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Biomedical subjects

C Antoniou

Publications and source records attributed to C Antoniou.

30 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Guidelines for the treatment of vitiligo.

At present, there is no universally effective drug for vitiligo therapy; there are, however, various therapeutic modalities that may be beneficial. Therapeutic regimens used to treat vitiligo include psoralens and ultraviolet A light (PUVA), topical corticosteroids, fluorouracil locally applied with skin abrasion, a variety of surgical techniques to transplant autologous melanocytes from pigmented skin to nonpigmenting areas, a new photochemotherapeutic regimen using oral khellin with UVA phototherapy, and a recently proposed treatment with oral phenylalanine in combination with UVA exposure. PUVA and topical corticosteroids are the 2 most frequently used modalities. The use of effective sunscreens with a high sun protection factor (SPF) is of help in preventing the vitiliginous areas from burning and normal skin from becoming tanned. Cosmetic camouflage is also useful to disguise the white areas of skin. Finally, depigmentation should be considered in patients with greater than 50% cutaneous involvement who fail to respond or are unwilling to undergo treatment. The selection of patients for therapy should take into consideration the patient's motivation, the psychological impact of the disease and the clinical presentation of vitiligo, and should weigh the risks and benefits of prolonged therapy.

Humans↗

A double-blind trial of treatment of seborrhoeic dermatitis with 2% ketoconazole cream compared with 1% hydrocortisone cream.

Fifty patients with seborrhoeic dermatitis were treated with 2% ketoconazole cream (n = 24) or with 1% hydrocortisone cream (n = 26) for 4 weeks in a double-blind comparative study. These twice daily applications resulted in 87.2% symptomatic improvement for hydrocortisone vs. 81.6% for ketoconazole. The number of P. ovale yeasts was significantly reduced after the application of ketoconazole compared with hydrocortisone. The incidence of side-effects was low in both groups.

Administration, Topical↗

Vitiligo therapy with oral and topical phenylalanine with UVA exposure.

The administration of phenylalanine (Phe) combined with UVA exposure was found to be effective in treating vitiligo. Twenty-one patients with vitiligo were divided in two groups: eleven patients were treated with oral L-Phe in a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight and with UVA exposure and ten patients were treated with oral L-Phe in a dose of 100 mg/kg body weight and with UVA exposure. In addition, in the second group, a cream containing 10% L-Phe was applied to the vitiliginous areas. The best results occurred in the second group. No side effects were found in either group.

Administration, Oral↗

Ketoconazole 2% cream versus hydrocortisone 1% cream in the treatment of seborrheic dermatitis. A double-blind comparative study.

Seventy-two patients with seborrheic dermatitis were treated once daily with 2% ketoconazole cream (n = 36) or 1% hydrocortisone cream (n = 36) on a double-blind basis for 4 weeks. For the global evaluation, no significant difference could be seen between the two groups. The clinical response was 80.5% in the ketoconazole group and 94.4% in the hydrocortisone group. For the different symptoms combined (scaling, redness, itching, and papules), no significant difference was seen between the two groups when the total scores at week 2 and at week 4 were compared with the initial scores. The incidence of side effects in both groups was comparably low.

Administration, Cutaneous↗

The effect of respiratory motion on the echocardiogram.

The effects of respiratory movements on the ultrasonic echoes of the cardiac structures were recorded and analyzed in 50 consecutive patients. Deep inspiration in cooperative patients resulted in a considerable increase of dense anterior echoes, with blotting out of any distal or posterior echoes in 12 of 44 patients (group A). In the second or larger series (32 of 44 patients; group B), a posterior displacement of most of the identifiable intrinsic cardiac echoes was seen with deep inspiration, particularly those of the posterior wall of the left ventricle. Forced expiration produced an opposite or anterior displacement of the cardiac echoes. Normal respirations showed similar but smaller excursions.

Echocardiography↗

Bigeminal ventricular tachycardia with Wenckebach exit block.

A patient is presented in whom repeated attacks of ventricular tachycardia occurred. His last and fatal attack revealed an alternation or coupling of the cycle lengths of the ventricular beats. A large left ventricular wall aneurysm was found, which probably accounted for the unusual arrhythmias.

Aged↗

Penetration studies of topically applied substances: Optical determination of the amount of stratum corneum removed by tape stripping.

Tape stripping is a standard measuring method for the investigation of the dermatopharmacokinetics of topically applied substances using adhesive films. These tape strips are successively applied and removed from the skin after application and penetration of topically applied substances. Thus, layers of corneocytes and some amount of topical applied substances are removed. The amount of substances and the amount of stratum corneum removed with a single tape strip has to be determined for the calculation of the penetration profile. The topically applied substances removed from the skin can be determined by classical analytical methods like high-pressure liquid chromatography, mass spectroscopy, and spectroscopic measurements. The amount of corneocytes on the tape strips can be easily detected by their pseudoabsorption. In the present paper, an easy and cheap corneocyte density analyzer is presented that is based on a slide projector. Comparing the results of the measurements obtained by the corneocyte density analyzer and by uv-visible spectrometry, identical results were obtained.

Administration, Topical↗

UV/VIS absorbance allows rapid, accurate, and reproducible mass determination of corneocytes removed by tape stripping.

The accurate determination of the mass of the horny layer removed by tape stripping is a decisive prerequisite for the application of this technique in penetration studies. A novel method using optical spectroscopy to determine the amount of stratum corneum (SC) is presented. We could show that the absorbance measured in the visible spectral range accurately reflects the mass of the SC fixed on individual tapes. Furthermore, absorbance measurement allows determination of the absolute mass of corneocyte aggregates on the removed tape strips. Topically applied substances do not disturb the spectroscopic measurements in contrast to the conventionally employed weight determination. Identical results were obtained when performing spectroscopic horny layer quantification independently in two separate institutions. Taken together, this new method is rapid, sensitive, reproducible, and accurate. We anticipate a wide application in penetration studies as well as in dermatopharmacokinetics.

Adult↗