[Polymorphism and differential diagnosis of neonatal lupus erythematosus].

Introduction: Neonatal lupus erythematosus (NEL) is a rare condition secondary to transplacental transfer of maternal anti-nuclear antibodies, generally anti-Ro/SSA. The most common signs are dermatological and cardiac. The most frequently reported clinical association is periorbital erythema, known as "owl eye", and bipolar erythematous maculopapular plaques with fine scales.

Male urethritis with and without discharge: a clinical and microbiological study.

Background: The definition of male urethritis in the absence of urethral discharge has not been well established. The sensitivity of urethral swabs and first-catch urine is controversial.

Goal Of This Study: To correlate clinical data (discharge or not), urethral swabs, and first-catch urine examinations with the microorganisms found within the urethra in a cohort of men attending the sexually transmitted disease clinic of Hôpital Saint Louis (Paris) for treatment of urethral symptoms with or without discharge.

[Balanitis and infectious agents. A prospective study of 100 cases].

Introduction: The aim of this study was: 1) to evaluate the rate of micro-organism isolation in 100 patients consulting for balanitis at the Centre of sexually transmitted diseases at the St. Louis Hospital in Paris in comparison with that of micro-organisms isolated in 60 men without balanitis; 2) to search for a possible correlation between the clinical aspect of the disease and the nature of the infectious agent identified.

Methods: One hundred consecutive patients were included in the study.

House dust mites and vernal keratoconjunctivitis.

The possible causative relationship between exposure to house dust mite allergen (HDMA) and symptoms of vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) was investigated. VKC patients were evaluated for an average of 18 months using patient reports of symptoms, physicians' observations and assays of sera and tears for total and specific IgE to 10 inhalant allergens common in Israel, including HDMA. Tear and serum samples from a group of 8 patients reacted only with HDMA, and were compared with the tear and serum samples of a group of 11 patients not reacting to any of the above allergens.

Experimental allergic conjunctivitis in inbred guinea pig strains with high respectively low bronchial allergic reactivity.

Inbred guinea pigs selected for high (IMM/S) respectively low (IMM/R) responsiveness to ovalbumin (OA) as measured by induced respiratory anaphylaxis, were investigated for atopic immune responses of their conjunctival mucosa. IMM/S animals sensitized either by inhalation of OA, or by instillation of antigen into the conjunctival sac, developed regularly an acute ocular inflammatory response to topical (conjunctival) challenge with the allergen. A minimum of 1 microgram OA dropped repeatedly into the conjunctival sac was enough for both ocular and systemic sensitization of the animals, but the minimal dose of effective challenge was considerably higher.