Retinol-binding protein in serum and epidermis of patients with ichthyosis vulgaris

Fifteen patients with ichthyosis vulgaris of the dominant type were studied by immunological techniques for the detection of retinol-binding protein (RBP) in serum and epidermis. The serum RBP levels were all within the normal range thus indicating a normal vitamin A status in the blood. The epidermal RBP pattern was abnormal as judged by an indirect immuno-fluorescence technique. It is suggested that the decreased binding of RBP to ichthyosis epidermis is secondary to a reduced number of granular cells and not due to a disturbed vitamin A uptake per se.     

Factors influencing the determination of the occlusal vertical dimension by means of a screw jack

The screw jack method has recently been introduced as a new approach to assessing the occlusal height in edentulous patients. Its use is psycho-physical in nature, and is supposed to rely on neurophysiological mechanisms. Its accuracy has been tested, and it was found to be sensitive to two factors; (i) interactions between dentist and patient, and (ii) to time. More clinical and neurophysiological research is required to refine the method, before it can be expected to replace generally accepted methods.     

Different Substrate Specificities of Plasma Lecithin: Cholesterol Acyl Transferase in Fish Eye Disease and Tangier Disease

ABSTRACT Esterification of plasma free cholesterol is mediated by lecithin: cholesterol acyl transferase (LCAT). The free cholesterol of plasma high density lipoproteins (HDL) is considered to be the preferred substrate for LCAT. It therefore appeared as a paradox that plasma cholesterol esterification, both in vivo and in vitro, is normal in fish eye disease and Tangier disease, two familial conditions with extremely low plasma HDL levels. Fish eye disease plasma, however, was shown to have LCAT activity primarily acting on combined very low (VLDL) and low (LDL) density lipoproteins, denominated β-LCAT, while it lacked LCAT activity esterifying HDL cholesterol (α-LCAT). Here we show that Tangier plasma, in contrast, has both α- and β-LCAT. Thus, in both fish eye and Tangier diseases it is β-LCAT that explains the apparent normal plasma cholesterol estenfication. We also show that Tangier plasma, having α-LCAT activity, normalizes the low cholesteryl ester content as well as the abnormally small size of fish eye disease HDL particles during incubation.