Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

T Reunala

Publications and source records attributed to T Reunala.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

Furuncular myiasis.

Two cases of cutaneous myiasis are described. The first, acquired in West Africa, consisting of 36 furuncle-like lesions, was caused by the larvae of Cordylobia anthropophaga. An adult fly was raised from one larva. In the second patient, the infestation was caused by five larvae of Dermatobia hominis acquired in Central America. Neither patient was aware of any infestation, but the clinical presentation, although also suggestive of bacterial skin infection, showed a typical course and symptoms of cutaneous myiasis in both patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Glomerular IgA deposits in patients with celiac disease.

Glomerular immunopathology was studied in 25 patients with newly diagnosed celiac disease. None had clinical signs of renal disease. Glomeruli were obtained by fine-needle aspiration biopsy. The specimens were processed and studied by indirect immunofluorescence for immunoglobulins and complement. Mesangial IgA was found in 8 of the patients. It occurred occasionally together with slight IgG or IgM, but C3 was not seen in these patients. IgA-class circulating immune complexes (CIC), antireticulin antibodies (ARA), antigliadin antibodies (AGA), and rheumatoid factor (RF) occurred significantly more often in the patients with mesangial IgA than in the 17 patients having no mesangial IgA. The patients with mesangial IgA also had significantly higher mean levels of serum IgA, IgA-ARA and IgA-AGA than those without. The results suggest that glomerular mesangial deposits of IgA occur frequently in untreated celiac disease and that they are in some way associated with circulating IgA-class antibodies and immune complexes. In this situation IgA seems to be deposited without being able to induce clinically overt glomerulonephritis, a circumstance that may be related to the lack of complement in the deposits.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

Osteomyelitis-like bone lesions in acne fulminans.

Two young males with acne fulminans (AF) are described. In addition to severe skin lesions, they had musculoskeletal symptoms including bacteriologically negative osteolytic lesions in the clavicles. Both patients received antibiotics for suspected septic infections. The response was unsatisfactory in both patients, and combination treatment with prednisolone was started. A favourable response was observed, and a relapse occurring in the first patient was controlled by steroids alone. The possible pathomechanism of bone lesions in AF is discussed.

Acne Vulgaris↗
PubMed1989

Immediate decrease in antigen-presenting function and delayed enhancement of interleukin-1 production in human epidermal cells after in vivo UVB irradiation.

Human skin was irradiated in vivo with a single UVB dose (100 mJ/cm2 or 200 mJ/cm2) to examine simultaneously the antigen-presenting function and interleukin-1 (IL-1) production capacity of irradiated epidermal cells (EC). Suction blisters were produced on irradiated areas on days 0, 3 and 7 after UVB. Irradiated EC were harvested and co-cultured with autologous T lymphocytes in the presence of antigens (PPD, HSV) or mitogen (ConA). Culture supernatants were tested for IL-1 activity using the thymocyte comitogenity assay. We found that a single 200 mJ/cm2 dose of UVB caused an immediate suppression of the antigen-presenting function of EC, but no alteration in their IL-1 production capacity or surface marker expression (ATPase, CDI). PPD- and HSV-induced lymphocyte proliferation was decreased 70-80% and ConA-driven proliferation 30% when compared to non-irradiated EC. However, this suppression was restored on days 3 and 7 after UVB irradiation, this being coexistent with an increased capacity of EC to produce IL-1. It remains to be elucidated whether the immediate UVB-induced photoimmunosuppression observed in the present study is due to inhibitory mediators or impaired membrane function of EC or both.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Basophil histamine release and lymphocyte proliferation tests in latex contact urticaria. In vitro tests in latex contact urticaria.

Basophil histamine release and lymphocyte proliferation tests were examined with latex allergen prepared from surgical gloves in 15 patients with latex contact urticaria. The basophil histamine release test (BHRT) yielded positive results in 13/14 (93%) patients, whereas commercial latex RAST was positive in only 9/15 (60%) patients. Lymphocyte proliferation test (LPT) was positive in 3/15 (20%) patients, suggesting that cell-mediated immune reactions may also occur in latex allergy. However, patch tests to latex were negative and neither were epidermal Langerhans cells able to present latex antigen to T lymphocytes in vitro.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Condoms as a source of latex allergen and cause of contact urticaria.

To examine the occurrence of latex allergen in condoms and to study the symptoms caused by contact with condoms, 46 patients with latex-glove contact urticaria (LGCU) were investigated. 7 (24%) of the 29 patients with a history of condom use had experienced local swelling and/or pruritus during intercourse, confirming that condoms can cause local symptoms in latex allergic subjects. Prick tests performed on 16 different condom brands showed that 4 brands caused positive reactions in 52-67% of patients. The remaining 12 brands were not as allergenic and 1 brand was totally negative on prick testing. 1 highly allergenic condom brand was examined by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), which showed similar protein profiles to those detectable in latex gloves and natural rubber. These results show that, in addition to rubber gloves and balloons, condoms should also be considered as possible sources of latex, and that patients with LGCU should be advised to avoid condoms.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Langerhans cell antigen presentation and interleukin-1 production in atopic dermatitis.

We studied Langerhans cell (LC) antigen-presenting capacity and epidermal cell and monocyte interleukin-1 (IL-1) production in 23 atopic dermatitis (AD) patients and 24 healthy controls. Six of the atopics had previously had severe disseminated cutaneous Herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 1 infection but the HSV-induced T cell proliferation was intact in these patients. Five of the AD patients were allergic to birch pollen and had experienced exacerbations of their eczema during the pollen season. The birch pollen induced specific T cell proliferation in two of these 5 AD patients and one of these two also showed a positive patch test reaction to birch pollen. Epidermal cells and monocytes of AD patients produced significantly less IL-1 than those of healthy controls. Further studies are needed to examine whether the impaired IL-1 production in AD is due to a primary defect or results from mediators such as prostaglandins and histamine.

