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Chronic exposure of the skin to sunlight causes damage to the underlying connective tissue with a loss of elasticity and firmness. Silicon (Si) was suggested to have an important function in the formation and maintenance of connective tissue. Choline-stabilized orthosilicic acid (“ch-OSA”) is a bioavailable form of silicon which was found to increase the hydroxyproline concentration in the dermis of animals. The effect of ch-OSA on skin, nails and hair was investigated in a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled study. Fifty women with photodamaged facial skin were administered orally during 20 weeks, 10 mg Si/day in the form of ch-OSA pellets ( n=25) or a placebo ( n=25). Noninvasive methods were used to evaluate skin microrelief (forearm), hydration (forearm) and mechanical anisotropy (forehead). Volunteers evaluated on a virtual analog scale (VAS, “none=0, severe=3”) brittleness of hair and nails. The serum Si concentration was significantly higher after a 20-week supplementation in subjects with ch-OSA compared to the placebo group. Skin roughness parameters increased in the placebo group (Rt:+8%; Rm: +11%; Rz: +6%) but decreased in the ch-OSA group (Rt: −16%; Rm: −19%; Rz: −8%). The change in roughness from baseline was significantly different between ch-OSA and placebo groups for Rt and Rm. The difference in longitudinal and lateral shear propagation time increased after 20 weeks in the placebo group but decreased in the ch-OSA group suggesting improvement in isotropy of the skin. VAS scores for nail and hair brittleness were significantly lower after 20 weeks in the ch-OSA group compared to baseline scores. Oral intake of ch-OSA during the 20 weeks results in a significant positive effect on skin surface and skin mechanical properties, and on brittleness of hair and nails. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Effect of Oral Intake of Choline-stabilized Orthosilicic Acid on Skin, Nails and Hair in Women With Photodamaged Skin" that was published on March 8, 2006 issue is presented.

Objective: To evaluate 3 Tesla (T) whole-body diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (WB DWI) for early treatment assessment in aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)., Methods: Fourteen patients with NHL treated with standard chemotherapy underwent 3-T WB DWI before and 2 and 4 weeks during treatment, using b-values of 0-1000 s/mm(2) from which the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was calculated. Patient follow-up (average 20.3 months, range 15-23 months) was the reference standard. Volume and ADC changes between baseline and 2 weeks (Vratio2w, ADCratio2w) and 4 weeks (Vratio4w, ADCratio4w) of responding and non-responding lesions (lymph node and organ lesions) were compared using Mann-Whitney U tests. The per patient values of VratioN and ADCratioN to predict progression-free survival were determined with a log-rank test., Results: Eight patients showed complete remission and 6 showed tumour progression. The ADCratio2w and ADCratio4w differed significantly in lesions showing tumour progression versus complete remission (ADCratio2w = 4 ± 21% versus 119 ± 68%; ADCratio4w = 18 ± 61% versus 155 ± 78%; both P < 0.0001); the Vratio2w and Vratio4w did not (P > 0.05). Per body region, the ADCratio2w showed a negative predictive value of 100% and positive predictive value of 86%. Per patient, the ADCratio2w and ADCratio4w correlated significantly with progression-free survival (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: 3-T WB DWI with ADC quantification may enable early treatment assessment of aggressive NHL.