Erythematous plaque variant of transient acantholytic dermatosis.

Transient acantholytic dermatosis (TAD) is a primary cutaneous disorder of unknown cause that was first described by Grover in 1970. The common eruptions of TAD are self-limited pruritic papules and papulovesicules distributed primarily on the trunk and extremities. We report a case of an erythematous plaque variant of this skin disorder.

Leser-Trélat sign associated with Sézary syndrome.

The Leser-Trélat sign is a rare but well known cutaneous indicator of internal malignancy, most commonly adenocarcinoma of the stomach. There have been only a few cases associated with lymphoproliferative malignancies. Sézary syndrome is a chronic leukemia/lymphoma characterized by generalized erythroderma and circulating Sézary cells.

IgE heavy chain constant region genes in atopic dermatitis and senile erythroderma patients.

By Southern hybridization using a genomic DNA fragment carrying a human IgE heavy chain constant region gene (C epsilon) as a probe, we analyzed the organization of human C epsilon genes and their flanking regions in 23 atopic dermatitis and 6 senile erythroderma patients with elevated serum IgE levels, and 6 atopic dermatitis patients with normal IgE levels. On Bam HI, Hind III, and Eco RI digestions, we detected three hybridizable fragments containing three human C epsilon genes, C epsilon 1, C epsilon 2, and C epsilon 3, respectively, in all leukocyte DNAs. These fragments were almost identical in size among patients and healthy donors.

A multicenter double-blind controlled study of lobenzarit, a novel immunomodulator, in rheumatoid arthritis.

A multicenter double-blind study was carried out in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by comparing treatment with a novel immunomodulator, lobenzarit, disodium 4-chloro-2, 2'-iminodibenzoate, with an inert placebo. Both groups of patients received 75 mg/day of indomethacin as a basal regimen during the study period of 16 weeks. Group 1 (115 patients) received 240 mg/day lobenzarit, 80 mg TID, and Group 2 (115 patients) received placebo TID orally.

[Experimental study on peripheral nerve lesions--compression neuropathy].

Compression is one of the most important causes of entrapment neuropathy. The experimental study described was performed to elucidate the pathogenesis of compression neuropathy in the sciatic nerves of 113 mongrel dogs. An apparatus, devised to compress the nerve constantly with the force of 15, 30 and 50 grams (27.

Heterogeneity of antilymphocyte antibody in SLE and its correlation with disease activity.

The cytotoxic activities of individual lupus sera were demonstrated against T gamma cells, T gamma (-) cells and B cells. Immunoglobulin classes were also determined in these antilymphocyte antibodies (ALA) in SLE. T gamma-specific ALA and B-cell-specific ALA were almost equally distributed as regards IgG-dominant type, mixed IgG and IgM type and IgM dominant type, while IgM dominant type was predominant in T gamma (-)-specific ALA.

Association between HLA and Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) were observed to have a statistical association with HLA-DR4, MT3. Strong association between the clinical severity of RA and HLA was also observed. Male patients had a stronger association with HLA than female patients.

T lymphocyte interaction with immunoglobulin G antibody in systemic lupus erythematosus.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease with multiple immune disturbances whose mechanisms remain unclear. We examined the interaction of antilymphocyte antibodies with cultured normal T lymphocytes. T cells were prepared by E-rosetting after petri-dish removal of adherent cells and cultured for 2-7 d in the presence of SLE sera or normal human sera.

Reduced natural killer cell activity of lymphocytes from patients with Werner's syndrome and recovery of its activity by purified human leucocyte interferon.

Natural killing (NK) activities were measured in peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from 14 patients with Werner's syndrome (WS), and the results were compared with those of 187 normal individuals at different ages. The NK activities of healthy donors were demonstrated a characteristic and invariable manner in accordance with the age and the sex, whereas the activities of WS patients were considerably reduced irrespective of the age and the sex. When normal PBL were preincubated with WS sera containing anti-lymphocyte antibodies (ALA) plus rabbit complement, the NK activities of the surviving PBL were markedly reduced when compared with those of PBL treated with other heterologous ALA of rabbit origin in the same manner.

Isolation of human suppressor T cells by peanut agglutinin.

Peanut agglutinin (PNA) is a plant lectin which has been used for the separation of suppressor T cells in mice. The present study was carried out to determine whether PNA would be useful in the isolation of human suppressor T cells. Normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were activated by concanavalin A (Con A) and the resultant blastoid cells were then incubated with PNA-coated autologous erythrocytes to induce the rosette formation.

Natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity in Sjögren's syndrome and rheumatoid arthritis.

Natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity (NCMC) was measured in 7 patients with Sjögren's syndrome without complication of connective tissue disease, 5 patients with Sjögren's syndrome associated with connective tissue disease other than rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 13 patients with Sjögren's associated with RA, and 29 patients with RA without Sjögren's. All 25 patients with Sjögren's syndrome showed a significantly suppressed NCMC. In the patients with RA but without Sjögren's, the NCMC for 21 female patients was rather enhanced when compared with controls, while 8 male patients did not differ from controls.