Size Distributions out of Static Light Scattering: Inclusion of Distortions from the Experimental Setup, e.g., a SOFICA-type Goniometer.

In this paper the estimation of sphere size distributions of polymer latex with static light scattering is investigated. For the calculation of the scattering data a model is proposed which describes a SOFICA-type goniometer that was used for the light scattering experiments. From the comparison of this model with a model that is based on Mie's Theory only, conclusions about the reliability of the estimation of size distributions from uni- and bimodal colloidal suspensions with static light scattering could be drawn. Furthermore, the contribution of multiple scattering was investigated, and a method is suggested which further improves the obtained results. Both simulated and experimental data were examined. For data analysis, a method based on Tikhonov regularization was used. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

[Eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome. Clinical aspects and follow-up of 10 patients]. / Das Eosinophilie-Myalgie-Syndrom. Klinik und Verlauf bei 10 Patienten.

A retrospective study (1985-1989) of patients suffering from diffuse fasciitis with eosinophilia revealed that five of eight patients had taken L-tryptophan-containing drugs before the onset of the disease. In addition, since this drug-disease association was first described five patients have been diagnosed during the year 1990. All ten patients developed peripheral eosinophilia, myalgia and deep skin involvement indistinguishable from eosinophilic fasciitis. Corticosteroids were able to reduce the pain and inflammatory parameters, but did not prophylactically improve the long-standing sclerodermalike skin thickening. In 2/5 patients with symptoms longer than 1 year, low-dose corticosteroid maintenance therapy has been continuously required to control joint and muscle pain.

[Delayed hypersensitivity to protamine and immediate hypersensitivity to insulin]. / Protaminallergie vom Spättyp und Insulinallergie vom Soforttyp.

A 63-year-old female, with type II diabetes mellitus, diagnosed in 1967, was started on combination therapy with sulphonylureas and human depot insulin in May 1989, because of inadequate blood sugar control with sulphonylureas alone. Within 3 months she began to develop nodular skin reactions at the site of injection, 12-24 hours after insulin injections. Intradermal testing demonstrated delayed (Gell and Coombs type IV) hypersensitivity to protamine. No specific IgE or IgG antibodies were demonstrable. She was changed to protamine-free human delayed action insulin. After an initial reaction-free period, red urticarial lesions, attributable to immediate (Gell and Coombs type I) hypersensitivity to human insulin, appeared at the injection sites. There were no other complications with continued insulin therapy, and after about 6 weeks no further local reactions were detectable. When an allergic reaction to an insulin preparation is suspected, careful immunological investigation should be performed, to ensure adequate treatment without risk to the patient.

[Contact allergies to recently introduced preservatives]. / Kontaktallergien gegen neuere Konservierungsmittel.

Preservatives have come under fire due to their possible detrimental properties and the high rate of contact allergies some of them cause. Therefore, the pharmaceutical industry is searching for alternatives that will be effective, safe and economical. The present paper introduces a selection of new or revived biocides (Kathon CG, benzisothiazolinone, Euxyl K 400, Biobans, Grotans, Bronopol, Germall II), and the range of application and the sensitization potency of each are discussed. Test concentrations for patch tests are recommended. Kathon CG is the most commonly used preservative among these biocides, although it has a high sensitization potency and is a frequently encountered contact allergen. To make discovery of a new allergen easier and to reduce the risk of side effects, manufacturers should be required to specify the ingredients of their products on the labels.

[Allergic contact dermatitis due to prednicarbate]. / Allergische Kontaktdermatitis gegen Prednicarbat.

Two female patients developed an allergic contact dermatitis after using Dermatop cream and -ointment for several weeks. Patch tests were positive with the reagent prednicarbate itself. No cross reactions to other glucocorticosteroids were observed. Type-IV-sensitization to glucocorticosteroids should be considered if chronic dermatitis does not improve, or even becomes worse, in spite of adequate therapy. With regard to possible cross reactions or multiple sensitization, epicutaneous tests with other glucocorticosteroids are necessary.

[L-tryptophan-induced eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome with features of diffuse fasciitis with eosinophilia]. / L-Tryptophan-induziertes Eosinophilie-Myalgie-Syndrom unter dem Bild einer diffusen Fasziitis mit Eosinophilie.

Two female patients developed localized scleroderma on the trunk and the thighs after oral ingestion of L-tryptophan for some years. Both patients reported acute progressive myalgia and weakness of the proximal parts of the extremities. On laboratory evaluation, the leucocyte count was approximately 20,000/mm3, with 38% blood eosinophils in one patient and 53% in the other. The ESR was slightly elevated; electrophoresis and muscle enzymes were normal. Skin and muscle biopsies revealed characteristic features of diffuse fasciitis with eosinophilia. High-dose glucocorticoid therapy resulted in a rapid normalization of the ESR and blood eosinophilia, whereas the scleroderma showed little improvement. The diffuse edema observed in one patient receded within a few days. A correlation between oral ingestion of L-tryptophan and the eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome has been reported recently, and the present case reports must be discussed in the light of this observation. Both patients developed a tryptophan-induced scleroderma-like illness resembling diffuse fasciitis with eosinophilia (Shulman's syndrome).

A linkage study of malignant hyperthermia (MH).

Five German families segregating for malignant hyperthermia (MH) were tested for linkage relationships using 35 serological and biochemical markers. Slightly positive lod scores were obtained with MNS, EsD, C3 and P. The relation with the C3 locus on chromosome 19p13.3-13.2 (z = 0.72, theta = 0.11) is of some interest, since genetic linkage of MH with several polymorphic DNA markers from the 19q12-13.2 region has been reported (McCarthy et al. 1989).

Studies on the yeast flora in patients suffering from psoriasis capillitii or seborrhoic dermatitis of the scalp.

