Content - Volume 66, Issue 4

The phenotypes of infiltrating cells and class II transplantation antigens on keratinocytes in candida and dermatophyte lesions from 15 patients were analysed in situ with an immunohistochemical double staining technique combined with periodic acid-Schiff staining. In five out of ten biopsies from candida lesions and in one of five biopsies from dermatophyte lesions the keratinocytes expressed HLA ...

The dry looking skin seen in many patients with atopic dermatitis reflects a defect in the epidermal barrier, the stratum corneum, as demonstrated by an increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and a decreased ability of the stratum corneum to bind water. The absolute amount of water within the stratum corneum is of importance both for barrier properties and for the clinical appearance of the sk ...

Polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) of patients suffering from psoriasis and atopic dermatitis are supposed to differ in their function from the PMN of normals. However, conflicting results have been reported. Using a lucigenin-dependent chemiluminescence we investigated the response of isolated PMN from patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis to different stimuli. PMN of 17 patients wit ...

In subjects hypersensitive to nickel we have investigated local and systemic effect of whole body exposure of cumulative suberythema UVB doses as well as solarium-UVA exposure. UVB possesses both locally and systemically a suppressive effect on human allergic contact dermatitis, but UVA has no such effect. The systemic suppressive effect of UVB might be of therapeutic importance in patients with s ...

Metabolites of histidine were determined by high performance liquid chromatography in suction blister fluids from lesions and normal appearing skin of patients with psoriasis and from healthy subjects. There was a significant decrease in the levels of histidine and urocanic acid in the samples obtained from patients with psoriasis as compared to healthy subjects. Virtually only the E-isomer of uro ...

Androgens are important in the pathogenesis of acne, and free testosterone in the serum is regarded as the biologically active component. In this study, serum free and total testosterone levels were measured in men (34) and women (14), suffering from acne but otherwise healthy. The plasma values for both groups of patients did not differ significantly from those of the age matched control groups.

Free fatty acids in sebum arise from lipolytic action of bacterial lipases. We have demonstrated an inhibitory effect of zinc on the lipase of the three Propionibacterium species found in human pilosebaceous follicles. We were also able to show a small corresponding fall in the free fatty acid content of skin surface lipid in vivo in acne patients treated with zinc, though this failed to reach sta ...

In 27 patients with vitiligo punch biopsies from vitiliginous skin to normal skin and vice versa were performed. Of the vitiligo grafts 69% showed donor dominance and 31% receptor dominance. When normal skin was transplanted 74% showed receptor dominance and 26% donor dominance. In 13 patients (52%) blood screening pointed towards an autoimmune disease.

The administration of an Elemental Diet to 5 patients with dermatitis herpetiformis, requiring high doses of Dapsone (diaminodiphenylsulfone, DDS), showed a rapid and beneficial effect on the skin lesions within two weeks. This effect was not influenced by simultaneous gluten challenge in one patient. A possible explanation is a reduction in the amount of harmful immune complexes due to the elimin ...

In psoriatic arthropathy the data obtained after two years of etretinate treatment in 20 adult male patients, are reported. The beneficial effects of the drug on the objective symptoms are accompanied by an improvement in the biohumoral parameters evaluated. The dose was 1 mg/kg/day for one month, with subsequent adjustments in relation to the results obtained with a maintenance dose of 25 mg/day, ...

During one year 738 gonococcal isolates from 731 consecutive patients with gonorrhoea were collected and classified by co-agglutination using W I and W II/III specific monoclonal antibodies. Eight W I and 30 W II/III serovars (serovariants) were seen. In both serogroups the most frequent serovar among isolates from women and heterosexual men differed from that among isolates from homosexual men. F ...

The relationship of acetylation phenotype to skin complexion was studied in 155 healthy Caucasians. Individuals received 500 mg sulphadimidine at 11.00 p.m.; urine was collected eight hours later. The percentage of acetylated sulphadimidine in urine was measured with high performance liquid chromatography. There was a slight but insignificant preponderance of slow acetylators in the dark skin type ...

Dercum´s disease or adiposis dolorosa is a poorly understood disorder with painful fatty deposits in the skin localized to the lower extremities. The etiology is unknown. In such a patient the mechanisms of local regulation of blood flow in subcutaneous tissue was investigated by the local 133Xenon washout technique. The patient was reinvestigated one week after treatment with intravenous lidocai ...

Fifteen timed biopsies of human skin were performed after application of 100 nanograms of leukotriene B4 in a Finnchamber for six hours. The number of inflammatory cells were counted per high power perivascular field and compared to three control biopsies. At 24 hours a peak of neutrophiles was observed and subsequently lymphocytes predominated. Eosinophils were never prominent. This pattern of su ...

We have studied the effect on the Langerhans´ cell (LC) population of topical 3% coal tar therapy. Biopsies were taken from psoriatic plaques and from controls with no skin disease before and after the application of 3% coal tar for one week; LC were identified by immunofluorescence using monoclonal antibody. LC counts expressed per unit epidermal surface length were similar in untreated psoriasi ...

The effects of retinol, all-trans-retinoic acid, isotretinoin and etretinate on the activity of basement membrane collagen degrading enzyme was studied in melanoma cells. The results indicated that retinoids at concentrations of up to 10(-6) M did not significantly affect type IV collagenolytic activity in these cells in vitro. Since type IV collagenolytic enzyme may be involved in the metastatic ...

The combination of hydroxyzine and cimetidine is reported to be more effective than hydroxyzine alone in chronic urticaria. The plasma concentration of hydroxyzine was studied in seven patients treated both with the hydroxyzine 25 mg t.i.d. and the combinations of hydroxyzine 25 mg and cimetidine 200 mg t.i.d. Hydroxyzine plasma concentrations were definitely higher during the combination treatmen ...

We describe an unusual case of a child who had had incontinentia pigmenti from birth and developed the clinical picture of Beh?ßet´s syndrome at five years of age. Among the various investigations performed, chemotactic activity of the polymorphonuclear leukocyte was found to be low. We discuss the possibility that there are common immunological abnormalities in the two syndromes.

A 63-year-old female who had been suffering from intractable palmoplantar keratoderma for 13 years was found to have myxedema. Shortly after institution of substitution therapy with thyroid hormone there was a striking improvement in her condition. The possibility of a causal relationship between hypothyroidism and hyperkeratosis is suggested.

Several factors may trigger or be associated with acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis (AFND). We report a case of AFND following BCG vaccination as an interesting association although no direct interrelation can be certified.

Zinc deficiency was diagnosed in a breast-fed mature infant and her sister. In both infants the characteristic dermatitis appeared on the face and buttocks around 10 weeks of age. It responded rapidly to zinc supplements. Their mother´s serum zinc level was slightly low but her milk was found to be remarkably low in zinc. Oral zinc supplementation could correct only her serum zinc level but not h ...

The case history of a patient with mycosis fungoides (tumour stage) is reported. As ultimum refugium pyrogallol 5% in petrolatum proved to be remarkably effective.

In an open uncontrolled study eight patients with vulval lichen sclerosus et atrophicus were given etretinate (Tigason) 1 mg/kg/day. The dose was then gradually reduced according to effect and side effects. Six patients showed improvement in symptoms and in clinical morphology based on the physician´s evaluation and photographic documentation. In four of five patients where biopsies were taken, t ...

A 74-year-old woman with a chronic, severe, erosive lichen planus on the tongue, buccal mucosa and toes was treated successfully with dapsone. Previous therapy had failed, Partly due to side effects.