J.H.S. Beau and his descriptions of transverse depressions on nails.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to K Weismann.
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A double-blind controlled clinical trial was performed to evaluate the effect of oral zinc sulphate, 0.6 g daily, on acne vulgaris. Twenty patients received zinc sulphate tablets and 19 were given placebo tablets. Thirteen of the zinc group and 12 of the placebo group received their medication throughout a 12-week period, while the remaining patients were treated for 4 or 8 weeks. In all patients the numbers or papular and pustular acne lesions on the face and the back were significantly reduced, while larger infiltrates remained practically unaltered during the trial, which was performed from March through May 1975. No statistically significant difference in the improvement of the groups was demonstrable. Pretreatment serum zinc values, which were normal in all patients, rose significantly in the zinc group as well as in the control group, but the increase in the former was significantly higher. The negative therapeutical results might be attributable to the limited number of patients or related to the zinc dosage. Furthermore, the results might have been influenced by the unexplained rise in serum zinc values in the control group. A possible weak beneficial effect of zinc might also have been camouflaged by the seasonal variation in the severity of acne which was noted in this study.
A 47-year-old man with ulcerative colitis developed severe zinc deficiency during longterm intravenous feeding. Early symptoms included seborrhoeic lesions in the face and scalp. Later on his general condition deteriorated, and erythema and bullae erupted in the fingers, together with an erosive area with a marked border in the perianeal and scrotal regions. The symptomatology was suggestive of zinc depletion syndrome, a recently recognised acrodermatitis-enteropathica-like disorder in patients receiving longterm total intravenous feeding. A significantly lowered serum zinc level and a prompt beneficial response to intravenous zinc therapy (20 mg Zn2+ daily for one week) substantiate the provisional clinical diagnosis. As zinc depletion is caused by a zinc free parenteral alimentation this serious complication should be avoided by adding zinc to the infusions. Serum zinc determinations should be carried out as a control of the prophylactic zinc supply. Possibly, zinc plays a role in the symptomatology of various disorders with skin and bowel symptoms.
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Thirty-one patients with resistant psoriasis were treated with 8-methoxypsoralen orally, followed by irradiation with long-wave ultraviolet light (PUVA). The initial irradiance was 1.4 Joule/cm2, increased by 0.5 Joule/cm2 at the following exposures, to a maximum of 4.2 Joule/cm2. The 8-methoxypsoralen dosage was approximately 0.5 mg/kg body weight. In 17 patients psoriasis cleared completely after 10.8 +/- 3.4 exposures (mean +/- S.D.). In 12 patients the healing was almost complete after 14.5 +/- 5.8 exposures. Adverse effects were negligible. After clearing, the patients were followed without further therapy. Psoriasis recurred in approximately half of those patients followed for more than 2 months, on average 5 weeks after cessation of treatment. PUVA is an effective and agreeable therapy for recalcitrant psoriasis. Further studies must be carried out to evaluate the risks of a long-term treatment.
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A 51-year-old woman, addicted to beer for several years, developed chronic zinc deficiency which caused severe mental impairment, a poor general condition with edema and diarrhea, widespread eczema craquelé and loss of hair. Laboratory tests showed a significantly lowered serum zinc concentration, microcytic anemia, an inversed serum albumin/gamma-globulin ratio and a decreased serum thyroxine. Two years earlier, her external pancreatic function had been found severely impaired. Following oral therapy with zinc sulfate 0.2 g X 3R, daily, the patient's mental and physical condition totally changed. In two weeks serum zinc was within the normal range, while hemoglobin concentration, serum proteins, serum thyroxine became normal in 4-8 weeks.
Adema disease and acrodermatitis enteropathica, two parallel syndromes in calves of Friesian descent and in man, are described. Both are congenital zinc deficiency disorders with a lethal course if left untreated. Complete recovery follows oral zinc therapy. Symptoms and findings are set out in Table I. Diseased calves may serve as animal models for further studies on acrodermatitis enteropathica and the biological role of zinc.
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The disappearance of methotrexate (MTX) from serum was studied using H3-MTX. The overall elimination half-life (MTX T1/2) was well defined from one to about six hours after i.v. administration; in 25 patients it ranged from 102 min to 750 min and was inversely related to endogenous creatinine clearance, which ranged from 6 to 140 ml/min. The corresponding apparent volume of distribution, V, obtained by extrapolation tended to decrease at lower levels of renal function. The total clearance of MTX calculated in this period varied linearly with creatinine clearance. In patients with normal serum creatinine concentration, the half-life increased with advancing age, which reflects the concurrent age-dependent decrease in creatinine production and renal function. This illustrates the need for knowledge of renal function, not based solely on serum creatinine concentration, in patients treated with methotrexate or other drugs eliminated by the kidneys. In 9 patients the results were not affected by treatment with diuretics (furosemide, hydroflumethiazide). In four patients serum MTX concentration was measured for up to 24-72 hours. An increasing half-life of MTX with time was found, suggesting that the elimination kinetics of the drug would be most adequately described by a multi-compartment model.
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