Search PubMedSearch

Biomedical subjects

F Gschnait

Publications and source records attributed to F Gschnait.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Photoprotection by psoralen-UVA therapy: experimental and clinical results (author's transl)].

Studies on minimum erythema doses, histological investigations and quantitative determination of DNA repair synthesis of epidermal cells revealed that a tan induced by the oral administration of 8-methoxy-psoralen (8-MOP) and subsequent UVA irradiation gives protection from the erythemogenic effects of sunlight, diminishes UVA-induced cellular injury in the epidermis and, possibly, also shields DNA from incident UV radiation. In a study of 14 patients with severe polymorphous light dermatosis the 8-MOP-UVA induced tan proved to be a clinically effective sunscreen. The uncontrolled use of this method for UV protection of normal individual is, however, not recommended.

DNA Repair

[Danazol treatment of hereditary angioneurotic oedema (author's transl)].

Danazol, an attenuated androgen, was administered to four patients with hereditary angioneurotic oedema, with rapid and complete response without side-effects. The follow-up period has now been up to 17 months. In all patients there was an indirect indication that their hormonal state influenced the course of the disease.

Adult

[HLA B13, B17, B37 and Cw6 in psoriasis vulgaris: relationship to age of onset (author's transl)].

The frequency of HLA B13, B17, B37 and Cw6 was investigated in 77 patients with psoriasis vulgaris (57 patients with an onset of the disease between 10 and 20 years of age and 20 patients with an onset between 35 and 45 years). A highly significant increase in the frequency of the four HLA antigens tested was found. The highest relative risk was calculated for Cw6 (RR = 8.28). Furthermore, a significant positive association was observed between the presence of Cw6 and an early onset of psoriasis vulgaris.

Adolescent

Decreased DNA repair activity in sunburn cells. A possible pathogenetic factor of the epidermal sunburn reaction.

The pathogenesis of the formation of sunburn cells is unknown. Based on autoradiographic methods the unscheduled DNA repair synthesis of UV-induced thymin dimers was investigated in vivo in sunburn cells and in irradiated but histologically normal stratum spinosum cells. The results show a significant lower number of sparsly labeled cells in the sunburn cell-population (13.2 +/- 2.5; mean) when compared to the population of normal stratum spinosum cells (57.8 +/- 7.5; mean). These data indicate that the population of those epidermal cells, which become manifest as sunburn cells 24 h after UV exposure exhibit a reduced DNA repair of UV induced thymine dimers immediately after UV irradiation. Nuclear factors thus seem to play at least some role in the origin of sunburn cells.

DNA Repair

Kinetics of epidermal Langerhans cells.

Langerhans cells are considered to play an important role in the initiation of the immune response. This study was performed in order to analyze the kinetics of the Langerhans cell population under different experimental conditions. Using tritiated thymidine, the number of labeled Langerhans cells (demonstrated by the Leucinaminopeptidase reaction), and of labeled basal keratinocytes was investigated by autoradiography in guinea pig skin in vivo, before and 2, 5 and 8 days after stripping and before and 2, 5 and 8 days after initiation of repeated topical exposures to a 0.25% solution of dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB). In addition the total number of Langerhans cells per mm2 was determined before and after DNCB treatment of epidermal guinea pig sheet preparations using the ATPase reaction. A total of more than 100,000 cell as of basal keratinocytes was stimulated significantly (by statistical analysis), both by stripping and by application of DNCB. After stripping, however, the increase of the Langerhans cell turnover was found to be secondary to the turnover of basal keratinocytes, whereas after DNCB application the increase in the proliferative activity of Langerhans cells appeared as the primary event in epidermal cellular kinetics.

Animals

Failure to detect gliadin or gliadin binding sites in the skin of patients with dermatitis herpetiformis: immunofluorescence, organ culture and autoradiographic studies.

Recent investigations indicate an abnormal binding of gluten or gliadin to lymphocytes or intestinal mucosa cells in gluten sensitive enteropathy. Since dermatitis herpetiformis is closely associated to gluten sensitive enteropathy, similar receptors could also exist in the skin of patients with dermatitis herpetiformis. To prove this hypothesis, skin of normal volunteers and uninvolved skin of 3 patients with dermatitis herpetiformis was investigated for the presence of gliadin and gliadin binding sites. In vivo bound gliadin was not found by direct immunofluorescence using 3 different rabbit antigliadin antisera. In order to test skin for gliadin binding sites, normal sera and autologous dermatitis herpetiformis sera containing 25 mg% gliadin and tritium labeled gliadin, respectively, were used for incubation of normal and dermatitis herpetiformis skin cryocut sections and of normal and dermatitis herpetiformis skin specimens, grown under organ culture conditions. As checked by direct immunofluorescence and autoradiography, there was no specific in vitro binding of gliadin, indicating that gliadin does not fix to normal human or dermatitis herpetiformis skin. Thus, the role of gliadin in the fixation in vivo, of antibodies or immune complexes to skin in dermatitis herpetiformis, remains obscure.

Antibodies

PUVA suppresses the proliferative stimulus produced by stripping on hairless mice.

