Content - Volume 66, Issue 1

Blister fluid samples were collected from suction induced control blisters and from spontaneous blisters from various blistering diseases for the measurement of elastase-like enzyme activities using synthetic succinyl-L-(alanyl)3-paranitroanilide (SAPNA) and alanyl paranitroanilide (ala-PNA) as the substrates. The blister fluids derived from bullous pemphigoid, pyoderma or epidermolysis bullosa dy ...

We carried out quantification of the levels of leukotriene B4 (LTB4), a highly potent cell membrane-derived leukocyte chemotactic factor, in scale extracts of psoriasis and related inflammatory dermatoses characterized by sterile subcorneal pustule formation by using radioimmunoassay. A small amount of LTB4 was demonstrable even in extracts from non-inflammatory stratum corneum, but larger amounts ...

The subclass composition of IgA in granular deposits in the papillary dermis of clinically normal skin taken from 12 patients with dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) was determined using monoclonal IgA-subclass specific antibodies and immunofluorescence microscopy. In skin from one patient with extensive deposits of IgA minute amounts of IgA2 could be detected whereas IgA1 was found in all the biopsies ...

The mast cell distribution and number were studied in skin biopsies of 18 mastocytosis patients and 10 controls. The biopsies were stained for mast cells with toluidine blue at pH 0.5. The number in the upper dermis of lesional abdominal skin was at least twice as high as that of normal adjacent skin. Fixation in iso-osmotic 0.6% formaldehyde and 0.5% acetic acid, revealed more mast cells than con ...

Immunoreactivity (IR) of substance P (SP) and Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide (VIP) were determined by radioimmunoassay in serum of 56 patients with inflammatory skin diseases, in blister fluid of 40 patients with spontaneous blisters and 31 subjects with induced skin blisters. Serum concentrations of SP-IR and VIP-IR were mostly low or non-detectable. Spontaneous blisters contained high amounts of ...

Twenty-two non-ulcerated basal cell carcinomas and 30 non-ulcerated squamous cell carcinomas were selected to study the reactive cellular infiltrate, utilizing histological, histoenzymatic and immunological methods. Substantial differences in cell behaviour were observed between the two tumors: advanced and metastatic squamous cell carcinoma showed prominent presence of T8+ lymphocytes, Leu 7+ cel ...

Parameters of thyroid metabolism were analysed in 42 patients with generalized scleroderma and healthy individuals matched with respect to sex and age for comparison. Decreased free thyroxine (p less than 0.01), decreased free triiodothyronine (p less than 0.001), and increased thyroid-stimulating hormone (p less than 0.001) evidenced an associated state of myxoedema in scleroderma. Total thyroxin ...

Forty-one patients with drug eruptions were retrospectively evaluated to correlate clinical, direct immunofluorescence, and dermatopathologic findings. Forty-six biopsy specimens were obtained for immunofluorescence in addition to specimens for dermatopathologic study. Eighteen patients had blood vessel fluorescence. Fourteen patients had basement membrane zone fluorescence. Eleven patients had de ...

By means of a prospective study design and multivariate regression analyses we have studied the relative importance of atopy, metal dermatitis and earlier hand eczema as risk factors for the development of hand eczema in women during 20 months of "wet" hospital work. The population consisted of 1857 women. The prevalence of hand eczema during the observation period was 41%. The risk of developing ...

Two female patients with multiple syringomas were treated for 5/6 months with cumulative doses of 9 and 11 g isotretinoin respectively. Clinically, the appearance of the lesions in both patients improved from the third month on. After therapy, the lesions were flattened, softened, and skin coloured. Histologically, a marked reduction of size and numbers of syringomas was observed, and the contents ...

Human epidermal cells obtained from foreskin were grown without any feeder layers and glycosaminoglycan synthesis of the epidermal cells were investigated using 3H-glucosamine as a tracer. At logarithmic and confluent phase of primary culture and confluent phase of 2nd passage culture glycosaminoglycans were found to be actively synthesized. The major component of synthesized glycosaminoglycans wa ...

Recessive X-linked ichthyosis (RXLI) is consistently associated with steroid sulphatase deficiency, and a definite diagnosis can be made by measurement of the activity of this enzyme, e.g. in cultured skin fibroblasts and leucocytes. Demonstrating an increased electrophoretic mobility of plasma low-density lipoprotein in RXLI patients has been proposed as a simpler method for the diagnosis of this ...

Three new parameters have been introduced to provide data for quantitative evaluation of peripheral cutaneous blood flow in patients with leg ulcers. Reactive hyperemia was induced by occlusion of the blood flow for four minutes at the thigh-level. Blood flow was subsequently measured by laser-Doppler velocimetry in an unselected group of 14 patients with leg ulcers and a matched control group. Th ...

Heavy external pressure, caused by the weight of the body when lying on a hard transparent surface during UVA irradiation, prevents pigmentation in pressure exposed skin areas. After percutaneous H2O2 administration a delayed pigmentation appeared on the pressure sites. This finding provides evidence for the role of oxygen in delayed pigmentation by UVA.

Extremely low C4 values were found in a 65-year-old man with relapsing arthritis and skin lesions of many years duration of the scalp, face, hands and feet together with painful ulcerations of the toes and fingers. The discovery was made during an exacerbation, but the deficiency of C4 persisted in repeated controls after remission. The clinical findings in connection with these low C4 values are ...

A young woman had recurrent urticaria and angioneurotic edema following ingestion of mustard and mayonnaise. IgE-mediated allergy to mustard seeds and seeds of botanically related plants was confirmed by RAST.

We report on a man whose scalp hair was reddish since childhood but changed into dark-brown after the age of 50. His pubic hair and beard remained carrot coloured. A high level of arsenic in his scalp hair seemed to be a possible cause of the change from pheomelanogenesis to eumelanogenesis.

Long term plasma exchanges associated with corticosteroids (11 patients) were compared with corticotherapy alone (10 patients) for the treatment of bullous pemphigoid. The patients having long term plasma exchanges showed a lower rate of relapses at six months and needed less corticosteroids.

The ensuing regression of mollusca contagiosa in 7 of 9 children, 6 of whom were suffering from atopic dermatitis, was observed during systemic treatment with inosiplex. In our report the involutional process of mollusca contagiosa did not differ clinically from the inflammatory course observed in spontaneous healing. It is supposed that inosiplex enhances underlying defective immunological mechan ...

A case of S?©zary syndrome treated with cyclosporin A is reported. A dramatic cutaneous improvement was obtained within a few days after initiation of treatment. Among the side effects produced were linear purpuric lesions in skin folds and friction areas.

Six patients with generalized granuloma annulare were successfully treated with Dapsone. Their ages ranged from 11 to 76. There were no serious side-effects and all were able to cease the drug.

High rates of penetration and of transepidermal water loss in psoriatic lesions allow reduction in the periods of application and occlusion, respectively, in corticoid treatment. In 11 patients application for 3-5 min combined with occlusion for 20 min was as effective as classical long-term corticoid treatment. On the other hand it was demonstrated by means of the vasoconstriction test that both ...

Five psoriatic patients developed papular lesions of palms and soles, shortly after beginning treatment with etretinate. Histological examination in two cases was insignificant. The lesions disappeared without tapering the dose of etretinate. The fact that lesions appeared and subsided within a short period may explain why this unusual adverse reaction of etretinate therapy has not been reported p ...

No abstract available.