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Biomedical subjects

A Varelzidis

Publications and source records attributed to A Varelzidis.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Thyroid autoantibodies in the subsets of lupus erythematosus: correlation with other autoantibodies and thyroid function.

Thirty four sera from: 12 patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), 9 with Subacute Cutaneous Lupus Erythematosus (SCLE) and 13 with Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE) (disseminatus 3, localised 10) were tested for the presence of: (a) anti-thyroglobulin and anti-microsomal autoantibodies (b) anti-Sm/RNP, anti-doublestranded. DNA (anti-ds. DNA), anti-single-Stranded. DNA (anti-ss. DNA), anti-cardiolipin (anti-Cl), anti-SSA, anti-SSB, Antinuclear Antibodies (ANA). T3, T4, TSH levels were also determined. Five patients with SLE (41.6%), 4 with SCLE (44.4%), and 2 with DLE (15.3%) had thyroid autoantibodies and only three of the 41 controls (7.3%). Five patients (14.7%), especially from SLE and SCLE groups, had biochemical hypothyroidism whereas only one had hyperthyroidism. Statistical evaluation for the possible coexistence of thyroid autoantibodies with a panel of lupus characteristic autoantibodies, revealed highly significant correlations with anti-Sm/RNP, IgG (p = 0.003) and anti-ds. DNA, IgM (p = 0.012). It may be concluded, that not only SLE but also SCLE predisposes to autoimmune thyroid disease and the prevalence of the latter is related to a great extent to the subset of the LE spectrum. From these results and from the inhibition experiments, it seems that some of the specific mono- or polyclonal autoantibodies may be multiple organ reactive.

Adult

Congenital sensory neuropathy with anhidrosis (hereditary sensory neuropathy type IV).

Hereditary sensory neuropathies comprise a group of rare childhood diseases which are classified into four types. We present a Greek boy 11 years old with hereditary sensory neuropathy type IV (congenital sensory neuropathy with anhidrosis) whom we have followed up and studied during the last seven years. Our patient presented for the first time with recurrent hyperthermic episodes without sweating, and lack of pain sensation from the first months of life. Insensitivity to pain and thermal stimuli had resulted in burns on the extremities and self-mutilation of the tongue, lips and fingertips. When he was five and seven years old respectively he had two painless fractures of the ankles which led to insoluble orthopedic problems. He also suffered from mental retardation, which was obvious from his first years of life. Sweat gland investigations showed significant hypohidrosis or anhidrosis although the sweat glands were normal microscopically. Hereditary sensory neuropathy type IV, although rare, is important for dermatologists because it must be differentiated from other anhidrotic syndromes, and in view of the poor prognosis of the condition.

Child, Preschool

Coexistence of pemphigus vulgaris, malignant melanoma and low-grade lymphoma.

A 53-year-old female patient with pemphigus vulgaris under continuous immunosuppressive therapy for about 2 years presented a superficial spreading malignant melanoma on a pre-existing melanocytic naevus. After surgical removal of the inguinal lymph node group, a diffuse low-grade polymorphous immunocytoma was proved both histologically and immunocytochemically. The possible induction mechanisms are discussed.

Female

Infiltrate of syphilitic lesions before and after treatment.

An immunohistological study of skin biopsy specimens from patients with early syphilis was undertaken before and after treatment (one day after intramuscular administration of 2.4 MIU benzathine penicillin and eight days later, after a total administration of 3.6 MIU. In chancres from seronegative patients treatment with 3.6 MIU usually resulted in fewer immunocompetent cells in the infiltrate. In lesions of secondary syphilis treatment with 2.4 MIU benzathine penicillin produced a significant decrease in immunocompetent cells. After treatment with 3.6 MIU there was no further decrease. It was worth noticing that even eight to nine days after the initial pretreatment biopsy, when 3.6 MIU had been administered, the overall lymphohistiocytic infiltrate was not substantially diminished. Significantly more suppressor (T8+) cells were found in lesions of primary syphilis than of secondary syphilis, and they showed remarkable exocytosis. Activated local T8+ cells may release immunosuppressive lymphokines.

Dendritic Cells

Vitiligo as a reaction to topical treatment with diphencyprone.

