A penalized likelihood approach for arbitrarily censored and truncated data: application to age-specific incidence of dementia.

The Cos model is the model of choice when analyzing survival data presenting only right censoring and left truncation. There is a need for methods that can accommodate more complex observation schemes involving general censoring and truncation. In addition, it is important in many epidemiological applications to have a smooth estimate of the hazard function.

Differences in Epstein-Barr virus expression between primary and secondary cutaneous angiocentric lymphomas. French Study Group of Cutaneous Lymphomas.

Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been demonstrated in angiocentric immunoproliferative lesions, suggesting that it could be a causative factor. We investigated for the presence of EBV in 12 primary and 2 secondary cutaneous angiocentric lymphomas (CALs).

Observations: In the 2 secondary CALs, strong reactivity for EBV RNAs and latent membrane protein 1 were detected on paraffin-embedded sections.

Autoantibody formation against a 190-kDa antigen of the desmosomal plaque in pemphigus foliaceus.

We report changes in the antigen recognition pattern of sera from two pemphigus foliaceus patients with a long-term follow-up. The patients' sera were analysed by immunoblotting using different antigenic sources: cultured human keratinocytes, bovine tongue epithelium and a recombinant protein corresponding to the C-terminal end of the 230-kDa bullous pemphigoid antigen. While initial serum samples reacted exclusively with the 160-kDa desmoglein 1, the later sera reacted both with desmoglein 1 and a 190-kDa antigen immunolocalized to the desmosomal plaque, previously demonstrated to be recognized by sera of some patients with paraneoplastic pemphigus.

Early versus late coronary stenting following acute myocardial infarction: results of the STENTIM I Study (French Registry of Stenting in Acute Myocardial Infarction).

This study was undertaken to determine the feasibility and safety of coronary stenting in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In AMI, primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is accepted as the preferred method of reperfusion for patients presenting at highly experienced centres. Until recently, however, stenting has been avoided during AMI because of a potential high risk of thrombosis.

Taxon composition and genetic variation of water frogs in the Mid-Rhône floodplain.

Natural hemiclonal hybrid lineages of water frogs reproduce by hybridogenesis, excluding one parental genome in the germ line and mating with the coexisting same parental species. Two such sexual host-hybridogen systems occur in the Rhône valley: the L-E system in the north, the P-G system in the south. Although these hybridogenetic complexes may overlap along the Rhône river, there is no evidence for a contact zone in our samples: only Rana ridibunda and R.

Relationship between the in vivo localization and the immunoblotting pattern of anti-basement membrane zone antibodies in patients with bullous pemphigoid.

Objective: To compare the localization of anti-basement membrane zone (BMZ) antibodies bound in vivo with the antigenic specificities of circulating anti-BMZ antibodies in patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP).

Design: Comparison of the results of an examination of the skin specimens of the patients using direct immunoelectron microscopy and direct immunofluorescence on 1-mol/L sodium chloride-split skin with the results of an analysis of the corresponding serum samples using the immunoblot technique.

Setting: Immunodermatology department in a teaching hospital.

A complementarity-determining region peptide of an anti-desmosome autoantibody may interact with the desmosomal plaque through molecular mimicry with a cytoplasmic desmoglein 1 sequence.

The sera of patients with pemphigus, a group of autoimmune blistering skin diseases, contain autoantibodies directed against components of adhering junctions termed desmosomes. F12, a human monoclonal antibody derived from a pemphigus patient, recognizes an unknown polypeptide of the desmosomal and hemidesmosomal plaques. The third complementarity-determining region of the F12 heavy chain (VH-CDR3) was shown to share a four-amino-acid sequence (GSSG) with the intracellular domains of desmoglein 1 and bullous pemphigoid antigen 2 which interact with components of, respectively, the desmosomal and hemidesmosomal plaques.

Identification of a new antibody population directed against a desmosomal plaque antigen in pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus.

Pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus are characterized by autoantibodies directed against transmembrane glycoproteins of desmosomes. F12, a human monoclonal autoantibody that binds to the desmosomal plaque, recognizes a 180-190-kDa doublet when immunoblotted against bovine tongue epithelium. Because F12 was derived from the peripheral blood lymphocytes of a patient with pemphigus vulgaris, we looked for the presence of anti-180-190-kDa antibodies in pemphigus vulgaris and pemphigus foliaceus serum.

