The role of contact allergy in the spectrum of adverse effects caused by cosmetics and toiletries

Of 982 female clients of beauticians interviewed, 254 (25.9%) claimed to have experienced adverse reactions to cosmetics and toiletries in the preceding 5 years. Most reactions were caused by skin-care products (36.6%), followed by personal cleanliness products (29.5%), eye cosmetics (24.0%), deodorants and antiperspirants (12.6%), and facial make-up products (8.3%). 150 women were patch tested. In the European standard series, only a few positive reactions were seen to possible cosmetic allergens: fragrance mix (n = 3), wool alcohols (n = 3), formaldehyde (n = 2), balsam of Peru (n = 1), and colophony (n = 1). In the cosmetic series, only Kathon CG elicited positive patch test reactions (n = 3). Cosmetic allergy was considered to be "proven" in 3 patients (2.0%), and "possible" in 7 (4.7%). It is concluded that contact allergy is responsible for a minority (less than 10%) of all reactions to cosmetics and toiletries. The majority of reactions are due to irritation from personal cleanliness products such as soaps, shampoos, bath foams and from deodorants, or worsening of pre-existing dermatoses such as seborrhoeic dermatitis and acne.     

Demonstration of Kathon® CG in some commercial products

The preservative Kathon CG has become one of the most common sensitizers. It has, however, been difficult to explain the sensitization and to assess the clinical relevance of the contact allergy, partly due to lack of specification of the preservative in products. A high-performance liquid chromatography method was used to demonstrate Kathon CG in 123 commercial products of both "leave on" and "rinse off" types. 38 of these contained Kathon CG in the range of 1-15 ppm of active ingredients. There were no differences between "leave on" and "rinse off" products concerning the relative number of products containing Kathon CG and the concentrations of the preservative.     

高剂量和标准剂量EMZ为基础的三联疗法根除Hp 临床疗效比较

目的 比较高剂量和标准剂量埃索美拉唑（EMZ）为基础的三联疗法根除幽门螺杆菌（Hp）的临床疗效,为临床工作提供参考.方法 选择本院2012年8月～ 2014年2月收治的Hp阳性的慢性胃炎（CG）患者120例,随机分为观察组和对照组.观察组60例使用高剂量（40 mg/次）EMZ联合阿莫西林（AMX）和克拉霉素（CLT）治疗,对照组60例则使用标准剂量（20 mg/次）EMZ联合AMX和CLT治疗.两组均治疗10 d.治疗后统计两组Hp根除情况以及主要临床症状计分变化,并综合评价两组疗效.结果 观察组Hp根除成功54例,根除率为90.0％;对照组Hp根除成功43例,根除率为71.7％,两组根除率有统计学差异（P＜0.01）;治疗后,观察组上腹痛、胀满和反酸症状计分分别为（0.7±0.2）分、（0.8±0.4）分和（0.5±0.2）分,对照组分别为（1.5±0.4）分、（1.3±0.7）分和（1.4±0.4）分,观察组评分显著低于对照组（P＜0.01）;观察组治疗有效率（85.0％）显著高于对照组（68.3％）（P＜0.05）.结论 高剂量EMZ联合AMX和CLT对于Hp的根除效果更好,是临床治疗CG的较佳选择.     

Rapid increase in contact allergy to Kathon® CG in Finland

In unselected eczema patients subjected to routine patch testing, the number with positive reactions to Kathon CG 100 ppm increased from none in 1983 to 0.7% in January-August 1985, and to 4.6% in September 1985 to March 1986. Repeated open application tests (ROAT) with creams containing 7-15 ppm of the isothiazolinones were positive in 12 of 24 patients tested. 2 of the ROAT-positive cases had negative patch tests to 100 ppm Kathon CG, but 1 was positive with 200 ppm. Atopic dermatitis, chronic hand dermatitis and lower leg dermatitis were the most common disorders in the positive patients. The cause of the rapid increase of Kathon CG allergy in Finland during the winter of 1985-1986 was the use of a popular moisturizing cream containing first 19 ppm, then 7 ppm of a mixture of 2 isothiazolinones (Euxyl K 100).     

