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Frontal fibrosing alopecia in a postmenopausal woman.

A case is presented of a 52-year-old woman in whom clinical and histopathologic findings suggested cicatricial alopecia. Our patient had an uncommon, but distinctive, clinical presentation. It was characterized by bandlike frontal hair loss. This was recently described as patterned cicatricial alopecia, presented in a recent study as postmenopausal frontal hairline recession with scarring. Our patient's case should be differentiated from recognized forms of scarring alopecia.

Alopecia↗

Relapsing poly(peri)chondritis diagnosed by biopsy during inflammatory free interval: destructive polychondritis versus fibrosing perichondritis.

Relapsing poly(peri)chondritis (RP) is a connective tissue disorder characterized by recurrent inflammatory episodes of cartilaginous structures and the involvement of special sense organs. The diagnostic criteria of McAdam 1976 include at least three of the following criteria: a) bilateral auricular chondritis, b) nonerosive sero-negative inflammatory polyarthritis, c) nasal chondritis, d) ocular inflammation, e) respiratory tract chondritis, f) audiovestibular chondritis. A cartilage biopsy according to these criteria is not mandatory. Nevertheless, unclear cases still remain as there is a broad spectrum of differential diagnosis. In these individuals it is important to obtain a biopsy from the affected cartilage. Although up to 89% develop auricular inflammation, only few electron microscope studies are performed on cartilage specimens. The purpose of this study is to report on a patient with a history of recurrent swelling of both ears, where the diagnosis could only be established by ear biopsy which was studied by light and electron microscopy. Differential diagnosis is discussed and a review of the literature is given.

Biopsy↗

Role of CYP2D6 polymorphism in predicting liver fibrosis progression rate in Caucasian patients with chronic hepatitis C.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have demonstrated that CYP2D6 polymorphism is associated with liver cirrhosis. The aim of the present study was to find out whether CYP2D6*4, the poor metabolizer allele can predict fibrosis progression rate. METHODS: Seventy-five Caucasian patients with chronic hepatitis C infection were recruited. They were divided into two groups, 'fast fibrosers' and 'slow fibrosers', according to Poynard's fibrosis progression curves. Sixty-two patients underwent liver biopsy. Twenty healthy neonates were included as control population. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and CYP2D6*4 was tested by polymer chain reaction using fluorescent hybridization probes in a lightCycler instrument. RESULTS: Forty-two patients were classified as 'fast fibrosers' and 33 patients as 'slow fibrosers'. The frequency of CYP2D6*4 allele in the 'fast fibrosers' (34.5%) was significantly higher compared with the 'slow fibrosers' (15%) (P-value=0.007). There was no significant difference between the frequency of CYP2D6*4 in the 'slow fibrosers' (15%) compared with the controls (12.5%). Carrier state of CYP2D6*4 was the only covariate that was significantly positively correlated with fast progression to cirrhosis (odds ratio=6.5, P=0.01). CONCLUSION: This study indicates for the first time that CYP2D6 genotype might be a significant predictor of liver fibrosis progression rate in chronic hepatitis C patients.

Adult↗

Serum amino acids in fibrositis/fibromyalgia syndrome.

Free plasma tryptophan levels in patients with fibrositis syndrome were measured by Moldofsky and Warsh with the view that the pathogenesis of fibrositis syndrome might involve a functional deficiency of serotonin. The hypothesis was supported by the finding of an inverse relationship between tryptophan concentration and the severity of musculoskeletal pain. Our study examined the total serum amino acid pool in fibrositis syndrome. Twenty patients with primary fibrositis syndrome and matched normal controls were evaluated clinically. After denaturation of macromolecules, serum amino acids were quantitated by automated analysis. Patients with fibrositis syndrome exhibited significantly lower levels of total serum tryptophan (p = 0.002), as well as 6 other amino acids: alanine (p less than 0.0005), histidine (p = 0.001), lysine (p = 0.02), proline (p = 0.039), serine (p = 0.028), and threonine (p = 0.013). These findings support the serotonin deficiency hypothesis for fibrositis syndrome pathogenesis but also imply a more generalized defect in amino acid homeostasis among affected individuals.

Amino Acids↗

Studies of cytokine levels in bronchoalveolar fluid lavage from patients with interstitial lung diseases.

Cytokine levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with eosinophilic pneumonia (n = 7), allergic alveolitis (n = 11), (cryptogenic) fibrosing alveolitis (n = 8), sarcoidosis (n = 10) were determined, as well as levels in control samples from healthy non-smoking volunteers (n = 11). Fibronectin levels were increased in all the patient categories, the highest absolute levels of fibronectin (100-fold increase) being found in eosinophilic pneumonia and allergic alveolitis. TGF-beta (transforming growth factor-beta) was significantly elevated in allergic alveolitis only. There was a significant difference between allergic alveolitis on the one hand and both sarcoidosis and fibrosing alveolitis on the other. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) was significantly increased in eosinophilic pneumonia and allergic alveolitis; allergic alveolitis and fibrosing alveolitis differed significantly in this respect. Platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) levels were significantly elevated in allergic alveolitis and fibrosing alveolitis. It was found that the level of PDGF-BB was significantly decreased in the case of sarcoidosis, with no overlapping with allergic alveolitis or fibrosing alveolitis. Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) was decreased in all patient categories. A significant difference in extent of the decrease was found between allergic alveolitis and sarcoidosis. The interstitial lung diseases thus differed in the pattern of cytokines expressed, indicating that these cytokines could well be a part of the pathogenic process, and also that the measurement of cytokine levels could be diagnostically useful.

