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HPV insertion into the genome can cause permanent changes in cellular DNA that disturb the regulation of cell proliferation. Most HPV-induced epithelial proliferative disease are benign, but not all. We have studied both types of lesion by automated laser flow cytometry to see if there were any permanent changes in the DNA that might serve as reliable prognostic indicators. There were 101 lesions of interest to the dermatologist, stomatologist and gynecologist. Although fluctuations in yields of cells make it difficult to formulate definite conclusions, since many results are heterogeneous and hard to summarize, we found dysplastic and metaplastic lesions always to be hyper- or hypodiploid and to our surprise two cases of common wart were hyperdisploid and another hypodiploid. This present study shows that laser flow cytometry can detect changes in the genome of lesions known to become malignant when the histological degree of transformation still indicates only a preneoplastic condition. This raises the problem of how we should label lesions like common warts, since laser flow cytometry clearly shows that they have net changes, though slight, in DNA content.

Contact urticaria is characterized by erythematosus whealing lesions after apposition of particular substances on the skin. Sometimes these substances are able to determine systemic reactions as rhinoconjunctivitis, bronchial asthma, gastrointestinal dysfunction and anaphylactic shock: these symptoms justify the denomination of contact urticaria syndrome. It can be classified as Immunological, not Immunological and Unidentified. Our cases show a sharp prevalence of contact urticaria caused by foods and especially by fruits and vegetables.

We have studied the microbiological environment of the vagina in 202 sexually active women when they came into an outpatient gynecological hospital. By some specific bacterioscopic and cultural examinations we have tried to understand the pathological role of some microrganism in sexually transmitted diseases. An elevated incidence of mycoplasm in asymptomatic subjects has shed light on the probable saprophytic behaviour of these microrganisms.

The cytological modifications of the horny layer cell population in psoriatic subjects during treatment with Cyclosporin A are described. They are studied by means of the cytoexfoliative method. The value of this technique is discussed, using it either for diagnosis, or for evaluating therapeutic efficacy of various treatments. The cytological findings are respectively compared with those of other psoriasis therapies, such as Methotrexate and RO 10-9359 (etretinate).

A case of some neoplastic lesions of the skin of the back, arisen on undamaged skin, in a patient who underwent therapeutic pneumothorax and was submitted to several fluoroscopic examinations for pulmonary tuberculosis many years ago, is reported and discussed. An attempt of evaluation of the exposure to the ionizing radiations received by the interscapular region of the patient is made. The malignant clear-cell hidradenoma is a very rarely observed carcinoma: nine cases have been so far described.

The authors describe a case of recurrent dermal abscess infections resistant to usual antibiotic therapy and demonstrating a failing of the activity of the neutrophils and a remarkable increase of plasmatic IgA. The treatment with Levamisole regularized the laboratory data and, as a result, determined a consequent important improvement of the patient.

Scleroderma is a connective tissue disorder characterized by vascular lesions, fibrosis and inflammation. The pathogenesis of this disease is not clear. A vascular lesion, possibly caused by deposition of immune complexes or by release of cytotoxic factors, seems to be at the origin of the disease. As a consequence, platelet adhesion and activation might occur in sclerodermic patients. The observation that platelet might release, upon aggregation, a potent mitogenic factor, named Platelet Derived Growth Factor (PDGF) has focused interest on platelets as the potential mediators of the fibrotic process, characteristic of systemic scleroderma. We found an increased mitogenic activity in plasma derived serum (PDS) of a group of patients with progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS), as compared to control subjects. The activity was inhibited by incubation with anti-PDGF IgG's, suggesting that abnormal PDGF levels might indeed be present in plasma of PSS patients.