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Biomedical subjects

K Kalimo

Publications and source records attributed to K Kalimo.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

IgA antigliadin antibodies: a marker of mucosal damage in childhood coeliac disease.

Antigliadin antibodies in serum samples of 31 children with coeliac disease were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent technique. In young patients (less than 2 years) tested before gluten withdrawal IgA antigliadin antibody levels were invariably above the levels of 36 controls. The titres fell rapidly when gluten was eliminated from the diet and rose on its reintroduction. The titres were not always greater than the control level in older untreated patients. IgA antigliadin antibodies seem to be a good marker of the immune reaction in the jejunum triggered by gluten. In 2 IgA-deficient patients gluten challenge caused an increase in IgM antigliadin antibodies, and at the same time the number of IgM-containing cells increased in the jejunal mucosa. Rising IgG antigliadin antibody levels after gluten elimination were seen in 6 patients, 5 of whom had very low complement C3 levels before gluten elimination.

Age Factors↗

Effect of a single UVB or PUVA exposure on immediate and delayed skin hypersensitivity reactions in humans. Correlation to erythemal response and Langerhans cell depletion.

A single UVB or PUVA exposure given 4 days prior to skin testing affected skin responses both to contact allergens and to histamine and the histamine liberator, compound 48/80. The delayed contact hypersensitivity reactions were attenuated by UVB in 75% and by PUVA in 79% of the tests. The immediate skin reactions to histamine and compound 48/80 were diminished by UVB in 81% and by PUVA in 46% of the cases. While the epidermal Langerhans cell (LC) density was distinctly affected by irradiation, the attenuation of skin hypersensitivity reactions seemed to be independent of the degree of LC depletion. A significant correlation was, however, found between the strength of the erythemal reaction induced by the irradiation and the attenuation of the skin hypersensitivity test reactions; this was true for both delayed and immediate skin reactions in the case of UVB and for immediate skin reactions in the case of PUVA. The mechanism behind the attenuating effect of UV radiation on skin hypersensitivity reactions remains unknown, but it probably does not result from a stabilization of the mast cell membrane, as histamine and compound 48/80 induced reactions were suppressed to a similar extent.

Adult↗

Circulating IgA- and IgG-class antigliadin antibodies in dermatitis herpetiformis detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

A sensitive and technically simple enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed to demonstrate circulating IgA- and IgG-class antibodies to gliadin, a component of wheat gluten. Serum samples from 24 patients with dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), 5 with coeliac disease (CD) and 75 normal controls were analysed. Antigliadin antibodies (AGA) of the IgA class were detected in 71% of DH patients, all of the CD patients and 19% of the controls. IgG-AGA was found in over 90% of DH patients and controls and in all of the CD patients. The mean ELISA values of both IgA- and IgG-class AGA were significantly higher in DH patients than in the controls. The occurrence of circulating IgA-class AGA is compatible with the hypothesis that these antibodies can be deposited in the skin, e.g. as immune complexes, or due to cross-reactivity of gliadin and dermal reticulin.

Adolescent↗

Renal involvement and circulating immune complexes in dermatitis herpetiformis.

A fine-needle kidney biopsy was performed on eleven patients with dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) who had no previous signs or symptoms of renal disease. Of the eight patients whose biopsy specimens were representative, electron microscopic examination showed mesangial deposits in five. A subsequent conventional renal biopsy was obtained from one of these five, and immunofluorescence microscopy revealed IgA and complement deposits in the glomeruli. Renal involvement was not related either to the degree of jejunal villous atrophy or to the deposition of IgA and complement in the skin. Glomerular deposits, however, were associated with a high frequency of circulating IgA and IgG class immune complexes and IgA class antigliadin and antireticulin antibodies. These results suggest that, in DH, immune complexes or antibodies derived from the gut can be deposited in the kidney.

Adult↗

Occurrence of contact allergy and hand eczemas in hospital wet work.

The occurrence of contact sensitivity and hand dermatitis was studied in hospital employees. The incidence of contact allergy was 21%. Nickel (9%) was the most common allergen followed by perfumes (6%). Present of previous hand dermatitis was detected in 46%. Of those with positive reactions, 53% had suffered from hand dermatitis as compared to 44% of those without positive reactions. 70% of those with sensitivity to fragrances had suffered from hand dermatitis. The occurrence of hand dermatitis was more frequent in persons, who had developed contact allergy to rubber chemicals or to both nickel and cobalt simultaneously.

Allergens↗

Course of hand dermatitis in hospital workers.

The occurrence and course of hand dermatitis in hospital workers was studied on the basis of the patient register of an occupational specialist and by a clinical follow-up study. About 1% of all the hospital workers had had dermatitis, cleaners, kitchen workers and nurses most frequently. 54% of the patients who were clinically studied had suffered from periodic symptoms and 35% had current hand dermatitis. Those who had previous or present atopic dermatitis had most frequently developed dermatitis during the first year of their service. An atopic constitution seemed to predispose to the development of permanent or periodic hand dermatitis. The patients with sensitivity to nickel or fragrances had relapses in the majority of cases. During the study period, the incidence of new dermatitis cases was constant, but the number of days sick leave showed a decreasing tendency.

Adult↗

Immunoglobulin and complement deposits in the skin and circulating immune complexes in scabies.

