The patterns of herpesvirus infection in a multiracial population Kauai County, Hawaii, 1981-1985.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to D J Elpern.
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The distribution of skin disease within a population can be used as the basis for research as well as planning for the delivery of health services. In this prospective study, the cutaneous diagnoses and demographic data on all patients seen in the only dermatology clinic on Kauai, Hawaii, were recorded from March 1981 to February 1982. Kauai is relatively unique in that the population is comprised of four racial groups with roughly equal representation; these groups live under similar conditions. A total of 3,277 patients were seen and 4,106 diagnoses were made. Three hundred twenty-four separate diagnoses were rendered: acne vulgaris, contact dermatitis, verrucae, and dermatophytosis were the most common. Various diseases were not equally divided among the racial groups. These data are compared to similar previous studies.
A distinctive photodermatitis is seen commonly in tourists visiting Hawaii. Analysis of 150 cases revealed that the eruption is acute in onset following exposure to sunlight, is confined to exposed areas, and mainly affects young to middle-aged white women. The clinical presentation is remarkably uniform, consisting of papules, papulovesicles, or vesicles. These findings are consistent with a diagnosis of polymorphous light eruption (PMLE) and the histologic picture supports this diagnosis. Other clinical variants of PMLE were not seen in our patients, however, which suggests that this condition is more monomorphous than polymorphous. We suggest papulovesicular light eruption as a suitable name for this common and distinctive subset of PMLE.
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Bullous dermatitis, which resolved leaving hyperpigmentation and which was clinically consistent with phytophotodermatitis , affected the skin of the neck of 2 individuals who wore Hawaiian leis (as neck garlands ) made of the fruits of Pelea anisata . In a Daniels culture plate system portions of the fruits showed phototoxicity.
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Cell-mediated immunity (CMI) to herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) was studied in patients with recurrent disease. Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) obtained during recrudescence (0 to 3 days post-onset of lesion), convalescence (4 to 14 days), and quiescence (greater than 14 days), which were cultured in vitro in the presence of UV-inactivated HSV-2 (G) antigen, demonstrated similar, virus-specific lymphoproliferative responses. However, the production of the lymphokine, leukocyte migration-inhibition factor (LIF), was completely suppressed during recrudescence. During convalescence, LIF production returned to levels similar to those of PBL from seropositive controls (without a history of recurrent subsets revealed a significant increase in the proportion of T8+ and Ia+ cells during recrudescence and at prodrome (24 to 48 hr before onset of lesions). Glass adherence reduced the proportion of both T8+ and Ia+ cells and restored early (1 day) LIF activity, and recrudescent PBL suppressed the proliferation of autologous T cells in presence of UV-HSV-2 (G) antigen. The expression of both phenotypes and LIF production returned to control levels during convalescence.