HPLC profiling of Trp-related metabolites in humans.

Screening for metabolic abnormalities of Trp has been introduced using SPE pre-treatment, TLC and/or two HPLC procedures. The excretory pattern in urine (occasionally also plasma and CSF levels) has been followed in a group of 390 children showing various symptoms of a metabolic defect and in 195 patients with skin diseases, namely those associated with photosensitivity, such as porphyria, vitiligo, alopecia, psoriasis, erythematodes, and others. Excretory abnormalities of either indican, kynurenine, 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid or indolylacryloylglycine have been occasionally combined with myopathy, seizures, liver and intestinal symptoms.

Pharmacokinetics of low doses of methotrexate in patients with psoriasis over the early period of treatment.

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of low-dose methotrexate (MTX) in the early phase (3 months) after the start of antipsoriatic therapy.

Methods: Ten male and female psoriatic patients who failed to respond to previous conventional therapy were treated with 15 mg oral MTX once per week. The pharmacokinetics in plasma and the urinary excretion of MTX and 7-hydroxymethotrexate (7-OH MTX) were investigated after doses 1, 5 and 13 (corresponding to phases I, II and III, respectively).

Biological skin covers in treatment of two cases of the Lyell's syndrome.

The treatment of two cases of toxic epidermal necrolysis (Lyell's syndrome) is described. Although some features were common for both ones (young men practically of the same age, reaction after using the same drug) the clinical course of illness was very different. Spontaneous epithelisation of partial-thickness lesions and definitive healing under the xenografts in one patient and full-thickness skin-loss on 12% of body surface with severe septic complications requiring application of cultured keratinocytes and/or skin autografting in the other patient were the main differences.

The effect of combination therapy with cyclosporine A and hydrocortisone on glucose metabolism in diabetic rats following pancreatic islet transplantation.

Glucose tolerance, insulin secretion and in vitro insulin action were examined in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats following pancreatic islet allotransplantation treated with combination of oral cyclosporine A (10 mg/kg) and hydrocortisone (1.5 mg/kg) intramuscularly. 1400 pure islets from multiple donors were implanted either into the portal vein (n = 10) or under the renal capsule (n = 11).