Search

In black population, the skin-bleaching with cutaneous topical corticosteroids on a large body area is a widespread practice and is associated with numerous cutaneous complications. We report a 25-year-old Congolese woman who was admitted for weakness, arthralgias and abdominal pain. The association of a relative hyperpigmentation of the small joints of hands and feet with clinical features of hypercorticism led to suspect a chronic use of cutaneous topical steroids for skin-bleaching. On biological tests, plasma cortisol and corticotropin levels were undetectable and the short corticotropin (ACTH) stimulation test was negative, leading to the diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency complicating the chronic use of topical steroids. Clinical symptoms resolved with hydrocortisone therapy. One year later, the patient admitted a five-year continuous use of cutaneous topical steroids (betamethasone, 0.05%). Skin-bleaching through chronic use of cutaneous topical steroids, is a common practice in black women, and should be suspected in the presence of adrenal insufficiency with or without clinical features of hypercorticism, and conversely, skin-bleaching users should be tested for hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal function.

In black population, the skin-bleaching with cutaneous topical corticosteroids on a large body area is a widespread practice and is associated with numerous cutaneous complications. We report a 25-year-old Congolese woman who was admitted for weakness, arthralgias and abdominal pain. The association of a relative hyperpigmentation of the small joints of hands and feet with clinical features of hypercorticism led to suspect a chronic use of cutaneous topical steroids for skin-bleaching. On biological tests, plasma cortisol and corticotropin levels were undetectable and the short corticotropin (ACTH) stimulation test was negative, leading to the diagnosis of adrenal insufficiency complicating the chronic use of topical steroids. Clinical symptoms resolved with hydrocortisone therapy. One year later, the patient admitted a five-year continuous use of cutaneous topical steroids (betamethasone, 0.05%). Skin-bleaching through chronic use of cutaneous topical steroids, is a common practice in black women, and should be suspected in the presence of adrenal insufficiency with or without clinical features of hypercorticism, and conversely, skin-bleaching users should be tested for hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal function.

International audience; The objective of this study was to compare the availability of Zn from granular ZnSO4, a granular Zn humate-lignosulfonate (ZnHL), and liquid Zn ethylenediaminetetraacetate (ZnEDTA). The two granular sources were applied directly ("as is") and also powdered and mixed with the soil. A calcareous sandy loam soil with low available Zn was used. Zn rates were 0, 4, 8, 16, and 32 mg pot(-1), and two crops of maize (Zea mays L.) were grown. For the first crop, all Zn sources provided an excellent dry matter response when powdered and mixed with the soil. The ZnEDTA was superior with regard to Zn uptake. The availability of ZnSO4 granules was almost zero for the first crop. The availability of the ZnHL complex was better than ZnSO4 when applied in granular form, but not when the two materials were powdered and mixed with the entire soil mass, suggesting that: availability differences between these sources were due to physical, not chemical, factors. After mixing with the soil, only small differences existed between the Zn sources for the second crop. All sources provided for a good dry matter and Zn uptake response, and all Zn sources were about the same in increasing diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (DTPA)-extractable Zn levels at the end of the experiment. This research suggests that the three Zn materials were equal long-term Zn sources, but that the shortterm response varied dramatically, depending on how the materials were applied

The efficacy and safety of a new veno-active flavonoid fraction (S 5682) consisting of micronized diosmin (90%) and hesperidin (10%) have been studied in 100 patients with symptomatic capillary fragility in a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Treatment lasted 6 weeks and consisted of 2 daily tablets of either S 5682 or placebo. Patients were examined at weeks 0, 2, 4 and 6. Compared to placebo, capillary resistance, assessed by the negative suction cup method, was significantly higher in the S 5682 group at week 4 (219 +/- 10 mmHg versus 159 +/- 8 mmHg; p0.001) and week 6 (261 +/- 12 mmHg versus 163 +/- 9 mmHg; p0.001). This resulted in a significant improvement of symptoms of capillary fragility (spontaneous ecchymosis, epistaxis, purpura, petechiae, gingivorrhagia, metrorrhagia and conjunctival haemorrhage) in S 5682 treated patients (p0.001). S 5682 was well tolerated. The rate of side-effects spontaneously volunteered by the patients was similar in both groups. We, therefore, conclude that S 5682 increases to a large extent the capillary resistance in patients with abnormal capillary fragility without significant side-effects.

