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Biomedical subjects

S Shuster

Publications and source records attributed to S Shuster.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

The response of seborrhoeic dermatitis to ketoconazole.

A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over study was made of ketoconazole 200 mg daily in nineteen patients with seborrhoeic dermatitis. All had scalp lesions and sixteen had seborrhoeic dermatitis at other sites. Responses were measured by clinician and patients independently, using a linear analogue scale. Body and scalp lesions and itch regressed considerably and significantly with ketoconazole in all but five patients, three of whom subsequently responded to a higher dose. The patients studied with seborrhoeic dermatitis had been sent by their family doctors in answer to a request for patients with dandruff, and the clinical difference between the two was found to be only of degree. Three patients with dandruff without erythema were studied separately using the same study design: all three responded similarly to those with seborrhoeic eczema. It is concluded that Pityrosporum yeast infection is the immediate cause of seborrhoeic dermatitis and that dandruff is its mildest manifestation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

The effect of terfenadine on dermographic wealing.

A double-blind comparison of terfenadine with placebo showed a reduction in potency of measured dermographic force-response of 67%, which is similar to that for inhibition of histamine weals by terfenadine. This and the parallel displacement of the force-response curves indicates that histamine is the main cause of dermographic wealing. Dermographic threshold and itch change together and appear to be the main determinant of the patients' subjective response. Dermographism relapsed towards its pre-treatment state during the 3 days after treatment was stopped. There was a small decrease in effect after administration of 60 mg b.d. for 47-84 days and a further small increase in response when the dose was increased to 120 mg t.d.s., but neither change was significant. None of the patients had a sedative response to the drug and terfenadine should prove useful in the treatment of wealing disorders.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

A randomized double-blind comparison of PUVA-etretinate and PUVA-placebo in the treatment of chronic plaque psoriasis.

Twenty-eight patients with chronic plaque psoriasis affecting 20-40% of their body surface were treated with either PUVA and placebo (thirteen patients) or PUVA and etretinate (0.75 mg/kg) (fifteen patients). PUVA was given three times a week for a maximum of 10 weeks after a 2-week period on placebo or etretinate alone. Four patients failed to clear with PUVA and placebo compared with one patient with PUVA and etretinate, and the mean total UV-A dose to clear was lower with etretinate (mean = 62.1 J/cm2) than with placebo (mean = 77.3 J/cm2) but none of these differences were significant. Because the additional response to etretinate was only marginal, whilst unwanted effects were common, we found no advantage in adding etretinate to PUVA.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMed1984

A comparison of PUVA-etretinate and PUVA-placebo for palmoplantar pustular psoriasis.

Seventeen patients with palmoplantar pustular psoriasis and three with hyperkeratotic psoriasis of palms and soles were treated with either PUVA-etretinate (1 mg/kg) or PUVA-placebo. Patients were randomly allocated to each group and the trial was conducted according to a double-blind protocol, so far as the side-effects of etretinate made this possible. PUVA was given three times a week for a maximum of 18 weeks, after 2 weeks on daily placebo or etretinate alone. All ten patients in the PUVA-etretinate group cleared, but there were four failures in the PUVA-placebo group (P = 0.03). The PUVA-etretinate treated patients required significantly fewer PUVA treatments (13.1 +/- 2.9; mean +/- s.e.) and cleared in a significantly shorter time (30.3 +/- 7.1 days) than the PUVA-placebo group (23.2 +/- 4.2 treatments; 59.2 +/- 11.5 days, P less than 0.05). The cumulative UV-A dose to clear was less in the PUVA-etretinate group (53.9 +/- 18.5 J/cm2) than the PUVA-placebo group (113.1 +/- 33.4 J/cm2). This difference was not significant due to the exceptionally large dose of UV-A used on one patient but the results were significant when it was excluded. The therapeutic advantage of adding etretinate to PUVA is offset by the side-effects of cheilitis, hair loss and peeling skin which occurred in eight of the ten PUVA-etretinate patients, and an increase in fasting triglyceride concentrations and serum alkaline phosphatase activity.

Etretinate↗
PubMed1984

Effect of adrenalectomy and steroid treatment on rat skin cytosol glucocorticoid receptor.

Using an exchange assay to measure occupied and unoccupied binding sites, the glucocorticoid receptor in rat skin cytosol has been measured after adrenalectomy and parenteral steroid administration. Adrenalectomy increased the number of receptor sites with maximal effect after 5 days, after which numbers decreased to those of intact animals. Injection of adrenalectomized animals with the unlabelled agonist corticosterone resulted in a rapid dose-related decrease in the number of cytosolic receptor sites at 30 min whereas the antagonist progesterone had no effect. It is concluded that changes in glucocorticoid concentration lead to rapid inverse changes in cytosolic receptor.

Adrenalectomy↗
PubMed1983

Dopamine stimulates alpha 2-adrenoceptors on the Anolis melanophore.

The inhibitory effect of dopamine on the action of MSH on the Anolis melanophore is blocked by the alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonists, yohimbine and compound RX 781094, suggesting that the action of dopamine is mediated by alpha 2-adrenoceptors. Apomorphine and sulpiride had no effect on MSH action nor the inhibitory effect of dopamine on MSH action confirming that the Anolis melanophore does not possess dopamine receptors and that the action of dopamine is not mediated by dopamine receptors. Since the kinetics of competition between dopamine and MSH is that described for a single receptor it is concluded that interpretation of classical kinetics of competition in terms of action at a single receptor site requires modification to include an unrelated action at separate receptors, competition occurring at a post-receptor level.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Mechanism of action of antipruritic drugs.

Astemizole and terfenadine, two potent non-sedative H1 antihistamines, had no effect on itch measured objectively as nocturnal scratching and subjectively on a 10 cm line. Trimeprazine, however, a more sedative but less potent H1 antihistamine, was antipruritic, as was nitrazepam, a sedative benzodiazepine. We concluded (a) that antipruritic drugs act centrally by a property related to sedation; (b) H1 receptor antagonists have a peripheral antipruritic action only when itch is due to histamine release, as in the wealing disorders. Thus the new nonsedative H1 antihistamines have no place in the treatment of itch from other causes.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity and psoriasis.

Aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH) has been measured in the skin, jejunum and liver of normal and psoriatic individuals. We have been unable to confirm previous reports of an abnormality in AHH activity in patients with psoriasis. Re-examination of the laboratory records on which the original reports were based leads us to doubt their veracity and validity.

Animals↗