Content - Volume 74, Issue 186

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T cells are considered to play a role in the pathomechanism of psoriasis. Therefore we investigated the cytokine production patterns of T cell clones that were randomly prepared from chronic plaque psoriasis lesions of 2 patients. 67% of the 49 T lymphocyte clones (TLC) expressed CD4 and 33% expressed CD8 (ratio 2:1), while gamma delta-TCR expression was absent. The production of IL-4, IFN-gamma, ...

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T-cell activation probably plays the most important role in hyperproliferation of keratinocytes in psoriasis. We present here our results concerning the interacting immunocompetent cells and their phenotypic and functional characteristics in relation to psoriasis pathology. Immunohistochemical analysis of skin biopsies from psoriasis patients, did indeed show that hyperproliferation of keratinocyt ...

Levels of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and procollagen III peptide (PIIIP) were measured respectively by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and radioimmunoassay (RIA) methods in sera from 14 patients affected with psoriasis. The same determinations were also performed on suction blister fluids (BFs) obtained from lesional and non-lesional skin. Fourteen normal subjects were used as co ...

Adhesion receptors on endothelial cells are considered to be important for cellular influx in tissue. In this regard, skin constitutes a specialised environment for migration of leukocytes during inflammation. Using immuno-enzymatic staining techniques, we compared the in situ expression of ICAM-1, E-selectin, and VCAM-1 on endothelial cells and inflammatory infiltrates in both lesional and non-le ...

Interleukin-1-beta (IL-1-beta), Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) were measured by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) methods in blister fluids (BFs) obtained from both involved (ISBF) and non-involved skin (USBF) and in sera from 14 psoriatic patients. The same determinations were carried out in 14 sera and in 5 suction blister fluids from 14 normal subjects. IL-6 was always detectable ...

Sera from 52 patients with psoriasis and 106 controls were tested for IFN-tau, IFN-alpha 2 and TNF-alpha in ELISA and for total IFN activity using an infectivity inhibition micromethod. Psoriasis patients had lower serum levels of IFN-tau than had the controls: median 0.10 ng/ml vs. 0.16 ng/ml (p = 0.01). The highest median serum IFN-tau levels were in patients with peripherally spreading psoriasi ...

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We examined psoriatic lesions on the upper legs in 20 patients, using a two-dimensional Laser-Doppler-Scanner (Laser Doppler Perfusion Imager LDI, Lisca Development, Link??ping/Sweden). The plaques were evaluated weekly during therapy with dithranol. Five plaques were reconstructed three-dimensionally before and after therapy (reconstruction program ANAT 3D, SIS, M?ºnster, Germany). The psoriatic ...

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Psoriasis, a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by an aberration of lipid metabolism, has been associated with an increased risk for atherosclerosis. Since oxidatively modified lipoproteins are involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, we investigated the lipid composition and in vitro induced peroxidation of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and low density lipoproteins (LD ...

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Recent research has demonstrated the activity of calcipotriol, effective as a potent inhibitor of cellular proliferation and known to increase differentiation in a number of cell lines in the topical treatment of psoriasis. Vit D3 receptors are expressed in keratinocytes and vascular endothelial cells. We studied the alterations in basal keratinocytes (stem cells or anchoring cells) and endothelia ...

Calcitriol has recently been shown to be effective against psoriasis. However, its mode of action is not exactly known. The present study focused on the influence of calcitriol on growth, differentiation, chemokine mRNA and ICAM-1 mRNA expression of keratinocytes (KC) and on the binding of T-cells to keratinocytes. In vitro studies showed that calcitriol has a strong anti-proliferative effect and ...

Calcipotriol is demonstrably efficacious for the treatment of psoriasis by virtue of its effects on the skin´s immune system and on epidermal growth. We performed this study to emphasize the difference in the expression of certain cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) (ICAM-1, ELAM-1, LFA-1, VLA-3, VLA-6) in lesional and perilesional skin of 10 patients with psoriasis, before and after treatment with to ...

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Both clinical and experimental evidence is accumulating on the role of the nervous system in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. Sporadic reports as well as extensive studies indicate that emotional stress can act as an exacerbating event in psoriasis. Moreover, that neurogenic mechanisms are operating in psoriasis is suggested by clinical, pharmacologic and experimental data. We have focused our inves ...

The aim of this investigation was to learn how a stressful event, often very mild, can determine a relapse of psoriasis. The research was carried out with clinical interviews and with the administration of Rorschach Psychoreactive, MMPI and H-T-P tests to 80 in-patients. Our data revealed a high prevalence of psychic disorders: 71.2% of patients showed symptoms which allowed a precise psychiatric ...

