Glutathione and HIV infection: reduced reduced, or increased oxidized?

Glutathione is the main intracellular defence against oxidative stress and regulates the cellular redox potential. HIV infection is accompanied by severe metabolic and immune dysfunctions. Several laboratories have demonstrated that the intracellular redox balance is disturbed in CD4+ T cells from HIV-seropositive subjects, which may potentiate HIV replication and partly explain the immunological abnormalities associated with HIV disease.

Mould-devouring mites differ in guanine excretion from dust-eating Acari, a possible error source in mite allergen exposure studies.

Background And Objective: Measurement of guanine in dust proved a good assessment of mite allergen exposure.

Methods: Exposure to mite allergens may lead to atopic inflictions. In a semi-natural test system the development of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Trouessart) and Glycyphagus domesticus (De Geer), and the presence of their guanine excretion, was examined in a dust-soiled and mouldy environment.

Exogenous protoporphyrin inhibits Hep G2 cell proliferation, increases the intracellular hydrogen peroxide concentration and causes ultrastructural alterations.

Ultrastructural hepatocellular abnormalities in early stages of erythropoietic protoporphyria lead to hepatobiliary changes that cause overt liver disease in 5-10% of patients, not infrequently progressing to fulminant hepatic failure. This cannot be attributed solely to protoporphyrin crystal deposition in the liver. Hepatic redox systems have therefore been postulated as an equivalent for the photoreaction of protoporphyrin.

Rapid progression of band-shaped keratopathy with early central localisation in a patient on chronic dialytic treatment.

This clinical study reports on an unusual start of a band-shaped keratopathy in a patient with diabetic nephropathy on dialytic treatment. The earliest corneal manifestations were centrally located small greyish-white disc-shaped lesions evenly distributed in the interpalpebral area in the left eye. Later a typical peripheral band-shaped keratopathy developed.

Diffuse and focal hyperaemia of the outer eye in patients with chronic renal failure.

In 8 of 57 patients with chronic renal failure that all had deposition of calcium salts in the limboconjunctival area, a focal hyperaemia of the conjunctiva was observed. This focal hyperaemia developed gradually around one or more greyish, slightly elevated, areas situated in the bulbar conjunctiva in the interpalpebral fissure. Clinically these lesions are very much alike inflamed pingueculae.

Limbal and corneal calcification in patients with chronic renal failure.

In patients with chronic renal failure on regular dialysis treatment, limboconjunctival degenerations and calcifications are commonly observed. In this study three groups of patients were followed over a period of 6 years. The first group consisted of 47 patients with renal failure, the second group of 17 patients with renal failure and hyperparathyroidism not controlled by drugs, and the third group seven patients with primary hyperparathyroidism without renal failure.

Clinical improvement after unusual avoidance measures in the home of an atopic dermatitis patient.

A 27-year-old female office clerk with widespread atopic dermatitis (AD) since infancy appeared to be highly sensitized and exposed to molds, storage mites, and chicken feathers and moderately sensitized to house-dust mites and grass and birch pollens. Hardly any textiles were present in her home; that is, only 28 m2, which is less than 25% of the Dutch national average. The causal relationship between eczema and molds plus storage mites in this case of AD was strengthened by the positive effect of an unusual, multidisciplinary home-sanitation program involving cleaning of mineral surfaces and ventilation improvement.

Systemic effects of inhalational methyl bromide poisoning: a study of nine cases occupationally exposed due to inadvertent spread during fumigation.

Systemic methyl bromide (CH3Br) poisoning with signs and symptoms of varying severity developed in nine greenhouse workers after acute inhalational exposure on two consecutive days. Measurements of CH3Br, carried out at the site within hours after the accident, suggest that exposure on the second day may have been in excess of 200 ppm (800 mg/m3) CH3Br. All workers were admitted for observation.

Reduced glutathione protects against cisplatin-induced neurotoxicity in rats.

Reduced glutathione (GSH) is reported to diminish cisplatin-induced neurotoxicity, and it was for this reason that we studied GSH in an animal model of cisplatin neuropathy. The neuropathy was evaluated by measuring the sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) in young adult Wistar rats. GSH injections (i.

Scanning laser densitometry in multiple evanescent white dot syndrome.

A 28-year-old man with multiple evanescent white dot syndrome (MEWDS) in the left eye was examined with a scanning laser densitometer. The first measurements were taken in the acute stage, and repeat examinations were performed during the process of recovery. Fundus pictures were obtained from a 20 degrees retinal field, in dark and light adapted stages.

Cisplatin-induced neuropathy in mature rats: effects of the melanocortin-derived peptide ORG 2766.

