress-like touch between individuals.