Chronic graft-versus-host disease presenting as acute polymyositis: A case series and systematic review.

Chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGvHD) remains a significant complication of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). Commonly targeted organs are skin, eyes, mouth, gastrointestinal tract, and liver. Muscular involvement and presentation as acute polymyositis (APM) remain a rare manifestation of cGvHD.

Spiny keratoderma in association with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease with liver cysts.

Spiny keratoderma of the palms and soles has been rarely reported. Debate exists regarding the proper nosologic classification of this disorder. We describe a patient and her mother with concurrent autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease with liver cysts.

Comparison of the rates of adverse drug reactions. Ionic contrast agents, ionic agents combined with steroids, and nonionic agents.

The influence of ionic agents alone, of diatrizoate plus two oral doses of methylprednisolone premedication, and of a nonionic agent (iohexol) upon the frequency and severity of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) was compared in ten hospitals during three separate time periods from 1985 to 1989. Nonionic agents were found to reduce significantly total ADRs; 52 of 8857 patients receiving nonionic agents experienced reactions, versus 263 of 6006 patients for ionics (P less than .0001).

Uptake of intact TPGS (d-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate) a water-miscible form of vitamin E by human cells in vitro.

The mechanism by which TPGS (alpha-tocopheryl succinate esterified to polyethylene glycol 1000 [PEG 1000]) delivers tocopherol (vitamin E) was studied in human fibroblasts and erythrocytes and a human intestinal cell line, Caco-2. The total cellular tocopherol content of saponified samples of fibroblasts or Caco-2 incubated for 4 h with TPGS (4 mumol/L) increased 10-fold without an increase in the free tocopherol content of nonsaponified samples. A 24-h incubation resulted in a free tocopherol content of approximately 20%, suggesting that intracellular hydrolysis of ester bonds had occurred.

Lack of tocopherol in peripheral nerves of vitamin E-deficient patients with peripheral neuropathy.

Vitamin E deficiency is often associated with symptoms of a peripheral neuropathy. To evaluate whether vitamin E deficiency affects the vitamin E content of the peripheral nervous system, we measured the alpha-tocopherol content in biopsy specimens of sural nerve and adipose tissue from 5 patients with symptomatic vitamin E deficiency (2 with homozygous hypobetalipoproteinemia and 3 with familial isolated vitamin E deficiency) and 34 control patients with neurologic diseases without vitamin E deficiency. A significant reduction in tissue tocopherol content was present in the vitamin E-deficient patients, as compared with the controls, both in sural nerves (1.

In vitro uptake of [3H]alpha-tocopherol from low density lipoprotein by cultured human fibroblasts.

Studies were performed to determine the mechanism of entry of [3H]alpha-tocopherol from low density lipoprotein into cultured human fibroblasts. The cellular uptake of alpha-tocopherol at 37 degrees C was significantly different in time- and concentration-dependent experiments between normal fibroblasts and mutant fibroblasts that lack the membrane receptor for low density lipoprotein. The uptake by normal cells of both 125I-labeled low density lipoprotein and [3H]alpha-tocopherol was significantly lower at 4 degrees C where endocytosis does not occur, compared to 37 degrees C where it does occur.