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Biomedical subjects

J Ring

Publications and source records attributed to J Ring.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

The level of prosaposin is decreased in the skin of patients with psoriasis vulgaris.

Ceramides are the most abundant lipids constituting the intercellular matrix of the skin stratum corneum and their critical role in skin homeostasis has been extensively documented. Their concentration in the skin highly depends on the rate of availability of the enzymes involved in ceramide generation. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the concentration of prosaposin was altered in the skin of patients with psoriasis vulgaris. Prosaposin, the precursor of saposins (sphingolipid activator proteins), was measured in lesional and nonlesional skin of psoriatic patients and in normal skin from surgical patients, both at the mRNA and at the protein level. Densitometric analysis of reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction bands separated by gel-electrophoresis showed a progressive decrease of prosaposin mRNA expression in nonlesional and lesional psoriatic skin, being substantially decreased in lesional psoriatic skin compared with normal control skin. Immunohistochemical analysis showed a significant decrease of prosaposin level in the stratum corneum of psoriatic lesional skin (both in active-type and in chronic-type plaque) compared with nonlesional and with normal skin (p < 0.01), and in psoriatic nonlesional skin compared with normal control (p < 0.05). Immunolocalization of sphingomyelinase in lesional and nonlesional psoriatic skin showed a decrease in the level of this enzyme in the stratum corneum of psoriatic lesional, compared with nonlesional skin. These results support the concept that disturbance of epidermal barrier function caused by derangement in ceramide generation can be crucial for the development of psoriatic skin diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Test-retest-reliability and validity of the Kinesiology muscle test.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the test-retest-reliability and validity of the Health Kinesiology muscle test. PATIENTS: Seven patients with clinically and allergologically confirmed wasp venom allergy. DESIGN: Four Health Kinesiology-examiners tested each patient in a random order for 10 verum and 10 placebo bottles. All examiners used the anterior deltoid as indicator muscle. Patients and examiners were completely blinded. OUTCOME MEASURES: Weak muscle holds were rated as 'sensitivity' towards the test substance, stable holding as normal (not sensitive). RESULTS: An overall kappa of 0.03 (95%-CI: -0.02-0.07) indicates the test is not reliable. Individual kappas do not substantially vary from examiner to examiner. Sensitivity and specificity were estimated at 40% and 60%. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the use of Health Kinesiology as a diagnostic tool is not more useful than random guessing. This should at least be true in patients with insect venom allergy that are tested by examiners with average skills.

Analysis of Variance↗
PubMed2001

Multistep navigation of Langerhans/dendritic cells in and out of the skin.

Langerhans cells (LCs) are specialized antigen-presenting cells that reside in the epidermis as sentinels of the immune system. LCs constantly monitor the epidermal microenvironment by taking up antigen and processing it into fragments that can be recognized by cells of the adaptive immune response. Because of their unique migratory ability, LCs can transport antigen from the epidermis to regional lymph nodes, where they can initiate systemic immune responses. The mechanisms of LC trafficking thus seem to be of particular relevance for the induction and maintenance of cutaneous immunity. LCs or their putative precursors express surface molecules that allow them to home to skin and localize in the epidermis for prolonged periods of time. Tissue injury, microbial infection, and other perturbants of epidermal homeostasis (eg, contact allergens) provide danger signals, leading to a local production of proinflammatory cytokines that induce LC mobilization to the lymphoid tissue. At the same time, signals are generated that recruit LC precursors into the skin to maintain the epidermal LC population. Distinct pairs of chemokines and their receptors control the migration from blood to epidermis and from there to the regional lymphatics. In addition, trafficking is controlled at the level of cell adhesion, where LCs downregulate some adhesion molecules to exit the epidermis and upregulate others to migrate across the extracellular matrix and home to T-cell areas of regional lymphoid tissue. The improved understanding of mechanisms that regulate LC trafficking might offer new opportunities for therapeutic interventions to suppress, stimulate, or deviate cutaneous immune responses.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Galli-Galli disease: an unrecognized entity or an acantholytic variant of Dowling-Degos disease?

Galli-Galli disease is an inherited disease characterized by slowly progressive and disfiguring reticulate hyperpigmentation of the flexures, clinically and histopathologically diagnostic for Dowling-Degos disease, but also associated with suprabasal, nondyskeratotic acantholysis. A few patients exhibiting these features have been described, mainly in the non-English-language literature, which suggests that Galli-Galli disease is not an entity of its own, as originally thought, but is an acantholytic variant of Dowling-Degos disease. We report a typical case of Galli-Galli disease, which supports this concept.

Acantholysis↗
PubMed2001

Neuroimmune interactions in the skin.

