The lipide composition of epidermis and dermis under the influence of the hair growth cycle and following the topical application of methylcholanthrene was inves tigated. The percentage of cholesterol and phospholipide was lowest in anagen and telogen epidermis, was nearly doubled in early and late hyperplastic epidermis, and rose to even higher values in squamous-cell carcinomas. The cholester...

The recent discovery of a new isoform of estrogen receptor (ER) beta has prompted the reexamination of estrogen action on target organs. Here, we describe the endometrial expression of human ERbeta and compare its distribution with that of ERalpha in the endometrial functional zone. Using immunocytochemistry with well characterized polyclonal antibodies against ERbeta, we have detected specific...

Autophagy plays a crucial role in health and disease, regulating central cellular processes such as adaptive stress responses, differentiation, tissue development, and homeostasis. However, the role of autophagy in human physiology is poorly understood, highlighting a need for a model human organ system to assess the efficacy and safety of strategies to therapeutically modulate autophagy. As a ...

Hair follicles (HF) undergo precisely regulated recurrent cycles of growth, cessation, and rest. The transitions from anagen (growth), to catagen (regression), to telogen (rest) involve a physiological involution of the HF. This process is likely coordinated by a variety of mechanisms including apoptosis and loss of growth factor signaling. However, the precise molecular mechanisms underlying f...

The "hyaline membrane" (glassy or vitreous membrane), the noncellular layer that invests the entire hair follicle, is visible with the light microscope. During hair growth cycles (5), this membrane undergoes characteristic morphological modifications. Under the light microscope, the hyaline membrane appears thin and inconspicuous around the follicle during anagen and telogen (growing and restin...

Despite the variations of length and type of hair (vellus or terminal), the growth of human hair in all body sites is cyclic. Phases of active hair growth, or anagen, are separated by periods of quiescence, or telogen. The duration of both phases varies greatly depending on the body site. Whether hairs are in anagen/telogen at the time of hair removal is important because only anagen hairs are ...

BACKGROUND The presence of cytokeratin (CK)-positive cells in the bone marrow (BM) of breast cancer patients is an independent prognostic marker for long-term survival. While the exact nature of these cells remains under investigation, their persistence after chemotherapy is linked to decreased survival, making them a potential therapeutic target. Targeted therapy using the her2 antibody has be...

The aim of this study was to analyze plasma DNA from primary and metastatic breast cancer cases for tumor-specific alterations and to compare these findings with immunocytochemistry and estimation of cytokeratin 19 (CK19) mRNA for detection of micrometastases. DNA was extracted from plasma, lymphocytes, and microdissected tumor tissue sections obtained from 71 patients with breast cancer and 9 ...

Medullary nephrocalcinosis is a hallmark of medullary sponge kidney (MSK). We had the opportunity to study a spontaneous calcification process in vitro by utilizing the renal cells of a patient with MSK who was heterozygous for the c.-27 + 18G>A variant in the GDNF gene encoding glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor. The cells were obtained by collagenase digestion of papillary tissues from th...