During the topical treatment of 45 patients, who had extensive forms of alopecia areata, with the allergen diphencyprone, 3 of them (6.7%) developed vitiligo. Two were females and 1 male aged 53, 19 and 28 years respectively. None of these patients had a personal or family history of vitiligo. Vitiligo appeared 3-5 months after the onset of treatment and was localized only to the areas of topical application in the younger woman and the man. In the older woman, vitiligo extended to several areas apart from those where the medicament was applied. After the end of diphencyprone treatment, vitiligo had a spontaneous significant improvement only in the man. Mitochondrial autoantibodies were found in the older woman only. To our knowledge, vitiligo due to diphencyprone has not been previously reported.

Administration, Topical

Nuchal nevus flammeus as a skin marker of prognosis in alopecia areata.

In this work, the incidence of nuchal nevus flammeus was studied in 205 patients suffering from various forms of alopecia areata, as well as in a group of 555 volunteers without alopecia areata examined in our outpatient clinic. The incidence of nuchal nevus flammeus in the totalis-universalis form of alopecia areata was 58.2% (examined patients, n = 79), in ophiasis-extensive forms 22.8% (examined patients, n = 70) and in simple forms of alopecia areata 3.6% (examined patients, n = 56). In the group of 555 volunteers without alopecia areata the incidence of nuchal nevus flammeus was 4.5%. Our results show that nuchal nevus flammeus could be a valuable skin marker indicating a more severe course of alopecia areata.

Adolescent

Delayed hypersensitivity and differences of histologic pattern in allergic cutaneous vasculitis.

Fourteen patients with allergic cutaneous vasculitis of either the polymorphonuclear (PMN)- or the mononuclear (MN)-predominant type were studied as regards the following parameters: the disease duration, histology, monoclonal antibody typing of the mononuclear cell infiltrate from recent lesions, and the delayed hypersensitivity (DH) response, assessed both by recall antigens (tuberculin type) and the dinitrochlorobenzene skin test. From the results, it was shown that in PMN-predominant vasculitis, DH reactions were well elicited, whereas in MN-predominant vasculitis, DH skin reactions were somehow impaired. In MN-predominant cases, many OKT3+, OKT4+, OKT8+, and OKM1+ cells were usually seen to surround the skin vessels, whereas in PMN-predominant cases, rare OKT8+, OKT4+, or OKM1+ cells were seen in the dermis. The epidermal dendritic cell system, as revealed by the Na(1)34 monoclonal antibody, was unaffected in both types of allergic cutaneous vasculitis.

Adult

Some further features for differential diagnosis between squamous cell carcinomas and basal cell epitheliomas.

Two further methods for the characterization of epidermal skin tumors are described: the antinuclear antibody (ANA) immunofluorescent test, which consists of indirect immunofluorescence with known high titer sera containing homogenous ANAs on epidermal skin tumors, and the ammoniacal-silver cytochemical method, which specifically stains nuclear histones. Squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), basal cell epitheliomas (BCEs) as well as control specimens from normal skin and benign epidermal hyperplasias were studied. The ANA immunofluorescent test was positive for most SCCs, mixed SCC and basal cell carcinomas and metatypical BCEs. The ammoniacal-silver method gave a characteristic staining pattern shared among SCCs, mixed carcinomas and metatypical BCEs. BCEs, besides metatypical ones, were always negative by the ANA immunofluorescent test and the same applied for the control specimens. The ammoniacal-silver method gave a characteristic staining pattern for BCEs and control sections quite different from the staining pattern of the more aggressive forms of epidermal tumors. The two methods usually yielded parallel results.

Antibodies, Antinuclear

Topical treatment of condylomata acuminata with Solcoderm.

Of 85 patients with condylomata acuminata treated topically with Solcoderm, the lesions were apparently eradicated in all but 11 (12.9%), and recurrences were noted in 6 during a 3-month follow-up. Only 1 treatment was required in 55 (64.7%) of the treated subjects.

Acetates

Sweat gland disturbances in granuloma annulare and necrobiosis lipoidica.

We studied sweat gland distribution, density and activity in thirteen cases of granuloma annulare and ten cases of necrobiosis lipoidica, using a combination of the plastic impression and starch-iodine methods. The pattern of sweat gland disturbance in the two diseases was entirely different. In necrobiosis lipoidica an intense and uniform hypohidrosis was detected throughout the lesion, whereas in granuloma annulare the disturbance followed the morphology of the lesion (the papular border showed complete anhidrosis, whereas the flat central part of the lesion showed only moderate hypohidrosis or normal sweating). The method assigns numerical values to the 'relative density' and the 'relative activity' of the functioning sweat glands compared with normal skin, thus permitting statistical evaluation of the results.

Adolescent