We studied 179 psoriatic patients by semistructured colloquia and psychometric tests and determined their cutaneous psycho-neurophysiological profiles by biofeedback methods. The Paykel scale for stressful events showed that 72% of psoriatics had experienced significant stressful events about one month before the appearance of the psoriasis. The Zung test for anxiety and depression showed a high l ...

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It is well known that genetic heterogeneity and/or the complex interaction of several MCH-linked risk factors can explain the onset and the broad spectrum of Psoriatic Arthritis (PsA) from the clinical point of view. Fifty-eight patients with PsA (Moll and Wright criteria), 35 men and 23 women, mean age of 45, 14, were studied; all the patients were assessed by both clinical and radiological exami ...

Sixty-six patients with psoriatic arthropathy were subdivided into nine groups on the basis of the presence of peripheral arthritis, axial disease whether or not fulfilling the New York criteria for ankylosing spondylitis both associated and not associated with peripheral arthropathy and bilateral or monolateral lateral sacro-iliitis. Only the group with axial disease sacroiliitis+spondylitis) wit ...

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Peripheral enthesopathies have recently been attributed a crucial role in the definition of seronegative spondyloarthropathies. We report a case of psoriatic oligoarthritis in which a peripheral enthesopathy, occurring at the right olecranon, was the heralding sign of the disease.

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A histological-immunohistological study was conducted to investigate the effect of systemically administered fumaric acid esters (FAEs) on epidermal thickness and composition of the inflammatory infiltrate in psoriatic plaques. The very first effect of systemic therapy with FAEs is the disappearance of CD 15-positive cells in the beneath the epidermis, accompanied by a significant reduction in T-h ...

Anthralin is still the most effective and safest therapeutic agent for treatment of psoriasis. Our data may assist toward an understanding of its mode of action and introduce new derivatives, more antiproliferative and less toxic than anthralin in vitro. Anthralin exerts a direct effect on keratinocytes and leukocytes. In time-lapse studies it significantly prolonged the prophase of mitotic kerati ...

Video-microscopy is a video-imaging system which permits direct visualization of the skin surface and capillaries, by using a microscope attached to a camera, a video-recorder and a printer. This technique provides information on the morphology of capillaries in vivo and has been used both for research into normal skin microcirculation and as a clinical method to detect capillary changes in psoria ...

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The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term effects of intermittent Cyclosporin A treatment of severe plaque psoriasis. For this purpose we considered the clinical records of 26 patients who had been intermittently treated with Cyclosporin A for 2 to 4 years. All 26 patients had severe plaque-type psoriasis (PASI score > 18) that was unresponsive to conventional treatment. The initial Cycl ...

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We have demonstrated both in vivo and in vitro that Cyclosporin (CsA) treatment during psoriasis induced a regression of typical keratinocyte alterations and normalization of the basement membrane (BM). It is also known that the structure of BM implies cohesion between the networks formed by laminin and type IV collagen and that these components positively influence the cytomorphosis processes of ...

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Psoriasis, a chronic and unpredictable dermatosis, is a constant therapeutical challenge to dermatologists. However, new knowledge in immunodermatology has stimulated interest in and encourage the use of new molecules, especially cyclosporin A (CyA). Thanks to certain characteristics, this molecule is capable of modulating and blocking the intense network of cytochine that seems to cause this derm ...

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The aim of this study was to define the prevalence and clinical features of Juvenile Psoriatic Arthritis (JPsA). According to the definition by Ansell and Bywaters, we identified the population at risk of JPsA in 425 patients with psoriasis with onset occurring before the age of 31. Among these, 85 were younger than 16 years. Five patients with JPsA were found (prevalence 1.0%). All had a family h ...

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Nail involvement is often present in patients suffering from psoriatic arthritis. Up to the present, no data concerning the rate of onychopathy associated with psoriatic arthropathy have been reported. 52 patients with psoriatic arthropathy have been studied with particular attention to the possible presence of and the typical features of onychopathy. Nail changes were noted in 86.5% of patients a ...

Methotrexate (MTX) is widely accepted as an effective treatment for psoriasis and chronic polyarthrides. We report data from 54 psoriatic polyarthritis patients (354 encounters) treated with MTX. 65% were males, mean age 47.9 years, mean disease duration 9.8 years for arthritis, 14.2 years for psoriasis. The MTX dose was 10-12.5 mg/week. 32 patients are still on MTX after a mean treatment time of ...

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Acitretin, the metabolite of etretinate, is eliminated far more rapidly from the human body than is etretinate. It has therefore been suggested that only a short period of contraception would be required following the completion of long-term therapy. However, recent studies have demonstrated the presence of etretinate in the plasma of acitretin-treated patients. In this paper, we review the result ...

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Intercellular lipids of the stratum corneum are involved in permeability barrier integrity and function. In psoriasis, desquamation and permeability barrier homeostasis are modified; these observations are consistent with an alteration in stratum corneum lipid production. Therefore, in the present study, we determined and compared the total content of the three main intercellular lipids in psoriat ...

