Production of a monoclonal antibody to a membrane antigen of human T-cell leukaemia virus (HTLV1/ATLV)-infected cell lines from a systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patient: serological analyses for HTLV1 infections in SLE patients

Human T-cell leukaemia virus (HTLV1/ATLV), which causes adult T cell leukaemia (ATL), is an infectious, lymphotrophic retrovirus unique for humans. The present study was undertaken to determine whether HTLV1 had any pathogenetic role for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The incidence of antibodies to ATL cell-associated antigens (ATLA) in sera from patients with SLE and other collagen diseases was investigated by an indirect immunofluorescent cytoplasmic staining of an HTLV1-infected cell line (MT-1). A radioimmunoassay was also performed to detect antibodies to HTLV1 protein and crude membrane fraction derived from an HTLV1-producing cell line MT-2. Furthermore, an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed B cell line (ES-1) was constructed from an SLE patient, which produced a monoclonal antibody (IgG, lambda) reactive to an HTLV1-related cell-membrane antigen expressed on MT-1 and MT-2 cells. The specific reactivity of the monoclonal antibody was analysed by an indirect immunofluorescent cell-membrane staining and a microcytotoxicity test. The incidence of anti-ATLA antibodies was not different among SLE and other collagen diseases. The monoclonal antibody produced by ES-1 stained and killed HTLV1-infected cell lines specifically, but did not react with other human lymphoid cell lines. This monoclonal antibody failed to react with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), mitogen-induced T cell blasts, and iododeoxyuridine-treated T cells from SLE patients. Thus, a possible role of HTLV1 in the aetiology of SLE was not established.

Reactive perforating collagenosis and phototraumatism

Two pairs of siblings are reported suffering from reactive perforating collagenosis. The clinical features were recurrent crusted papules with a central keratinaceous plug. The plug was sometimes encircled by a narrow yellowish ring and a wider red ring, giving the appearance of a cockade. Lesions recurred spontaneously or were provoked by superficial injury to sun-exposed skin (phototraumatism). There were no other changes in the general health of these patients.

[Methods of biochemical diagnosis of connective tissue involvement in diabetes]

During the course of diabetes mellitus, several lines of evidence demonstrate that connective matrix is involved. This relationship is still ambiguous and the biological techniques of study are more related to research than to routine. Skin biopsy followed by cultivation of the fibroblasts permits to demonstrate that the diabetic cells divide more slowly than the normal ones. The collagens of the diabetic patients do not seem to be modified according to any genetical abnormality. The evaluation of serum collagens and procollagens by radioimmunological techniques recently showed that the type IV collagen, which derivates from basement membranes, should be in increased amount. In the case of experimental diabetes, in animals, the skin collagen concentration is decreased whereas the amount of intermediate degradation products increases. The method of skin collagen evaluation is not used for clinical purposes and the degradation products found in human diabetic urine are not in increased amounts. The thickening of basement membrane is a well established phenomenon in the diabetes mellitus patients, but the chemical nature of the lesions is not well understood. A non-enzymatic hyperglycosylation of collagen and the other molecules of the basement membrane is possible but does not explain completely this thickening on a quantitative basis, inasmuch that hemoglobin glycosylation, that serves as a model for all the nonenzymatic glycosylations, is presently under discussion as regards its mechanism and seems more complicated than previously suggested.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Childhood-type myositis and linear scleroderma

A 5-year-old girl had linear scleroderma on the flexor surface of the right arm; muscle wasting included the shoulder girdle. IgM fluorescence on blood vessels and along dermal-epidermal junction was observed by direct immunofluorescence in biopsied skin. Biceps muscle underlying the plaque of the scleroderma showed atrophy of entire fascicles, perifascicular atrophy, and cellular infiltration around blood vessels that are quite similar to those found in childhood-type dermatomyositis. In addition, various abnormalities, including edema and thickening of basal lamina, were found on blood vessels in muscle tissue. The results suggested that the autoimmune collagen vascular disorder is responsible for this condition.

Reactive perforating collagenosis. Report of 3 cases

3 cases of reactive perforating collagenosis in siblings are reported which were characterized clinically by typical umbilicated papules at sites exposed to traumatism. The histopathological feature is characterized by a cup-shaped depression of the epidermis together with extrusion of collagen fibers at its base.

Reactive perforating collagenosis of diabetes mellitus and renal failure

We believe that the disease we are reporting is associated with diabetes, particularly in patients on renal dialysis, and the perforation is initiated by scratching. Decreasing pruritus is the only needed treatment as the lesions tend to resolve on their own. While this entity has been called Kyrle's disease, it more correctly is reactive perforating collagenosis, both clinically and histologically. Whether this is a variant of what Kyrle originally described is not clear. We propose that this entity be called reactive perforating collagenosis of diabetes and renal failure.

Prevention of ultraviolet damage to the dermis of hairless mice by sunscreens

To assess the ability of sunscreens to protect connective tissue from actinic damage, hairless mice were irradiated with Westinghouse FS20 sunlamps thrice weekly for 30 weeks. Each exposure, consisting mainly of UV-B and the less energetic UV-A, was approximately 6 human minimal erythema doses under these lights. One group of animals received irradiation only. The other 2 groups were treated, prior to irradiation, with sunscreens of either low or high sun protection factors (SPF 2 and SPF 15, respectively). Skin biopsies were taken at 10-week intervals and were stained with various histochemical stains to reveal changes in the dermis. The unprotected, irradiated animals showed a great increase in the following: reticulin fibers, elastic fibers to the extent of elastosis, neutral and acid mucopolysaccharides and melanin production. The SPF 15 sunscreen completely prevented these changes. The SPF 2 sunscreen was less effective. These effects were substantiated by ultrastructural examination of the tissues by electron microscopy. A surprising histologic finding was the repair capability of the dermis in the post-irradiation period.

Pulmonary renal syndromes. II. Etiology and pathogenesis

Numerous systemic diseases share immunopathogenic mechanisms. This article reviews the proposed etiologies and immunopathogenic mechanisms of a group of diseases which share pulmonary and renal abnormalities. Specifically, we discuss the following diseases: Good-pasture's syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus, progressive systemic sclerosis, Wegener's granulomatosis, lymphomatoid granulomatosis, and Churg-Strauss syndrome.

Light and ultrastructural study of reactive perforating collagenosis

In 1967, Mehregan et al described a new and distinct clinicopathologic entity that they called reactive perforating collagenosis (RPC). This rare disease is classified with a group of disorders that involve the transepithelial elimination of histochemically altered dermal tissue. In RPC, minor trauma such as an insect bite, scratch, or pilosebaceous infection alters the collagen fibers in the papillary dermis. The histochemically altered but ultrastructurally intact collagen elicits both a dermal and epithelial response. For the case presented, it is our purpose to demonstrate transepithelial elimination of collagen fibers by ultrastructural study, thereby supporting the recognized histochemical observations.

The formation of collagen and its relation to ophthalmic diseases (second of two parts)

In this second part of the review the chemical abnormalities that have resulted in the formation of detective collagen and consequent disease of the eye are indicated. The cardinal findings for each disease are noted. Certain changes, such as ageing, that relate to collagen are also discussed.