Sixteen patients with papulovesicular, 6 with nodular and one with a Norwegian scabies were studied. Direct immunofluorescence (IF) examination revealed C3 deposits in the skin lesions of 13 of the 18 patients. Among them were all 6 cases with nodular scabies. C3 was found mostly in dermal vessel walls and 3 of the patients also showed IgM and 2 IgA deposits at the same site. No circulating immune complexes were found, with a solid-phase C1q radioimmunoassay (RIA), but HSV- and RSV-RIA methods detected IgM antibodies of rheumatoid factor type in 5 of the 15 sera examined. These results suggest that local complement activation and perhaps also immune complex deposition may by important in the pathogenesis of the papular and nodular skin lesions of human scabies.

Adult↗

Contact allergy in atopics, who perform wet work in hospital.

The relation of atopy, i.e. previous or present atopic dermatitis, allergic rhinitis/conjunctivitis and asthma, to contact allergy in hospital employees, who perform wet work, was studied. Patch tests were carried out with the ICDRG standard series. Among these workers the frequency of contact allergy was similar in nonatopics (21%) as in atopics (22%), who represented 33% from the whole group. Atopics were sensitized more often to balsam of Peru (5.1%) as well as to fragrances in total (8,5%) than nonatopics, (1.7% and 4.1%, respectively) (p less than 0.05). Same kind of tendency was found in the amount of rubber reactions, though the difference was not statistically significant. Nickel was the most common allergen in all workers.

Allergens↗

PUVA treatment in chromium hypersensitivity: effect on skin reactivity and lymphocyte functions.

Two male patients with longstanding contact sensitivity to chromium were treated with PUVA. One patient, suffering from concomitant photosensitivity, reacted very favorably; his skin lesions cleared and light tolerance increased. This was paralleled by a decrease in the photopatch test reactivity and by the extinction of the patch-test reactivity on PUVA-exposed (pigmented) skin. Patch and photopatch tests on PUVA-shielded skin showed no decrease in skin test reactivity. PUVA-treatment caused a decrease in the number of rosette-forming T cells and an increase in lymphocyte stimulation in both patients. In one patient, abnormally high PHA-induced suppressor cell activities were recorded prior to treatment; after PUVA therapy the values were back to normal. In both patients, the PPD-induced suppressor cell activity of PWN response was clearly increased by PUVA-therapy. Other suppressor cell functions were not much affected. It is concluded that while PUVA-therapy may produce some systemic immunological effects, its abating effect on contact sensitivity and photosensitivity is mainly mediated through local mechanisms in the skin.

Adult↗

Autoantibodies to an epidermal protease inhibitor in skin diseases.

Solid phase radioimmunoassay for measurement of autoantibodies in human sera to an epidermal protein is presented. The protein purified from normal human epidermis is inhibitory to SH-dependent protease and its molecular weight is about 13,000. Antibodies were detected in 139 of the 4,400 sera collected from dermatological patients. Most of the patients suffered from wide-spread eczematous conditions. It is suggested that the antibodies are secondary to the inflammatory conditions, but they may exacerbate or delay the course of the disease.

Autoantibodies↗

Chlamydia trachomatis and herpes simplex virus IgA antibodies in cervical secretions of patients with cervical atypia.

The association of Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and herpes simplex virus (HSV) with malignant or premalignant changes in the cervix uteri was studied by determining immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies in the cervical secretions of 28 women with inflammatory, 28 with dysplastic, 7 with malignant changes of the uterine cervix, and 26 healthy controls. In cervical secretions IgA antibodies to CT were found in 24 of 35 (69%) patients with malignant or premalignant changes, in 11 of 28 (39%) with cervicitis and in 3 of 26 (12%) controls. IgA antibodies to HSV were found in 10 of 35 (28%) patients with malignant atypic or dysplasia but in none of the women with cervicitis or the controls. The highest frequency of antibodies was found in the patients with cervical carcinoma. Serum IgA antibodies to CT and HSV were found equally on the patients and the controls. Our results suggest that in patients with cervical atypic, local IgA CT antibody production occurs. Whether this association is aetiological or coincidental can not be concluded from this study.

Adult↗

Atopy and hand dermatitis in hospital wet work.

The relation of different atopic symptoms to the occurrence of hand dermatitis in employees who perform wet work in hospitals was studied. Atopy was defined as previous or present atopic dermatitis (AD), allergic rhinitis/conjunctivitis or asthma (AMS). In this population the prevalence of atopy was 32% and the frequency of past or present hand dermatitis 44%. Hand dermatitis had occurred in about 65% of persons with atopic symptoms and in 75% of those who had unusually dry, pruritic skin and of those with atopic relatives. Of the other workers only 33% had had skin problems. The presence of atopic symptoms significantly favoured the development of hand dermatitis in these occupations (p less than 0.001).

Adult↗

Herpes simplex encephalitis: A serological follow-up study. Synthesis of herpes simplex virus immunoglobulin M, A, and G antibodies and development of oligoclonal immunoglobulin G in the central nervous system.

A solid-phase radioimmunoassay method was used for the detection of herpes simplex virus (HSV) immunoglobulin M (IgM), IgA, and IgG antibodies within the central nervous system in 11 patients with acute HSV encephalitis. Serial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum specimens were sampled during the observation periods, extending up to 43 months after onset. The clinical diagnosis of HSV encephalitis was confirmed demonstrating virus or virus antigen in the central nervous system in four patients and with significant HSV antibodies in CSF in all the patients. In acute stage CSF HSV antibodies of a significant level were demonstrated in one of four samples taken on days 3--4 after onset, and in samples taken on days 6--8 in five of nine patients. CSF HSV antibodies of a significant and high level were detected in all samples taken from day 10 after onset. Intrathecal production of HSV IgM and IgA antibodies lasted from 7 weeks to 43 months during the observation periods. All patients had persistent intrathecal production of HSV IgG antibodies as well as of oligoclonal IgG during the total observation periods up to 43 months.

Adult↗