Content - Volume 65, Issue 1

A murine hybridoma secreting an IgM monoclonal antibody (KL3) was produced by cell fusion of mouse myeloma cells with spleen cells from mice immunized with human epidermal keratins. On normal human epidermis KL3 stained the intercellular spaces from the stratum germinatum to the stratum granulosum with a fluorescence intensity increasing from the basal layer to the upper layers. Basal cells were n ...

In normal human epidermis HLA-DR-antigen is only present on Langerhans´ cells and the acrosyringeal epithelium. We investigated the distribution of HLA-DR-antigen in 78 specimens of various skin diseases by an immunoperoxidase method using a monoclonal anti-HLA-DR antibody. HLA-DR-antigen bearing keratinocytes were not only found in lichen planus and mycosis fungoides, as it has been referred pre ...

Serum IgE concentrations were determined by the paper radioimmunosorbent test in 56 patients with psoriasis and 50 normal controls, and by the paper enzyme-immunosorbent test in 32 of these patients and 50 controls. Elevated IgE levels were found in 26 (46%) of 56 patients with psoriasis and in 1 normal control (2%). The mean value (208 U/ml) in 56 patients was significantly higher than in normal ...

Since acetylcholine is the main neurotransmitter of eccrine sweating, phosphatidylcholine ingestion might increase sweating. In 10 adults mid-palmar sweating was measured 12 hours after ingestion of a high and a low phosphatidylcholine supper. In a double blind, crossover study, mid-palmar sweating was measured in 11 consenting adults 12 hours after a low phosphatidylcholine supper taken with eith ...

PUVA therapy has been reported to induce antinuclear antibodies (ANA). The generation of ANA following ultraviolet irradiation was studied experimentally in albino mice. When treated with long wave ultraviolet radiation (UVA) from blacklight fluorescent tubes a significant number of animals developed positive ANA titres, whereas no change was noted in groups, treated with PUVA, 8-methoxypsoralen o ...

Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) were studied in patients receiving PUVA therapy. Ten patients out of 124, (8%), considered for PUVA had ANA prior to therapy. During PUVA treatment ANA appeared in 34 out of 100 patients. Eight patients with ANA initially were treated and in 4 of them a significant increase in ANA titre was noted. A statistically significant difference was noted, when the first and las ...

Skin blood flow determined by laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) and skin fold thickness (SFT) have been used to quantitate allergic contact dermatitis in the guinea pig maximization test (GPMT) using chlorocresol as the allergen. The closed patch test procedure itself influenced both LDF and SFT measurements when determined in 12 sham-treated guinea pigs. The LDF was maximal at 24 hours and the SFT at ...

Clinical symptoms were studied in 161 consecutive patients with erythema chronicum migrans Afzelius and in a follow-up study signs of late manifestations were investigated. General symptoms such as headache, fever, myalgia and/or arthralgia were found in about half of the patients with a disease duration of less than or equal to 3 weeks. Three patients had coexisting lymphadenosis benigna cutis. T ...

A 12-year experience in thirty-three patients suffering from early mycosis fungoides in plaque stage confirms the effectiveness of topical nitrogen mustard therapy. Fourteen patients were in complete remission at the latest time of observation and 7 in partial remission. The probability of freedom from relapse was approximately 50% after 6 and 12 years. Three deaths attributable to mycosis fungoid ...

A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study was conducted in 31 male patients with a history of frequently recurrent genital herpes who received consecutively 200 mg acyclovir and matching placebo by mouth four times a day for 12 weeks each. During acyclovir therapy recurrences were completely prevented in 24 (77%) and were reduced in both frequency and duration in the remainde ...

A histological investigation was made of the quantitative behavior of mast cells in bald areas on mice and in human alopecia areata. C57BL,W/Wv and +/+ mice with alopecia lesions were examined. In C57BL mice and +/+ mice, the number of dermal mast cells (per square mm) in the bald areas was greater than that in controls. The mean number of mast cells was slightly higher in human alopecia areata th ...

A case of X-linked ocular albinism is reported. Characteristic Masson-Fontana positive and Dopa positive giant melanin granules were found in keratinocytes, melanocytes and upper dermis. Ultrastructurally the macromelanosome was composed of a dense core and a less dense surrounding mantle.

A dermatitis occurring during the treatment of mycosis fungoides with A vitamin analogues (13-cis-retinoic acid and etretinate) and mimicking a progression of the disease is described. It is considered to be a skin reaction due to the treatment. Its benign nature is revealed by histology showing a lymphocytic infiltrate without any atypical sign.

Three patients exhibiting recurrent cutaneous eruptions induced by contact with jellyfish tentacles are presented. The recurrent eruptions appeared several days after the primary exposure without contact with any offending coelenterate. The principal species involved include Pelagia noctiluca, Physalia physalis and probably Lychnorhiza lucerna. These three cases, combined with an earlier similar r ...

A patient with the Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome and pseudo-Kaposi elements is reported. This combination of symptoms has only been published very occasionally. Selective quantitative measurements of the peripheral tissue blood flow revealed a significantly increased cutaneous blood flow in the hypertrophied leg. This finding supports the assumption that a high perfusion rate and a high oxygen satura ...

A young woman with ulcerative colitis developed pyoderma gangrenosum during the active phase of the disease and Sweet´s syndrome (acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis) three months after panproctocolectomy.

Diffuse fasciitis with eosinophilia (DFE) is a well described syndrome, among the connective tissue disorders. However, DFE is not commonly accepted as an own entity, because of its rare evolvement in scleroderma and the often indistinguishable histological pattern of both diseases. Here we report on the association of DFE and morphea in two patients and an additional lichen sclerosus in one of th ...

Seven patients underwent retrospective radiographic examination 10 to 16 months after high dose isotretinoin therapy for severe cystic acne. One patient, who received the highest isotretinoin dose (approximately twice the average dose taken by the remaining patients), had multiple small hyperostoses of the thoracic spine and tarsi navicular. These findings were identical to the skeletal changes kn ...

Fifty patients with chronic plaque psoriasis were treated with trioxsalen bath PUVA and 43 patients with oral methoxsalen PUVA. The two treatment regimens gave similar results; 75% and 77% of the patients had excellent or good clearing and a follow-up of one year revealed relapses in 61% and 58% of the patients, respectively. The cumulative UVA dose remained significantly lower in bath PUVA (mean ...

The biotin/avidin system was adapted to the FTA technique for detection of IgG, IgM, and IgA antibodies specific to Treponema pallidum. By using biotin/avidin IgG antibodies could be detected in a serum dilution 15 000 times higher, and IgM 3 000 times higher than was possible with conventional FTA technique. IgA antibodies, however, were not detected with any of the methods.