[The lymphocyte transformation test in sarcoidosis]. / Zum Lymphozytentransformationstest (LTT) bei Sarkoidose.

A suppressive effect of the sarcoidosis serum on the mitogenic stimulation of lymphocytes could be confirmed statistically (p less than 1%). But there remained a lot of deviating results in distinct individual cases which could not be explained by subdividing the material in regard to different clinical points of view. The practical utility of the LTT as a diagnostic tool in sarcoidosis is therefore very limited. The partly missing suppression or even a stimulation compared to the culture with pooled AB-sera can be interpreted by the interesting phenomenon of a concentration dependent counter-current action of the sarcoidosis serum: On suboptimal PHA-dosage undiluted serum caused a significant reduction of the transformation rate of donor lymphocytes, 1:10 diluted serum was inefficient and in a 1:100 concentration it induced a stimulation (p less than 5%).

[Cytokeratins--survey of incidence in normal and diseased skin. I. Cytokeratin expression in healthy skin]. / Zytokeratine--Uberblick über das Vorkommen in normaler und kranker Haut. I. Zytokeratinexpression an gesunder Haut.

To the multigen family of cytokeratins belong 19 different polypeptides typical either for simple and glandular or for stratified squamous epithelia, and a special group of polypeptides characteristic for hair-forming cells. In regard to the current literature the specificities of their expression in the epidermis of the normal skin, in the sweat and sebaceous glands and in the hair roots are discussed.

[Cytokeratins--survey of incidence in normal and diseased skin. II. Cytokeratin expression in diseased skin]. / Zytokeratine--Uberblick über das Vorkommen in normaler und kranker Haut. II. Zytokeratinexpression in erkrankter Haut.

The distribution patterns of cytokeratins demonstrated by different authors in benign and malignant tumours of the skin are presented and the resulting possibilities for histological differentiation are discussed. The monoclonal antibody A53-B/A2 made in GDR may be useful in the diagnosis of Merkel cell tumours or of the extramammary Morbus Paget. -For different dermatoses, especially some disease with abnormal types of keratinization, the expressed polypeptides are described.

[Allergic contact eczemas caused by selenite]. / Allergische Kontaktekzeme durch Selenit.

4 employees exposed to barium and sodium selenite in the glass industry suffered from dermatitis and/or conjunctivitis. In 2 cases an irritant pathogenesis was assumed; in the other 2 cases both patients developed an allergic contact dermatitis in part with papulo-follicular morphology. Sodium selenite 0.1% in petrolatum is suitable for patch testing.

[Spontaneous transformation in LTT of patients with atopic dermatitis and other allergic skin diseases (author's transl)]. / Spontantransformation im LTT bei atopisch-endogenem Ekzem und anderen Allergodermien.

Increased spontaneous transformation rates have been repeatedly found in the LTT of patients with neurodermits or other diseases. We were interested in the question, if they are to induce artificially. On 37 voluntary persons the LTT was performed before, 24, 48 hours and 1, 2, 3 and 4 weeks after an intracutaneous injection of 0,1 ml of Candidin. On 19 test persons a statistically significant and on further 4 a distinct increase of spontaneous transformed cells in the LTT was to record compared with the culture before the injection of the antigen. This phenomenon was only to detect on low levels of spontaneous transformation (to 3%) in the initial culture. The importance of this observation is discussed in regard to immunological processes in the organism during an antigen exposition as well as to its relation with the evaluation of the LTT.

[Group-allergic reaction spectrum and sensitization potency of benzylisothiocyanate]. / Untersuchungen zur gruppenallergischen Reaktionsbreite und Sensibilisierungspotenz von Benzylisothiocyanat

Allergenicity of benzylisothiocyanate and group-allergic cross reactions. Comparative patch-test series made in pateints suffering from contact dermatitis induced by Sulbentin (Dibenzthion)-antimycotics and in guinea pigs, experimentally sensitized to benzylisothiocyanate (BITC), showed: BITC is a potent contact sensitizer and the real hapten in cases of Sulbentin-allergy. Of special importance in this molecule is the benzyl-group. Neither 4,4-diphenylmethandiisocyanate and isophorondiisocyanate (substances used in polyurethane production) nor the closely related methylisothiocyanate (decomposition product of some potato-selecting agents) produced any groupallergic cross reactions in the above-mentioned patients and guinea pigs.