IN vitro cell-mediated immune reactions in herpes zoster patients treated with cimetidine.

In a double-blind placebo-control study the immunomodulating effect of cimetidine treatment for one week and placebo was investigated for cell-mediated immune reactions of 22 patients with herpes zoster (HZ). The mitogen induced leukocyte migration inhibition test (LMIT) and the in vitro proliferation of the patients' lymphocytes to exogenous IL-2 were used. Before any treatment, the mitogen induced leukocyte migration inhibition capacity (LMIC) of HZ patients was found to be significantly reduced (p < 0.02) as compared to healthy blood bank donors (controls). After one week, within the same treatment, the LMIC was significantly improved (p < 0.01). The patients' lymphoproliferative response to IL-2, before any treatment, was not significantly different from that of controls (p < 0.05). However, significantly higher values (p < 0.001) were found in patients tested 7 days after the disease onset as compared to those tested after 12 days. One-week cimetidine treatment significantly improved (p < 0.05) the lymphoproliferative response to IL-2 of initially low responders and had no effect on higher responder patients. In contrast to this, after one week of placebo treatment, a significant decrease in the patients' lymphoproliferative response to IL-2 could be observed as compared to patients' initial responses (p < 0.05) or to those of controls (p < 0.05). Although the number of cases is very small. The data suggest that after cimetidine treatment, as compared to placebo, healing from skin rash and pain was achieved in a significantly shorter time (p < 0.01).

Treatment of osteoradionecrosis combined with pathologic fracture and osteomyelitis of the mandible with electromagnetic stimulation.

Osteoradionecrosis, complicated by pathologic fracture and osteomyelitis, is difficult to treat. Electromagnetic stimulation therapy may present a solution to this problem. A case of a 66-year old woman, suffering from osteoradionecrosis, pathologic fracture and osteomyelitis of the mandible, 6 years after irradiation therapy and partial resection of the mandible for squamous cell carcinoma of the gingiva, treated by electromagnetic stimulation, is presented. After 9 months of treatment, the patient was asymptomatic. Radiographic examination and bone scintigraphy carried out upon termination of the treatment, proved that healing of osteoradionecrosis and osteomyelitis had occurred. As far as we know, no previous reports have been published regarding this type of treatment.