Hairless mice were fed with 8-methoxypsoralen by gastric tube and exposed to UVA light to produce threshold phototoxic reactions. 3H-thymidine autoradiography revealed no significant difference of the epidermal labelling index as compared to that of nonirradiated animals (4.8 vs 6.2). Single PUVA exposures performed 2,8,14 and 24 hr after tape stripping lead to suppression of a wave of synchronized DNA synthesis present in nonirradiated control animals. These data demonstrate different reactions of stripped and unstripped epidermis to PUVA exposures and offer indirect evidence for the suppression of DNA synthesis in hyperproliferative skin disorders by PUVA in vivo.

Animals

5-Methoxypsoralen (Bergapten) in photochemotherapy of psoriasis.

5-Methoxypsoralen (5-MOP, Bergapten) was evaluated as a potential photosensitizing drug in oral photochemotherapy of psoriasis. Treatment results indicate that (1) 5-MOP is as effective as, and in high doses more effective than, 8-methoxypsoralen in clearing psoriatic lesions; (2) therapeutic doses of 5-MOP do not lead to erythema; the acute side-effects of 8-MOP PUVA therapy--erythema, blistering, pruritus--are thus avoided; (3) even high doses of 5-MOP are not followed by nausea. 5-MOP PUVA therapy thus represents a real alternative to 8-MOP PUVA, its advantages over 8-MOP PUVA being greater safety and patient acceptance.

Drug Administration Schedule

Coincidence of vitiligo, alopecia areata, onychodystrophy, localized scleroderma and lichen planus.

The unique coincidence of five dermatological disorders, which occurred in a 39-year-old patient, is discussed. The clinical and laboratory examination did not reveal a common underlying cause. It is hoped this report will stimulate the recognition of other cases and thus aid in determining whether the coincidence of these disorders is a true association of diseases with a common underlying factor or a rare abnormality.

Adult

Serum uric acid levels in untreated and PUVA-treated patients with psoriasis.

Elevated uric acid serum levels are a frequent finding in psoriasis and, despite some reports to the contrary, it is generally believed that an association does exist between hyperuricemia and psoriasis. It seems a convincing idea that the rapid epidermal turnover in psoriasis might lead to an increased purine breakdown and may thus influence the uric acid serum levels. Consequently, a relationship might well be expected between hyperuricemia and the extent of psoriatic skin involvement. The present study was undertaken in order to prove or disprove such an assumption and to investigate the influence of oral photochemotherapy on the serum uric acid levels in psoriatic subjects.

Furocoumarins

[Diagnosis of lupus erythematosus].

For the exact classification of lupus erythematosus, morphological criteria alone (clinical picture, histopathology, immunopathology from involved skin, immunoelectron microscopy) are not sufficient. It is the aim of this paper to discuss briefly the known criteria for the diagnosis of systemic lupus erythematosus with particular reference to the interpretation of more recent deagnostic methods (determination of certain antinuclear antibodies; lupus band test; C1q-binding assay.

Antibodies, Antinuclear

[Ataxia telangiectasia (Louis-Bar syndrome)].

Ataxia telangiectasia (Louis-Bar syndrome) represents a disease of childhood, characterized by diffuse telangiectasia of the skin and the conjunctivae and cerebellar ataxia. Patients are frequently predisposed for infections due to disturbances of the cellular and humoral immunity. This paper discusses the syndrome referring to an own observation of ataxia telangiectasia and literature of the past.

Ataxia Telangiectasia

Kwashiorkor-like zinc deficiency syndrome in anorexia nervosa.

This report deals with a 26-year-old white woman exhibiting signs of both Kwashiorkor (marasmus, pallor, hypopigmentation of hair and hepatomegaly) and acrodermatitis enteropathica (eczematous dermatitis predominantly on acral areas). Clinical and laboratory examinations excluded malabsorption syndrome and glucagonoma syndrome and revealed hypoproteinemia and marked zinc deficiency. Psychiatric examination disclosed anorexia nervosa. Substitution therapy led to rapid clearing of the skin lesions.

Adult

Photoprotective effect of a psoralen-UVA-induced tan.

To determine whether a tan produced by 8-MOP and UVA protects from subsequent solar light irradiation, volunteers were irradiated with unfiltered Xenon arc light before and 10 days after a 1 week's course of four 8-MOP-UVA treatments. Evaluation of the minimal erythema doses and of histological changes before and after 8-MOP-UVA treatment revealed that the 8-MOP-UVA induced tan protected against the erythemogenic and cell damaging effects of Xenon arc light. Unscheduled repair DNA synthesis, used as a measure for UVB-induced DNA damage and repair, was also investigated in skin irradiated with the Xenon arc before and after 8-MOP-UVA induced tanning. Both the number of grains per sparse labeled cell and the number of sparse labeled cells per 1000 cells, were found to be significantly lower in tanned skin; taking decreased unschedules repair DNA synthesis as a measure for decreased DNA-damage, these findings also demonstrate a photoprotective effect of the 8--MOP-UVA induced tan.

DNA Repair

[Serum uric levels in patients with psoriasis vulgaris (author's transl)].

Hyperuicaemia is a frequent finding in psoriasis vulgaris. Enhanced purine catabolism due to the rapid turnover of psoriatric epidermis is thought to be the cause of the raised serum uric acid levels. In the present study serum acid determinations were performed in 197 patients with psoriasis vulgaris. Since no correlation was found between the extent of skin involvement and the incidence of hyperuricaemia, increased epidermopoesis does not seem to be an adequate explanation for hyperuricaemia in psoriasis. An analysis of body weight and serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels in psoriatic patients points to a combination of genetic predisposition and overeating as the causes of hyperuricaemia.

Body Weight