Content - Volume 69, Issue

The kinetics of water desorption after water loading was evaluated by means of transepidermal water loss (TEWL) decay curves. The effects of delipidation and ageing on the desorption of the water biomolecule was investigated in the vulva and on the forearm. All decay constants were analysed by curve stripping analysis and found to fit a bi-exponential decay. There was no significant difference in ...

The effects of 13-cis retinoic acid (RA) and dexamethasone on the levels of epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor and fibroblast derived proteoglycan core protein (PG40) mRNAs were studied in human skin fibroblasts. The EGF receptor is involved in the regulation of cellular proliferation and the synthesis of matrix proteins, and proteoglycan 40 is important for cell attachment and interaction wit ...

An antiserum raised against the bovine desmosomal protein desmoglein I (DGI), Mr approximately 160 kDa, was used in an immunochemical analysis of human plantar epidermis. Different layers of the tissue were prepared by means of horizontal freeze sectioning. Loosely attached surface layers were obtained by means of scraping of the skin surface with a scalpel. Tissue extracts were analysed by means ...

Fc gamma-receptors (FcR) in cryostat sections of normal human skin were detected with soluble immune complexes of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and rabbit IgG anti-HRP (HRP-anti-HRP). The binding of HRP-anti-HRP to Langerhans´ cells (LC) was demonstrated using a double immunofluorescence staining in which LC were identified with a CD1a specific monoclonal antibody (Leu 6). The immune complexes gav ...

The effect of artificial sunlight on the number and HLA class II expression of Langerhans´ cells was studied in 10 patients with malignant melanoma and 10 control volunteers. The total number of Langerhans´ cell decreased in both groups but at 96 h there was a greater and significant decrease (p less than 0.01) in the number of Langerhans´ cells in the melanoma group, compared with controls. Th ...

There are conflicting opinions concerning the epidermal immunofluorescence pattern in primary Sj??gren´s syndrome. In a prospective study of 12 patients we found a characteristic pattern of epidermal nuclear/cytoplasmic IgG deposits in 8 (67%). This pattern was associated with the presence of antibodies against SSA/Ro and SSB/La in the serum and was also found in 2 out of 5 LE patients with monos ...

The localization of transferrin and C3d receptors in various skin lesions and normal appearing skin have been studied on sections with the PAP technique. The transferrin receptor was recognized in the lower epidermis from psoriatic plaques. Here it was more evident than in other inflammatory or hyperproliferative disorders where it was mainly detected on the basal cells. In healthy skin or lesions ...

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 14 patients with severe atopic dermatitis (AD) and 11 healthy donors were tested for their capacity to produce tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) after PHA stimulation and compared with their in vitro production of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). The mean TNF-alpha production in AD patients did not differ vis-?†-vis controls. However, a signific ...

Squamous cell carcinomas were induced in hairless mice by repeated irradiations with UVB (280-320 nm, total dose 30 J/cm2) plus UVA (320-400 nm, total dose 168 J/cm2). The irradiated animals and non-irradiated controls were fed on diets with or without vitamin A supplementation (20,000 IU/kg). At the appearance of tumours, 30 to 43 weeks after the last irradiation, the vitamin A (retinol plus reti ...

Cultured epithelial grafting of full-thickness skin defects is a new promising possibility for the successful treatment of patients with large burns. The major obstacle to this method, however, is a 3-4-week interval between burn and grafting, which is necessary for the growth of sufficient quantities of cultured epithelium. Generally, growth-arrested murine 3T3 fibroblasts have been used with suc ...

The monoclonal antibody Ki67 (Ki67) binds to a nuclear antigen expressed by cycling cells of several human tissues and to the cytoplasm of the basal layer cells of squamous epithelia. We have used an immunohistochemical method to visualize the binding sites of Ki67 in normal and hyperproliferative epidermis. Cytoplasmic staining was present in the basal layer cells of normal epidermis, but was dec ...

The sensitivity of the indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) technique for detection of circulating basement membrane zone (BMZ) antibodies was evaluated, employing NaCl-separated human skin and intact skin as substrate. Consecutive serum samples from 12 patients with clinically, histologically and immunohistologically verified bullous pemphigoid (BP) were investigated in parallel on both substrates, ...

We report upon a 46-year-old woman, who developed immune complex disease after treatment with clonidine for one year. The diagnosis was verified with histological demonstration of IgG and IgM complexes as well as complement C1q, C3c and C4 between muscle fibres and at the dermo-epidermal junctions. The patient´s symptoms abated and the abnormal results of blood tests reverted to normal following ...

Isoprenaline (0.3 mM) moderately increased the tyrosinase activity of cultured human melanoma cells, while another beta-adrenoceptor agonist, terbutaline (1-3 mM) and a catechol compound, dopac (0.1-0.3 mM) induced a several fold increase in the enzyme activity. Isoprenaline (0.3-1 mM) and dopac (0.3-1 mM) also exerted pronounced toxic effects on the cells. The data suggest: 1) a possible role for ...

Two cases of piebaldism are reported. The first patient was a 9-month-old girl with inborn hypopigmented areas on the frontal region of the scalp and both knees. There were no melanocytes in the lesions. In the second case, we observed the patient from 2 months of age for a period of 9 years. Many hyperpigmented spots appeared on the hypomelanotic areas on the frontal region of the scalp, abdomen ...

Blister fluid from tense bullae of 10 patients with bullous pemphigoid was investigated using a radial caseinolysis assay and zymography. Proteolytic activity, varying from 4.7 to 10 micrograms/ml, was found in 3 out of 10 patients, by using the caseinolysis assay. Zymography revealed that a major part of this caseinolytic activity co-migrated with plasmin standard. In addition, in the zymography, ...

A case report is presented of a 9-year-old boy with xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group C, who died from a squamous cell carcinoma arising from the tip of the tongue. Treatment with etretinate and in a later phase with indomethacin and prednisolone was not effective, except for a limited initial response of the tumour to etretinate.

We report three sisters of Irish extraction who all developed sarcoidosis. The cases emphasize both the familial and ethnic preponderance of sarcoidosis which has not been adequately emphasized in the dermatology literature.

In this report the case histories and working conditions of 61 patients with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) were evaluated and compared with those of age- and sex-matched controls. An extreme female predominance was found and the sclerodermal involvement of the trunk was also commonly demonstrated. Prior occupational exposure to chemicals (mainly organic solvents) was found in 28% of the pat ...

Sixty-nine patients with mycosis fungoides, plaque stage, were treated in an open study with photochemotherapy (PUVA) or the combination of oral retinoids and PUVA (RePUVA). The response rate of Re-PUVA was equal to that of PUVA, with complete remission in 73% and 72%, respectively. Remissions were obtained with fewer PUVA sessions, and with a lower UVA dosage, if PUVA was combined with retinoids. ...

We assessed the efficacy and toxicity of a chemotherapeutic regimen in patients with stage II-IV mycosis fungoides. Eleven previously treated outpatients received etoposide and methotrexate p.o. and bleomycin i.v. every 3 weeks. There was 1 complete remission for 2 months and 7 partial remissions with a median duration of 6 months (range 2-16 months). Three patients showed stable disease lasting 1 ...

The effect of zinc on acne is unclear. In this study, only patients with an inflammatory acne were included in a double-blind trial using low doses of zinc gluconate (200 mg/day, corresponding to 30 mg zinc metal). We obtained a significantly different result between zinc and placebo groups in the inflammatory score (p less than 0.02). This efficiency could be explained by the action of zinc on in ...