Concomitant contact-allergic reactions to iodopropynyl butylcarbamate and iodine.

Background: Iodopropynyl butylcarbamate (IPBC) is a broad-spectrum preservative for use in several product types, including cosmetics, in which its concentrations have been limited by EU legislation because of concerns related to its iodine content and release, and the risk of subsequent iodine overdose.

Objectives: To report on concomitant patch test reactions observed with iodine and IPBC in patients sensitized to iodine-containing antiseptics.

Patients: Between 2012 and 2018, seven patients, six from Belgium and one from France, two suffering from acute dermatitis during surgical interventions, four from dermatitis caused by wound treatment, and one from occupational dermatitis, were shown to be sensitized to iodine and/or povidone-iodine (PVP-I), which was considered to be relevant for their dermatitis.

Limited role and benefit of ivabradine in the treatment of angina and heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Ivabradine is an original drug that has been approved in two indications (systolic heart failure and angina). The aim of this short review is to draw the attention of clinician prescribers to the evidence base of ivabradine. Three large randomized trials testing ivabradine versus placebo have been performed.

From evidence-based medicine to personalized medicine, with particular emphasis on drug-safety monitoring.

Nowadays, guidelines are derived from the findings of randomized controlled therapeutic trials. However, an overall significant P value does not exclude that some patients may be harmed by or will not respond to the therapeutic agent being studied. Trials in patients with a low risk of events and/or a limited chance of providing significant differences in therapeutic effects require a large patient population to demonstrate a beneficial effect.

Airborne allergic contact dermatitis caused by isothiazolinones in water-based paints: a retrospective study of 44 cases.

Background: Airborne allergic contact dermatitis caused by paints containing isothiazolinones has been recognized as a health hazard.

Objectives: To collect epidemiological, clinical and patch test data on airborne allergic contact dermatitis caused by isothiazolinone-containing paints in France and Belgium.

Methods: A descriptive, retrospective study was initiated by the Dermatology and Allergy Group of the French Society of Dermatology, including methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI)/methylisothiazolinone (MI)- and/or MI-sensitized patients who developed airborne allergic contact dermatitis following exposure to isothiazolinone-containing paint.

Efficacy and safety of rituximab in auto-immune hemolytic anemia: A meta-analysis of 21 studies.

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the response to rituximab (RTX) treatment in auto-immune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) patients.

Methods: Studies were selected from MEDLINE up to March 2014. Two investigators independently extracted data on study design, patient characteristics, clinical features (AIHA type, disease duration, previous treatments), dose-schedule of rituximab, duration of treatment follow-up, and toxicities.

Systemic lupus erythematosus-associated acute transverse myelitis: manifestations, treatments, outcomes, and prognostic factors in 20 patients.

Background: Transverse myelitis is a rare complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). This retrospective multicentre study identifies the prognostic factors in a relatively large patient series.

Patients And Methods: Twenty patients fulfilled the SLE criteria of the ACR classification and the Transverse Myelitis Consortium Working Group.

Outbreak of contact sensitization to methylisothiazolinone: an analysis of French data from the REVIDAL-GERDA network.

Background: The preservative methylisothiazolinone (MI) is used in combination with methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI), but the MCI/MI mixture has been identified as highly allergenic. MI is considered to be less allergenic, and since the mid-2000s has been widely used alone, but is now clearly identified as a contact allergen. The French Vigilance Network for Dermatology and Allergy of the Study and Research Group on Contact Dermatitis (REVIDAL-GERDA) added MI to its baseline patch testing series in 2010.

Consistency of safety and efficacy of new oral anticoagulants across subgroups of patients with atrial fibrillation.

Aims: The well-known limitations of vitamin K antagonists (VKA) led to development of new oral anticoagulants (NOAC) in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF). The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine the consistency of treatment effects of NOAC irrespective of age, comorbidities, or prior VKA exposure.

Methods And Results: All randomized, controlled phase III trials comparing NOAC to VKA up to October 2012 were eligible provided their results (stroke/systemic embolism (SSE) and major bleeding (MB)) were reported according to age (≤ or >75 years), renal function, CHADS2 score, presence of diabetes mellitus or heart failure, prior VKA use or previous cerebrovascular events.

Central nervous system involvement in Whipple disease: clinical study of 18 patients and long-term follow-up.

Whipple disease (WD) is a rare multisystemic infection with a protean clinical presentation. The central nervous system (CNS) is involved in 3 situations: CNS involvement in classic WD, CNS relapse in previously treated WD, and isolated CNS infection. We retrospectively analyzed clinical features, diagnostic workup, brain imaging, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) study, treatment, and follow-up data in 18 patients with WD and CNS infection.

[Exercise-induced muscle pain due to phosphofrutokinase deficiency: Diagnostic contribution of metabolic explorations (exercise tests, 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy)].

Introduction: Muscle phosphofructokinase deficiency, the seventh member of the glycogen storage diseases family, is also called Tarui's disease (GSD VII).

Methods: We studied two patients in two unrelated families with Tarui's disease, analyzing clinical features, CK level, EMG, muscle biopsy findings and molecular genetics features. Metabolic muscle explorations (forearm ischemic exercise test [FIET]; bicycle ergometer exercise test [EE]; 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of calf muscle [31P-NMR-S]) are performed as appropriate.