Adult↗

[Action of liposomal superoxide dismutase on measurable radiation-induced fibrosis].

Radiation-induced fibroses are a classical complication of radiotherapy. We have studied the effect of liposomal superoxide dismutase (Lipsod) on 45 radiation-induced fibroses of measurable volume and hardness in 34 patients. Over 3 weeks, 6 injections of Lipsod were given intramuscularly: 5 mg for 28 patients and 2 mg for 6 patients. On the average, the volume decreased by 32%. A marked or moderate softening was observed in 80% of the fibroses; it was accompanied by functional improvement in 75% of the patients (in cases of preexisting difficulties). The effectiveness was independent of the time lag between the Lipsod treatment and irradiation. The decreases noted in the volume and hardness of the fibroses remained stable during a follow-up of 5-24 months. This systematic study shows the interest of Lipsod treatment of quasi-experimental fibroses where no other effective therapy exists.

Drug Carriers↗

Familial pulmonary fibrosis associated with oculocutaneous albinism and platelet function defect. A new syndrome.

A family was studied in which four siblings had oculocutaneous albinism. In three of these a platelet function defect characterized by poor response to collagen was found. The fourth had previously died from cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis. Two of the survivors had cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis and the third had physiological lung function disturbance. Bone marrow examination of one showed pigment laden macrophages (Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome). Three other normally pigmented family members were found to have normal platelets and no evidence of cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis, although one had pulmonary disease attributable to occupational dust exposure. To elucidate the aetiological factors involved, three unrelated normally pigmented patients with known platelet function defect were studied. One proved to have cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis. Four unrelated albinos were also studied and had normal lungs and platelets. It is suggested that, in addition to the known association between platelet function defect and albinism, there is an association between a platelet function defect and cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

Differing correlations between pain measures in syndromes with or without explicable organic pathology.

We investigated the use of pain measures in chronic pain syndromes with and without explicable organic cause by correlating scores obtained from the Visual Analog Scale and from subscales of the McGill Pain Questionnaire in patients with either inflammatory arthritis or primary fibrositis. We confirmed the finding that patients with fibrositis, despite having significantly less demonstrable pathology, report more pain on a significant number of measures. In patients with arthritis, we observed large positive correlations between scores on different pain measures, supporting the hypothesis that these scores validly measure pain secondary to tissue injury. In the fibrositis group, however, significantly lower correlations, and one even strongly negative, were found between scores on different measures. We suggest that commonly used pain measures which have been shown to be valid to study patients with demonstrable pathology may be less valid for measurement of pain in patients with syndrome such as fibrositis, whose pain may be different or more complex than that of patients with explicable organic basis.

Adult↗

Circulating fibrocytes: collagen-secreting cells of the peripheral blood.

Since the original description of circulating fibrocytes in 1994, our knowledge of this unique cell population has grown steadily. While initially described in the context of wound repair, fibrocytes have since been found to participate in granuloma formation, antigen presentation, and various fibrosing disorders. Fibrocytes produce matrix proteins such as vimentin, collagens I and III, and they participate in the remodeling response by secreting matrix metalloproteinases. Fibrocytes also are a rich source of inflammatory cytokines, growth factors, and chemokines that provide important intercellular signals within the context of the local tissue environment. Moreover, fibrocytes express the immunological markers typical of an antigen-presenting cell, and they are fully functional for the presentation of antigen to naïve T cells. Fibrocytes can further differentiate, and they may represent a systemic source of the contractile myofibroblast that appears in many fibrotic lesions. Clinically, there is evidence that patients with hypertrophic scars such as keloids, and those affected by scleroderma and other fibrosing disorders have fibrocytes in their lesions. Recently, a new disease entity called nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy (NFD) has been described, and the fibrocyte may play an important etiopathogenic role in disease development. Nephrogenic fibrosing dermopathy occurs in patients with renal insufficiency and leads to thickening and hardening of the skin, especially of the extremities. Ongoing research is focusing on the molecular signals that influence fibrocyte migration, proliferation, and function in the context of normal physiology and pathology.

Asthma↗

Comparative efficacy of homeopathic and allopathic systems of medicine in the management of clinical mastitis of Indian dairy cows.

