[Parodontoplethysmography. A method of objective evaluation of the course of progressive scleroderma].

Parodontoplethysmography was repeatedly performed in seven patients with systemic sclerosis over a period of six years. The data obtained exactly correlated to improvement or deterioration in the patients' condition. Regular parodontoplethysmography is recommended in order to observe the course of the disease more objectively.

[Oral candidiasis in leukoplakia and carcinoma of the oral cavity (author's transl)].

The incidence of Candida albicans and other candida species were examined by mycological culture and histologically in 193 patients with various forms of oral leukoplakia and 14 patients with carcinoma of the oral mucosa, the results being compared with a control group of 137 subjects with a normal mucosa. Comparing the leukoplakia groups one with the other and with the control group revealed definite, usually statistically significant, differences in the incidence of fungi: 46.4% of patients, 29.

Autoradiographic study on some proliferative properties of human buccal mucosa.

This study was designed to investigate the proliferative activity of the buccal mucosa in healthy adult persons with regard to individual age. Punch biopsy specimens were taken from the buccal mucosa of 19 individuals (10 females, 9 males) ranging in age from 24 to 80 years, and were then examined autoradiographically, applying nuclear 3H-thymidine labelling in vitro under oxygen pressure of 2.2 atm.

[Bowen carcinoma following many years' use of a "radium cushion" (author's transl)].

A case is reported of a 73-year old female patient in whom precancerous symptoms appeared in the mid-abdominal area of application which for a long time were mistaken for chronic eczema, until after 7 years the development of a skin carcinoma was clinically and histologically confirmed. The case provides a reason to draw attention to the "Radium Cushion" and to restate publicly that they should be delivered to the health authorities. Suspected cases must be thoroughly investigated medically.

[Differential diagnosis of facial skin swellings (author's transl)].

Enlargement of the cheeks may be due to a multitude of disorders, congenital, neoplastic, and in particular inflammatory. Congenital facial anomalies include cutaneous (and osseous) hemihypertrophy of the face and unilateral angiomatous malformations (e.g.

[In vitro investigations of microphages function in patients with chronic mucocutaneous candidosis (author's transl)].

In five patients with either familial or non-familial type of chronic mucocutaneous candidosis some properties of phagocytic function of the polymorphonuclear leucocytes (PMNL) have been studied in vitro. In each of the patients there were found: a) a decreased chemotactic activity of PMNL, b) a weakness of intake and of intracellular destruction of Candida albicans cells by PMNL, c) an impairment of phagocytosis and intracellular killing of Candida albicans as well of Staphylococcus aureus by PMNL. The rate of phagocytosis of heat-inactivated Candida albicans cells by PMNL was normal in each case.

Generalized cutaneous calcinosis and mixed connective tissue disease.

A 49-year-old female patient with a history of fever episodes, muscular weakness, Raynaud's phenomenon, cardiac insufficiency and increasing cutaneous calcinosis over a period of 4 years is reported. Based upon clinical as well as histological and immunological findings, the disease is diagnosed as mixed connective tissue disease with generalized cutaneous calcinosis in an extent yet unpublished, to our knowledge, in this 'overlap syndrome'. The pathogenesis of cutaneous calcinosis is discussed with particular reference to the phenomenon of calciphylaxis, and some therapeutic implications are considered.

An autoradiographic analysis of the mode of proliferation in the buccal mucosa of rats incubated up to 5 hours.

This study was concerned with the course of DNA synthetic activity (3H-TdR-LI-method) in the buccal mucosa of adult male. Sprague Dawley rats over an incubation period of 5 h. Interest was focussed on the influences of different media and, in particular, on temoporary changes in the proliferative activity.

In vitro studies on microphage functions in chronic pyoderma vegetans.

The function of microphages has been studied in two patients with chronic pyoderma vegetans by in vitro determination of phagocytosis as well as chemotaxis. The results showed a striking decrease in the chemotactic activity of the neutrophil granulocytes, a reduced phagocytosis of Candida albicans and Staphylococcus aureus, and a weakness of the intracellular killing of these microorganisms. However, the NADH-dependent oxidase activity appeared to be intact.

Impairment of chemotactic activity of microphages in chronic mucocutaneous candidosis.

The chemotactic microphage function in combating and eliminating microorganisms is one of the most important features of the cellular immune system. Using a modified Boyden method we studied in vitro the chemotactic activity of the granulocytes in 5 patients suffering from chronic muco-cutaneous candidosis (CMCC), 3 of the familial and 2 of the non-familial type. To obtain quantitative results comparable to those of a control group, we investigated the granulocytes of 55 clinically and immunologically healthy persons by the same way.

[Disorders of phagocytic and fungicide function of granulocytes in chronic muco-cutaneous candidiasis].

The granulocytes which are distributed by blood circulation close to the extern and intern body surfaces as well as in all organs protect the organism from microbial perils by phagocytosis and intracellular killing of bacteria and fungi so constituting a very important component of the granulocytic functions seriously impairs the host resistance and may entail a state of persisting infectious disease. As chronic mucocutaneous candidosis (CMCC) represents such a persistent generalized infection, we studied in vitro several functional activities of the granulocytes of 5 patients suffering from CMCC. 2 of them presented a non-familiar type of CMCC, the remaining 3 patients (father and 2 daughters) were subject to the hereditary type of CMCC.

[Oral leukoplakia. II. Results of a year-long polyclinical pilot study].

A pilot study was carried out on close on 4000 uniformly examined and documented patients of the Erlanger maxillo-facial Policlinic. This resulted in the extensive collection of data useful as a basis for future follow-up studies on leucoplakia patients. Leucoplakia was found in 123 patients (3,1%) including 7 precancerous lesions and 6 mucosal carcinomata.