Content - Volume 66, Issue 2

A unique leukocyte chemotactic factor of around 12 kD molecular weight has been suggested to be responsible for the mechanisms involved in transepidermal migration of leukocytes observed in psoriasis and related sterile pustular dermatoses. Although we confirmed with radioimmunoassay the presence of a C5-cleavage product in the chemotactic fractions from psoriatic scale extract eluted by gel filtr ...

Hydrolysis of 17-butyrate 21-propionate (HBP) by human keratinocytes was studied using an in vitro system. In the culture of human keratinocytes 1.308 nmole/ml of hydrocortisone 17-butyrate (de-esterified HBP at the position of 21) was found at 1 h after the addition of 10 nmole/ml HBP. At 6 h most of HBP was de-esterified to become HB17 and a small amount of hydrocortisone 21-propionate (de-ester ...

The trace element concentrations of Se, Rb, Zn, Fe, Co, Cs, Mg, Ca, F, Cu, Cr and Ag in serum and of Se, Rb, Zn, Fe, Co and Cs in red cells of Finnish alopecia patients were determined. In addition the Cu and Zn content in 24 h urine and Cu, Zn, Cd, Cr and Se concentrations in the hair of these patients were studied. No differences in element concentrations of the samples mentioned above as compar ...

The sensitizing capacity of 4,4(1)-dihydroxy-3-(hydroxymethyl)-diphenyl methane (4,4(1)-H-3-HPM), 4,4(1)-dihydroxy-3,3(1)-di-(hydroxymethyl)-diphenyl methane 4,4(1)-H-3,3(1)--HPM) and 4,4(1)-dihydroxy-3,5-di-(hydroxymethyl)-diphenyl methane (4,4(1)-H-3,5-HPM) was investigated using the guinea pig maximization text. These compounds are known contact sensitizers in phenol-formaldehyde resins (P-F-R) ...

In the present study we induced mild irritant contact reactions by using 0.5% sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) in distilled water or with distilled water in patch tests for 6 or 24 hours. The biopsies were taken at 6, 24, 48 and 96 hours. Light and electron microscopy were used to assess the irritant reactions produced and the monoclonal antibody OKT6 was used for the detection of the LCs. The number ...

Sera from 32 patients with atopic dermatitis and 22 patients with psoriasis were examined for the presence of circulating immune complexes (CIC) in comparison to 51 healthy controls using a PEG-precipitation laser nephelometer technique. Different patterns of the precipitated proteins were found in both diseases. In atopic dermatitis C3 and IgG were significantly elevated in CIC. Furthermore, sign ...

The diagnostic value of the Tzanck smear was investigated in 76 patients of a pediatric hospital population suffering from vesicular, erosive or bullous skin disorders. Examination took place by two investigators together (AB), besides the smears were examined by two others (C and D) double blind. Sensitivity for patients with clinical herpetic infections was greater than 80%, specificity for thos ...

Steroid sulphatase (STS) activity was measured with tritiated dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEAS) and oestrone sulphate (OES) in leucocytes as well as in skin fibroblasts from 31 women who were presumed to be carriers of STS deficiency and recessive X-linked ichthyosis. Overall, 30 of the 31 women (96.8%) could be identified as heterozygotes in at least one of the four assay systems used, i.e. ...

Measurements were made of capillary luminal diameters and capillary numbers in four groups: 19 normal controls 10 patients with ´idiopathic´ Raynaud´s disease, 12 patients with Raynaud´s phenomenon with an underlying connective tissue disease other than systemic sclerosis, and 18 patients with systemic sclerosis. There was a significant reduction of capillary numbers in all three patient group ...

During a trial of isotretinoin (0.5 mg/kg body weight/day for 3 months) in 90 patients with severe acne, the leucocyte (WBC) count, and particularly the number of neutrophils, decreased significantly. In patients with a good response the mean WBC count fell by 24% and the neutrophils by 33%, whereas in those with a poor response these variables decreased by 8% and 14%, respectively. The serum ALAT ...

Thirty patients have been treated with either etretin, the main derivative of etretinate, or arotinoid Ro 13-6298, a polyaromatic retinoid, or isotretinoin. Sebum production was measured before and during the treatments. While no change was observed in the patients treated with etretin, a reduction of 33% of the sebum excretion rate was observed for those treated with arotinoid Ro 13-6298 but only ...

Peripheral blood T-cell subpopulations were evaluated in 32 patients affected by viral warts and in 32 unaffected individuals belonging to a control group. A significant decrease was found in total lymphocytes as well as OKT3 and OKT4 subsets among affected patients. A significant negative correlation was also found between OKT3 and OKT4 numbers as well as OKT4/OKT8 ratio and duration and extent o ...

Among 5 500 seborrheic keratoses 3 were found with marked squamous cell atypia. Clinically they were seborrheic keratoses. Even though they were incompletely removed, no recurrences were observed. In contrast to some reports in the literature we regard these lesions as biologically benign, and suggest that they be treated accordingly.

Numerous, painless, dark-red small papules approximately 300 in number developed in a localized area of the left abdomen of a 16-year-old Japanese male in a course of 4 years. Histologically, there were dilated vascular spaces surrounded by one to three layers of cuboidal cells in the upper and mid dermis. Electron microscopic examination revealed the characteristic muscle cell structure of the tu ...

A 46-year-old man with pustular psoriasis and recurring episodes of severe cholestatic liver disease is described. Six icteric periods have occurred parallelling high activity of the skin disease.

Most reports of skin malignancy associated with varicose ulceration have described carcinomatous change (1). The development of fibrosarcoma in varicose ulcers is considerably rare but has also been described (2). We report a case of angiosarcoma developing at the site of longstanding varicose ulceration.

Pentachlorophenol (PCP) and its sodium salt are frequently used in wood preservatives. Little is known about the effects on man when being chronically exposed. Only vague skin symptoms, such as rashes, acne and cutaneous infections were described. We present two cases of pemphigus vulgaris with a known non-occupational chronic PCP exposure. The clinical course and the titer of pemphigus antibodies ...

The major symptoms of Lawrence-Seip syndrome or generalized lipodystrophy consist of muscle hypertrophy, loss of subcutaneous fat, hyperlipaemia, diabetes mellitus and acanthosis nigricans. We have successfully treated acanthosis nigricans in a patient with Lawrence-Seip syndrome.

A woman with nevoid hyperkeratosis of the nipple and areola appearing during puberty is described. It remained unchanged during two pregnancies and caused no problem when breast feeding her two children. Etretinate (1 mg/kg/day) was ineffective in the treatment of this dermatosis.

Ten patients with systemic sclerosis were treated with benoxaprofen, a potent lipoxygenase inhibitor, for a period of 6 months. In an attempt to evaluate the efficacy a number of physical disease parameters were followed during the trial. None of these parameters revealed any significant differences. There was, however, a trend for a change towards normalisation of a defect monocyte chemotaxis. In ...

Fifty patients with extensive alopecia areata took part in a prolonged double blind trial to compare the effect of 1% minoxidil in unguentum merck with that of unguentum merck alone. There was no significant difference between the hair growth of patients treated with the placebo or with the active compound.

Thirty patients having mosaic warts of the soles for 2 years (range 3 months-6 years) were treated daily with a wax-based anthralin stick supplemented by weekly paring. Six patients dropped out, because they failed to appear for follow-up. Of the remaining patients 17/24 cleared, whereas the warts persisted in 7/24. Although the trial was an open study, this result can hardly be explained by place ...