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Biomedical subjects

E Panconesi

Publications and source records attributed to E Panconesi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Psychotherapeutic approach in acne treatment.

From a medical psychological point of view, acne vulgaris can be schematically divided into two clinical pictures: (1) the common adolescent eruption, more mind-influencing and thus somatopsychic; (2) the less frequent acne of adults (young adults for the most part), both as a continuation of adolescent acne and, more rarely, as a never before experienced cutaneous affection, and thus psychosomatic in a strict sense. We believe that the dermatologist can treat both of these clinical manifestations, even from a psychological aspect, from the very first visit with the patient using the first step in psychotherapy: counseling. The principal points of this approach are presented, with special attention to the differences to be considered in the two clinical pictures specified as well as to the opportuneness and timing of an eventual liaison consultation with psychologists/psychiatrists in realizing other therapeutic strategies.

Acne Vulgaris↗
PubMed1996

Psychophysiology of stress in dermatology. The psychobiologic pattern of psychosomatics.

Stress is an abnormal or extreme adjustment in the physiology of an animal to cope with adverse effects of its environment and management. The adverse effect is designated the stressor. In this article, the authors try to focus on the main types of host factors that can influence stress (genetics, perception) and on the numerous types of stressors (environmental, behavioral, psychological). Moreover, the authors outline the relevance of psychosomatic medicine, proposing the examination of psyche and soma as a unit "in sickness and in health." They focus their attention on the new aspects of biologic psychosomatics (psychoneuroendocrinimmunology) in dermatology, suggesting the possible role of neuropeptides in the pathogenesis of some common dermatoses such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, alopecia areata, and urticaria.

Dermatology↗
PubMed1995

Neuropeptides in skin.

Neuropeptides are a heterogeneous group of more than 50 molecules that play a role in various cutaneous functions and diseases; they act as neuromodulators, neurotransmitters, neurohormones, and hormones. In the skin, neuropeptides are synthesized locally (i.e., in keratinocytes and in endothelial cells) and are transported by nerve fibers or immune cells (i.e., lymphocytes, monocytes, and polymorphonuclear cells). Specific receptors and binding sites for neuropeptides have been described in different cell lines in the skin (keratinocytes, endothelial cells, immune cells, fibroblasts). Many different biologic actions of neuropeptides have been demonstrated. Depletion of cutaneous neuropeptides (i.e., with capsaicin cream) or therapeutic use of neuropeptide agonists and/or antagonists may aid in the treatment of skin diseases.

Capsaicin↗
PubMed1995

Stress, stigmatization and psychosomatic purpuras.

Stress is a term that is readily recognized by everyone but defines rigorous scientific definition. It is widely interpreted as the emotional and biologic responses to novel or threatening situations. In humans, however, the term "distress" seems to be preferable, more clearly defining the fact that is the response that is being referred to, rather than the stimulus. Distress has been postulated to be capable of precipitating an overt illness, as when it occurs coincidentally with an incipient infection or neoplasm. Moreover, it is able to provoke several disorders and symptoms in many tissues and organs, including the skin. In this paper the authors focus on the main characteristics of stress and emphasize the relevance of psychosomatic medicine that proposes the simultaneous examination of psyche and soma. Special consideration is given to a peculiar form of skin disease, psychogenic purpura, together with the stigmata of mystics that, in large part, seem to be conditioned or provoked (or provocable) by emotional stress or by psychic influences on cutaneous fibrinolytic activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Steroids versus nonsteroids in the treatment of cutaneous inflammation: therapeutic modalities for office use.

Inflammatory skin diseases are often treated successfully with topical substances alone. The basic prerequisites for proper treatment are that the specialist has a good knowledge of the products available, their active substances and bases and their relative properties and actions, as well as precise indications for and effects of long-term use. Treatment should be individualized, and best results are usually achieved with a two-phase schedule, beginning mainly with administration of steroids followed by application of nonsteroid products, such as, in psoriasis, anthralin, coal tar, and calcipotriol.

Administration, Topical↗
PubMed1992

Expression of T6 antigen on keratinocytes in alopecia areata.

The expression of T6 antigen within hair follicles in alopecia areata was studied using the APAAP technique (alkaline phosphatase monoclonal anti-alkaline phosphatase method). Scalp biopsies were taken from 15 subjects with alopecia areata, nine in an active stage and 6 in a stationary stage of the disease. Six-micrometer-thick frozen sections were stained with OKT6 antiserum. OKT6 are monoclonal antibodies raised against human thymocytes; they cross-react with epidermal Langerhans cells and are a highly specific marker. Nine of the specimens displayed T6 staining on keratinocytes in the bulb matrix, and all nine were from the subjects presenting the active stage of disease. The specimens from the other six biopsies, from subjects in a stationary stage, did not show T6 staining of bulbar keratinocytes. Moreover, in four of the active-stage cases we found T6 staining also on epidermal keratinocytes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

[Benign symmetric lipomatosis].

Benign symmetric lipomatosis is a rare disease that predominantly affects males. A close correlation with alcohol and nicotine abuse, metabolic disturbances and malignant tumours of the upper airways has been observed. We report the case of a 61-year-old female patient whose first clinical lesions had appeared more than 30 years earlier. The huge enlargement of fatty tissue had also involved her face. Case history, laboratory findings and radiological and ultrasound examinations allowed us to exclude metabolic disturbances and associated diseases.

