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J Stratigos

Publications and source records attributed to J Stratigos.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Classic Kaposi's sarcoma in two young heterosexual men.

Classic Kaposi's sarcoma is primarily a skin disease of the lower extremities affecting predominantly elderly men of Mediterranean origin. We report classic Kaposi's sarcoma first presenting in the third decade in two heterosexual, HIV-negative, males of Greek origin from Albania. Ten years after onset, the disease became aggressive with unusual clinical features that included exophytic tumors, extensive lesions on the hands as well as the legs, and prominent leg edema. One of the patients also presented lesions on the face, trunk and palate, and bubonic lymphadenopathy. In both cases, CD4 counts were normal and HLA-DR5 was positive. Treatment included radiation therapy, subcutaneous interferon (alpha-2b) and combined chemotherapy (ABV). At follow up 1 and 2 years later, both patients remain in partial remission with significant improvement in clinical disease, on maintenance interferon.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

The epidemiologic profile of Kaposi's sarcoma in Greece prior to and during the AIDS era.

To determine the incidence rates and to describe the epidemiological patterns of non-AIDS Kaposi's sarcoma in the central southern area of Greece during the period 1974-1989, all 473 incidence cases reported to Pathology Departments were studied. The mean age (SD) was 67.6 (12.9) years among 297 males and 66.1 (15.9) years among 176 females. The mean age-standardized (Greek population 1981) incidence rate was 0.47 cases per 100,000 total population per year (males 0.62, females 0.32). The standardized incidence rates increased over time for males, with the incidence-rate ratios relative to the earliest period, 1974-1978, being 1.44 (95% CI, 1.02-2.04) for the 1979-1983 interval and 2.12 (95% CI, 1.55-2.90) for the 1984-1989 interval. However, the rates for females did not show a similar pattern. The age-adjusted male:female ratio was 1.6 in 1974-1983 and 2.6 in 1984-1989. Poisson-regression modelling suggested a shift in the age-specific incidence rate in men, towards younger ages during the last period, 1984-1989.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1997

Children with alopecia areata: psychiatric symptomatology and life events.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the nature of psychopathology of children with alopecia areata (AA) and to investigate the frequency and quality of life events in the year before AA developed in comparison with a control group. METHOD: Thirty-three subjects with AA, mean age 10.5 +/- 0.3 years, were compared with 30 controls who visited a pediatrician for a mild condition. In addition, 16 preschool children with AA were compared with 17 preschool children who visited the pediatrician for a mild condition. The following measures were used: Child Psychiatric Interview, Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (CMAS), Life Events Scale for Children, and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). RESULTS: On the CBCL, children with AA had more psychological problems, in total, than controls, and in particular, they were more anxious or depressed, withdrawn, aggressive, and delinquent. They also had more somatic problems as well as problems in social relations and in attention. Girls with AA seem to have been affected more in dimensions of total problems, anxiety/depression, and internalizing/externalizing syndromes. In terms of anxiety (CMAS), more children with AA than controls seemed to worry and to have difficulties in concentration and physiological symptoms of anxiety. In the Child Psychiatric Interview, all children with AA exhibited symptomatology of anxiety or depression or both, usually of mild or moderate nature. Major depression was not detected through the CDI. Fewer children with AA had positive life events the year before AA than controls in a similar time period. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with controls, children with AA had more psychiatric symptoms in general and symptoms of anxiety or depression, or both, in particular. There is also evidence that lack of positive life events in the prealopecia period played a role in their lives. Psychiatric assessment, and if necessary treatment, is warranted for all children with this condition.

Alopecia Areata↗
PubMed1996

Hepatitis E virus infection in individuals at high risk of transmission of non-A, non-B hepatitis and sexually transmitted diseases.

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection among individuals at high risk of transmission of non-A, non-B hepatitis or sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and to evaluate whether they have an increased risk of exposure to HEV. Serum samples from 125 thalassemia patients, 300 intravenous drug users, 420 hemodialysis patients, 263 individuals with STDs, 47 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected homosexual men, and 316 healthy volunteers were tested for immunoglobulin G (IgG) and M (IgM) antibodies to HEV (anti-HEV) by enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) following a predetermined algorithm (Abbott Labs). Anti-HEV IgG was confirmed in 3/125 (2.4%) thalassemia patients, 5/300 (1.7%) intravenous drug users, 27/420 (6.4%) hemodialysis patients, 4/263 (1.5%) STD patients, 1/47 (2.1%) homosexual men, and 7/316 (2.2%) of the reference group. No patient was found positive for anti-HEV IgM. The higher prevalence which was observed in hemodialysis group was due to the confounding effect of age, as multivariate analysis showed. The anti-HEV prevalence increased significantly with age (p = 10(-4)). No significant association was found between anti-HEV, anti-HCV, and anti-HBc. In conclusion, individuals at high risk of non-A, non-B hepatitis and STDs have no increased risk of exposure to HEV and the higher prevalence of anti-HEV IgG among older subjects may be due to an epidemic form of HEV infection which occurred some decades ago, when the sanitary conditions in our country were poor.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

HLA in familial and nonfamilial Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcoma in Greece.

