Objectives: Early clinical trials showed promising outcomes with immune-checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) in a subset of patients with relapsed small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). The aim of this retrospective analysis was to assess the efficacy and safety of ICI for relapsed SCLC in a real-world patient population.
Methods: Nine cancer centres in Switzerland contributed data to this cohort.
Single neurons in the brains of insects often have individual genetic identities and can be unambiguously identified between animals. The overall neuronal connectivity is also genetically determined and hard-wired to a large degree. Experience-dependent structural and functional plasticity is believed to be superimposed onto this more-or-less fixed connectome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Contact allergy to fragrances is common, and impairs quality of life, particularly in young women.
Objective: To provide current results on the prevalences of sensitization to fragrance allergens used as markers in the baseline series of most European countries.
Methods: Data of patients consecutively patch tested between 2009 and 2012 in 12 European countries with fragrance allergens contained in the baseline series were collected by the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies network and descriptively analysed.
Many key ingredients of hair cosmetics (in particular, dyes, bleaches, and hair-styling agents) are potent (strong to extreme) contact allergens. Some heterogeneity is apparent from published results concerning the range of allergens for which patch testing is important. The objective of the present review was to collect information on the current practice of using 'hair cosmetic series', and discuss this against the background of evidence concerning consumer/professional exposure and regulatory aspects to finally derive a recommendation for a 'European hair cosmetic series'.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Patch test results often vary between departments, and also between countries. Such variation may be partly attributable to systematic effects introduced by patient characteristics, differing exposures, patient selection, or methodological differences.
Objective: To examine the amount of variation of patient characteristics in terms of the MOAHLFA index and of the proportion of patients with at least one positive reaction to the (European) baseline series ('P' measure), and to examine potential reasons for the variation.
Issues Ment Health Nurs
December 2012
Background: The proportion of patients with a positive patch test reaction to at least one allergen from the baseline series differs between departments.
Objectives: To further define the above mentioned proportion, termed the 'P' measure, to examine factors associated with this measure, to describe its variation over time and between centres, and to discuss possible uses.
Patients And Methods: Eighteen departments have been 'long-term' participants in the Information Network of Departments of Dermatology (IVDK; www.
Background: Adverse reactions to permanent hair dyes are frequent, and primarily result from sensitization to p-phenylenediamine (PPD).
Objectives: To investigate the degree of cross-reactivity to a chemically similar dye, hydroxyethyl-p-phenylenediamine sulfate (HPPS), and whether this might be a dyeing alternative for patients who are sensitive to PPD.
Method: HPPS was patch tested in two concentrations in a total of 216 patients suspected of having contact dermatitis caused by hair dyes and/or hair cosmetics.
Cutaneous drug reactions can take many forms. In rare cases these reactions can occur along the lines of Blaschko. A 60-year-old patient received lenalidomide in 3-weeks-cycles for the treatment of a plasmocytoma.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Essential oils are used in perfumery and in products for aromatherapy or balneotherapy. Previous studies have shown some to be important contact sensitizers. A practical diagnostic approach, based on the results of a large, central European network and other evidence, is needed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContact Dermatitis
November 2010
Background: The fragrance mix (FM I), established in 1977, detects the majority, but not all cases of contact allergy to fragrances. Based on European research 2002/2003, fragrance mix II (FM II) was developed to supplement FM I. In 2005, the German Contact Dermatitis Research Group (DKG) added FM II to their baseline series.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Contact sensitization to fragrances is common both in clinical and in population samples. The spectrum of allergens is broad and diverse, and to some extent covered by a set of screening agents.
Objectives: To examine the current frequency of contact sensitization to fragrance allergens in patients routinely patch tested for suspected allergic contact dermatitis with the baseline series and special series.
J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol
November 2010
Background: Contact sensitisation has been identified as a factor associated with poor prognosis for patients with hand eczema.
Objectives: To study implications of contact sensitisation with respect to severity, quality of life (QoL) and subdiagnosis of hand eczema.
Methods: The study was performed as a multi-centre, cross-sectional study from 10 European clinics.
Objective: To identify the concentration of the fragrance compound hydroxyisohexyl 3-cyclohexene carboxaldehyde (INCI) (HICC) that is sufficiently low not to cause an allergic reaction in patients with proven sensitization.
Methods: Repeated open application testing (ROAT) in 64 subjects with 2 preparations (perfume and cream) in different concentration (0.005-2.
Background: Continual surveillance based on patch test results has proved useful for the identification of contact allergy.
Objectives: To provide a current view on the spectrum of contact allergy to important sensitizers across Europe.
Patients/methods: Clinical and patch test data of 19 793 patients patch tested in 2005/2006 in the 31 participating departments from 10 European countries (the European Surveillance System on Contact Allergies' (ESSCA) www.