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Biomedical subjects

Rachel Nussbaum

Publications and source records attributed to Rachel Nussbaum.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

Increase in TNF-alpha and inducible nitric oxide synthase-expressing dendritic cells in psoriasis and reduction with efalizumab (anti-CD11a).

We find that CD11c(+) cells with many markers of dendritic cells (DCs) are a major cell type in the skin lesions of psoriasis. These CD11c(+) cells, which are evident in both epidermis and dermis, are the sites for the expression of two mediators of inflammation, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and TNF-alpha in diseased skin. These cells express HLA-DR, CD40, and CD86, lack the Langerin and CD14 markers of Langerhans cells and monocytes, respectively, and to a significant extent express the DC maturation markers DC-LAMP and CD83. Treatment of psoriasis with efalizumab (anti-CD11a, Raptiva) strongly reduces infiltration by these DCs in patients responding to this agent. Disease activity after therapy was more related to DC infiltrates and iNOS mRNA levels than T cell infiltrates, and CD11c(+) cells responded more quickly to therapy than epidermal keratinocytes. Our results suggest that a type of DC, which resembles murine "Tip-DCs" that can accumulate during infection, has proinflammatory effects in psoriasis through nitric oxide and TNF-alpha production, and can be an important target for suppressive therapies.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Botulinum toxin a in the treatment of chromhidrosis.

BACKGROUND: Chromhidrosis is an uncommon disorder characterized by secretion of colored sweat by apocrine glands, typically localized to the face or axilla. The current treatments available for chromhidrosis are time consuming and frequently ineffective. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose is to demonstrate a novel approach to the treatment of apocrine chromhidrosis. METHODS: We report a case of apocrine chromhidrosis successfully treated with botulinum toxin A (BTX-A; Botox). RESULTS: BTX-A therapy successfully controlled facial chromhidrosis, and the effects were visible at 19 weeks post-treatment. The therapeutic benefits may be attributed to its inhibitory effects on cholinergic stimulation, adrenergic stimulation, and substance P release, although further studies are necessary to elucidate the precise mechanism of action. CONCLUSION: This report demonstrates a new therapeutic approach to patients suffering from chromhidrosis.

Adult↗

Combining several ordinal measures in clinical studies.

In medical research, it is rare that a single variable is sufficient to represent all relevant aspects of epidemiological risk, genomic activity, adverse events, or clinical response. Since biological systems tend to be neither linear, nor hierarchical in nature, the assumptions of traditional multivariate statistical methods based on the linear model can often not be justified on theoretical grounds. Establishing concept validity through empirical validation is not only problematic, but also time consuming. This paper proposes the use of u-statistics for scoring multivariate ordinal data and a family of simple non-parametric tests for analysis. The scoring method is demonstrated to be applicable to scoring clinical response profiles in the treatment of psoriasis and then to identifying genomic pathways that best correlate with these profiles.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Cosmetic aspects of pregnancy.

There are a vast number of changes to the female body that occur during pregnancy, to which any pregnant woman will attest. The changes, although considered, for the most part, physiological and not pathological, are quite distressing to many women. This chapter serves to review those changes and comment on their physiological origins. Most of these changes can be definitively or inferentially linked to the dramatic hormonal changes that take place to support a pregnancy. Comments are also made about treatment as they pertain to pregnant women. In addition, a brief discussion about performing cosmetic procedures during pregnancy is included.

Acne Vulgaris↗