Vererbungswissenschaft und Rassenhygiene

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Non-invasive skin biomarkers quantification of psoriasis and atopic dermatitis: Cytokines,antioxidants and psoriatic skin auto-fluorescence

Background

Psoriasis and atopic dermatitis (AD) are challenging to treat due to the absence of suitable monitoring procedure and their recurrences. Alteration of skin hydrophilic biomarkers (SHB) and structural elements occur in both disorders and may possess a distinct profile for each clinical condition.

Objective

To quantify skin cytokines and antioxidants non-invasively in psoriatic and in AD patients and to evaluate skin auto-fluorescence in psoriatic patients.

Methods

A skin wash sampling technique was utilized to detect the expression of SHB on psoriatic and AD patients and healthy controls. Inflammatory cytokine (TNFα, IL-1α and IL-6) levels, total antioxidant scavenging capacity and uric acid content were estimated. Additionally, measurement of the fluorescent emission spectra of tryptophan moieties, collagen cross-links and elastin cross-links were performed on psoriatic patients and healthy controls.

Results

Our findings demonstrate significant alterations of the SHB levels among psoriasis, AD and healthy skin. Differences were also observed between lesional and non-lesional areas in patients with psoriasis and AD. Ultra-structural changes were found in psoriatic patients both in lesional and non-lesional areas.

Conclusion

Employing non-invasive measurements of skin wash sampling and skin auto-fluorescence might serve as complementary analysis for improved diagnosis and treatment of psoriasis and AD. Furthermore, they may serve as an additional monitoring tool for various diseases, in which skin dysfunction is involved.     

Kortisonangst bei Asthma bronchiale

Zusammenfassung Die Befundlage zum Zusammenhang von Kortisonangst und Therapieakzeptanz ist spärlich. In 2 vorliegenden Untersuchungen wurde angegeben, Kortisonangst sei nicht weit verbreitet. Der verwendete Fragebogen (Deuchert-Skala, DS) scheint jedoch eher kognitive Aspekte abzubilden. Daher wurde ein neuer Fragebogen (Osnabrück-Skala, OS) für die affektive Seite der Kortisonangst entwickelt. 110 Eltern asthmakranker Kinder beantworteten beide Fragebögen und machten Angaben zu Informationsquellen, auf die sie zurückgreifen. Die OS erbrachte signifikant höhere Angstwerte. Eine Faktorenanalyse bestätigte die inhaltliche Verschiedenheit: Die OS lud auf: Ängste und Sorgen bzgl. einer Kortisonbehandlung, die DS auf: Negative Meinungen bzgl. Kortison. Kognitive und affektive Aspekte der Kortisonangst sollten unterschieden werden, um nicht vorschnell anzunehmen, das Merkmal sei nur unwesentlich ausgeprägt. Bei Eltern asthmakranker Kinder scheinen nicht unerhebliche Ängste bezüglich Kortison zu bestehen. Mehr als 1/4 der Befragten wurden vom Haus-/Kinderarzt nicht über das Medikament aufgeklärt, 6 von 89 Medizinern lehnen Kortison überwiegend ab, ebenso eine große Zahl von Verwandten oder Bekannten (78,6%).     

Cisplatin neurotoxicity in the treatment of metastatic germ cell tumour: time course and prognosis

In order to ascertain the incidence and prognosis of cisplatin-induced neurotoxicity in testis cancer patients undergoing combination chemotherapy, 29 patients with metastatic disease were studied prospectively. Assessments included enquiry into neurological symptoms, measurement of sural nerve sensory action potential and conduction velocity, and vibration threshold in the left big toe. At the end of chemotherapy (3 to 4 cycles) only 3 out of 26 (11%) patients had paraesthesiae, but 3 months later the proportion rose to 65%. Resolution occurred in the majority over the ensuing 12 months so that only 17% had persistent symptoms. None of the 11 patients treated with 3 cycles of chemotherapy had persisting symptoms. Vibration thresholds showed a significant deterioration during chemotherapy (P = 0.032), further deterioration in the 3 months following chemotherapy (P = 0.009) and significant improvement between 3 and 12 months after chemotherapy (P = 0.038). Sural nerve sensory action potentials and conduction velocities were unhelpful.     

The Theory of Social Systems as a Framework for Understanding Family Businesses

There is a long tradition of systemic approaches in family business research, but recent developments have been widely ignored. This article gives a brief overview of these approaches and models and then introduces the modern theory of social systems. This theory no longer considers individuals as parts of the system but assumes that the basic elements of a social system are acts of communication. In each system (family, business, ownership), a specific communication pattern evolves and each system operates within a specific functional logic. Families process relationship communication, businesses process decision communication, and ownership operates on the basis of legally secured communication. Each of these three structurally coupled systems provides a specific context. The functional logics are context markers and assign meaning to the communicative acts. To understand how a family business functions, it is important to understand the concrete functional logics and the structural coupling of the three systems.     

Identification of Changes in Gene Expression Associated with Minimal Residual Disease

Minimal residual disease (MRD), the tumour burden which remains after a course of treatment that has resulted in clinical remission [1], appears to differ in certain characteristics from the primary tumour population. Certainly the cells which comprise MRD have had to escape from the constraints of the primary tumour mass, invade normal tissue and penetrate small vessels in order to enter the circulation in which they then have had to survive. Such activities are the consequence of the expression of specific proteins and these may well be a reflection of alterations in DNA or RNA levels. Identifying the changes in RNA expression levels between related cell groups exhibiting different phenotypes recently has become a great deal easier as a consequence of developments in analytical procedures such as Differential Display (DD) and Serial Analysis of Gene Expression (SAGE). Application of these procedures to MRD cells recovered from blood, bone marrow or lymph node, should identify novel sequences associated with tumour progression and the development of disseminated disease.     

Photo-damage protective effect of two facial products, containing a unique complex of Dead Sea minerals and Himalayan actives

Background Skin appearance is badly affected when exposed to solar UV rays, which encourage physiological and structural cutaneous alterations that eventually lead to skin photo-damage. Aims To test the capability of two facial preparations, extreme day cream (EXD) and extreme night treatment (EXN), containing a unique complex of Dead Sea water and three Himalayan extracts, to antagonize biological effects induced by photo-damage. Methods Pieces of organ cultures of human skin were used as a model to assess the biological effects of UVB irradiation and the protective effect of topical application of two Extreme preparations. Skin pieces were analyzed for mitochondrial activity by MTT assay, for apoptosis by caspase 3 assay, and for cytokine secretion by solid phase ELISA. Human subjects were tested to evaluate the effect of Extreme preparations on skin wrinkle depth using PRIMOS and skin hydration by a corneometer. Results UVB irradiation induced cell apoptosis in the epidermis of skin organ cultures and increased their pro-inflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis α (TNFα) secretion. Topical applications of both preparations significantly attenuated all these effects. Furthermore, in human subjects, a reduction in wrinkle depth and an elevation in the intense skin moisture were observed. Conclusions The observations clearly show that EXD and EXN preparations have protective anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory properties that can attenuate biological effects of skin photo-damage. Topical application of the preparations improves skin appearance by reducing its wrinkles depth and increasing its moisturizing impact.