Current Issue : January - March Volume : 2013 Issue Number : 1 Articles : 5 Articles
The human scalp harbors a vast community of microbial mutualists, the composition of which is difficult to elucidate as\r\nmany of the microorganisms are not culturable using current culture techniques. Dandruff, a common scalp disorder, is\r\nknown as a causative factor of a mild seborrheic dermatitis as well as pityriasis versicolor, seborrheic dermatitis, and atopic\r\ndermatitis. Lipophilic yeast Malassezia is widely accepted to play a role in dandruff, but relatively few comprehensive studies\r\nhave been reported. In order to investigate fungal biota and genetic resources of dandruff, we amplified the 26S rRNA gene\r\nfrom samples of healthy scalps and dandruff-afflicted scalps. The sequences were analyzed by a high throughput method\r\nusing a GS-FLX 454 pyrosequencer. Of the 74,811 total sequence reads, Basidiomycota (Filobasidium spp.) was the most\r\ncommon phylum associated with dandruff. In contrast, Ascomycota (Acremonium spp.) was common in the healthy scalps.\r\nOur results elucidate the distribution of fungal communities associated with dandruff and provide new avenues for the\r\npotential prevention and treatment of dandruff....
Background: Due to the increase of solar ultraviolet radiation (UV) incidence over the last few decades, the use of sunscreen\r\nhas been widely adopted for skin protection. However, considering the high efficiency of sunlight-induced DNA lesions, it is\r\ncritical to improve upon the current approaches that are used to evaluate protection factors. An alternative approach to\r\nevaluate the photoprotection provided by sunscreens against daily UV radiation-induced DNA damage is provided by the\r\nsystematic use of a DNA dosimeter.\r\nMethodology/Principal Findings: The Sun Protection Factor for DNA (DNA-SPF) is calculated by using specific DNA repair\r\nenzymes, and it is defined as the capacity for inhibiting the generation of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD) and oxidised\r\nDNA bases compared with unprotected control samples. Five different commercial brands of sunscreen were initially\r\nevaluated, and further studies extended the analysis to include 17 other products representing various formulations and\r\nSun Protection Factors (SPF). Overall, all of the commercial brands of SPF 30 sunscreens provided sufficient protection\r\nagainst simulated sunlight genotoxicity. In addition, this DNA biosensor was useful for rapidly screening the biological\r\nprotection properties of the various sunscreen formulations.\r\nConclusions/Significance: The application of the DNA dosimeter is demonstrated as an alternative, complementary, and\r\nreliable method for the quantification of sunscreen photoprotection at the level of DNA damage....
The long term moisturizing effect of ten different skin care products was tested on 22 female volunteers using a\r\nlow frequency electrical bioimpedance instrument. We found large differences in the moisturizing effect between different\r\nproducts and also large interpersonal variations. Products which gave a large increase in skin hydration on one person\r\ncould have no effect on another person. These results suggest that there are differences in skin types and that one particular\r\nformulation with a given mode of action may be ideal for one skin type but inappropriate for another....
Skin whitening products are commercially available for cosmetic purposes in\r\norder to obtain a lighter skin appearance. They are also utilized for clinical treatment of\r\npigmentary disorders such as melasma or postinflammatory hyperpigmentation. Whitening\r\nagents act at various levels of melanin production in the skin. Many of them are known as\r\ncompetitive inhibitors of tyrosinase, the key enzyme in melanogenesis. Others inhibit the\r\nmaturation of this enzyme or the transport of pigment granules (melanosomes) from\r\nmelanocytes to surrounding keratinocytes. In this review we present an overview of\r\n(natural) whitening products that may decrease skin pigmentation by their interference with\r\nthe pigmentary processes....
Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the association between exposure to cosmetics, often\ncontaining mineral oil, and the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The study was performed against the\nbackground that occupational exposure to mineral oil has recently been shown to be associated with an increased\nrisk for RA in man, and that injection of or percutaneous exposure to mineral-oil-containing cosmetics can induce\narthritis in certain rat strains.\nMethods: A population-based case-control study of incident cases of RA was performed among the population\naged 18 to 70 years in a defined area of Sweden during May 1996 to December 2003. A case was defined as an\nindividual from the study base, who received for the first time a diagnosis of RA according to the 1987 American\nCollege of Rheumatology criteria. Controls were randomly selected from the study base with consideration taken\nfor age, gender and residential area. Cases (n = 1,419) and controls (n = 1,674) answered an extensive\nquestionnaire regarding environmental and lifestyle factors including habits of cosmetic usage. The relative risk of\ndeveloping RA was calculated for subjects with different cosmetic usage compared with subjects with low or no\nusage. Analysis was also performed stratifying the cases for presence/absence of rheumatoid factor and antibodies\nto citrulline-containing peptides.\nResults: The relative risks of developing RA associated with use of cosmetics were all close to one, both for\nwomen and men, for different exposure categories, and in relation to different subgroups of RA.\nConclusion: This study does not support the hypothesis that ordinary usage of common cosmetics as body\nlotions, skin creams, and ointments, often containing mineral oil, increase the risk for RA in the population in\ngeneral. We cannot exclude, however, that these cosmetics can contribute to arthritis in individuals carrying certain\ngenotypes or simultaneously being exposed to other arthritis-inducing environmental agents....
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