Reduction of increased polyamine levels in psoriatic lesions by retinoid and PUVA treatments

Treatment with an oral aromatie retinoid (etretinate) and with PUVA significantly reduced the elevated levels of putrescine, spermidine and spermlne in psoriatic lesions. Both treatments also significantly reduced the spermidine/spermine ratio, which is considered to be an indicator of proliferation activity. Although both regimens produced a roughly parallel reduction of epidermal polyamines the initial fall of putrescine was much more rapid in patients receiving retinoid. This may indicate that one of the primary targets of retinoids could be ornithine deearboxylase.     

Occlusal anomalies in 45, X/46,XX- and 46, Xi(Xq)-women (Turner syndrome)

Abstract— A total of 20 individuals with X-chromosome aberrations, 14 45,X/46,XX-women and six 46,Xi(Xq)-women, were examined for occlusal anomalies. The controls were first-degree woman relatives and population women. The results showed that the most common type of malocclusion in both study groups was lateral cross bite. Also distal molar occlusion, increased maxillary overjet and in 45,X/46,XX-women open bite was found. 45,X/46,XX-women's occlusion seems to be more affected than that of 46,Xi(Xq)-women. Compared to 45,X-women, the present study groups show milder expression of malocclusion. One might speculate that enamel genes of the X-chromosome are involved in occlusal development.     

An outbreak of pneumonia associated with S. pneumoniae at a military training facility in Finland in 2006

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a well‐known cause of community‐acquired bacterial pneumonia. The purpose of this study was to assess the cause and extent of the outbreak of pneumonia which occurred among military recruits following a 1‐week hard encampment in Finland. We also assessed the carriage rate and molecular characteristics of the S. pneumoniae isolates. All pneumococcal isolates were studied for antibiotic susceptibility, serotyped, genotyped by multilocus sequence typing (MLST), and the presence of pneumococcal rlrA pilus islet was detected. The genotype results defined by MLST corresponded with the serotype results. S. pneumoniae serotype 7F, ST2331, seemed to be associated with an outbreak of pneumonia and nasopharyngeal carriage among 43 military recruits. Of the 43 military recruits, five (12%) were hospitalized with pneumonia and two (40%) of them were positive for S. pneumoniae serotype 7F, ST2331 by blood culture. Eighteen (42%) of the 43 men were found to be positive for S. pneumoniae by nasopharyngeal culture, and nine (50%) of them carried pneumococcal serotype 7F, ST2331. The outbreak strain covered 55% of all the pneumococcal findings. Outbreaks of invasive pneumococcal disease seem to occur in a crowded environment such as a military training facility even among previously healthy young men.     

Dietary calcium intake and its relation to bone mineral density in patients with inflammatory bowel disease

Objectives. To investigate calcium intake and its association with bone mineral density (BMD) and the type and extent of the disease in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Setting. University hospital clinic.
Subjects. A total of 152 unselected IBD patients and 73 healthy controls.
Measurements. Dietary calcium intake was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire and BMD of the lumbar spina and proximal femur was measured.
Results. The IBD patients had lower dietary calcium intake (1034 [SD 493] mg) than the controls (1334 [514] mg, P <0.001). The difference was significant in the males (1047 [552] mg and 1575 [586] mg, respectively, P <0.001), but not in the females (1020 [422] mg and 1112 [303] mg). The dietary daily calcium intake was below 1000 mg in 53% of the patients and 27% of the controls ( P = 0.0004) and below 400 mg in 9.2% of the patients and none of the controls ( P =0.007). The calcium intake was not associated with the severity or the type of IBD. Seventy-one (47%) patients and eight (11%) controls avoided lactose in their diet ( P < 0.001). In the IBD patients, no association between the calcium intake and BMD was detected, whereas in the controls a positive correlation between the calcium intake and the BMD of the proximal femur was found.
Conclusions. Calcium intakes below the recommendations are seen more often in the IBD patients than in the healthy controls, but in the IBD patients the calcium intake is not associated with BMD in a cross-sectional study. A low-lactose diet is common among IBD patients. To reduce the risk of inadequate calcium intake, unnecessary dietary restrictions concerning, e.g. milk products, should be avoided for these patients.     

Increased Interleukin-1 (IL-1) Production from LPS-Stimulated Peripheral Blood Monocytes in Children with Febrile Convulsions

ABSTRACT. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC) from 27 children with a febrile convulsion were tested for production of interleukin-1 (IL-1) in culture. MNC stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) showed a significantly increased production of IL-1 when compared to MNC from children without convulsions but with bacterial infections ( p < 0.001), viral infections ( p < 0.005) or no infection ( p < 0.005). Children who had experienced a febrile convulsion were retested several months later; this time the IL-1 production from LPS-stimulated MNC was not different from controls. These results demonstrate that MNC at the time of febrile convulsions have increased sensitivity to LPS and possibly to other IL-1 inducers; the resulting enhanced IL-1 response from sensitized MNC may have a role in the pathogenesis of febrile convulsions.     

PROPHYLAXIS OF ATOPIC DISEASE BY SIX MONTHS' TOTAL SOLID FOOD ELIMINATION

ABSTRACT. One hundred and thirty-five infants of atopic parents were exclusively breast-fed for 6 months without any cow's milk based supplements. Of these infants 70 received no nourishment except breast milk during the 6 months, and 65 were started on solid foods at the age of 3 months. The diet of all the infants was similar during 6 to 12 months of age. The children were examined at the age of one year. In the exclusive breast milk group atopic eczema and food allergy were less frequent than in the solid food group. The results suggest that total solid food elimination for the first 6 months of life, in addition to exclusive breast milk feeding, is prophylactic for atopic disease in children who are at hereditary risk.     

SERUM IMMUNOGLOBULIN E IN ATOPIC AND NON-ATOPIC CHILDREN AGED 6 MONTHS TO 5 YEARS

ABSTRACT. In order to obtain serum IgE reference values for small children we measured the total serum IgE concentration at the ages of 6 months, 1, 3, and 5 years in 66 healthy, non-atopic children who were followed from birth to 5 years of age. From this reference group we had excluded children with symptoms or signs of atopy during the follow-up period, as well as children with blood or nasal smear eosinophilia or positive skin prick tests. We also studied serum IgE levels in groups of children having latent atopy, symptomatic atopy, or severe atopic disease. We suggest that in the definition of reference values the upper limit of normal should be replaced by a zone of uncertainty, lying between the 95th and 97.5th percentiles. Serum IgE is a useful test with high specificity but low sensitivity in the differentiation between atopy and non-atopy. Thus high levels suggest atopy, while normal or low values yield little information. A normal serum IgE level does not necessarily exclude atopic disease.