Outbreak of Microsporum audouinii in Munich--the return of infectious fungi in Germany.

After experiencing an unusually high number of Microsporum (M.) audouinii infections at our hospital within only a few weeks, we began to investigate and control an outbreak in Munich, Germany. Main goals of our health management were to treat infected persons, identify extent and form of transmission and to prevent new infections.

Genital ulcers associated with Epstein-Barr virus infection (ulcus vulvae acutum).

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection may rarely be associated with genital ulcers (ulcus vulvae acutum), a very painful manifestation. The aetiopathogenesis of the disease is not fully understood. We describe here a case of an adolescent virgin with multiple, deep genital ulcers associated with acute infectious mononucleosis.

[Autoimmune bullous skin disorders].

Autoimmune bullous skin disorders are rare, potentially fatal disorders of skin and mucous membranes which are associated with IgG or IgA autoantibodies against distinct adhesion molecules of the epidermis and dermal epidermal basement membrane zone, respectively. These autoantibodies lead to a loss of skin adhesion which shows up clinically as the formation of blisters or erosions. In pemphigus, loss of adhesion occurs within the epidermis while in the pemphigoids, linear IgA dermatosis, epidermolysis bullosa acquisita and dermatitis herpetiformis, loss of adhesion takes place within or underneath the basement membrane zone.

Targeted immunotherapy with rituximab leads to a transient alteration of the IgG autoantibody profile in pemphigus vulgaris.

In pemphigus vulgaris (PV), IgG autoantibodies against the ectodomain of desmoglein 3 (Dsg3) have been shown to be directly responsible for the loss of keratinocyteadhesion. The aim of the present study was to study the effect of the B cell depleting anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, rituximab, on the profile of pathogenic IgG against distinct regions of the Dsg3 ectodomain in 22 PV patients who were followed up clinically and serologically by Dsg3 ELISA over 12-24 months. Prior to rituximab, all the 22 PV patients showed IgG against Dsg3 (Dsc3EC1-5).

IgA autoantibodies in the pemphigoids and linear IgA bullous dermatosis.

Background: Patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP), mucous membrane pemphigoid (MMP) and pemphigoid gestationis (PG) have IgG antibodies against BP180 and BP230, components of the hemidesmosomes. Patients with linear IgA bullous dermatosis (LABD) have IgA autoantibodies against a 97/120-kDa protein which is highly homologous to a shedded fragment of the BP180-ectodomain.

Objectives: The aim of our study was to determine the incidence of IgA autoantibodies directed against BP180/BP230 in the pemphigoids and LABD and to determine the antigenic regions that are targeted by IgA autoantibodies.

T and B cells target identical regions of the non-collagenous domain 1 of type VII collagen in epidermolysis bullosa acquisita.

Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) is a severe immunobullous disease and is caused by IgG against type VII collagen (Col VII) of anchoring fibrils. In this study, utilizing ELISA and immunoblot, 13/15 EBA sera but 0/20 bullous pemphigoid sera and 0/30 healthy control sera showed IgG reactivity with distinct recombinant subregions of the non-collagenous domain 1 (NC1) of Col VII. In two EBA patients, IgG titers against Col VII-NC1 were grossly correlated to clinical disease activity.

Anti-basement membrane zone antibodies in elderly patients with pruritic disorders and diabetes mellitus.

Anti-basement membrane zone (anti-BMZ) antibodies are detectable in a low percentage of elderly subjects without clinical signs of bullous pemphigoid (BP). BP may initially mimic other pruritic dermatoses and may be more common in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM), since DM is frequently associated with pruritic disorders. The aim of the present study was to analyse a possible association of BP and DM and to detect subclinical BP among elderly patients with pruritic dermatoses.

The skin as a biofactory for systemic secretion of erythropoietin: potential of genetically modified keratinocytes and fibroblasts.

Background: The skin is an interesting target tissue for gene therapy applications because of its ready accessibility. One possibility would be to utilize the genetically modified skin as a biofactory secreting a systemically needed product, such as erythropoietin (EPO).

Methods: Keratinocytes (KC) and fibroblasts (FB) were transduced with a retroviral vector encoding human EPO.

Recommendations for the use of rituximab (anti-CD20 antibody) in the treatment of autoimmune bullous skin diseases.

Autoimmune bullous skin disorders are induced by autoantibodies against distinct adhesion complexes of the epidermal and dermal-epidermal junction. Since most of these disorders are characterized by a severe, potentially lethal course,they require long-term immunosuppressive treatment to reduce the de novo synthesis of pathogenic autoantibodies by B lymphocytes. Rituximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody against CD20 on B lymphocytes, has shown promise in several case reports or cohort studies in the treatment of paraneo-plastic pemphigus,refractory cases of pemphigus vulgaris and foliaceus and in other autoimmune bullous disorders.

Introducing a novel Autoimmune Bullous Skin Disorder Intensity Score (ABSIS) in pemphigus.

At present, there is no consensus about the clinical criteria that define disease severity of pemphigus. During recent years several scoring systems have been introduced which mainly compare inter-individual differences in disease activity. It thus remains a challenge to reflect the disease activity of individual patients by a standardised scoring system.

Clinical response of severe mechanobullous epidermolysis bullosa acquisita to combined treatment with immunoadsorption and rituximab (anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies).

Background: Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) is an autoimmune bullous disorder with mucocutaneous involvement, skin fragility, and tendency to scarring. The mechanobullous form of EBA has a chronic relapsing course and is difficult to treat. We describe herein the therapeutic response of 2 patients with recalcitrant mechanobullous EBA to combined treatment with immunoadsorption and rituximab, an anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody that induces depletion of B cells in vivo.

Histone deacetylase inhibitors induce apoptosis with minimal viral reactivation in cells infected with Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus.

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) latently infects tumor cells in patients with Kaposi's sarcoma and primary effusion lymphoma (PEL). The purpose of this study was to determine whether histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDAI) could induce apoptosis, with minimal viral replication, in cells latently infected with KSHV. Four HDAI (depsipeptide, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid, MS-275, and trichostatin A) were studied in two PEL B cell lines (BCBL-1, BC-3).

Delayed response of oral pemphigus vulgaris to rituximab treatment.

Rituximab is a monoclonal antibody directed against the CD20 antigen of B cells, which has been developed for the treatment of lymphomas and has been successfully used in the treatment of recalcitrant pemphigus vulgaris. Here, we report on a 26-year-old patient with an 18 month history of pemphigus vulgaris of the oral mucosa where treatment with rituximab led to a delayed but sustained therapeutic response. This case is of interest since most of the previous reports have described a more rapid clinical improvement of refractory pemphigus by rituximab treatment.

[Systemic contact eczema against Balsam of Peru].

Balsam of Peru (PB; Myroxylon pereirae) is a natural product derived from resin of a tropical tree (MyroxyIon balsamum (L.) Harms var. pereirae (Royle) Baillon).