Beyond Folliculitis: Recognizing Herpes Gladiatorum in Adolescent Athletes

Recurrent Herpes Gladiatorum: Should we be Screening Our Service Members Prior to Close Combat Training?

A 19-year-old active duty Marine presented to clinic with a history of a reoccurring vesicular rash on left side of his forehead. The lesion was cultured and identified as herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1). Herpes gladiatorum is a recurrent cutaneous infection caused by HSV-1 and spread by skin-to-skin contact. Serious complications have been reported, including blindness from acute retinal necrosis. Outbreaks of herpes gladiatorum have been observed in the high school and collegiate wrestling community for years and to prevent the spread, screening, and treatment guidelines have been implemented by governing bodies of these organizations. Active duty members who participate in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program and the Army and US Air Force Combatives programs are exposed to similar conditions; however, no uniform screening or treatment protocol exists. To minimize the spread of skin infections, we propose adopting a uniform screening procedure and implementing a standardized form to assist primary care providers in the evaluation and treatment of herpes gladiatorum and other communicable skin diseases commonly seen in close combat training.

microRNA-128-3p overexpression inhibits breast cancer stem cell characteristics through suppression of Wnt signalling pathway by down-regulating NEK2

Emerging evidence has reported that dysregulation of microRNAs (miRNAs) participated in the development of diverse types of cancers. Our initial microarray‐based analysis identified differentially expressed NEK2 related to breast cancer and predicted the regulatory microRNA‐128‐3p (miR‐128‐3p). Herein, this study aimed to characterize the tumour‐suppressive role of miR‐128‐3p in regulating the biological characteristics of breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs). CD44^＋CD24^−/low cells were selected for subsequent experiments. After verification of the target relationship between miR‐128‐3p and NEK2, the relationship among miR‐128‐3p, NEK2 and BCSCs was further investigated with the involvement of the Wnt signalling pathway. The regulatory effects of miR‐128‐3p on proliferation, migration, invasion and self‐renewal in vitro as well as tumorigenicity in vivo of BCSCs were examined via gain‐ and loss‐of‐function approaches. Highly expressed NEK2 was found in breast cancer based on GSE61304 expression profile. Breast cancer stem cells and breast cancer cells showed a down‐regulation of miR‐128‐3p. Overexpression of miR‐128‐3p was found to inhibit proliferation, migration, invasion, self‐renewal in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo of BCSCs, which was further validated to be achieved through inhibition of Wnt signalling pathway by down‐regulating NEK2. In summary, this study indicates that miR‐128‐3p inhibits the stem‐like cell features of BCSCs via inhibition of the Wnt signalling pathway by down‐regulating NEK2, which provides a new target for breast cancer treatment.

Recurrent extragenital herpes simplex type 2 occurring in a distal location of the same dermatome

Herpes simplex infection (HSV) is a common infectious disease, which the main clinical manifestations are mucocutaneous infection. Extragenital infections are reported in both type 1 and type 2 of herpes simplex virus. We report a case of a 33-year-old female with recurrent extragenital HSV type 2 infection on the right medial wrist. The patient had history of the previous infection site locating on the right posterior deltoid however both of two sites are the same dermatomal distribution. This report demonstrates the recurrent herpes simplex infection can develop in another area of the dermatomal distribution.

Marine Algae: A Potential Resource of Anti-HSV Molecules

Herpes simplex viruses (HSVs) are common human pathogens belonging to the subfamily alpha-herpesvirinae that trigger severe infections in neonates and immunocompromised patients. After primary infection, the HSVs establish a lifelong latent infection in the vegetative neural ganglia of their hosts. HSV infections contribute to substantial disease burden in humans as well as in newborns. Despite a fair number of drugs being available for the treatment of HSV infections, new, effective, and safe antiviral agents, exerting different mechanisms of action, are urgently required, mainly due to the increasing number of resistant strains. Accumulating pieces of evidence have suggested that structurally diverse compounds from marine algae possess promising anti-HSV potentials. Several studies have documented a variety of algal polysaccharides possessing anti-HSV activity, including carrageenan and fucan. This review aimed to compile previous anti-HSV studies on marine algae–derived compounds, especially sulfated polysaccharides, along with their mode of action, toward their development as novel natural anti-HSV agents for future investigations.