Between 1991 and 1993, 32 cases of fingernail mycosis and 20 cases of toenail mycosis caused by dermatophytes were treated with terbinafine. For 8 weeks, 250 mg of terbinafine was given daily for fingernail infections, and for 12 weeks the same dose was given for toenail involvement; the short-term follow-up was 24 and 48 weeks respectively. A long-term follow-up was performed twice, initially at 24 and then at 48 months after the end of the treatment. For fingernail mycosis, the mycological cure rate was 100% at the end of month 24 and 91% at the end of month 48. Mycological cultures gave negative results in toenail infections in 90% after 24 months and in 86% after 48 months. After 24 months, 23 out of 26 patients (88%) with fingernail and 17 out of 20 patients (95%) with toenail mycosis were clinically cured. After 48 months, 20 out of 22 cases (91%) with fingernail and 10 out of 14 cases (71%) with toenail involvement showed a complete cure.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Platelet-activating factor antagonist WEB 2086 inhibits ultraviolet-B radiation-induced dermatitis in the human skin.

It has been suggested that platelet-activating factor (PAF) plays a role in the pathomechanisms of various inflammatory diseases. In an experimental animal model we demonstrated earlier that a selective PAF receptor antagonist gel inhibits ultraviolet-B (UVB) light-induced edema in mouse ears. The goal of our present investigation was to determine whether locally applied WEB 2086, a selective PAF receptor antagonist, alters the dermatitis-causing effect of UVB light on human skin. We induced dermatitis in healthy volunteers by irradiating their skin with UVB light in increasing doses. The irradiated area was treated with WEB 2086 gel (3%) or with a placebo. Erythema was measured spectrophotometrically after 24 and 48 h. After both 24 and 48 h, the WEB 2086 gel significantly inhibited the UVB light-induced erythema at each radiation dose in comparison with the placebo. The PAF antagonist gel therefore proved to be effective against UVB-induced dermatitis. Our results may help to understand the relative importance of mediators in UVB-induced dermatitis and might perhaps pave the way to better therapeutic modalities in this condition.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Immunological studies in patients with discoid lupus erythematosus.

Disorders of serum proteins, circulating antibodies, immune complexes to the dermo-epidermal junction, B- and T-cell markers from peripheral blood lymphocytes and the suppressor function of peripheral mononuclear cells have been investigated in 106 patients with histologically proven discoid lupus erythematosus (discoid LE). The results confirm that this condition is primarily a localized skin disease with low concentrations of autoantigens and circulating autoantibodies. By contrast, systemic lupus erythematosus (systemic LE) is a multifocal, generalized disease with high concentrations of autoantigens, autoantibodies and immune complexes. The transformation of discoid LE to systemic LE is discussed, and a possible two-hit mechanism is proposed.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