An uncommon zoonosis.

In a patient with foreign-body granulomas, dog hairs were identified as the causative agent by combing history, histopathology and highly sensitive detection of species-specific canine mitochondrial DNA. Granulomas from human hair are well known in hairdressers. Animal hair granulomas have so far been only described in dog groomers, milkers, and shearers.

Transglutaminases as diagnostically relevant autoantigens in patients with gluten sensitivity.

Background: Patients with gluten sensitivity, i. e. celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis have anti-endomysial antibodies recognizing transglutaminases, which are usually detected on appropriate tissue sections.

Prospective, randomized, multicenter, double-blind placebo-controlled trial comparing adjuvant interferon alfa and isotretinoin with interferon alfa alone in stage IIA and IIB melanoma: European Cooperative Adjuvant Melanoma Treatment Study Group.

Purpose: The combination of interferon alfa (IFNalpha) and isotretinoin has shown a direct antiproliferative effect on human melanoma cell lines, but it remained unclear whether this combination is more effective than IFNalpha alone in patients with metastatic melanoma. We evaluated safety and efficacy of IFNalpha and isotretinoin compared with IFNalpha alone as adjuvant treatment in patients with primary malignant melanoma stage IIA and IIB.

Patients And Methods: In a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 407 melanoma patients in stage IIA (301 patients) and IIB (106 patients) were randomly assigned to either IFNalpha and isotretinoin (isotretinoin group; 206 patients) or IFNalpha and placebo (placebo group; 201 patients) after excision of the primary tumor.