A major side effect of cisplatin treatment is peripheral neuropathy. In the past few years we have provided evidence that the ACTH4-9 analogue ORG 2766 provides protection against this neuropathy in rats and man. In this study we investigated the development of a cisplatin-induced neuropathy and the protective and therapeutic actions of ORG 2766 in mature rats.

Protoporphyrin photosensitivity cannot be attenuated by oral N-acetylcysteine.

The photodermatosis in erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) is caused by the accumulation of photosensitizing protoporphyrin (PP) in the skin, due to a defect in ferrochelatase, the enzyme that inserts ferrous iron into PP to form heme. Hydroxyl radical (.OH) and singlet oxygen generation with subsequent lipid peroxidation are thought to play a major role in the pathogenesis of the photodermatosis in EPP.

The red eye of renal failure: a crystal induced inflammation?

Of 57 patients with chronic renal failure and calcification of the anterior membranes of the eye eight developed inflammatory reactions, clinically indistinguishable from pingueculitis. In three patients an acute inflammatory reaction of the episcleral tissue and the conjunctiva over it developed which we considered to represent the red eye of renal failure. In these patients massive shedding of calcium phosphate salts was clinically evident.

Sucralfate and sodium sucrose sulphate in the treatment of superficial corneal disease in keratoconjunctivitis sicca.

We have studied the effect of the aluminum complex of sucrose sulphate (Sucralfate suspension) and the sodium salt of sucrose sulphate (sodium sucrose sulphate solution) on patients with keratoconjunctivitis sicca. Eyes treated with either of these two drugs showed a decrease in painfulness and blurring of vision. On examination the surface area of the corneal lesions, stained with fluorescein, diminished during treatment.

Metastatic or dystrophic conjunctival calcification in renal failure?

In renal failure the incidence of pingueculae is significantly higher than in a comparable control group but there is no evidence that the calcific precipitation in renal failure is of a dystrophic nature. The lime salts are not located within the area of elastotic degeneration, a prerequisite for dystrophic degeneration. Moreover there is no association between the magnitude of the conjunctival degeneration and the degree of calcification.

Red eyes in renal failure.

Of 57 patients with chronic renal failure who all had deposition of calcium salts in the conjunctival and corneal tissue two developed a brief episode of painful irritation and redness of the conjunctiva and subconjunctiva. This hyperaemia was adjacent to erosions of the corneal epithelium of the eye as a consequence of exfoliation of calcium concretions from the superficial corneal epithelium. Eight patients showed inflammatory reactions of the conjunctivae that were clinically identical to inflamed pingueculae.

Fungi in carpeting and furniture dust.

The qualitative and quantitative species composition of fungi in carpets and upholstered furniture dust found in the living-rooms of nine Dutch dwellings was examined in a pilot study. Numbers of spores of xerophilic fungi did not differ in dust removed from carpeting and upholstery. Spores of hydrophilic species were found to be more predominant on floors (P less than 0.

Clinical evaluation of a double-blind dust-mite avoidance trial with mite-allergic rhinitic patients.

Inheritance and allergen exposure are key factors in the development and the course of atopic allergy, expressed as conjunctivitis, rhinitis, asthma or dermatitis. This study concerns the clinical significance of mite and mite-allergen avoidance measures based on intensive cleaning with acaricide (solidified benzylbenzoate) added (10 dwellings), and without biocidal activity (10 other homes) as a control in a double-blind trial with matched pairs. Twenty subjects with persisting rhinitic complaints were selected.

The management of house dust mite allergies.

A safe and practical home sanitation procedure for the removal of house dust mites (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus) and their allergens is described. The severity of mite infestation was assessed with the use of the Acarex test, which measures the concentration of guanine in house dust, and all affected house textiles were then treated with an Acarosan product. The active ingredient of Acarosan is benzyl benzoate, which has been used as a scabicide for over 100 years.

Retinal densitometry in acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy.

Cone photopigment kinetics were investigated by retinal densitometry in six patients with acute posterior multifocal placoid pigment epitheliopathy (APMPPE). Our goal was to document the course of cone impairment during a period of at least 12 months following the onset of the disease process. During the active stage, we found that the amount of pigment measurable by densitometry (the density difference) was reduced and that the time constant of pigment regeneration was unmeasurable.

Has bovine somatotropin (BST) an effect upon drug disposition? Comparative studies in goats and cattle with sulphadimidine and antipyrine after parenteral administration of BST, zeranol and proligestone.

Daily subcutaneous BST injection in lactating cows, bulls and castrated male dwarf goats did not induce significant changes in the pharmacokinetic parameters of antipyrine (AP) and sulphadimidine (SDD). Similarly, no changes were obtained after injection of slow-release BST formulations in lactating cows and non-lactating female goats. In contrast to androgenic hormones, both zeranol and proligestone had no effect upon the disposition of AP and SDD, although both synthetic hormones did induce enhanced plasma somatotropin concentrations.