Adipose Tissue↗
PubMed1991

The role of cyclosporine A in the treatment of pemphigus erythematosus.

Steroids are effective in the autoimmune bullous disease pemphigus; however, treatment may be difficult to sustain because of severe side effects. Cyclosporine A acts mainly on helper/inducer T lymphocytes and has few side effects at low doses. We report three patients with pemphigus erythematosus who had a relapse while receiving the maintenance dose of steroid therapy. All patients who were treated with both cyclosporine A (5 mg/kg/d) and prednisone (1 mg/kg/d) responded remarkably well to combined therapy. After clearing, prednisone was discontinued and cyclosporine A was reduced to 2 to 3 mg/kg/d. With this treatment, all patients have been virtually free of symptoms, have remained well, and have had normal laboratory values.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

The role of plasminogen activators in alopecia areata.

Plasminogen activators are serine proteinases which transform the serum zymogen, plasminogen, into plasmin, a broad-spectrum protease with fibrinolytic effect. Two main plasminogen activators have been described in humans: urokinase (UK; molecular weight, 55,000) and tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA; molecular weight, 74,000). Thirteen subjects were studied who had alopecia areata (AA), nine in the active phase and four in remission. There were alterations in the perivascular and peribulbar fibrinolytic activity in the nine subjects in the active phase of disease, suggesting a possible role of plasminogen activators in AA. A modified Todd's autohistographic method was used to evaluate cutaneous fibrinolytic activity (which depended on the activity of plasminogen activators) in the 13 AA subjects and five volunteer controls. Cutaneous fibrinolytic activity was reduced in perivascular areas, but increased in peribulbar areas, in the nine subjects in the active phase of disease. Tests with monoclonal antibodies directed against the catalytic sites of tPA and UK showed that the perivascular fibrinolytic activity was tPA dependent, and the peribulbar fibrinolytic activity was UK dependent.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Role of specific membrane receptors in urokinase-dependent migration of human keratinocytes.

On the basis of both 125I-labeled plasminogen activator binding analysis and transmission electron microscopy studies of the interaction of a plasminogen activator/gold complex with cell membranes, we have found that human keratinocytes have specific receptors for human urokinase-type plasminogen activator distributed on the cell surface as singlets, or as small or large clusters. The use in binding experiments of the purified A chain of urokinase-plasminogen activator and of anti-A chain monoclonal antibodies has indicated that cell receptors are specific for a sequence present on the A chain, as previously reported for other cells. The interaction of both the native molecule and the purified A chain with such receptors stimulates mobilization of keratinocytes in an in vitro cell model system (Boyden chamber), when present in the lower compartment of the migration apparatus in nanomolar concentrations. Preincubation of chemoattractants with a monoclonal antibody which prevents receptor/ligand interaction also prevents plasminogen activator-induced cell migration. These data suggest that, under the conditions used in this in vitro model system, the plasminogen activator-dependent mobilization of keratinocytes depends on the interaction of the ligand with free receptors on the cell surface, and is independent of plasmin generation.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1990

Antipsoriatic therapies inhibit epidermal plasminogen activator activity.

Urokinase (UK, Mr 55,000) and tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA, Mr 74,000) are serine proteinases involved in many biological processes, ie, cell migration, neoplastic transformation, and extracellular proteolysis. Cutaneous fibrinolytic activity (dependent on the activity of UK and tPA) was studied with the autohistographic fibrin film method in 40 patients affected by psoriasis vulgaris before and after topical (anthralin, betamethasone valerate, hydrocolloid occlusive dressing) or systemic psoralen-ultraviolet-light (PUVA) treatments. Autohistographic studies also were performed after apposition of monoclonal antibodies directed against the catalytic site of UK and tPA. Finally, UK and tPA were localized immunohistochemically in the psoriatic plaques and in controls using the immunoperoxidase procedure based on the biotin/avidin system. UK and tPA immunoreactivity was present in the cytoplasm and around the outlines of keratinocytes in the psoriatic patches before treatment and in the patches not cleared after treatment, while it was not detectable in normal epidermis, in the unaffected psoriatic epidermis, and in the cleared psoriatic skin. Cutaneous fibrinolytic activity was present in the cases in which UK and tPA were detected histochemically and, in the psoriatic epidermis, it was abolished by preincubation with anti-tPA but not with anti-UK antibodies. This study suggests that established topical and systemic treatments for psoriasis possess UK and tPA antagonist activity.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Itraconazole in dermatophyte infections: clinical experience in Italy.

Approximately 200 patients with clinically and mycologically diagnosed dermatophytoses were treated with itraconazole. The drug was administered at a dose of 100 mg with the main meal. Therapy duration was as follows: tinea corporis and tinea cruris, 14 days; tinea pedis and tinea manuum, 28 days; tinea unguium of hands, three months, and feet, six months; tinea capitis, 30 days. Clinical and mycological control tests (eg, direct microscopy and culture) were performed prior to treatment, at the end of treatment and two and four weeks after the end of treatment. Blood chemistry parameters were measured before and at the end of treatment. The results of the research presented here mirror exactly those of international research and therefore confirm that itraconazole is both active and well tolerated in the treatment of dermatophytoses.

Antifungal Agents↗