Indomethacin treatment of eighteen patients with Sweet's syndrome.

Background: The standard treatment for Sweet's syndrome (acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis) is oral corticosteroids. Despite a good initial response, the disease is characterized by frequent relapses.

Objective: Our purpose was to test the therapeutic effect of the nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug indomethacin on Sweet's syndrome.

[Coronary involvement in systemic lupus erythematosus].

Background: Coronary artery disease is an uncommon event in lupus erythematosus. The mechanisms responsible for coronary occlusion are probably complex and intermixed. We report three patients with lupus erythematosus and antiphospholipid antibodies who had coronary artery disease diagnosed with coronary angiogram.

[Contact vasculitis caused by topical agents with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents or analgesics].

Introduction: Topical non steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAID) are recently used in France. Seven cases of contact vasculitis due to topical NSAID are reported.

Patients And Methods: The clinical and histological features and follow-up data of seven patients with contact vasculitis due to topical NSAID were retrospectively reviewed.

[Aneurysm of superficial temporal artery in angiolymphoid hyperplasia lesions].

Introduction: Subcutaneous angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia is a disease which usually affects small vessels of neck and facial area.

Case Report: A 44 year-old with cutaneous lesions corresponding to angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia is reported. The lesions were located near the temporal region.

Preliminary experience with low-dose methotrexate in fibroblastic rheumatism.

Fibroblastic rheumatism (FR) is a rare disease characterized by joint manifestations without joint destruction, and associated with cutaneous nodules and sclerodactyly. The diagnosis is usually based on histologic examination of a skin nodule or synovium specimen. In the 11 previously reported cases, corticosteroid treatment, which has been widely used, was shown to have an unpredictable effect on the evolution of FR.

Effects of verapamil and S9788 on MDR-1 mRNA expression studied by in situ hybridization.

The effects of Verapamil and S9788 (triazineaminopiperidine), a new modulator of multidrug resistance, on mdr-1 mRNA expression were determined using in situ hybridization. S9788 appeared to be a better reversal drug by strongly decreasing drug efflux. However, Verapamil only decreased mdr-1 mRNA expression in Human erythroleukemic resistant cells (ADM/k562) and in Human lymphoblastic resistant cells (VLB/CEM).

Binding of autoantibodies is not restricted to desmosomes in pemphigus vulgaris: comparison of 14 cases of pemphigus vulgaris and 10 cases of pemphigus foliaceus studied by western immunoblot and immunoelectron microscopy.

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) and pemphigus foliaceus (PF) are autoimmune blistering diseases characterized by a loss of cell-cell adhesion and by autoantibodies directed against epidermal cadherins. PF antigen has been established as desmoglein I which is located strictly on the desmosome, whereas the precise ultrastructural localization of PV antigen remains unclear and controversial to date. To further investigate this question, we compared the location of immune deposits in 14 patients with PV and 10 patients with PF by both direct and indirect immunoelectron microscopy (IEM).

Drugs associated with bullous pemphigoid. A case-control study.

Unlabelled: Bullous pemphigoid is the most frequent autoimmune blistering disease. It occurs in the elderly. The cause of this disease is unknown, but cases of bullous pemphigoid have been occasionally attributed to drug therapy.

[Responsibilities and generic drugs].

The existence of generics is essentially due to the competition between pharmaceutical specialties by the prices at the end of patent protection. It could be useful in the countries where the prices are very high. In France, the consumption of drugs is high in volume and the average of prices of pharmaceuticals is low.

[Type B Haemophilus influenzae cellulitis in an immunocompetent adult].

Introduction: Only a few cases of Haemophilus influenzae type B cellulitis have been reported in adult patients. They generally involve immunocompromised patients, and are located in the cervico-facial areas.

Case-report: We report a 43 year-old immunocompetent patient who presented a cellulitis of the leg.

[Acute necrotizing cutaneous streptococcal infection following bites or scratch by dog or cat].

Introduction: Domestic animal bites or scratches are quite frequent. Among banal bacteria isolated from infected bites or scratches, group A streptococcus seems to be frequently associated with severe infections.

Case Reports: Three cases of acute necrotizing cutaneous streptococcal infections, following cat or dog bite or scratch are reported.