Traceback systems in most countries of Asia are not well developed, as indicated by responses to a questionnaire by veterinary officials in thirteen countries. Marking of animals for traceback is practised only in a limited number of countries in specific areas or zones and for specific purposes only. In Malaysia, traceback has been undertaken by marking farm code tattoos on pigs. This enables the identification of the farm of origin of pigs found to be infected by Nipah virus in sero-surveillance programmes. The origin of the foot and mouth disease (FMD) virus that surfaced in the Republic of Korea in March 2000 was investigated through several epidemiological studies of suspected sources of contamination such as imported hay, yellow sand, milk collection trucks and feed delivery trucks. None of these studies gave results that indicated the origin of the FMD virus. The origin of the FMD virus that was recorded in Japan in March 2000 was also investigated in epidemiological studies; in this case, imported wheat straw was incriminated as the most likely source of infection. Comparative studies of the pathogenicities of FMD (type O) viruses isolated in Taipei China, the Republic of Korea and Japan, suggest that these viruses might have originated as vaccine strains used in a third country.
Extramammary Paget disease (EMPD) has been known to frequently express androgen receptor (AR). Therefore, androgens could play roles in the biological behavior of Paget cells. 5α-Reductase (5α-red) types 1 and 2 and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 5 (17β-HSD5) are pivotal in situ regulators of androgen production in androgen-responsive tissues including androgen-dependent neoplasms. Therefore, in this study, we immunolocalized AR, androgen-producing enzymes, and their transcription factors to assess the state of in situ androgen production and actions and its correlation of invasiveness in EMPD. We studied 51 cases of EMPD with known clinicopathological status. AR, 5α-red1, 17β-HSD5, and β-catenin immunoreactivity was evaluated by using the modified H-score method while cyclin D1, p53, forkhead box protein P1, and a proliferation marker, Ki-67, were quantified using labeling index. The mean scores of AR, 5α-red1, and 17β-HSD5 in invasive EMPD were all significantly higher than noninvasive EMPD (P < .0001). Ki-67 labeling index as well as the cyclin D1 score was also significantly higher in invasive than noninvasive lesions of EMPD. These results demonstrated that androgen receptor and androgen-producing enzymes were both associated with cell cycle regulation and subsequently the invasiveness of EMPD lesions and could also indicate those above as potential markers of invasive potentials in EMPD.
The sebaceous gland is a major site of steroid synthesis in human skin, but details of the status of steroidogenic enzymes and their regulation in human sebaceous glands under normal and pathological conditions have rarely been reported. Therefore, in this study, we examined the status of steroidogenic enzymes, sex steroid receptors and transcription factors in human sebaceous glands under normal and pathological conditions to explore their possible roles in in situ steroid production in human skin. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed in a total of 59 human skin specimens, including 22 normal human sebaceous glands, 12 with sebaceous nevus, 12 with sebaceous gland hyperplasia, 3 with sebaceoma and 10 with sebaceous carcinoma. Immortalised human SZ95 sebocytes were treated with forskolin or vehicle for 3h, 6h, 12h or 24h, and the mRNA levels of steroidogenic enzymes were evaluated at each time point using quantitative RT-PCR (qPCR). The results of immunohistochemistry demonstrated the immunoreactivity of 3β-HSD1, CYP11A1, StAR, 17β-HSD5, CYP17A1, 5α-red1, PRB, AR and NGFI-B in normal human sebaceous gland, with lower levels of expression in pathological sebaceous glands. The results of the in vitro study also indicated that the expression levels of 3β-HSD1, CYP11A1, StAR, 5α-red1 and NGFI-B were elevated by forskolin. 3β-HSD1 and other steroidogenic enzymes were expressed in sebaceous glands resulting in in situ androgen and progesterone synthesis and their functions.
Advances in perinatal care have led to the increased survival of preterm infants with subsequent neonatal morbidities, such as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). This study aims to compare the differences of neonatal healthcare systems, resources, and clinical practice concerning ROP in Asia with review of current literature. An on-line survey at the institutional level was sent to the directors of 336 neonatal intensive care units (NICU) in 8 collaborating national neonatal networks through the Asian Neonatal Network Collaboration (AsianNeo). ROP screening was performed in infants born at