Familial polymorphous cold eruption

An erythematous, burning papular eruption, constitutional symptoms, fever, and arthropathy developed in a 65-year-old patient after cold exposure. Involvement of other family members occurred in an autosomal dominant pattern. Histopathologic examination of a biopsy specimen revealed telangiectasia and primarily neutrophilic perivascular inflammation, consistent with earlier biopsy reports of this syndrome. Although previously called "familial cold urticaria," this disease is not characterized by urticaria and may be best descriptively termed, "familial polymorphous cold eruption."

Supersensitivity to L-5-hydroxytryptophan after 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine injections in desmethylimipramine- and nomifensine-pretreated rats: behavioral evidence for postsynaptic supersensitivity

The behavioral syndrome induced by L-5-hydroxytryptophan (L-5-HTP) in rats was used to study the supersensitivity to L-5-HTP and 5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine (5-MeODMT) which develops after unilateral intracerebroventricular (ICV) injections of 200 microgram 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine (5,7-DHT). Pretreatment of the animals with a combination of desipramine and nomifensine was found to protect dopamine neurones better than desipramine alone. Maximal behavioral supersensitivity to L-5-HTP and 5-MeODMT was found as early as 24 h after injection of the neurotoxin, even in the presence of the specific 5-HT uptake inhibitor CGP 6085 A, or the MAO-A inhibitor clorgyline. The results indicate that a quickly occurring postsynaptic event contributes to the development of behavioral supersensitivity after ICV injections of 5,7-DHT.

Actinic comedonal plaque

Solitary plaques developed on the sun-exposed and damaged skin of five elderly, fair-skinned individuals. The lesions, erythematous to bluish confluent nodules and plaques with a cribriform appearance and comedone-like structures, presented a distinctive histologic picture of dilated, keratin-filled follicles within a matrix of amorphous, damaged collagen. We believe these cases demonstrate a distinct entity within the realm of actinic dermatoses, for which the name "actinic comedonal plaque" seems appropriate.

Realtime sonographic diagnosis of fetal dysplastic kidney

A case of unilateral renal dysplasia was diagnosed in utero using realtime scanning. The diagnosis was confirmed neonatally and the affected kidney was surgically removed. Pathologic findings were consistent with the features of this malformation. The echographic characteristics of renal dysplasia and the differential diagnosis are described. The potential uses of ultrasonography in the diagnosis and follow-up of pregnancies associated with or at risk of renal malformations are discussed.

A new neutrophil candida killing test: chromium-51 release from Candida guilliermondii

Neutrophil candidacidal function was measured by a chromium-51 (51Cr) release technique, using Candida guilliermondii as the test organism. The effect of varying the neutrophil:candida ratio, the time course of 51Cr release, the effect of different serum concentrations, and the reproducibility of the technique were investigated. Results from 33 experiments, using neutrophils from 35 normal donors and six patients with known neutrophil defects, show the technique to be a reliable and reproducible assay of candida killing. The chromium release assay has the advantage of being easy to perform and not liable to subjective errors.

Linked marker analysis of spontaneous HLA variants of somatic cells

Fourteen independent, spontaneously arising HLA-A1 and -B27 variant clones were isolated from the pseudodiploid B lymphoid line T5-1 by selection using A1 and B27 alloantiserum, respectively, and complement. T5-1 is heterozygous for the tightly linked loci HLA-DR, -B, and -A and probably for -C as well. Following recloning, each of the variants was tested for the HLA specificities of T5-1. None of these spontaneous variants had a genetic lesion which extended to the nearest flanking HLA marker, less than 1 cM distant. On the other hand, a variant isolated from mutagenized cells had a lesion which extended completely through one HLA region in cis, suggesting that haploid expression in the HLA region is compatible with viability, that there are no recessive lethals in the opposite HLA region, and that spontaneously arising variants with extended lesions could have been recovered had they occurred. From these results, we conclude that extended genetic lesions of 0.8 cM or longer contribute less than 10% to the overall rate of spontaneous variation for HLA alleles, which we previously estimated at about 5 x 10(-7) per cell per generation.

Familial dystrophic periodic shedding of the nails

A patient with an autosomal dominant nail dystrophy characterized by periodic, asymptomatic shedding of the nails followed by regrowth is described herein. This highly penetrant disorder is similar to two earlier cases found in the dermatologic literature.

Reactive angioendotheliomatosis

Angioendotheliomatosis is a rare disorder with both cutaneous and systemic clinical presentations. We agree that there is evidence in the existing medical literature for the separation of reactive and malignant (neoplastic) variants of angioendotheliomatosis. These variants share similar histologic and ultrastructural features but seem clinically distinct. The reactive variant has been associated (four of seven cases, including our patient) with existing or preexisting subacute bacterial endocarditis.

[Genetic analysis of interspecific crosses Mus musculus L. x Mus spretus Lataste: linkage of Adh-1 with Amy-1 on chromosome 3 and Es-14 with Mod-1 on chromosome 9]

192 offsprings from interspecific back-crosses (male M. spretus x female BALB/c) F1 x male BALB/c or (male M. spretus x female C57BL6) F1 x male C57BL6 were analysed at thirteen structural loci. Linkage of ES-14 with Mod-1 on chromosome 9 and that of Adh-1 with Amy-1 on chromosome 3 are shown. The following order centromere/Car-2/Amy-1 is tentatively proposed for these loci on chromosome 3.

Metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the lip. Occurrence in blacks with discoid lupus erythematosus

In two black patients, squamous cell carcinoma of the lip developed within lesions of discoid lupus erythematosus (DLE). The association of DLE and squamous cell carcinoma is unusual in blacks, as is the anatomical site involved in these cases. Enhanced metastatic potential may be present when squamous cell carcinoma arises in DLE of the lips.

Effect of anti-HLA antisera on macrophage-T-cell interactions

Human T lymphocytes were shown to proliferate in response to tetanus toxoid antigen only in the presence of macrophages. This response was inhibited by anti-DRw but not by anti-HLA (A and B loci) antisera added to the cultures and by pretreatment of macrophages but not of T cells with anti-DRw antisera and complement. Macrophages pulsed for 18 hr with antigen and then washed were capable of triggering T-cell proliferation. Addition of anti-DRw but not anti-HLA (A and B loci) antisera during the pulse period inhibited the macrophages' ability to trigger T-cell proliferation. The data obtained indicate that human T cells recognize and proliferate in response to antigen presented by the macrophages in association with Ia-like antigens.

Radionuclide scanning in pseudo-Kaposi's sarcoma

Sodium pertechnetate Tc 99m radionuclide scanning is considered to be a sensitive indicator in detecting lesions of Kaposi's sarcoma, including occult infiltrations. This report describes a "false-positive" scan in a patient with acroanglodermatitis (pseudo-Kaposi's sarcoma); therefore, this technique may not be useful in the differential diagnosis of these two clinically and histologically similar diseases. We suggest, instead that the technetium scan may be helpful in deciding on the course of therapy in acroangiodermatitis by demonstrating the nature of the underlying vascular anomalies.