Successful treatment of hereditary hypotrichosis simplex by platelet rich plasma injection with topical minoxidil 2

Background: Hereditary hypotrichosis simplex is a rare genetic hair disease that affects the scalp. Failure to grow normal hair in terms of length and density is the main complaint of patients. Diagnosis usually established by exclusion of other congenital hair and other ectodermal disorders. Till now, no satisfactory treatment was used for the condition.Report: A 14 year old patient with hypotrichosis simplex was treated with combined platelet rich plasma injection and topical minoxidil 2% with marked improvement.Conclusion: While no satisfactory treatment presents for this condition, the use of platelet rich plasma injection can add new hope for hypotrichosis simplex patients.

Ectodermal dysplasia-skin fragility syndrome: Two new cases and review of this desmosomal genodermatosis

BACKGROUND

Desmosomes are intercellular cadherin-mediated adhesion complexes that anchor intermediate filaments to the cell membrane and are required for strong adhesion for tissues under mechanical stress. One specific component of desmosomes is plakophilin 1 (PKP1), which is mainly expressed in the spinous layer of the epidermis. Loss-of-function autosomal recessive mutations in PKP1 result in ectodermal dysplasia-skin fragility (EDSF) syndrome, the initial inherited Mendelian disorder of desmosomes first reported in 1997.

METHODS

To investigate two new cases of EDSF syndrome and to perform a literature review of pathogenic PKP1 mutations from 1997 to 2019.

RESULTS

Sanger sequencing of PKP1 identified two new homozygous frameshift mutations: c.409_410insAC (p.Thr137Thrfs*61) and c.1213delA (p.Arg411Glufs*22). Comprehensive analyses were performed for the 18 cases with confirmed bi-allelic PKP1 gene mutations, but not for one mosaic case or 6 additional cases that lacked gene mutation studies. All pathogenic germline mutations were loss-of-function (splice site, frameshift, nonsense) with mutations in the intron 1 consensus acceptor splice site (c.203-1>A or G>T) representing recurrent findings. Skin fragility and nail involvement were present in all affected individuals (18/18), with most cases showing palmoplantar keratoderma (16/18), alopecia/hypotrichosis (16/18) and perioral fissuring/cheilitis (12/15; not commented on in 3 cases). Further observations in some individuals included pruritus, failure to thrive with low height/weight centiles, follicular hyperkeratosis, hypohidrosis, walking difficulties, dysplastic dentition and recurrent chest infections.

CONCLUSION

These data expand the molecular basis of EDSF syndrome and help define the spectrum of both the prototypic and variable manifestations of this desmosomal genodermatosis.

Comparison of the structural properties of isomorphously substituted Fe in mordenite zeolites prepared by different methods

Fe was introduced in mordenite zeolite by means of ion exchange either in solid or in liquid state. The iron loading (50--200 wt%), iron precursor (FeSO4.7H2O and FeCl3), and mordenite starting material (NH4M, HM, and NaM) were varied during the exchange processes. The Fe species were characterized by N2 adsorption measurements as well as by XRD and Mössbauer spectroscopies. The Fe-mordenite samples prepared by liquid-state ion exchange attained remarkable Fe dispersion and surface areas higher than those of the parent. It was found that Fe3+ ions, which substituted the framework Al and accordingly occupied tetrahedral sites, were decreased with Fe loadings with concomitant increase in Fe3+-occupied octahedral sites. The latter sites disappeared at 20 K to provoke the superparamagnetic alpha-Fe2O3 in different particles size. The acid leaching (0.1 M HCl, 333 K, 3 h) of the samples showed the disappearance of the most highly distorted extra-framework Fe3+ species, providing an indication of their presence on the external surface. On the other hand, a hematite phase was detected in the solid-state ion exchange of FeCl3 with either HM or NH4M at the loading of 100% Fe. More correlations between Mössbauer data on one hand and XRD and texturing properties on the other hand were evaluated and discussed.