Mastitis is the major problem of dairy animals despite a number of preventive and therapeutic approaches. Treatment is costly and out of reach of farmers of developing countries like India. The treatment cost of bovine mastitis with conventional treatment has been calculated. Good results have been claimed with homeopathic treatment however, treatment costs are not available. This article reports the treatment economics of homeopathic drugs conventional drugs for the management of bovine mastitis. Ninety-six mastitic quarters (non-fibrosed 67 and fibrosed 29) were treated with a homeopathic combination medicine. Another 96 quarters with acute mastitis (non-fibrosed) treated with different antibiotics were included in the study. The animals were selected from dairy farm of the Indian Veterinary Research Institute and from private dairy farms. The overall effectiveness of homeopathic combination medicine in the treatment of acute non-fibrosed mastitis was 86.6% with a mean recovery period of 7.7 days (range 3-28), and total cost of therapy as Indian Rupees 21.4 (0.39 Euros, US$ 0.47). The corresponding cure rate for the antibiotic group was 59.2% with a mean recovery period of 4.5 days (range 2-15) and an average treatment cost of Rs.149.20 (2.69 Euros, US$ 3.28). We conclude that the combination of Phytolacca, Calcarea fluorica., Silica, Belladonna, Bryonia, Arnica, Conium and Ipecacuanha (Healwell VT-6) was effective and economical in the management of mastitis in lactating dairy cows.

Animals↗

Longitudinal analysis of hepatitis C virus replication and liver fibrosis progression in renal transplant recipients.

The pathogenesis of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection was investigated by analysis of changes in viral and histologic parameters in 36 renal transplant recipients who were infected with HCV before transplantation. Each patient was classified according to development of liver fibrosis as assessed by 2 liver biopsies done 45 and 81 months after transplantation: 13 had progressing liver fibrosis (fibrosers) and 23 did not (nonfibrosers). All developed high-titer posttransplant viremia with a significant increase of 1.2 log RNA copies/mL. There were no significant differences in the increases in serum HCV RNA or genotype distributions in fibrosers and nonfibrosers. The hypervariable region (HVR)-1 of the HCV genome was analyzed by cloning and sequencing 20 clones per sample from 5 fibrosers and 5 nonfibrosers. Comparison of samples revealed that liver fibrosis progression was significantly associated with slower HVR-1 quasispecies diversification, suggesting the selection of more aggressive variants in fibrosers.

Adult↗

Lymphocyte subsets and HLA-DR expression in normal pancreas and chronic pancreatitis.

In an attempt to study the mechanisms leading to fibrosis in chronic pancreatitis, an in situ immunohistochemical investigation of lymphocytes and of class II major histocompatibility complex expression (HLA-DR) by epithelial cells has been designed. Samples of normal pancreas (n = 8), chronic calcifying pancreatitis (n = 4), chronic obstructive pancreatitis (n = 6), and diffuse fibrosing pancreatitis (n = 6) have been studied. In normal pancreas, T-lymphocytes were rare and were located in the epithelial layer of pancreatic ducts and in the periductal connective tissue. Duct cells were constantly HLA-DR negative. In chronic calcifying pancreatitis and chronic obstructive pancreatitis, T cells were numerous and were located around ducts and in the spreading areas of fibrous septa. In chronic obstructive pancreatitis, the duct cells strongly expressed the HLA-DR antigen. In diffuse fibrosing pancreatitis, fibrous tissue was devoid of lymphocytes and duct cells never expressed the HLA class II antigen. These results suggest that lymphocytes are involved in the fibrosing process occurring in chronic calcifying pancreatitis and chronic obstructive pancreatitis but not in diffuse fibrosing pancreatitis. The significance of de novo expression of HLA-DR antigen by duct cells is discussed.

Adult↗

Intestinal inflammation in cystic fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: There is controversy about whether the inflammatory response observed in the cystic fibrosis (CF) lung occurs secondary to bacterial infection or is caused by a dysregulation of the inflammatory response associated with the basic cellular defect of CF. AIMS: To study the inflammatory response in the gastrointestinal tract of children with CF; and to investigate whether there is increased inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract of CF children with fibrosing colonopathy. METHODS: Whole gut lavage was performed on 21 pancreatic insufficient children with CF, who were clinically well, five children with CF and fibrosing colonopathy, and 12 controls. Intestinal outputs of plasma derived proteins (albumin, alpha(1) antitrypsin, IgG), secretory immunoglobulins (IgA and IgM), cellular constituents (eosinophil cationic protein and neutrophil elastase), and cytokines (interleukin 8 and interleukin 1beta) were measured. RESULTS: Compared to controls, the 21 CF patients, with no intestinal complications, had increased intestinal outputs of albumin, IgG, IgM, eosinophil cationic protein, neutrophil elastase, interleukin 1beta, and interleukin 8. Similar values were obtained for the CF patients with fibrosing colonopathy. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that there is immune activation in the gastrointestinal mucosa of children with cystic fibrosis, which may result from the basic cellular defect. Fibrosing colonopathy does not appear to be associated with increased inflammation.

Adolescent↗