[Treating vaginismus in Turkish women]. / Vaginismusbehandlung bei türkischen Frauen.

OBJECTIVES: Vaginismus is a sexual dysfunction involving various branches of medicine, including psychiatry and gynaecology. Psychiatric help is sought in only a small proportion of cases, although it is probable that the psychopathological aetiology is more frequent than generally recognized. This article deals with the causes and psychological circumstances in four Turkish couples who presented with unconsummated marriage for 3 to 7 years. Vaginismus F52.5 to the ICD-10 is a sexual dysfunction characterised as: deep anxiety about coitus leading to extreme spasm of musculature making coitus impossible or extremely unpleasant and painful. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Four Turkish couples with unconsummated marriage due to the female partners' penetration phobia were included to this study. A patient-oriented multidimensional individual treatment (combination therapy) is a cost effective, short-term (typically 10- to 12-week) treatment model for both partners. It includes some elements of cognitive behavioural therapy and systemic partner therapy which were considered not radically different from previous therapeutic strategies. RESULTS: Results were successful in all cases; the couples were extremely satisfied with having a normal sex life for the first time. This led to desired pregnancies and avoiding of possible breakdown of their families. DISCUSSION: The couples did well with combination behavioural therapy. This methodology is discussed in its various aspects and with a cultural background. We also emphasise the need for physicians to be mindful of cases of vaginismus requiring psychiatric intervention rather than gynaecological treatment.

[Determination of hair group by preserved hair cell bulbs]. / Ob opredelenii gruppovoi prinadlezhnosti volos po kletkam sokhrannykh lukovits.

Difficulties appearing in determining hair group were the reason for conducting this research for the purpose of finding additional possibilities to solve the mentioned problem. It was established that the preliminary cell coloring, related with determination of hair sex, does not influence a consequent detection of antigens. Methods or the fixation of material were selected. The most suitable reagents and their titers as well as different time periods of absorption for detecting antigens A and B are offered. All stages of examination are described in detail.

Allergic contact dermatitis in the Asir region of Saudi Arabia: A pilot study.

During the 16-month period from June 1993 to December 1994, 100 patients, Saudi nationals with suspected allergic contact dermatitis, were patch tested. True Testtrade mark, containing a routine series of 24 test substances, was used at the dermatology clinics in the Military Hospitals in Khamis Mushayt, Saudi Arabia. The results showed that 30% of the patients with suspected allergic contact dermatitis were sensitive to one or more chemical substances used in the patch test. Nickel was the most common allergen in female patients (17.3%) and chromium was the most common in male patients (10.4%).

Human monoclonal antibodies from patients with rheumatoid arthritis: cross reactions against cellular constituents.

Hybridization of peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with rheumatoid arthritis has yielded 14 monoclonal antibodies which react with cultured human epithelial cells. Immunofluorescence staining identifies at last five different types of antibody. Solid phase immunosorbent assays show a variety of cross-reaction patterns with nucleic acids, proteoglycan, cardiolipin and plastic, confirming that the various antibodies react with epitopes which are at least slightly different. These conclusions are confirmed by SDS gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting on epithelial cell extracts. Similar antibodies previously found in association with lupus-like disease have been thought to be representative of the high antinuclear antibody response characteristic of lupus. Our data are more consistent with the hypothesis that all or many of these antibodies are part of the normal inflammatory response.

Cross-reactivity between solid-phase immunoassay plates and intermediate filaments demonstrated by human monoclonal antibodies.

While screening supernatants of human-human hybridomas for rheumatoid factor and anti-cellular activity we found that a significant number of supernatants which react with the Falcon-polyvinyl chloride immunoassay plate used in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent rheumatoid factor assay also react with intracellular intermediate filaments.

Increased numbers of active B cells in the circulation of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Increased numbers of cells secreting immunoglobulins of class G, M and A have been demonstrated in the peripheral blood of patients with active rheumatoid arthritis using the reverse haemolytic plaque assay. Lower numbers of secreting cells were detected in rheumatoid patients in spontaneous remission. Culture of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells was associated with a fall in the number of immunoglobulin secreting cells. Values for rheumatoid and normal cells did no differ significantly after 3 days of culture. The presence of an activating factor in th rheumatoid patients is postulated.

The influence of D-penicillamine therapy on numbers of circulating immunoglobulin secreting cells in rheumatoid arthritis.

Higher numbers of plaque forming (immunoglobulin secreting) cells have been reported among peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with active rheumatoid arthritis than from patients with spontaneously inactive disease. Patients treated with D-penicillamine who showed a good clinical response were found to have lower numbers of circulating plaque forming cells than were detected in the active rheumatoid group. Similar numbers of plaque forming cells were detected in patients who showed a poor clinical response to D-penicillamine as in the active rheumatoid group (untreated with 'second line' drugs). Active rheumatoid arthritis is associated with increased numbers of plaque forming cells in the peripheral blood, changes in the numbers of these cells providing an index of disease activity.