Intravenous cidofovir treatment for recalcitrant warts in the setting of a patient with myelodysplastic syndrome

Cidofovir is an acyclic nucleoside phosphonate with broad-spectrum activity against DNA viruses, including human papilloma virus (HPV). However, data on the efficacy of cidofovir in an immunosuppressive setting remain contradictory. We report for the first time on the promotion of the healing of recalcitrant warts in a patient with myelodysplastic syndrome with intravenous cidofovir treatment.     

Bladder cancer and asbestos in Spain

The relationship between bladder cancer and occupational exposure to asbestos was investigated between 1978 and 1982 at La Paz Hospital in Madrid in a case-control study conducted among 353 male patients and 53 women with a diagnosis of urothelium carcinoma, and among an equal number of controls matched in age (decade of life), sex and date of admission to the hospital. The results showed that bladder cancer is associated with occupational exposure to asbestos.     

Association between the occurrence of antibodies to simian vacuolating virus 40 and bladder cancer in male smokers

An association between the occurrence of antibodies to simian vacuolating virus 40 and bladder cancer in male smokers was found in a case-control study conducted in 200 male patients with bladder cancer and 400 control men. The risk of bladder cancer increases with the years of cigarette smoking.     

Glucocorticoid-dependent complementation of a hepatoma cell variant defective in viral glycoprotein sorting.

We have utilized the rat hepatoma (HTC) cell sorting variant CR4 to examine the glucocorticoid-regulated pathways that localize mouse mammary tumor virus glycoproteins to the cell surface. The defective sorting of cell surface mouse mammary tumor virus glycoproteins in CR4 cells was complemented after fusion with either normal rat hepatocytes or uninfected HTC cells. Indirect immunofluorescence of transient heterokaryons revealed that the regulated localization of mouse mammary tumor virus glycoproteins was dependent upon glucocorticoid treatment and required de novo RNA and protein synthesis. Thus, a glucocorticoid-regulated trafficking activity, unrelated to mouse mammary tumor virus sequences, which is induced in both adult rat liver and cultured hepatoma cells, can act in trans to mediate an intracellular sorting pathway for membrane glycoproteins.     

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor-dependent recruitment of Ret into lipid rafts enhances signaling by partitioning Ret from proteasome-dependent degradation

The receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) Ret is activated by the formation of a complex consisting of ligands such as glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and glycerophosphatidylinositol-anchored coreceptors termed GFRalphas. During activation, Ret translocates into lipid rafts, which is critical for functional responses to GDNF. We found that Ret was rapidly ubiquitinated and degraded in sympathetic neurons when activated with GDNF, but, unlike other RTKs that are trafficked to lysosomes for degradation, Ret was degraded predominantly by the proteasome. After GDNF stimulation, the majority of ubiquitinated Ret was located outside of lipid rafts and Ret was lost predominantly from nonraft membrane domains. Consistent with the predominance of Ret degradation outside of rafts, disruption of lipid rafts in neurons did not alter either the GDNF-dependent ubiquitination or degradation of Ret. GDNF-mediated survival of sympathetic neurons was inhibited by lipid raft depletion, and this inhibitory effect of raft disruption on GDNF-mediated survival was reversed if Ret degradation was blocked via proteasome inhibition. Therefore, lipid rafts sequester Ret away from the degradation machinery located in nonraft membrane domains, such as Cbl family E3 ligases, thereby sustaining Ret signaling.     

P01Contact dermatitis from textile colours in three Spanish towns

Objective:  Prevalence of textile dye contact dermatitis (TD‐CD) are lacking in many countries. Our aim is to know the frequency of TD‐CD in three different areas of Spain.
Methods:  100 patients were tested with Spanish standard series and the five most frequent TD in each city. D. Orange 1, D. Orange 3, D. Blue 35, D. Blue 106, D. Blue 124 were included in Murcia and Seville, and the three last and D. Red 1, D. Red 17 in Santiago.
Results:  23/300 (15 women and 8 men) were positives to one or more TD. D. Blue 124 was the most frequent allergen (18/300), followed by D. Blue 106 (17/300). D. Red 1, D. Red 17 and D. Orange 1 were positives in 2/200. D. Orange 3 and D. Blue 35 were positives in 1/200. Eczema was located on hands in 13 cases. Clinical picture was variable. Origin of sensitization was clothing and occupational. Relevance was obtained in 20/23 cases.
Conclusions:  The study confirm an high frequency of disperse dye allergy in Spain with a very different prevalence in the three areas: Seville 14%, Murcia 5% and Santiago 4%, that are probably due to social and cultural factors. We recommend the inclusion of D. Blue 106, D. Blue 124, D. Blue 35, D. Red 1, D. Red 17, D. Orange 1 and D. Orange 3 in standard series in order to detect sensitivity to textile colours that is most frequent than previously suspected.     

Late side-effects with cosmetic relevance following soft X-ray therapy of cutaneous neoplasias

Background Cosmetic changes are to be expected after radiotherapy for skin tumours. Objectives This study aimed to answer the questions: How frequent are cosmetic changes after soft X‐ray therapy? Do treatment parameters, tumour thickness, localization and size of the irradiated field have a major influence? Were patients irritated by the visual appearance of the irradiated field? Methods In total, 2474 examinations of 1149 irradiated fields were performed. Results Hypopigmentation was found in 64.7% of examinations more than 90 days after therapy, teleangiectases in 43.1%, erythema in 24.8%, and hyperpigmentation in 16.8%. The frequency of hypopigmentation, teleangiectases and hyperpigmentation increased with time from X‐ray exposure; more than 4 years after therapy hypopigmentation was diagnosed in 91.8% and teleangiectases in 82.2% of examinations. Total dose, the time–dose–fractionation factor (TDF), field size and dose per fraction were significantly related to the frequency of cosmetic changes. Incidence rates of cosmetic changes differed by less than 15% if different treatment conditions were compared: thicker vs. thinner tumours, larger vs. smaller fields, higher vs. lower total doses, doses per fraction, and TDF. Frequencies of hypopigmentation, teleangiectases, erythema and hyperpigmentation differed by more than 15% between some localizations on the head. Women reported irritation by the visual appearance of the irradiated field in 12.6% of 1116 interviews, and men in 4.4% of 1284 interviews. Conclusions Cosmetic changes after soft X‐ray therapy are relatively frequent. Treatment parameters, tumour thickness and field size have only a minor influence. Few patients, but more women than men, were irritated by the visual appearance of the irradiated field.     

HYPOKALEMIA IN THE ELDERLY: IS IT ALWAYS DIURETIC-INDUCED?

SUMMARY Serum potassium was measured within 24 hours in 156 patients (48 male, 108 female) with an average age of 81.9 years admitted to the unit with acute illness. Of the 156 patients, 88 (56.4%) were taking diuretics (none was on ACE inhibitors); 20 patients (12.8%) were also on digoxin therapy. In all, 24 patients (16%) had hypokalaemia and 3 (2%) hyperkalaemia. Hypokalaemia was seen in patients associated with acute illness. There was no significant difference between the diuretic and non-diuretic groups. Monitoring of serum potassium is not routinely indicated to detect hypokalaemia in patients on diuretic therapy except in those with severe hepatic or renal impairment or those on digoxin.