Fifty-four (54) unrelated patients with Mediterranean Kaposi's sarcoma (MKS) and 8 patients members of 4 unrelated families with familial MKS were serotyped for HLA-A,B and DR antigens. The diagnosis was histologically confirmed and all patients were negative for anti-HIV antibodies. An increased frequency of HLA-B18 (44.4% vs 14.2% in the controls, p < 0.001, RR = 4.8) and HLA-DR5 (57.6% vs 37.2% in the controls, p < 0.025, RR = 2.29) was observed in the group of patients with MKS. Seven (7) of the 8 family members with FMKS possessed HLA-DR5, and the affected members in the 3 families shared a common haplotype which included HLA-DR5. These findings support the hypothesis that genetic factors linked to HLA-DR5 antigen may contribute to the pathogenesis of MKS.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Raised beta-endorphin serum levels in children with atopic dermatitis and pruritus.

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a pruritic cutaneous inflammatory condition. As pruritus and pain are very close symptoms, we determined the beta-endorphin serum concentrations in 21 atopic children with pruritus (group A) and 20 children with healed AD without pruritus (group B). Twenty-five healthy school children were the control group. The beta-endorphin serum concentrations (14.95 +/- 2.75 pmol/l) in group A were statistically (P < 0.001) elevated in our patients compared to controls (8.85 +/- 2.39 pmol/l) whereas these in group B were not elevated (9.4 +/- 2.46 pmol/l). We suggest that the elevated beta-endorphin concentrations in atopic patients with pruritus confirm the hypothesis that there is an increased activity of their opioid system and that an opioid antagonist might block itching which is their major clinical symptom.

Child↗
PubMed1993

Itraconazole in the treatment of tinea corporis and tinea cruris.

Forty-five patients with tinea corporis or tinea cruris were treated with oral itraconazole 100 mg daily for 15 days. At the end of the 15-day treatment, 80% of the patients were healed or had markedly improved. At the first follow-up visit, 2 weeks after stopping therapy, 80% of patients were considered responders. An additional follow-up visit another month later (i.e. 6 weeks post-treatment) showed that 32 of 41 patients had responded (78%). Overall, the mycological cure rate (culture and microscopy negative) was somewhat lower than the clinical response rate. Only three patients reported minor side effects (7%). Nausea was reported by two patients and an urticarial reaction was seen in one patient after 8 days treatment. This latter patient discontinued therapy because of the adverse experience. It is concluded that itraconazole, given at a daily dose of 100 mg for 15 days, is effective in the treatment of tinea corporis and tinea cruris. Response rates at the last visit (6 weeks post-therapy) remained at the same satisfactory levels as at the first follow-up visit (2 weeks post-therapy), even though treatment was stopped after 2 weeks. Itraconazole appears to be well tolerated by patients. These results, both in terms of efficacy and side effects, are in line with results reported by other investigators. The fact that the mycological cure rates were somewhat lower than the clinical response rates had apparently no influence on the relapse rate at 6 weeks follow-up post-therapy.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1992

Gingival lesions of HIV infection in 178 Greek patients.

One hundred seventy-eight HIV-infected Greek patients were examined and the gingival lesions were recorded. At the time of oral examination, 77 patients were HIV positive, 53 had ARC, and 48 had AIDS. The mean age of the patients was 36.6 years; 158 were men and 20 were women. Fifteen different gingival lesions were recorded. Necrotizing gingivitis (10.1%), gingivitis (5.0%), periodontitis (18.5%), candidiasis (5.8%), and Kaposi's sarcoma (5.0%) were the most common lesions observed. Oral lymphomas and other lesions were recorded in low numbers. Our findings show that dentists should be aware of gingival lesions of HIV disease because some of them are common and diagnostically important.

AIDS-Related Complex↗
PubMed1992

Detection of autoimmunity parameters in the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

We have examined various autoimmunity parameters in AIDS with special emphasis on the expression of pemphigus and bullous pemphigoid antibodies. Sera from healthy seropositive individuals without syphilis (CS-, n = 17), seropositive individuals with syphilis (cs+, n = 11), and patients with AIDS (n = 6) were studied and compared with normal controls (n = 30); autoimmunity parameters related to dermatology were evaluated. Indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) for pemphigus and pemphigoid antibodies, antinuclear antibodies (ANA), anti-DNA antibodies, antismooth muscle antibodies (ASMA) antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA), and antithyroid antibodies (ATA) was carried out and findings were graded with a cumulative index (CI) for each patient group. Pemphigus and bullous pemphigoid-like antibodies (IgG, PV + BP) were detected in 33% of the AIDS patients. Statistically increased CI (P less than 0.01) was found in the CS- group compared with the CS+ group and in the AIDS group compared with CS- (P less than 0.01).

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1992

Congenital sensory neuropathy with anhidrosis (hereditary sensory neuropathy type IV).

Hereditary sensory neuropathies comprise a group of rare childhood diseases which are classified into four types. We present a Greek boy 11 years old with hereditary sensory neuropathy type IV (congenital sensory neuropathy with anhidrosis) whom we have followed up and studied during the last seven years. Our patient presented for the first time with recurrent hyperthermic episodes without sweating, and lack of pain sensation from the first months of life. Insensitivity to pain and thermal stimuli had resulted in burns on the extremities and self-mutilation of the tongue, lips and fingertips. When he was five and seven years old respectively he had two painless fractures of the ankles which led to insoluble orthopedic problems. He also suffered from mental retardation, which was obvious from his first years of life. Sweat gland investigations showed significant hypohidrosis or anhidrosis although the sweat glands were normal microscopically. Hereditary sensory neuropathy type IV, although rare, is important for dermatologists because it must be differentiated from other anhidrotic syndromes, and in view of the poor prognosis of the condition.

Child, Preschool↗