Content - Volume 65, Issue 4

Collagen synthesis was measured in fibroblasts cultured from the skin of six patients with epidermolysis bullosa simplex, from six patients with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa and six age-matched controls without skin disease. Both groups of patients´ fibroblasts synthesized approximately twice as much collagen (dpm/cell) as the controls. Synthesis of other proteins showed a smaller increase. C ...

An objective method for the quantification of follicular hyperkeratosis is proposed for the rabbit ear assay of acnegenicity. The area (area%) of hyperkeratinized follicles, covering a stereomicroscopic photo of the epidermis, is proposed for the quantification of the response. The uniformity of two observers´ quantification was evaluated in six tested formulations. The quantification of the resp ...

Cyclophosphamide is a cytostatic agent used clinically and in experimental studies for its immunosuppressant effect. Effects on the afferent and efferent limb of the contact allergic reaction have been shown. The substance has also non-specific, anti-inflammatory effects and these were investigated in this paper by studying the effects of single doses of cyclophosphamide on the toxic contact react ...

IgA and IgG class antigliadin antibodies (AGA) were analysed with ELISA technique from serum samples of 30 dermatitis herpetiformis patients. Jejunal biopsies were performed to all patients before any treatment and high levels of IgA class AGA were found to be associated with subtotal villous atrophy. Fourteen patients started gluten-free diet (GFD) which caused a significant decrease in both IgA ...

The flare-up reaction of old patch test sites following oral intake of antigen have been shown to be site and antigen specific reactions. Using enzyme and immunohistochemistry, the morphology of 6- to 8-week-old patch test sites, before and after oral challenge with nickel, was investigated. Before oral challenge, small scattered perivascular cell infiltrates consisting of macrophages, mast cells, ...

A follow-up study of two groups of individuals aged 24-44 years, with a history of severe and moderate atopic dermatitis in childhood (n = 549 and 406 respectively), showed that the most common site of atopic dermatitis was the hands. The prevalence of hand eczema in the two groups was 41% and 25% respectively. The corresponding figure for a group of 222 individuals with respiratory allergy, but n ...

The microscopic findings in 31 biopsies of patients with polymorphic eruption of pregnancy are reported with a literature review. Cutaneous changes include edema, dermal lympho-histiocytic infiltrate and epidermal lesions. We have found a correlation between the intensity of the inflammatory response and the presence of epidermal involvement. In our opinion, the histopathological changes may allow ...

Enhanced monocyte activity is present in psoriasis, and benoxaprofen is a drug that inhibits several aspects of monocyte function. To assess a potential pathogenic role of enhanced monocyte function in psoriasis, we determined monocyte chemotaxis and monocyte antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) at week 0, 2, 4 and 8 in psoriatics being treated with benoxaprofen. In patients respon ...

Nineteen patients with different clinical subsets of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (LE) were treated with the aromatic retinoid etretinate. In 11 of them excellent or good treatment results were obtained within two to six weeks. Best response to etretinate therapy was seen in male patients with discoid lupus erythematosus. Etretinate should prove a valuable drug in LE therapy.

Fifty patients with dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) were examined. Reticulin antibodies (RA) were found in 34 (68%) patients; 25 (73%) of them had IgA class RA, seven (21%) had IgA and IgG class RA, and two (6%) had IgG class RA. A good correlation was found between the occurrence of RA and the presence of jejunal villous atrophy. Twenty-four (96%) of the patients with subtotal villous atrophy and n ...

Skin biopsies from 10 patients with seborrheic keratoses were examined by electron microscopy for the presence of Langerhans´ cells. Comparing seborrheic keratoses with normal skin of the same patient and with normal skin from controls, neither an increased number of Langerhans´ cells nor an increased number of specific granules, Birbeck granules, nor abnormal Langerhans´ cells, was found. Mela ...

Suction blisters were raised on psoriatic lesions and normal appearing skin. The epidermis was separated at the epidermal-dermal junction. Scanning electronmicroscopy of the dermal side of the blister-roofs from normal looking skin and almost healed psoriatic lesions showed stellate cells probably formed by cytoplasmic extensions ending at desmosomes. In non-treated psoriatic plaques the cells wer ...

The effect of complete H1 receptor blockade on urticaria pigmentosa was studied in 6 patients. Astemizole 10 mg tds was given for 6 weeks to achieve complete H1 receptor blockade and the response measured by change in force-weal response measurements using two different forces on a dermographic stylus and measuring response as weal diameter. Weal and flare reactions to 8 micrograms histamine were ...

The effects of topical indomethacin on histamine responses and histamine release were studied in 15 healthy volunteers. Three hours before testing, the indomethacin solution was applied under occlusion on one arm and the corresponding vehicle on the other. Solutions of histamine and the histamine releasing compound 48/80 were injected intradermally in both arms. Indomethacin treatment inhibited th ...

Vitamin D metabolites in serum were analysed in 20 patients with generalized scleroderma. The concentration of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D was normal, however, significantly lower concentrations (p less than 0.05) were found in 7 patients with cutaneous calcinosis in comparison with 13 patients with no calcinosis. Concentrations of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, 24-25-dihydroxyvitamin D, and vitamin D-binding p ...

The urinary excretion of 2 melanocyte metabolites was studied in normal people of different skin type. The sulphur-free indole derivative 6-hydroxy-5-methoxyindole-2-carboxylic acid was excreted in larger quantities by people with genetically dark skin, whereas the excretion of 5-S-cysteinyldopa was not related to pigment type. No correlation between 5-S-cysteinyldopa and 6-hydroxy-5-methoxyindole ...

Two cases of spun glass hair have been investigated with SEM and TEM. The SEM studies confirm previous findings by other authors. The TEM investigations reveal a completely normal cross section appearance. These findings stress the need for investigation of the time sequence of the keratinization process of the different layers of the inner root sheath.

Two males suffering from Mal de Meleda are described. Both had hairgrowth over the right thenar and one of them had hairgrowth on the sides of the right index and middle finger. In a third male a few black hairs over the right sole were seen.

A 16-year-old boy with a bullous eruption from the age of thirteen, also presented symptoms of scarring conjunctivitis and involvement of oral mucosal membranes. Linear IgA deposits were demonstrated in the basement membrane zone in skin and conjunctiva. The eruptions improved during therapy with aldesulfonsodium, but complete remission was not obtained. Gluten-free diet did not significantly infl ...

Two uncontrolled insulin dependent diabetic patients had Candida albicans infection with the unique manifestation of erythematous scaling papulopustules at the sites of excoriation. In one patient, the clinical presentation suggested herpes zoster. Recognition of this picture and the contributing factors, i.e. Candida infected finger nails and elevated blood sugar will permit early use of appropri ...

A 64-year-old woman developed biopsy-proven hepatitis during oral treatment of severe pustular psoriasis of palms and soles with an aromatic retinoid, etretinate. The elevations in hepatic enzyme levels reappeared when etretinate was reinstituted 18 months later. Analysis of serum and subcutis showed normal therapeutic concentrations of the drug. Isotretinoin therapy, although apparently devoid of ...

We describe a case of gingival hyperplasia in a 36-year-old renal transplantation recipient treated with nifedipine for severe arterial hypertension. The appearance of the gingival disorder was probably related to nifedipine intake. Histologically, in addition to the findings of acanthosis, papillomatosis and connective tissue hyperplasia, there was also an important plasma cell inflammatory infil ...