[Unexplained, subclinical chronically elevated transaminases].

Unexplained, subclinical chronically elevated transaminases is mainly a marker of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome, alcoholism and diabetes, which are very common situations but viral hepatitis and iatrogenic origin must also be considered. Before looking for hepatic or genetic rare diseases, it is worth considering hypertransaminasemia as a clue for muscular disease, particularly in paediatric settings, and creatine phosphokinase is a specific marker. Then, patient history, examination and appropriate biologic requests can permit the identification of less frequent disorders where isolated hypertransaminasemia is possibly the unique marker of the disease for a long while: hemochromatosis, celiac disease, autoimmune hepatitis, Wilson's disease, α1-anti-trypsine deficiency, thyroid dysfunctions, Addison's disease.

[Abnormal hemoglobins with high oxygen affinity in the differential diagnosis of polycythemia].

Hemoglobin variant with high oxygen affinity is an uncommon, often misdiagnosed, etiology of erythrocytosis. We report two cases of erythrocytosis. Their hemoglobin-oxygen dissociation curve showed a P50 value (the oxygen tension at which hemoglobin is 50% saturated) below the normal range.

Sex and acquired cofactors determine phenotypes of ferroportin disease.

Background & Aims: Ferroportin disease is characterized by iron overload. It has an autosomal-dominant pattern of inheritance and has been associated with mutations in the SLC40A1 gene, which encodes the cellular iron exporter ferroportin. Since the first description in 2001, about 30 mutations have been reported; the heterogeneity of ferroportin disease phenotypes has led to the hypothesis that the nature of the mutation affects the function of the protein in different ways.

Influence of age at disease onset in the outcome of paediatric systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of age at disease onset in the outcome of paediatric SLE (pSLE).

Methods: Fifty-six patients with pSLE, divided into three groups (pre-pubertal, peripubertal and post-pubertal onset), were studied. The SDI (SLICC/ACR Damage Index for SLE), patients' characteristics, disease manifestations and treatments were compared using Fisher's exact test and Kruskal-Wallis test.

Paediatric systemic lupus erythematosus: prognostic impact of antiphospholipid antibodies.

Objectives: The aim of our study was to investigate the prognostic impact of aPL in paediatric onset systemic lupus erythematosus (p-SLE).

Methods: This retrospective study included 56 patients with p-SLE. Chi2-test, Fisher's exact test, incidence rate ratio and Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to compare aPL-positive and aPL-negative patients considering the value of SDI (Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index for SLE) at the end of follow-up, the occurrence of thromboses, organ system involvements and need for immunosuppressive treatment in addition to corticosteroids.

[Toxic or drug-induced granulomatous reactions].

Purpose: To review the current concepts in toxic and drug-induced granulomatous reactions.

Current Knowledge And Key Points: Granulomatous reactions are induced by various chemical agents, treatments or foreign bodies. According to the breaking way into the organism, the lungs, the liver, the kidneys or the skin are mainly concerned, but systemic granulomatosis mimicking sarcoidosis is possible.

Neurological manifestations and neuroradiological presentation of Erdheim-Chester disease: report of 6 cases and systematic review of the literature.

Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is a rare, non-Langerhans form of histiocytosis of unknown etiology that affects multiple organs. We report 6 cases of ECD with neurological involvement and neuroradiological abnormalities on brain MRI. A literature review revealed 60 other cases of ECD with neurological involvement.

Systemic mastocytosis: predictable factors of poor prognosis present at the onset of the disease.

Systemic mastocytosis (SM) refers to a group of heterogeneous diseases that can be divided into indolent SM, for which prognosis is favorable, and malignant SM, which has a poor prognosis. While the diagnosis of SM is often a challenge since clinical and biological abnormalities are not specific, prognosis is even more difficult to predict. Thus, we aimed to highlight predictable factors in a cohort of 28 cases of SM.

[Haemochromatosis screening in 120 patients complaining with persistant fatigue].

Aim: Chronic fatigue is the more frequent symptom identified in the course of hereditary haemochromatosis. A screening for this disorder was carried out in 120 primary care patients consulting for unexplained chronic fatigue.

Subjects And Methods: Transferrin saturation and serum ferritin were determined in all patients.

Phenotype and genotype of French cystic fibrosis patients with long survival and follow-up.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the clinical features and the genotype characteristics of French patients diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) before their fifth year and who were still alive after 30 years. It is the first descriptive study of 114 CF patients with long survival and follow-up. We compared this subgroup of French CF patients with the overall French CF population and with French adult (> 18 years) CF patients regardless of their age at diagnosis.

Longitudinal study of oxidative status in 312 cystic fibrosis patients in stable state and during bronchial exacerbation.

In cystic fibrosis (CF), there is an imbalance in the oxidant/antioxidant system, leading to oxidative damage. The aim of this study was to assess antioxidant-scavenger deficiencies and lipid peroxide variations in three clinical situations (stable status, acute exacerbation, and after intravenous antibiotic treatment). The objective was also to correlate oxidative stress with age, nutritional status, and respiratory function.