Detection of circulating T cells with CD4+CD7- immunophenotype in patients with benign and malignant lymphoproliferative dermatoses.

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas (CTCLs) are malignancies of CD4+ T cells that involve the skin. CD4+CD7- cells may represent a malignant population in CTCL. OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to compare the percentage of CD4+CD7- cells and the expression of pan-T-cell antigens in blood lymphocytes from 31 patients with benign dermatoses with 35 patients who had CTCL. METHODS: The patients with CTCL were classified as follows: 10 with mycosis fungoides (MF), seven with pre-Sézary syndrome (pre-SS), and 18 with Sézary syndrome (SS). Flow cytometry was used to determine the percentage of CD4+CD7- cells and the CD4/CD8 ratio and to detect aberrant expression of the pan-T-cell antigens CD2, CD3, and CD5. RESULTS: We found a mean of 5.8% CD4+CD7- cells for the 16 normal control subjects and 9.3% for the benign cases (p = 0.13). The patients with pre-SS and SS had a higher percentage of CD4+CD7- cells (22.4% and 35.5%, respectively) than patients with benign dermatoses (p < 0.01); no difference was found between patients with benign dermatoses and those with MF (p = 0.80). The mean CD4/CD8 ratio was 3.1 for the normal control subjects compared with 7.4 for the patients with benign dermatoses (p < 0.01). Patients with SS had a ratio of 49, which was higher than the ratio for those with benign dermatoses (p < 0.01); however, the ratio for patients with MF and pre-SS did not differ from that of the group with benign dermatoses (p = 0.71 and 0.55, respectively). Aberrant CD2, CD3, or CD5 expression was observed in 66% of patients with SS, 29% with pre-SS, 30% with MF, but in none of the patients with a benign dermatosis. CONCLUSION: Small numbers of CD4+CD7- cells can be found by flow cytometry in patients with a benign dermatosis and in normal control subjects. This T-cell subset is expanded in pre-SS and SS but not in MF. Aberrant pan-T-cell antigen expression is commonly observed in patients with SS but not in patients with a benign dermatosis.

[The indices of the blood serum lipid and hormonal spectra in patients with diffuse neurodermatitis]. / Nekotorye pokazateli lipidnogo i gormonal'nogo spektrov syvorotki krovi u bol'nykh diffuznym neirodermitom.

Thirty-two female patients suffering from neurodermatitis were examined. Increased hydrocortisone level and reduced estrogen concentration in the blood serum were observed during exacerbation of the condition. During remission these parameters normalized. Exacerbations were associated with marked dyslipidemia at the expense of elevated concentrations of triglycerides, free cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins in the blood serum; these parameters also showed a tendency to normalization during remission. A correlation could be traced between hormonal imbalance and disturbances of lipid metabolism regulated by these hormones. The authors emphasize the necessity of correcting dyslipidemia during exacerbation of diffuse neurodermatitis.

[The blood rheological properties in children with neurodermatitis undergoing naphthalan therapy at Naftalan health resort]. / Sostoianie reologicheskikh svoistv krovi u detei, bol'nykh neirodermitom, pri naftalanoterapii na kurorte Naftalan.

Shifts in the blood rheologic characteristics were examined in 50 children suffering from neurodermatitis during remission over the course of health resort treatment. The treatment included bromine electrophoresis of the collar area and therapeutic exercises. A clinical improvement was observed by the end of naphthalane therapy course. The examined parameters improved at the end of treatment in all the children.

[Radioimmunologic study of the hormonal and immune status in eczema, psoriasis and neurodermatitis]. / Radioimmunologicheskoe issledovanie gormonal'nogo i immunnogo statusa pri ékzeme, psoriaze i neirodermite.

The hormonal and immune status was investigated by a radioimmunoassay in 105 patients with dermatosis (55 female and 50 male patients aged 15 to 80): 51 suffered from eczema, 41--from psoriasis, and 13--from neurodermatitis. The results were compared with those of 32 controls. Serum concentrations of T3, T4, TSH, insulin, trypsin, C-peptide, cortisol, and IgE were investigated. Disorders of the hormonal and immune status were noted in the examinees with relation to sex, type of disease, season, time-period and extent of disease.

[The content of thromboxane B2 and 6-ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha of the blood plasma in patients with psoriasis and children with allergic dermatoses]. / Soderzhanie tromboksana B2 i 6-ketoprostaglandina F1 al'fa v plazme krovi bol'nykh psoriazom i detei s allergicheskimi dermatozami.

The blood plasma levels of a number of endogenous prostaglandins have been measured by column chromatography followed by radioimmunoassay in 33 patients with psoriasis and in 22 children with allergic dermatoses. The findings evidence an increase of these prostanoids at the peak of the skin process exacerbation, thus indicating their role in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and allergic dermatoses in children.

[Comparative effectiveness of current pathogenetic methods of treating neurodermatitis]. / Sravnitel'naia éffektivnost' sovremennykh patogeneticheskikh metodov lecheniia neirodermita.

The authors compare various present-day pathogenetic methods used in the treatment of 258 patients with disseminated neurodermatitis (81 cases with the atopic form and 177 ones with the nonatopic form). Clinical and laboratory studies have demonstrated the efficacy of adrenoblockers, pyrroxan and butyroxan, included in multiple-modality therapy for patients with manifest disorders of the autonomic nervous system. Combinations of glycyrrham and voltaren and decimetric wave exposure of the adrenal area have been also effective, as well as parmidine, an antibradykinin drug, in a daily dose of 2.0 g. In the most severe and stubborn cases corticosteroids may be administered; the schemes of therapy should be sparing and physiological, with the drugs given every other day, this helping reduce the total dose of the drug.

[Structural-functional characteristics of the surface of the blood mononucleocytes in children suffering from chronic dermatoses. I. The correction of the glycocalyx structure by UV irradiation of the blood and in the course of treatment with an autotransfusion of UV-irradiated blood]. / Strukturno-funktsional'nye osobennsoti poverkhnosti mononuklearov krovi detei, stradaiushchikh khronicheskimi dermatozami. I. Korrektsiia struktury glikokaliksa pri UF-obluchenii krovi i v kurse lecheniia autotransfuziei UF-obluchennoi krovi.

In children suffering from chronic dermatoses (psoriasis and neurodermatitis), the glycocalix of blood mononuclears displays an Alcian blue dye sorption by 23-25% less than that in healthy children. The UV irradiation of their blood (254 nm), in addition to a course of UV-irradiated blood autotransfusion, resulted in an elevated sorption capacity of the mononuclear glycocalix up to the normal. A possible involvement of these changes in immunocompetent cell glycocalix in the pathogenesis of chronic dermatoses is discussed, as well as the significance of glycocalix normalization in the medicinal effect of UV-irradiated blood autotransfusion.

Nodular prurigo--a clinicopathological study of 46 patients.

In a study of 46 patients with nodular prurigo (NP), potential metabolic causes of pruritus, such as anaemia, hepatic dysfunction, uraemia and myxoedema, were present in 50%. Focal causes of pruritus were important in 37% and included insect bites, venous stasis, folliculitis and nummular eczema. Psycho-social disorders were recorded in over 50% of patients and were considered relevant in 33%. Clinical and histological appearances ranged from classical NP to chronic lichenified eczema. Neural hyperplasia was not a prominent feature.