Recurrent lupus vulgaris following repeated BCG (Bacillus Calmette Guèrin) vaccination

We report a case of lupus vulgaris following BCG (Bacillus Calmette Guèrin) vaccination on the right shoulder. The patient had a history of lupus vulgaris on his left shoulder that developed following BCG vaccination and was treated successfully eight years ago.

Mutagenic risk in psoriatic patients before and after 8-methoxypsoralen and long-wave ultraviolet radiation

Sister-chromatid exchange (SCE) analysis was carried out in different age groups prior to and after therapy with 8-Methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) followed by exposure of the patient to long-wave UV-A (PUVA) and compared to control. The SCE frequencies were increased significantly in PUVA-treated patients as compared to their pre-treatment SCE levels and to controls. A significant increase in SCEs was found in smoking PUVA-treated patients as compared to non-smoking PUVA-treated patients. This study indicates a detectable chromosome-damaging effect of PUVA therapy on its human users.

Selenium and Behçet's disease

Behçet's disease is an inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology, characterized by recurrent oral and genital aphthous ulcers, ocular inflammation, and skin lesions of erythema nodosum and acneiform eruptions. Selenium (Se) affects all components of the immune system, i.e., the development and expression of nonspecific, humoral, and cell-mediated responses. In general, a deficiency in Se appears to result in immunosuppression, whereas supplementation with low doses of Se appears to result in augmentation and/or restoration of immunologic functions. In this study, the distribution of Se and IgG, IgM in serum were compared in samples from healthy adult control and Behçet's disease patients. The serum Se levels were measured by AA-30-40 Varian Spectra, and immunoglobulins were measured by immunodiffusion technique. The mean (SD) serum Se level of 54.24 +/- 8.06 ng/mL among Behçet's disease subjects was significantly different (P less than 0.01) from that in the control subjects (90.01 +/- 9.94 ng/mL). We also measured IgG and IgM as 10.01 +/- 2.74 mg/mL and 1.26 +/- 0.29 mg/mL, respectively for patients, and 15.08 +/- 4.73 mg/mL and 1.58 +/- 0.43 mg/mL for controls. The mean values of IgG and IgM for patients were significantly (P less than 0.05) different from the values of controls. It seems, therefore, that a deficiency in selenium impedes the humoral immune response.