ABSTRACT
Neopterin is a non-specific marker of the activation of cell-mediated immunity. Several studies have demonstrated the crucial role of CD4+ T cells in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. We have measured serum and urine neopterin levels and urine neopterin/creatinine ratios by radioimmunoassay in 24 patients with plaque-type psoriasis before and after a course of topical treatment with triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% and coal tar 4%. Results were compared with a group of 20 healthy, non-psoriatic volunteers. Serum neopterin levels were significantly elevated in the psoriatic group compared with the control group (p=0.001) and were significantly reduced after treatment (p=0.01). There was a correlation between pretreatment serum neopterin levels and psoriasis area and severity scores (PASI) (r=0.37, p=0.03) and also for pretreatment neopterin/creatinine ratios and PASI scores (r=0.45, p=0.01). These findings indicate that serum neopterin concentrations reflect disease activity in psoriasis.
Subject(s)
Neopterin/blood , Psoriasis/diagnosis , Adult , Aged , Biomarkers/blood , Biomarkers/urine , Creatinine/urine , Female , Glucocorticoids/therapeutic use , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Neopterin/urine , Psoriasis/drug therapy , Psoriasis/metabolism , Radioimmunoassay , Triamcinolone Acetonide/therapeutic useABSTRACT
A 43-year-old man with ulcerous granulomatous cheilitis and submaxillary lymph node invasion caused by Scopulariopsis brevicaulis infection is described. Administration of itraconazole produced a dramatic and definitive cure. Reported cases of deep mycosis caused by S. brevicaulis infection are also reviewed.
Subject(s)
Dermatomycoses/microbiology , Facial Dermatoses/microbiology , Lymphatic Diseases/microbiology , Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome/microbiology , Mitosporic Fungi/isolation & purification , Skin Ulcer/microbiology , Adult , Chronic Disease , Dermatomycoses/diagnosis , Dermatomycoses/therapy , Facial Dermatoses/diagnosis , Facial Dermatoses/therapy , Humans , Lymphatic Diseases/diagnosis , Lymphatic Diseases/therapy , Male , Maxilla , Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome/diagnosis , Melkersson-Rosenthal Syndrome/therapy , Skin Ulcer/diagnosis , Skin Ulcer/therapyABSTRACT
We report the case of a 11 year-old girl with segmentary vitiligo in the left side of the neck and superior part of the hemithorax, associated to an homolateral Parry-Romberg syndrome. This association had never been reported. The pathogenic hypothesis are discussed. We think that this association can be explained by the autoimmune origin of these diseases.
