["My scale armor protects me"! The personality image and physical disability of psoriasis patients]

With the help of the Giessen-test and the Giessen-complaint form, 28 patients suffering from psoriasis were analysed regarding their personality image and physical disabilities. In comparison with controls (n = 1587), psoriasis patients believed themselves to have "negative social appeal" (p less than or equal to 0.05) and being "reserved" (p less than or equal to 0.01); however, they complained of less physical troubles than healthy controls or psychosomatic patients (p less than or equal to 0.01). Evaluation of these items pointed to depth psychological conflicts of the "not accepted body image" kind, which may precede the disease; the scales might serve as a barrier to psychological troubles.

Transformation of Fanconi's anemia to acute nonlymphocytic leukemia associated with emergence of monosomy 7

Two sisters in whom a diagnosis of Fanconi's anemia was made at ages 12 and 18 subsequently developed acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL). A third sibling had previously died at age 11 of apparent sepsis. Both sisters had cytogenetic studies that showed increased chromosomal breakage and a 46,XX karyotype, but subsequently developed ANLL after, or coincident with, the emergence of monosomy 7. These observations suggest that, in addition to myelodysplastic syndromes and defective neutrophil chemotaxis, monosomy 7 may be associated with the emergence of leukemia in this disorder.

Effects of soluble fraction of porcine tissue on the aggregation of human blood platelets

Epistaxis has been controlled by the use of porcine strip packing in patients with thrombocytopenia prior to and with platelet transfusion. The present study has extended previous observations about the probable mode of action of porcine tissue, to show that the addition of an aqueous fraction (AF) of homogenized porcine tissue to platelets causes prompt aggregation in vitro. Human platelet rich plasma was aggregated by the AF using standard turbidimetric techniques. AF acted synergistically with nonaggregating amounts of either adenosine diphosphate or collagen to cause aggregation. Platelet aggregation was enhanced by AF both with 300,000 platelets/cu mm (standard) or with reduced platelet numbers (50,000/cu mm). The results further define possible mechanisms of action of porcine strip packing in patients who have epistaxis and are thrombocytopenic.

[Scleroderma, an ageing process? I. Clinical and immunological aspects (author's transl)]

Scleroderma with its different manifestations is mainly a disease of connective tissue and of vascular system. Next the alteration to collagen, which is demonstrable in lesions by decrease of embryonale collagen type III, there are also humoral and cellular phenomens of autoimmunity. In more than 70% of our patients we found antinuclear antibodies, and in most of them, we found with the leukocytemigration--inhibition-test cellular immunphenomenons to RNA, collagen and muscle. There is a small connection between ageing and immunological defense and repair, accordingly of immunocytes and fibroblasts. Further more precise characterization of this cell-compartments under the aspect of a premature ageing could bring a new understanding in the largely unknown etiopathogenese of scleroderma.

[Leukocyte migration inhibition test in lupus erythematosus and dermatomyositis]

The Leucocyte-Migration-Inhibition-Test was performed to examine 10 patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), 10 patients with Discoid Lupus Erythematosus (DLE) and 4 patients with Dermatomyositis for evidence of cell-mediated immunity to RNA, DNA, human muscle antigen and collagen human type I. Our results support, that cell-mediated immunity plays a pathogenic role in both diseases. Patients with SLE show a correlation between activity of disease, Leucocyte-Migration-Inhibition to DNA and DNA-binding-activity of serum. Muscle-antigen is an obvious relevant partner of reaction of cellular immunity in patients with Dermatomyositis.

[Influence of autologous serum on leucocyte-migration-inhibition-test in melanomalignoma (author's transl)]

Influence of autologous serum on cellular immunological reactivity to melanomalignoma (MM)-associated antigens was examined on 20 patients have MM at different clinical stages, using the Leucocyte-Migration-Inhibition-Test (MIT). These 20 patients were referring to this till now not investigated. When heterologous serum (horse serum) was supplemented, an inhibition of cell-migration could be established in 15/20 cases, whereas a cell-migration inhibition in 14/20 cases was absent if autologous serum was added to culture medium. No correlation could be found between our test results and the clinical stage of the disease. Our results suggests urgently that blocking factors are present in serum of MM-patients. There is reason to believe that this factors will be active in lymphocyte level.

Immunological studies in childhood scleroderma

The results of immunological studies on 13 children suffering from scleroderma are reported. Antinuclear antibodies with speckled pattern of fluorescence could be found in systemic sclerosis and in 3 patients with scleroderma en bandes. The same patients (except but one with PSS) demonstrated high levels of DNA antibodies. The 2 patients with PSS were found to have a very low percentage of T cells, whereas the percentage of B cells was increased. The results demonstrate the significance of autoimmunity not only in systemic sclerosis but also in focal scleroderma. Beyond this it can be presumed that immune deficiency (with a defect in cellular immunity) may be the predisposing cause of at least progressive systemic sclerosis.

[Cellular immunity in melanomalignome (author's transl)]

Cellular immunological reactivity was examined in 20 patients having melanomalignoma at different clinical stages, using Leukocyte-Migration-Inhibition-Test. As antigens three homologous melanoma-extracts were used, produced by our own method. Independent from the clinical stages cell-migration inhibition could be established in 15 out of the 20 patients. In this way, these tumor extracts have been shown to contain melanoma-associated antigens. Regardless of the clinical stage of the disease, the melanomalignomas patient produces cellular immunity against those tumor-antigens. It is note-worthy that the actual course of the disease seems not to be influenced by immun-mechanisms.

[Leucocyte migration-inhibition test in syphilis (author's transl)]

The leucocyte migration-inhibition test was performed on blood from 57 patients with syphilis. Even in the early stages of the disease with lymph-node involvement there were signs of cellular antitreponemic reactivity. But there was an absence of cellular immune response in some patients with secondary syphilis and CNS involvement in the course of tertiary syphilis.

[T- and B-lymphocytes in the so-called collagenoses]

Lymphocytes of peripheral blood of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma and dermatomyositis were investigated, and relatively, with regard to T- or B-cell characteristics. T-lymphocytes of most patients with SLE were decreased both absolutely. B-lymphocytes mostly showed only a relative increase. Successful immunosuppressive treatment usually accompanied by normalization of T-cell number and with decrease of B-cells. This differentiation of lymphocytes is an additional aid in the determination of activity of SLE and a useful index of immunosuppressive-cytostatic treatment.