应用舌下腺刺激术治疗慢性胃炎临床研究

目的:观察应用舌下腺刺激术治疗慢性胃炎临床疗效。方法:慢性胃炎患者80例,随机分为两组:治疗组40例,采用舌下腺刺激术治疗,一次约10分钟。剪切黄豆大小一块舌下腺组织,唾液增多,频频咽下,一般不用药物维持;对照组40例,用吗叮啉10mg、3/d,果胶铋1.0g、3/d,口服,疗程两周。观察两组患者消化不良症状积分、生活质量的变化。结果:两组治疗后15d消化不良症状总积分11.67±1.36、15.37±2.01较治疗前26.58±1.81、26.83±1.89降低(P<0.05),治疗后0.5年治疗组7.81±1.10优于对照组25.40±1.92(P<0.05);生活质量治疗组治疗后15d、0.5年,对照组治疗后15d得到明显改善;治疗组治疗后未见不良反应发生。结论:应用舌下腺刺激术治疗慢性胃炎,具有较好疗效,远期疗效治疗组优于对照组,且方法简便、合理、无不良反应,值得进一步研究。     

应用反转录-聚合酶链式反应对LH/CG受体在大鼠垂体中表达的研究

促黄体激素/绒毛膜促性腺激素(LH/CG)受体存在于睾丸和卵巢组织中.然而以往的研究都未报道有关LH/CG受体是否存在于垂体这一重要的内分泌腺体组织中.本研究利用反转录-聚合酶链式反应(RT-PCR),以大鼠垂体总RNA为模板,扩增LH/CG受体cDNA片段.结果表明:LH/CG受体cDNA不仅存在于卵巢组织中,同样也存在于垂体组织中,垂体组织LH/CG受体cDNA与卵巢组织受体cDNA类似,都是由外显子拼接而成,结果又表明:LH/CG受体cDNA在垂体组织中以较小分子结构(或同工型)形式存在.尽管在大鼠垂体组织中没有发现全长cDNA存在,但本研究提示我们:LH/CG受体分子在垂体组织中的形式可能是由一些不完整的cDNA片段表达而成,并且表达水平较低.     

Frequency of sensitization to 13 common preservatives in Switzerland *

From February 1989 to January 1990, the Swiss Contact Dermatitis Research Group conducted a 1-year study to examine the frequency of sensitization to a series of 13 common preservatives. A group of 2295 consecutive outpatients with suspected allergic contact dermatitis (age range 7–90 years, with a mean age of 42; 911 males, 1384 females) was tested. The %s of positive reactions to the preservatives studied are as follows, in descending order: formaldehyde 5.7%, benzalkonium chloride 5.5%, Kathon CG 5.5%, thimerosal 4.2%, chlorhexidine digluconate 2.0%, DMDM hydantoin 1.7%. paraben mix 1.7%, chloroacetamide 1.5%, Bronopol 1.2%, imidazolidinyl urea 1.0%, quaternium 15 1.0%, triclosan 0.8%, 2,4-dichlorobenzyl alcohol 0.4%. These relatively high values suggest a heavy exposure of the Swiss population to topical preservatives. Compared to previous studies, the sensitization rate to Kathon CG has stabilized in Switzerland over the last 2 years. Sensitization to formaldehyde portrayed impressive geographical variation, with sensitization rates up to 9% in western and only 3% in eastern Switzerland. The low sensitization rate to parabens argues for their inclusion in a medicament or preservative series, rather than in the standard series.     

Effectiveness of the Pilates Method in the Treatment of Chronic Mechanical Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective

To assess the effectiveness of the Pilates method on pain, function, quality of life, and consumption of pain medication in patients with mechanical neck pain.

The centrally projecting Edinger–Westphal nucleus—I: Efferents in the rat brain

The oculomotor accessory nucleus, often referred to as the Edinger–Westphal nucleus [EW], was first identified in the 17th century. Although its most well known function is the control of pupil diameter, some controversy has arisen regarding the exact location of these preganglionic neurons. Currently, the EW is thought to consist of two different parts. The first part [termed the preganglionic EW—EWpg], which controls lens accommodation, choroidal blood flow and pupillary constriction, primarily consists of cholinergic cells that project to the ciliary ganglion. The second part [termed the centrally projecting EW—EWcp], which is involved in non-ocular functions such as feeding behavior, stress responses, addiction and pain, consists of peptidergic neurons that project to the brainstem, the spinal cord and prosencephalic regions. However, in the literature, we found few reports related to either ascending or descending projections from the EWcp that are compatible with its currently described functions. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to systematically investigate the ascending and descending projections of the EW in the rat brain. We injected the anterograde tracer biotinylated dextran amine into the EW or the retrograde tracer cholera toxin subunit B into multiple EW targets as controls. Additionally, we investigated the potential EW-mediated innervation of neuronal populations with known neurochemical signatures, such as melanin-concentrating hormone in the lateral hypothalamic area [LHA] and corticotropin-releasing factor in the central nucleus of the amygdala [CeM]. We observed anterogradely labeled fibers in the LHA, the reuniens thalamic nucleus, the oval part of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, the medial part of the central nucleus of the amygdala, and the zona incerta. We confirmed our EW–LHA and EW–CeM connections using retrograde tracers. We also observed moderate EW-mediated innervation of the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and the posterior hypothalamus. Our findings provide anatomical bases for previously unrecognized roles of the EW in the modulation of several physiologic systems.