Neuroimmunologic aspects of skin inflammation involve several interacting systems. The modulating influence of autonomic and sensory nerves has been known for a long time. Neurokinines derived from these nerves have recently been shown to interact with antigen presentation in dermal Langerhans cells and other key functions of allergic skin disease. While some mechanisms of afferent function and local reflex are known, the nature of efferent effects (from brain to periphery) remains to be elucidated. New aspects include involvement of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor in addition to the autonomic nervous system in mental stress response and insight in the immunomodulation by proopiomelanocortins. Novel strategies for therapy and prevention of chronicity may also result from understanding the role of increased secretion of nerve growth factor in atopic eczema and psoriasis.

Humans↗
PubMed2001

Dihydroxyacetone in a new formulation--a powerful therapeutic option in vitiligo.

BACKGROUND: Most treatment protocols for vitiligo require a long treatment duration and usually do not result in complete repigmentation. Therefore, cosmetically acceptable and easily to handle alternatives are warranted. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the properties of dihydroxyacetone (DHA) in a new formulation for the treatment of vitiligo on exposed areas. METHODS: We treated 10 patients suffering from vitiligo affecting the face and/or hands with a newly introduced, commercially available self-bronzing cream containing DHA 5%. DHA was applied every second day. RESULTS: The characteristic pigmentation showed very satisfactory cosmetic results in 8 out of 10 patients after 2 weeks of treatment. CONCLUSION: The new DHA formulation is a practical and well-accepted treatment modality.

Cosmetics↗
PubMed2001

Onychogryphosis in elderly persons: an indicator of long-standing poor nursing care? Report of one case and review of the literature.

A 92-year-old immobilized white woman under the daily nursing care of a private ambulatory nursing service displayed acquired deformities of the toenails resembling a ram's horn. In light of a rapidly growing elderly population, this case report illustrates the need for close monitoring of the quality of care that nursing services provide to older persons. In addition, it reviews the clinical aspects of onychogryphosis, as well as its pathomechanisms and treatment options.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

[Contagious impetigo--pathogen spectrum and therapeutic consequences].

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this prospective study was to compare the clinical picture of contagious impetigo (C.I.) with the causative organism and to generate data of the susceptibility of bacteria as the basis for adequate therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In 126 patients with C.I. (86 children, 66 of them younger than 10 years) bacterial swabs were taken and antibiotic sensitivity testing for isolated organisms was tested. RESULTS: In all cases in which contents of vesicles or pustules were analysed, Staphylococcus aureus was the only pathogen isolated. In non-bullous variants of C.I. Staphylococcus aureus was the most often isolated organism as well. Both staphylococci and streptococci were isolated in 12 cases, whereas in just 9 cases streptococci were the only pathogen detected. All Staphylococcus aureus isolates were sensitive to flucloxacillin and cefotaxime. Erythromycin-resistance amounted to more than 20 percent. The percentage of resistant staphylococci against the predominantly topically applied antibiotics fusidinic acid and mupirocin was 2 and 0 per cent, respectively. CONCLUSION: For all manifestations of C.I. Staphylococcus aureus is at present the leading organism which has to be taken into consideration for treatment. If oral antibiotic therapy is indicated, penicillinase-stable penicillins or cephalosporins, preferably of the cefalexin-type, are the drugs of choice. Macrolides are no longer recommended for initiating of C.I. treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Individual differences in gains from computer-assisted remedial reading.

Two hundred second- to fifth-grade students (aged approximately 7 to 11 years) spent 29 h in a computer-assisted remedial reading program that compared benefits from accurate, speech-supported reading in context, with and without explicit phonological training. Children in the "accurate-reading-in-context" condition spent 22 individualized computer hours reading stories and 7 small-group hours learning comprehension strategies. Children in the "phonological-analysis" condition learned phonological strategies in 7 small-group hours, and divided their computer time between phonological exercises and story reading. Phonologically trained children gained more in phonological skills and untimed word reading; children with more contextual reading gained more in time-limited word reading. Lower level readers gained more, and benefited more from phonological training, than higher level readers. In follow-up testing, most children maintained or improved their levels, but not their rates, of training gains. Phonologically trained children scored higher on phonological decoding, but children in both conditions scored equivalently on word reading.

Child↗
PubMed2000

[Perianal streptococcal dermatitis].

Two boys aged 6 and 9 years presented with persistent sharply circumscribed perianal erythema. One boy had no other skin findings; the other had additional lesions on the genitalia and extremities. The diagnosis of perianal streptococcal dermatitis was made after streptococci were cultured from skin swabs. This primarily childhood disease should be distinguished from candidiasis and perianal atopic dermatitis. As in our cases, topical therapy is usually ineffective and oral penicillin remains the treatment of choice.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed2000

[Dubowitz syndrome and atopic eczema. Case report of monozygotic twins].

Autosomal recessive inheritance, intrauterine growth retardation, short stature, microcephaly, distinct facial dysmorphism, psychomotoric retardation, and often uncharacterized eczematous skin lesions distinguish the rare Dubowitz syndrome. Here a pair of monozygotic twins with Dubowitz syndrome and clear-cut atopic eczema is presented.

Child↗