Thesis (doctoral)--Lund University, 1996. / Added t.p. with thesis statement inserted.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2006. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains xii, 203 p. : ill. (some col.). Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Georgia State University, 2007. / Title from thesis title screen. Author's name from thesis title screen. Jerry C. Smith, committee chair; Kathryn Grant, Stuart Allison, committee members. Electronic text (148 p. : ill. (some col.)) : digital PDF file. Description based on contents viewed October 5, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 124-148).

The research presented here considers automatic diagnosis support for skin cancer. The role of computer-based diagnosis, and its value within a primary care situation are examined resulting in synthesis of aims, requirements and properties for an effective system -a system based on digital optical images captured and processed using low-cost commercial computer technology. The issues involved in acquisition of lesion boundaries are discussed. The value of accurate and robust boundaries, in terms of both directly obtainable diagnostic features and in enabling lesion property evaluation, is identified. Previous research has proposed the edge focusing process. This work has addressed the improvement, in terms of potential for future development, evaluation and reuse, of this process through porting it to a highly modular form in the Khoros environment. The role of colour analysis and its value in terms of provision of diagnostically useful features is investigated, and the central importance of segmentation is identified. The fundamental properties of effective segmentation of lesion image colours are identified as a need to reflect human perception of colour similarity and a basis on local regions. A new region-based segmentation technique using data transformed to a perception-uniform colour-space is presented and shown to yield promising results. Finally the use of texture information is discussed. The nature and properties of the large-scale texture of skin patterning and its disruption are investigated and an abstracted representation proposed. A new technique is presented and shown to be effective in extracting the qualities of the skin patterning. Methods for analysing this representation of the patterning to quantify the disruption attributable to the lesion are proposed and developed. The combination of these extraction, analysis and disruption evaluation techniques is shown to be effective in relation to both visual assessment of disruption and diagnostic performance.

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No / In recent years, different genes and proteins have been highlighted as potential biomarkers for psoriasis, one of the most common inflammatory skin diseases worldwide. However, most of these markers are not only psoriasis-specific but also found in other inflammatory disorders. We performed an unsupervised cluster analysis of gene expression profiles in 150 psoriasis patients and other inflammatory skin diseases (atopic dermatitis, lichen planus, contact eczema, and healthy controls). We identified a cluster of IL-17/tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα)-associated genes specifically expressed in psoriasis, among which IL-36γ was the most outstanding marker. In subsequent immunohistological analyses, IL-36γ was confirmed to be expressed in psoriasis lesions only. IL-36γ peripheral blood serum levels were found to be closely associated with disease activity, and they decreased after anti-TNFα-treatment. Furthermore, IL-36γ immunohistochemistry was found to be a helpful marker in the histological differential diagnosis between psoriasis and eczema in diagnostically challenging cases. These features highlight IL-36γ as a valuable biomarker in psoriasis patients, both for diagnostic purposes and measurement of disease activity during the clinical course. Furthermore, IL-36γ might also provide a future drug target, because of its potential amplifier role in TNFα- and IL-17 pathways in psoriatic skin inflammation.

No / This volume highlights recent studies identifying epigenetic mechanisms as essential regulators of skin development, stem cell activity and regeneration. Chapters are contributed by leading experts and promote the skin as an accessible model system for studying mechanisms that control organ development and regeneration. The discussions contained throughout are of broad relevance to other areas of biology and medicine and can help inform the development of novel therapeutics for skin disorders as well as new approaches to skin regeneration that target the epigenome. Part of the highly successful Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine series, Epigenetic Regulation of Skin Development and Regeneration uncovers the fundamental significance of epigenetic mechanisms in skin development and regeneration, and emphasizes the development of new therapies for a number of skin disorders, such as pathological conditions of epidermal differentiation, pigmentation and carcinogenesis. At least six categories of researchers will find this book essential, including stem cell, developmental, hair follicle or molecular biologists, and gerontologists or clinical dermatologists.

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This study involves a morphological and histological investigation of normal mouse tail skin and its response to crude coal tar and isoquinoline (a major constituent of coal tar). Mouse tail skin is unusual in that it undergoes both parakeratotic and orthokeratotic keratinization in adjacent sites. The former develops without a granular layer and resembles psoriasis, while the latter, with a granular layer, resembles normal human skin. Based on this property, mouse tail skin has frequently been used as a model for psoriasis but in spite of this, an integrated, detailed picture of its structure has not previously been described. This was achieved in this study by using a range of complementary techniques: light microscopy of embedded and frozen material, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, quantitative image analysis and autoradiography. Such a study may help to elucidate the mechanism of both orthokeratotic and parakeratotic keratinization. Coal tar has been used extensively in the treatment of psoriasis and is safe and effective. However, it is cosmetically unappealing, its mechanism of action is unknown and its efficacy varies with its composition which is extremely heterogeneous. Isoquinoline may significantly contribute to its anti-psoriatic properties. The mode of action of these substances as modifiers of the keratinization process may be clarified by studying their effects on the model. Both substances induced granular layer formation in previously parakeratotic areas, with concommitant development of an orthokeratotic stratum corneum, a desirable property in a potential anti-psoriatic. However, they also induced epidermal thickening and hyperkeratosis. The effects on the pilosebaceous unit were strikingly different: coal tar caused metaplasia of sebaceous glands with follicular hyperkeratosis and hair loss while isoquinoline caused sebaceous gland hypertrophy. Isoquinoline also caused far more epidermal irritation than coal tar, and caused damage to the basal lamina and dermal collagen. The irritant effects were modified to some extent by hydrocortisone cream but this also reduced granular layer induction. These studies suggest that isoquinoline may act on parakeratotic epidermis in a similar way to coal tar. It has the advantages of being a cleaner substance, with a more consistent action. However, its usefulness may be limited by its irritancy.