Dermatitis, Atopic↗
PubMed1989

High frequency of coeliac disease in adult patients with type-I diabetes.

Anti-reticulin antibodies were measured by an indirect immunofluorescence method in 195 consecutive patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, and positive titres were found in 8 patients. A jejunal biopsy was performed in these patients, all of whom had small-intestinal atrophy. Thus the frequency of coeliac disease in adult diabetes patients was 4.1%. The patients had no signs of malabsorption or of significant abdominal complaints. We conclude that coeliac disease is commoner in type-I diabetes than in the normal population, and measurement of anti-reticulin antibodies seems to be a suitable screening method.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1989

A double-blind comparison of acitretin and etretinate in the treatment of severe psoriasis. Results of a Nordic multicentre study.

Acitretin, the free acid of etretinate, is less lipophilic and has a much shorter terminal half-life than the parent compound. The present double-blind, randomized study compared the therapeutic effectiveness and the tolerability of acitretin (n = 127) and etretinate (n = 41) in psoriasis. Patients were treated with 40 mg daily for the first 4 weeks and with an individually adjusted dose for the subsequent 8 weeks. The average daily doses of acitretin (0.54 mg/kg/day) and etretinate (0.65 mg/kg/day) were similar. The PASI (Psoriasis Area and Severity Index) scores improved in parallel in the 2 treatment groups. At the completion of the study, the PASI score improvement was 75.8% for acitretin and 70.8% for etretinate. Both acitretin and etretinate resulted in mucocutaneous side effects. Assessments of tolerability by investigators and patients showed a statistically significant difference in favour of etretinate. These results demonstrate that acitretin and etretinate have similar therapeutic effectiveness in psoriasis. Although the tolerance to acitretin was lower than to etretinate, acitretin offers the important advantage of a much shorter period of potential teratogenicity and is, therefore, to be preferred in women of childbearing potential.

Acitretin↗
PubMed1989

Cis-urocanic acid stereospecifically modulates human monocyte IL-1 production and surface HLA-DR antigen expression, T-cell IL-2 production and CD4/CD8 ratio.

UV irradiation is known to photoisomerize epidermal trans-urocanic acid (trans-UCA) to cis-urocanic acid (cis-UCA), which has been postulated to be involved in local and systemic downregulation of immune responses. We have earlier shown that cis-UCA suppresses interleukin 1 (IL-1) production in human epidermal cells. To study the possible effects of UCA isomers on human peripheral blood lymphoid cells, these cells were cultured in the presence of either UCA stereoisomer, and a number of immunological parameters were assayed. Cis-UCA (100 micrograms/ml) caused a significant downregulation of monocyte IL-1 production, and diminished monocyte HLA-DR expression. Cis-UCA also caused a significant reduction in the CD4/CD8 ratio. Furthermore, T-cells preincubated with cis-UCA caused a significant downregulation of purified protein derivative-induced interleukin 2 production by autologous T-cells. The trans isomer had no effect in any of these in vitro tests. The reported stereospecific effects of cis-UCA are compatible with the postulated function of this chemical as an UV-induced, low-molecular-weight immunomediator substance.

Cells, Cultured↗
PubMed1988

Comparison of diagnostic methods in latex surgical glove contact urticaria.

Surgical rubber gloves contain allergens derived from natural rubber latex which may sensitize, causing contact urticaria and even systemic reactions. We examined 15 hospital employees allergic to latex surgical gloves, using various skin tests and RAST, to determine the most reliable diagnostic method and to investigate coexistent allergy to glove powder and rubber chemicals. Prick testing using a stock solution made from one brand of latex glove yielded positive (2+ to 4+) reactions in all 15 employees: 8 retained positive reactions at a 1/10 dilution, 1 at 1/100 and 4 at 1/1000. A prick test using rubber-tree sap (Hevea brasiliensis) was positive in 12/15 employees and a scratch-chamber test using crushed rubber-tree leaf was positive in 13/15. A latex glove use test was positive in 12/13 employees and a latex RAST detected measurable amounts of specific IgE in 8/15. No positive prick test reactions were obtained using glove powder. On patch testing, 2/15 employees showed delayed allergy to rubber chemicals but no immediate reactions were detected. The present results indicate that in addition to the use test, prick testing with a stock solution prepared from latex surgical gloves is an adequate test method for routine practice when diagnosing latex glove contact urticaria. The correlation between prick tests and whole glove use tests was good, but latex RASTs yielded some negative results.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Rubber contact urticaria. Allergenic properties of 19 brands of latex gloves.

To compare the immediate skin test reactivity of various latex (natural rubber) surgical and cleaning gloves, prick tests were performed on 40 latex-allergic persons, 26 of whom were sensitized by surgical and 14 by cleaning latex gloves. 6/17 surgical gloves tested and 1/2 cleaning gloves caused positive reactions in almost all (over 87%) of the allergic subjects. In contrast, the frequencies of positive reactions to 4 other surgical latex gloves were as low as 8-21%, suggesting that not all surgical gloves are equally allergenic. Control prick tests with 1 synthetic rubber and 1 polyvinyl chloride (PVC) glove were negative in all subjects. 2 surgical latex gloves causing either a high or low number of positive prick tests in allergic subjects were analyzed with high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Similar allergenic protein fractions were detected, which showed protein peaks at MW 2000, 5000 and 30,000 daltons. Corresponding proteins were detected in 1 latex cleaning glove analyzed and in natural rubber. This result confirms that allergenic proteins persist in various surgical and cleaning latex gloves after manufacture from natural rubber and may cause contact urticaria symptoms in sensitized people.

Adult↗