Resume Sept bovins femelles, dont un temoin negatif, ont ete immunises par un antigene rougeoleux et/ou un antigene brucellique. Tous ont presente une reponse d'immunisation specifique vis-a-vis du ou des antigenes utilises pour leur immunisation et d'eux seuls. Le controle de cette immunisation a ete effectue par des methodes serologiques et par le test de migration des leucocytes peripheriques. L'immunisation optimale a ete obtenue a la suite d'injection soit du virus rougeoleux souche Schwartz vivant seul, soit de la souche Brucella abortus B19 seule, alors que l'administration simultanee des deux s'est traduite par une immunisation moins intense. L'administration simultanee de la souche Schwartz inactivee et de la souche B19 vivante a permis en revanche d'immuniser correctement les animaux, mais seulement lors d'une seconde immunisation.

The specific cell-mediated and humoral immune responses of 14 children allergic to honeybee venom were studied. An 8-day rush venom immunotherapy induced an increase in T proliferative (p less than 0.04) and T suppressive (p less than 0.003) cell-specific activities. Antibody variations, an increase in specific IgG4 (p not equal to 0.05), and a decrease in specific IgE (p less than 0.01) were observed 1 year later. Initial high T suppressive cell activity prevents T proliferative cell increase during rush venom immunotherapy. High initial levels of specific IgG1 and specific IgG4 have opposing effects on the increase in T suppressive cell activity, the former being positively correlated with intensive increase (r = 0.840; p less than 0.005), the latter negatively with T suppressive cell increase (r = -0.709; p less than 0.001). These data indicate that there are interrelationships between the cell-mediated immunity and the antibody responses in honeybee allergy.

In sixteen autistic children high values of IgG and a high level of lymphocyte stimulation with PHA were observed. Principal component analysis showed: 1) a significant correlation between basic lymphocyte mitogenic activity and the clinical symptoms opposition and hyperactivity, 2) a significant correlation between high Ig levels, high PHA stimulation responses and the main autistic symptoms (withdrawal, inaffectivity, hypoactivity, mannerism, stereotypy and negatively echolalia), 3) a significant correlation with serotonin uptake by platelets and high immunological responses. Such correlations are strongly in favor of an immunologic component in autistic disease.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the kinetics of immune response and production of transfer factor in bovine. The following are the theoretical advantages of animal transfer factor (TF): (1) precise knowledge of the immune status of the donor and of the recipient, (2) facility to induce a specific immune response in the donor, and (3) determination of the relation of TF activity with the kinetics of immune response. Follow-up of antibody production, cell-mediated immunity (CMI), and leukocyte-migration-inhibition test (LMIT) in relation to dialyzable leukocyte extracts (DLE) preparation in immunized bovine give some evidence that TF activity in DLE is associated with anamnestic response (igG production and decrease in LMIT) and not with recently induced response (igM production and increase in LMIT). The necessity of strong CMI and IgG response toward the antigen, in the donor, to obtain a successful induction of specific CMI in the recipient, favors the relationship with inducer-helper activity demonstrated by Lawrence and Borkowsky.

Thirty-six cases of interstitial pneumonia in acquired immunodeficient states were treated with transfer factor (Dialysable Leukocyte Extract) and studied retrospectively. The criteria of efficacity of this treatment were: rapidity of immediate improvement, improvement after failure of other immunostimulant therapy and demonstration of a dose-related effect. The mechanism of the therapeutic action is unclear. There is no evidence in favour of "transfer" of cell mediated immunity. A non-specific mode of action (adjuvant effect, interferon synergy, proinflammatory action) seems much more likely.