Dermatosen in Beruf und Umwelt. Occupation and environment最新文献

Recently, recombinant human erythropoietin produced by gene technology has become available in the treatment of renal anemia in dialysis patients. A papulous skin reaction as well as a generally increased pruritus has been reported in several patients following 2 to 3 months of treatment. Following a course of recurrence lasting several weeks, the skin changes cleared up spontaneously. In one female patient, treatment was discontinued due to skin reaction.

In a first experiment, the potential effectiveness of three cream formulations (A, B, C) against skin irritation due to n-hexane was evaluated using a guinea pig model. Semi-quantitative histopathological assessment of skin lesions were carried out. Due to interesting protective effects, cream formulation A (Travabon) was selected and further investigated. In a second series of experiments, this cream showed some protective effects against irritation due to toluene, but was not found efficacious against trichlorethylene irritation.

The use of the incubated chicken egg as a test system to evaluate the effects of hazardous substances is reported. Several different methods to carry out toxicological as well as teratological studies are mentioned. Experimental toxicity testing and basic pathology studies on the extra-embryonal blood vessel systems of the chick embryo (yolk sac system and chorio-allantoic membrane) are described in detail. In this field, the application of the yolk sac system has some advantages compared with the chorio-allantoic membrane. Finally, the use of so-called "alternative methods" and the replacement of the Draize-test and LD50- studies are discussed.

In order to investigate the effect of a gel containing isoprenaline and a gel containing clemastine hydrogen fumarate on histamine-induced skin reactions compared with placebo, a histamine solution was injected intradermally in four given fields on the backs of 12 healthy volunteers 15 min and 60 min after application of the gel preparations. The study was controlled by a non-treated field on the volunteers' backs. The main points of interest in this study included the size of the erythema reaction, the capillary blood flow and onset and intensity of itching. With respect to the size of the erythema reaction, both clemastine hydrogen fumarate and isoprenaline proved more effective than placebo in most cases. This superiority was, in some cases, statistically significant. There were no statistically significant differences between the gel preparations for the other parameters investigated. Clemastine hydrogen fumarate is regarded as a classical antihistamine, whereas a possible effect on the superficial circulation of the skin is being discussed for isoprenaline.

3 patients with lead intoxication are demonstrated. The analysis of porphyrins and porphyrin precursors led to the tentative diagnosis which was confirmed by the increased lead levels. The increased urinary excretion of porphyrins and of delta-aminolevulinic acid, the decreased activity of uroporphyrinogen synthase and the increased protoporphyrin content (absorption maximum 595 nm) in the red cells suggested the diagnosis before the lead values of the patients were known. Clinical signs of the patients included gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms. It is assumed that the lead intoxication in these patients was caused by occupational exposition.

1237 patients with contact sensitization were patch tested five times with the standard patch test series at 3-year intervals. The study was carried out during the period 1975-1987. The results point out the increasing significance of the most common allergens in the industrially developed countries: potassium dichromate, isopropylaminodiphenylamine, formalin, p-phenylenediamine and nickel sulfate.

Effects of infra-red A (IRA) (600-2000 nm) and 1064 nm laser irradiation on non-immunologic immediate contact reactions (NIICRs) induced by benzoic acid (BA) and methyl nicotinate (MN) were studied. Five concentrations of BA and MN in petrolatum were tested, on two subsequent days, without occlusion on the upper arm of 10 or 12 test subjects, with a dose of IRA irradiation that elevated surface temperature of the skin to 39.5 degrees C. In the first group exposed to IRA irradiation, the NIICR tests were performed immediately after the surface temperature of the skin had reached 39.5 degrees C; the skin was then allowed to cool down. In the second group exposed to IRA irradiation, the NIICRs were performed after a skin temperature of 39.5 degrees C was attained, and the skin temperature was kept unchanged for another 15 min. In the 1064 nm laser exposure group of 12 subjects, the tests were performed on the upper back immediately after irradiation of the skin with 100, 50, and 25 J/cm2 of neodymium yttrium aluminium garnet (Nd-YAG) laser (1064 nm). Reactions were monitored with laser-Doppler flowmetry 20 and 40 min after application, and erythema and edema reactions were graded visually. In the first group exposed to IRA, the warming had an enhancing effect on only one reaction induced by MN. In the second group exposed to IRA irradiation, the NIICRs occurring from BA on the exposure day were stronger on the exposed than both the reactions on the non-exposed area as well as the responses to MN on the irradiated area on the following day only.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The case of a 51 year old woman, working in the field of agriculture, is reported; she developed a photoallergic dermatitis and a fulminant hepatitis after the use of the herbicide phenmedipham (Betanal). Photopatch-testing revealed sensitization to phenmedipham and, additionally, to maprotiline hydrochloride (Ludiomil), an antidepressant taken by the patient at about the same time. The possible relationship of these reactions with the clinical symptoms are discussed.

A 48-year-old male developed an induration of the skin of the neck a few days after a blunt trauma to this region had occurred. A diagnosis of scleredema adultorum (Buschke) could be established 3 years later. In view of the history and the lack of other diseases thought to be related to the elicitation of scleredema, a traumatic origin of the skin condition is probable.

Use of a surgical marking pen to indicate test areas on the skin during epicutaneous evaluation caused eczema in three female patients undergoing patch testing. Close scrutiny of the individual components of this surgical marking pen revealed contact dermatitis to ninhydrine, a substance whose allergenic potential has hardly been noted in the relevant literature.