Quality of life in vitiligo patients after treatment with long-term narrowband ultraviolet B phototherapy

Long-term treatments for chronic diseases such as vitiligo need to be evaluated for their clinical efficacy. Assessment of the quality of life (QOL), however, may provide the most relevant information on the actual benefit for these patients. In this study we evaluated QOL after long-term narrowband ultraviolet (UV) B for the treatment of vitiligo. All patients, with long-term stable vitiligo vulgaris, who were treated at our clinic during the last 4 years received specifically for this study a designed QOL questionnaire, which included questions about general well-being, camouflage and psychosocial aspects; 71.4% of the patients responded. Most patients indicated an improvement on a psychological level, but an increase in camouflaging. The present study shows that, after long-term narrowband UVB phototherapy, skin appearance does not play a major role in the life of vitiligo patients, while well being only improved in a minority of patients.     

Chronic intracerebroventricular TLQP-21 delivery does not modulate the GH/IGF-1-axis and muscle strength in mice.

OBJECTIVE: Biallelic ablation of VGF determines a dwarf phenotype. VGF precursor protein encodes for different biologically active peptides none of which has been related to growth or muscular abnormalities. Here we present the first attempt to fill this gap. We tested the hypothesis that a recently identified VGF-derived peptide, TLQP-21, shown to centrally modulate metabolic functions, could also modulate growth hormone (GH)-axis and muscle strength. DESIGN: Adult male mice were chronically icv injected with TLQP-21 (15 microg/day for 14 days). Physiological, molecular and behavioral parameters related to the GH/IGF-1-axis were investigated. RESULTS: Except for a reduction in the soleus weight, TLQP-21 did not affect GH/IGF-1-axis mediators, muscle strength and muscle weight. CONCLUSIONS: Results collected exclude a role for TLQP-21 in modulating the GH/IGF1-axis and muscle functions. VGF-derived peptides involved in the dwarf phenotype of VGF-/- mice have to be identified yet.     

Estrogen disrupts the inhibition of fear in female rats, possibly through the antagonistic effects of estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and ERbeta

The ambiguous role of estrogen in emotional learning may result from opposing actions of estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and ERbeta. Using a fear-conditioning paradigm called the AX+, BX- discrimination, in which cue A comes to elicit fear and cue B becomes a safety signal, we examined the effect of 17beta-estradiol (E) and selective ERalpha and ERbeta agonists on excitatory and inhibitory fear learning. Gonadectomized (GDX) male and female rats implanted with E or selective ERalpha or ERbeta agonists were trained on the AX+, BX- discrimination and tested periodically to A, B, and AB. GDX sham-implanted male and female rats and GDX E-implanted males, but not GDX E-implanted females, exhibited less fear to AB than to A, suggesting that estrogen interferes with generalization of safety signals in female rats. ERalpha and ERbeta agonists disrupted discrimination learning in both sexes. ERalpha-implanted groups had higher fear responses to all cues than did ERbeta-implanted groups, suggesting that these two receptors have opposing effects in aversive discrimination learning. In contrast, neither E nor ERalpha and ERbeta agonists affected single-cue fear conditioning in either sex. These data suggest that E does not enhance fear in emotional learning but acts to disrupt the inhibition of fear in females only.     

Oral ulceration: an unusual manifestation of Churg–Strauss syndrome

Churg-Strauss Syndrome (CSS) is a relatively rare entity characterized by asthma, transient pulmonary infiltrates, eosinophilia and systemic vasculitis. Oral ulceration is a possible clinical manifestation of some systemic vasculitides, such as Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) or giant cell arteritis, but has never been reported with Churg-Strauss syndrome. We report the first observation of a palatine ulceration in a 15-year-old girl with Churg-Strauss syndrome.     

Heterotopic ossification after total hip replacement and the HLA system in the Sicilian population

Heterotopic ossification (HO) is a frequent complication following total hip arthroplasty (THA). At present, the etiology HO is unknown, however, genetic predisposition may be a cause of HO in individuals in whom no risk factors can be detected. The goal of this study was to investigate the HLA system, searching for any correlation with the presence of HO after THA. Thirty-five patients of Sicilian origin were operated on between January 1997 and January 1999 for cementless THA under regional anesthesia. The entire series was divided into three groups and all underwent histocompatibility typing. Group I was made up of 10 patients who presented with HO Brooker grades 1 and 2 after THA; group 2 comprised 7 patients affected by grades 3 and 4 HO after THA; and group 3 was made up of 18 subjects who presented with one or more preoperative risk factors for developing peri-prosthetic HO before undergoing THA. No positivity for HLA-B27 antigen was observed, but there was as an increase in HLA-B18 (with respect to that in the Sicilian population) in patients with HO following THA. The main conclusion from the study is that there is a strong correlation between the presence of the antigens HLA-A2 and HLA-B18 in patients with HO grades 3 and 4. Received: 16 January 2002/Accepted: 18 February 2002     

MRI during fast infusion of Gd-DTPA: results in hepatic and pancreatic enhancement

The authors describe the results obtained with dynamic MRI of the parenchymal organs during the infusion of contrast agents. Thirteen patients with hepatic and pancreatic lesions were studied. RASE sequences were characterized by TR of 260 ms, TE of 16 ms, NEX 1, matrix 128 × 256. Infusion of the contrast agent started 15 s prior to the beginning of the pulse sequence and continued throughout the pulse sequence (25 s). In this way, a continuous inflow of contrast agent in abdominal organs was expected during the acquisition time. The conventional dose of Gd-DTPA was employed (0.1 mmol/kg).The results demonstrate a highly relevant pancreatic enhancement in the early arterial phase of perfusion, with values of SE/N of 18.1 versus 8.5 in the subsequent sequence. However, in the liver the perfusion study did not improve the parenchymal enhancement, with values of 9.3 versus 15.3 in the late phase. There was no improvement of hypontense lesion detections in the liver, while the hypervascular lesions were visualized with a high signal intensity in the early perfusion study, disappearing in the later sequences. Correspondence to: P. Pavone     

Antimicrobial properties of human dentin impregnated with tetracycline HCI or chlorhexidine

Abstract Substantivity of tetracycline HCI and chlorhexidine digluconate to human root dentin was assessed in vitro. 51 extracted single-rooted teeth, their crowns removed, were assigned to 1 of 4 treatments in groups of 12. A control groups included 3 roots. Each group was divided into 3 subgroups to allow evaluation of drug exposure for 1, 3 or 5 min. The roots were immersed in tetracycline HCI (10 or 50 mg/ml) or chlorhexidine digluconate (0.12 or 0.2%) solutions following root planing. Control roots were immersed in sterile saline (0.9%). Following drug immersion, the roots were transferred to tubes containing 2 ml tris buffered saline. The tubes were incubated at room temperature for 22 days. Desorption media were replaced at 24-h intervals. Removed media were examined for antimicrobial activity using a microtiter assay in which bacterial growth was evaluated by optical density readings. Roots immersed in tetracycline HCl 50 mg/ml released antimicrobial activity to successive desorption media for 14 days. Tetracycline HCl 10 mg/ml activity lasted 4 days. Roots subjected to chlorhexidine digluconate released antimicrobial activity for 24 h only. Within each treatment, there were no differences between the 3 exposure intervals of 1, 3 or 5 min. Our findings suggest usage of the periodontally exposed instrumented root as a depot for sustained release of tetracycline HCI, but not chlorhexidine digluconate, to the subgingival environment. The substantiveness of tetracycline HCI seems related to drug concentration rather than the exposure interval. Clinical trials are needed to confirm the clinical significance of these in vitro observations.