The intrapapillary vessels in the psoriatic plaque are described as elongated, twisted and multiplied. However there is neither proliferation nor necrosis of vessels in growing and dissolving psoriatic plaques. In 120 patients suffering from psoriasis vulgaris, computer-supported image analysis and in 8 patients additionally 3D reconstructions were made to investigate the regression process of the ...

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BACKGROUND: Psoriasis is characterized by an abnormal proliferation and increased turnover of keratinocytes, the presence of acute and chronic inflammatory cells and microangiopathic changes. Endothelins are a family of peptides which have been investigated especially for their effects on the cardiovascular system. Recent studies have demonstrated their involvement also in human skin. AIM OF THE S ...

IgG-Fc receptors (FcR) are present on most immune competent cells. We have examined FcR in skin lesions from 8 patients with stationary plaque psoriasis and 12 patients with highly active psoriasis using MoAbs against FcR and binding of soluble immune complexes. FcR in serum were measured in ELISA. The patients were treated with cyclosporin (n = 5), acitretin (n = 7) and Goeckerman regimen (n = 8) ...

The purpose of our study was to quantify the serum content of alpha 1-antitrypsin (alpha 1-AT) and polymorphonuclear leukocyte elastase (PMN-E) in of 21 patients affected by active and stationary psoriasis, and 12 normal controls. HLA typing was also performed to identify a correlation among HLA antigens, age at onset of psoriasis and biochemical results. alpha 1-AT levels were within the normal r ...

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We studied the main papers concerning treatment with fish oil (EPA and DHA) of patients with psoriasis vulgaris, psoriatic arthritis and pustular psoriasis. In our investigation, 25 patients with psoriasis vulgaris evidenced a statistically significant increase in triglyceride serum levels, compared with controls. 10 of these patients underwent therapy with etretinate 0.75-1.0 mg/kg daily for 2 mo ...

The authors have tried to ascertain the statistical significance of the differences between the answers to H. Rorschach Psychodiagnostic tests given to 80 male and female adult patients, suffering from psoriasis and by ´normal´ patients. The absolute frequencies and the averages of the results concerning 55 items obtained through the administration of Rorschach to patients with psoriasis were co ...

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Twenty-five psoriatic patients were studied histologically before and after PUVA therapy in order to delineate the relationship between dermal mast cells, psoriasis healing process and collagen changes. A number of mast cells were found in the psoriatic changes. A number of mast cells were found in the psoriatic lesion both before PUVA and also after PUVA therapy in 22 of the 25 patients. Fibrosis ...

Psoriatic patients may offer a useful model for PUVA-induced skin wrinkling. This study deals with the changes induced by PUVA therapy on the cutaneous microrelief of psoriatic patients assessed by surface replicas. A non-exposed body area (buttocks) was considered. The microrelief was evaluated by means of replicas analysed by an automatic image analyser. Three groups of patients were considered: ...

We have investigated short- and long-term ocular side effects of psoralen plus UVA (PUVA) therapy in 82 patients who refused to wear UVA blocking sunglasses after the treatments. They had received 321.7 +/- 328.8 J/cm2 of UVA in 148.8 +/- 113.9 exposures over 2-4 years. Results were compared with findings obtained in 749 patients who shielded their eyes. They received 402.6 +/- 302.2. J/cm2 of UVA ...

Transdermal absorption of tacalcitol from the ointment containing 2 micrograms/g was studied using hairless rat and human skin. In the animal experiments, a non-negligible amount of tacalcitol was absorbed transdermally, whereas in the case of human skin, this compound was hardly absorbed at all. A placebo-controlled double-blind right/left comparison confirmed that this ointment is effective and ...

Calcipotriol, a non-calcemic vitamin D3 analogue, inhibits the proliferation and is necessary for final differentiation of keratinocytes. The aim of the present study was to determine the efficacy and tolerability of calcipotriol ointment in patients treated for 6 weeks. Twenty patients with chronic plaque-type psoriasis were treated twice daily with calcipotriol ointment 50 ng/g. After 6 weeks´ ...

The aim of the present study was to investigate the distribution of Langerhans cells and T cells in the lesions and also the phenotypic expression of markers of activation on lesional T cells and keratinocytes, before and after 2 weeks of topical treatment of 7 psoriatic patients with calcipotriol. Before treatment, the infiltrate was composed mainly of T cells and there was decreased expression o ...

One hundred and forty fully developed, non-treated plaques of psoriasis vulgaris from the arms and legs of 22 patients were examined using 50 MHz B-scan ultrasound and compared with the images from adjacent, clinically normal skin. To visualize the dermis, high pre-amplification (digitization range 200 mV) was used, determined according to A-scan images. For evaluation of epidermal phenomena, low ...