Anti-BP180 autoantibody levels at diagnosis correlate with 1-year mortality rates in patients with bullous pemphigoid.

BACKGROUND: Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is the most frequent autoimmune blistering disease mainly affecting elderly patients. Among several published risk factors, a recent post hoc analysis linked anti-BP180 autoantibodies (AABs) to fatal outcomes in BP. To date, this finding has not been confirmed independently. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the potential of anti-BP180-AAB levels as a marker of prognosis and to identify a cut-off level indicative of an increased risk for early death. Secondly, to characterize parameters associated with mortality. METHODS: Retrospective, single-centre study of BP patients diagnosed between 2001 and 2012. Analyses included epidemiological and patient- and disease-specific characteristics as well as immunological parameters at diagnosis and during follow-up. Standardized mortality ratios as well as uni- and multivariate regression analyses were calculated. RESULTS: One hundred patients (56 women, 44 men) with a median age of 81 years (interquartile range 74-86) were followed up for a median of 775 days (interquartile range 162-1617). One-year mortality rates were 25.0% implying a 2.4-fold increased risk of death compared with the general population. High anti-BP180 autoantibody levels at diagnosis (CI95 1.30-2.89; P = 0.001), dementia (CI95 1.13-6.72; P =0.03), length of hospitalization (CI95 1.16-2.41; P = 0.01) and age (CI95 1.23-4.19; P = 0.009) correlated significantly with 1-year mortality. BP180-AAB concentrations of ≥61 U/mL characterized a subgroup of patients with a particular higher risk for early death compared with the general population (CI95 1.81-3.81; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: In bullous pemphigoid, serum concentrations of BP180 autoantibodies at diagnosis could help to identify patients at risk for death within the first year after diagnosis (cut-off value 61 U/mL).

[Bullous Sweet's syndrome with pulmonary involvement]. / Bullöses Sweet-Syndrom mit pulmonaler Beteiligung.

Acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis (Sweet's syndrome) is a rare dermatosis characterized by painful papules and plaques accompanied by cutaneous infiltration with neutrophilic granulocytes. Bullous changes are observed in some cases. We report about a patient with osteomyelofibrosis who developed fever accompanied by painful plaques and confluent papules on both arms and thighs. The course of the disease was complicated by blistering and pulmonary infiltrates. After the diagnosis of bullous Sweet's syndrome was established, systemic therapy with glucocorticoids was successful in treating skin lesions and dyspnea.

Effect of diodes-laser silver arsenide-aluminium (Ga-Al-As) 904 nm on healing of experimental wounds.

Diodes-laser silver arsenide-aluminium (Ga-Al-As) 904 nm, which was used because of its properties of good tissue penetration and manageability, applied 5 min daily for 5 days at 3,000 Hz of frequency (energy density = 3 J), promoted healing of experimental wounds in rats from both a microscopic and histologic point of view. The same laser applied in these experimental conditions (number of rats was eight for each group) at the same energy density (3 J) for 10 min daily during 5 days at 1,500 Hz of frequency did not affect the experimental wounds.

[Scanning electron microscopy study of rat lung tissue]. / Contribution a l'étude du tissu pulmonaire de rat par le microscope électronique a balayage.

Parts of rat lung tissue have been examined by means of a scanning electron microscope after either chemical or physical fixage. Chemical fixage produces retraction on the tissue structures and the alveoles appear of irregular shape. Physical fixage gives the possibility to observe lung morphology without distorsions; details reproduced are in this case very clear and in a shape which appears very close to the original conditions.

[Effects of citidine diphosphocholine (citicholine) and phospholipids on the elastic properties of the lung and on the physico-chemical properties of the irrigation liquid]. / Effet de la citidindiphosphocholine (citicholine) et des phospholipides sur les propriétés élastiques du poumon et sur les propriétés physico-chimiques du liquide de lavage

The effect of citidin-diphosphocholine and of phospholipids treatments on the elastic properties as well as on the washing liquid physical-chemical properties of rat lungs is studied. Significant increase of the compliance and decrease of the tendency to collapse of the airways are observed after treatment with citidin-diphosphocholine.