In 65 patients with scalp psoriasis or seborrhoic dermatitis of the scalp, stool specimens, tongue swabs and scalp scales were examined for yeasts. The stool specimens showed in 70.8% of the patient group massive and in 7.7% moderate yeast colonization. Yeasts were found in 47.7% of the tongue cultures and in 12.5% of the scalp scales. Candida albicans was the predominant pathogen in the faeces and on the tongue. In comparison with a control group, frequency of yeasts in faeces and on the tongue in patients with psoriasis capillitii and seborrhoic dermatitis of the scalp could be shown to be significantly higher.

Linkage studies of Myotonia congenita and Paramyotonia congenita.

Six German families segregating for Myotonia congenita (MC) and eight families from Germany and Great Britain with Paramyotonia congenita (PC) were tested for linkage relationships using 35 serological and biochemical markers. No linkage of MC to any of the markers was evident, but a positive sum of lod scores for PC vs. the HP locus (z = 1.16, theta = 0.16) was found. The results encourage further investigations involving chromosome 16 markers.

[Contact allergy to a new preservative]. / Kontaktallergie auf einen neuen Konservierungsstoff.

A 43 year old woman with no previous skin disease developed contact eczema on the face and neck after application of a lotion used for "smoothing wrinkels", available as a non-prescription item. Patch testing of the product and of one of its ingredients, Euxyl K 400, revealed strong positive reactions. Upon testing of the individual components of the preservative Euxyl K 400, the substance 1,2-dibromo-2,4-dicyanobutane showed a positive reaction even in the concentration of 0.004%. Due to the increasing use of Euxyl K 400 inclusion of the preservative in the patch test battery should be considered.

Allergic contact dermatitis to naftifine. Report of two cases.

We report on two cases of allergic contact dermatitis due to naftifine, an antimycotic substance. Epicutaneous tests were positive with the reagent itself but not with other compounds of the ointment. Additionally, one of the patients reacted to an ointment containing clotrimazole. Until now, only few cases of contact allergy to naftifine have been described, but an increasing number is expected.

[Local therapy of pityriasis versicolor with 3 imidazole derivatives--results of a therapeutic study. Studies of the rate of recurrence]. / Lokale Therapie der Pityriasis versicolor mit drei verschiedenen Imidazolderivaten--Ergebnisse einer therapeutischen Studie. Untersuchungen zur Rezidivquote.

In a clinical study from October 1985 to July 1987, we tested the efficacy of 3 different imidazole compounds in 112 male patients suffering from pityriasis versicolor. The diagnosis was made according to clinical criteria and confirmed by microscopical investigation. Our results prove the necessity of daily treatment over a period of at least 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, the microscopical examination should be repeated. Sprays and shampoos seemed equally effective. The relapse rate turned out to be rather high. The symptom-free interval between therapy and relapse could not be correlated to any of the forms of treatment. Those patients who had to be treated for more than 2 weeks were most likely to develop a relapse within a shorter period.

[Condylomata acuminata and HIV infection--an epidemiologic study]. / Condylomata acuminata und HIV-Infektion--eine epidemiologische Studie.

Within a period of 15 months, 134 patients suffering from condylomata acuminata were investigated with regard to simultaneous infection with HIV. 3 of these patients--2 showing warts in the anal region, 1 on the glans penis--were found positive for anti-HIV antibodies.

[Folliculitis nuchae scleroticans--successful treatment with 13-cis-retinoic acid (isotretinoin)]. / Folliculitis nuchae scleroticans--erfolgreiche Behandlung mit 13-cis-Retinsäure (Isotretinoin).

Acne keloidalis nuchae is characterized by keloidal papules and plaques. The lesions are located on the occipital scalp and posterior neck. This rare therapy-resistant condition is nearly always seen in men, particularly in negroes. Advanced stages of the disease require surgical excision with split-thickness skin grafts or treatment with a CO2 laser. Oral therapy with 13-cis-retinoic acid (isotretinoin) in a 23-year-old white man resulted in remarkable improvement within a few weeks.

[Neck appendages--branchiogenic surplus malformations (choristoma)]. / Halsanhänge--branchiogene Uberschussmissbildungen (Choristome).

Congenital cartilaginous rests of the neck are branchiogenic surplus malformations that are very rare. They arise from epithelial growth in a false place and frequently contain elastic cartilage. Congenital cartilaginous rests of the neck are only rarely associated with other congenital malformations.

[Cutaneous myxoma (focal dermal mucinosis)]. / Kutanes Myxom (fokale dermale Muzinose).

Two cases of cutaneous myxoma are presented. In case 1 the cutaneous myxoma was localized on the left thumb and clinically resembled a pyogenic granuloma. In case 2 it was found at the left nipple. The benign cutaneous tumor may herald a cardiac myxoma and other conditions. Thus, a cutaneous myxoma should be accepted as an indication for thorough investigation of the whole body at regular intervals. As there are neither clinically nor histologically adequate criteria for differentiation, cutaneous myxoma and focal dermal mucinosis can be considered as variants of a single entity.

Linkage between the variegate porphyria (VP) and the alpha-1-antitrypsin (PI) genes on human chromosome 14.

From family studies close linkage between the gene locus for variegate porphyria (VP) and the alpha-1-antitrypsin (PI) gene became evident. The maximal lod score from male meioses was 4.33 at theta = 0.04 and from both sexes combined 3.56 at theta = 0.12. Three pedigrees were triple informative regarding loci VP, PI, and IGHC (immunoglobulin heavy chain cluster, Gm polymorphism). In two of the respective meioses recombinations were observed, and in both cases the co-segregating VP and PI alleles were separated from the Gm haplotypes. These findings argue in favour of gene order either VP:PI:IGHC or PI:VP:IGHC.