Counts and areas of S-100-positive epidermal dendritic cells in atypical molluscum contagiosum affecting HIV+ patients.

Molluscum contagiosum is a common and self-limiting viral infection, that in HIV+ patients courses as an opportunist affection with atypical clinical features. Impaired cell-mediated immune response could be involved in such atypical growth. We evaluated the density and area of Langerhans cells (LC) using S-100 immunohistochemistry in seven atypical molluscum contagiosum. LC density was quantified by three different methods using computer-assisted morphometry as well as estimating the relative area of LC with respect to epidermal area. Results were compared with two control groups (normal skin specimens and molluscum contagiosum affecting non-AIDS healthy patients). We found a virtual absence of LC in areas of molluscum lesions affecting both HIV+ and non-AIDS patients. Likewise we observed an evident decrease in LC density in perilesional epidermis of atypical molluscum with respect to both control groups. Upon comparing the counts and areas, we observed that this reduction in LC count was statistically significant only when considering LC related to length of basement membrane in atypical molluscum with respect to normal skin specimens. Our finding of a reduced number of LC in the perilesional epidermis of HIV+ patients with atypical molluscum could explain the high frequency and clinical challenge of molluscum contagiosum in immunocompromised people. In spite of these results, further studies of LC kinetics and functions are required to precisely elucidate their role in the course of molluscum contagiosum in HIV+ patients.

Topical anti-inflammatory lignans from Haplophyllum hispanicum.

The present paper reports the results of the methanol extract of Haplophyllum hispanicum Spach on single or repeated local 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol acetate (TPA) administration and in the oxazolone-induced contact-delayed hypersensitivity mouse ear edemas. Two topical anti-inflammatory aryl naphthalide lignans were isolated from the active fractions of the methanol extract. They were identified by spectroscopic methods, including 13C NMR and heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC), as diphyllin acetyl apioside and tuberculation. The former was the most active on acute TPA edema with a ID50 of 0.27 mumol/ear.

[Ultrastructural study of a case of argyria]. / Estudio ultraestructural de un caso de argiria.

The authors studied by transmission electron microscopy a case of cutaneous argyria. Found round and oval forms into which there are a silver granules forming rings. Those images sequencied permit hypothesized that the winning of the solved silver by phagocytes into which are precipitate and eliminate out of the cell.

[Ultrastructural study of Leishmania tropica in the amastigote phase]. / Estudio ultraestructural de la Leishmania trópica en fase amastigota.

A case is reported of cutaneous leishmaniasis with an ultrastructural study of the amastigote form, emphasizing and discussing the presence of two flagella inwards in the same parasite, a fact which is indicative of the great activity of the parasite in host lesions.

[Marking disorders of keratinization by means of lectins. II. Keratosis pilaris, lichen spinulosus, porokeratosis, lichen striatus and pityriasis rubra pilaris]. / Marcaje mediante lectinas de trastornos en la queratinización. II. Queratosis pilaris, liquen espinuloso, poroqueratosis, liquen estriado y pitiriasis rubra pilaris.

Lectins are used to study four cases of keratosis pilaris, four of lichen spinulosus, 11 of porokeratosis, 8 of striated lichen and one case of pityriasis rubra pilaris, with the aim of providing data to improve knowledge of the histogenesis of these processes.