Nonspecific capillary proliferation and vasculopathy indicate skin hypoxia in erythromelalgia.

Objective: To report on the histopathologic findings of affected skin in consecutively collected biopsy specimens from 49 patients with erythromelalgia (EM).

Design: Skin biopsy specimens were obtained from the foot arch and analyzed by light microscopy, immunofluorescence microscopy, and electron microscopy.

Setting: Oslo University Hospital-Gaustad, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.

IgA rheumatoid factor in primary Sjogren's syndrome.

Objective: To assess the serum level of immunoglobulin A rheumatoid factor (IgA-RF) in patients with primary Sjogren's syndrome (pSS) and study the association with immunological and clinical factors.

Methods: Sera from 97 pSS patients diagnosed according to the preliminary European criteria and 100 controls were analysed for IgA-RF in a cross-sectional study design.

Results: IgA-RF was detected in serum of 25.

Cytokines, bone turnover markers and weight change in candidates for lung transplantation.

Weight loss in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with increased morbidity and may negatively affect bone mineral density. Increased serum levels of cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha have been associated with weight loss and with bone resorption. We studied the association between systemic inflammation, markers for bone turnover and recent weight change in underweight (n=48) and normal-weight patients (n=23) candidates for lung transplantation where the majority (56%) had COPD.

Donor lymphocytes transferred with the graft to kidney recipients. Potential for establishing microchimerism.

After solid organ transplantation donor lymphocytes have been shown to survive and multiply in the organ recipient for a prolonged period. It is not clear whether this chimerism detected is the result of immunosuppression or the cause of allograft acceptance. The number of cells transferred, as well as the type of cells, and the degree of activation are likely to be of importance for the establishment of microchimerism.

Immunophenotypic analyses of CD34(+) cell subsets in bone marrow from HIV-infected patients during highly- active antiretroviral therapy.

Background: Because increased bone marrow lymphopoiesis might contribute to immunologic reconstitution during highly-active antiretroviral therapy (HAART), we examined the effect of HAART on CD34(+) cell subsets in bone marrow from HIV-infected patients.

Materials And Methods: In 12 HIV-infected patients, bone marrow and peripheral blood were collected before then 4 and 26 weeks after initiating HAART. Bone marrow in 28 HIV-seronegative controls was also examined.