Takuso Yamura

MULTIPLE BOWEN'S DISEASE OBSERVED IN FORMER WORKERS OF A POISON GAS FACTORY IN JAPAN, WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO MUSTARD GAS EXPOSURE

A study was made on five cases of multiple Bowens disease observed in former workers of a poison gas factory which was in operation from 1929 to 1945 at Okunojima, Hiroshima, Japan. The age of these patients ranged from 63 to 70 years with an average of 66 years. The period engaged in poison gas production averaged 9.3 years. The averaged interval from initiation of the poison gas production to determination of diagnosis of Bowens disease was 39.2 years. All five patients were engaged in the production of mustard gas which is a vesicant poison gas and an alkylic agent. The number of lesions of Bowens disease in a patient ranged from 2 to 7. Ten lesions were found on the trunk and 13 on the extremities. In addition, there were numerous pigmented and depigmented spots and hyperkeratotic papular eruptions on the skin of all patients.

THE ROLE OF MITE, HOUSE DUST AND CANDIDA ALLERGENS IN CHRONIC URTICARIA

Intradermal skin tests and in vitro antigen‐induced histamine release from leucocytes were carried out using mite, house dust and candida allergens in 49 patients with chronic urticaria in whom the cause was not identifiable from the history. None of them had other atopic diseases. Among the 49 cases, the number of patients who gave positive skin reactions to different allergens was as follows: mite, 24; house dust, 18; candida, 17. Significant histamine release from leucocytes by mite antigen was observed in 8 out of 12 patients who had 2+ or 3+ skin reactions. The present results suggest that mite, house dust and candida allergens may play a role in chronic urticaria, and especially that the mite may be one of the possible allergens in chronic urticaria.

Correlation between in vitro Anaphylactic Histamine Release from Tissues and Reagin Titer in Rat

The magnitude of antigen-induced histamine release from actively sensitized rat tissues in vitro was compared with the amount of specific reagin in the serum. There was no quantitat

A CASE OF EOSINOPHILIC LYMPHFOLLICULOSIS OF THE SKIN (KIMURA'S DISEASE)

Eosinophilic lymphfolliculosis of the skin (Kimuras disease) in a 31‐year‐old male is reported. He had two subcutaneous tumors, 10 × 9 × 3 cm and 9 × 7 × 2 cm in size, in the right retroauricular and submaxillary areas respectively.

Antigen-induced histamine release by penetration of egg albumin antigen through excised guinea pig skin

Urticarial reaction is evoked by numerous different stimuli, both immunologic and non-immunologic. In previous studies, we demonstrated the possibility that type 1 reaction may be involved in chronic urticaria and that mite may be one of the allergens [1,2]. This is because a good correlation was observed between skin sensitivity to mite allergen and mite-antigen-induced histamine release from leukocytes in some of the chronic urticarial patients [1]. It is not clear, however, how the mite allergen reaches the mast cells in the skin. Allergen may be absorbed through the respiratory or gastrointestinal tracts. An additional possibility is that the allergen may be capable of penetrating the skin in quantities sufficient to induce urticarial reactions. We, therefore, investigated this possibility in diffusion cells using excised guinea pig skin. Male albino guinea pigs of Hartley strain weighing 250300 g were sensitized using a 0.2 % solution of egg albumin (grade V, Sigma) in saline. Each hind limb was injected with 0.25 ml s.c. The animals were used after 2 weeks. The experiments were concluded by the 5th week. The penetration of egg albumin antigen through the sensitized guinea pig skin was determined in diffusion cells (diameter = 2.7 cm). Carefully shaved abdominal and dorsal skin of the sensitized guinea pig was excised and s.c.tissue was removed by surgical scissors. Several circular skin pieces for diffusion cells were obtained from the excised skin and washed three times in Tyrode solution. One milliliter of antigen solution (egg albumin, 10 gg/ml in Tyrode solution) was placed on the epidermal side of the skin in the upper compartment of the chamber and Tyrode solution in the lower compartment, these reactants being separated by the circular skin piece obtained from the sensitized guinea pig (Fig. 1). The chamber was incubated at 37 ~ C and histamine content in

In vitro Release of Eosinophil Chemotactic Factor of Anaphylaxis (ECF-A) from Guinea Pig Skin

An in vitro release of the eosinophil chemotactic factor of anaphylaxis (ECF-A) in anaphylactic reactions was studied using skin slices from actively sensitized guinea pigs. ECF-A and histamine were released in vitro from actively sensitized guinea pig skin by antigen challenge. The magnitude of ECF-A release did not always parallel that of anaphylactic histamine release in guinea pig skin, suggesting that there may be no correlation between the amount of ECF-A and that of histamine released from the skin in anaphylactic reactions in guinea pigs.

The role of calcium in in vitro release of eosinophil chemotactic factor of anaphylaxis (ECF-A) from guinea pig skin

It is well known that eosinophils migrate into the site of immediate type hypersensitivity reactions by the actions of eosinophil chemotactic factors. The eosinophil may have host defense functions in allergic reactions because it contains enzymes, such as diamine oxidase which degrades histamine [9] and arylsulfatase B which inactivates slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis [7]. In the previous study, we demonstrated that the eosinophil chemotactic factor of anaphylaxis (ECF-A) was released in vitro from actively sensitized guinea pig skin by antigen challenge and that the release of it was accompanied by the release of histamine [3]. ECF-A exists preformed in human or guinea pig respiratory tissues and in rat mast cells; in the latter it resides in association with the granules [6]. It has been well established that the anaphylactic histamine release is calcium-dependent [5]. These facts suggest that in guinea pig skin the response of ECF-A release, in terms of calcium dependence, may be similar to that of histamine release. We, therefore, investigated the effect of calcium in the in vitro antigen-induced ECF-A release from guinea pig skin. Male albino guinea pigs of Hartley strain weighing 250300 g were sensitized with egg albumin (Sigma) by the procedure described in the previous report [3]. The shaved abdominal skin obtained from sensitized guinea pigs was sliced into 500 lam thick slices using a hand microtome [1]. The skin slices were washed three times in calciumand magnesium-free Tyrode solution containing 103 M ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and a further three times washed in calcium-free Tyrode solution. The washed skin slices were incubated in 3.5 ml antigen solution (egg albumin, 10 lag/ml) in the presence or absence of calcium for 20 min at 37~ The reaction was terminated by decantation of the supernatant. The residual histamine in the slices after incubation was extracted by boiling for 10 min in 10 ml Tyrode solution. ECF-A activity and histamine content in the samples were determined by the methods described in the previous report [3]. When necessary, calcium

Effect of heparin on histaminase in guinea pig skin

In the previous report, we have proposed that diamine oxidase (histaminase) in guinea pig skin might play an important role in the regulation of histaminemediated skin inflammation, since administration of the histaminase inhibitor, aminoguanidine, caused amplification of the 72 h homologous passive cutaneous anaphylaxis in this species (Yamamoto et al., 1976). It has been reported that histaminase in guinea pig is liberated chiefly from the liver after i.v. heparin injection (Schmutzler et al., 1969) and endogenous heparin has a role as a trigger substance for histaminase release during anaphylactic shock (Giertz et al., 1968). Although it has been established that histaminase release from tissues is mediated by heparin (Hahn et al., 1966), one can not exclude the possibility that heparin may have some influences on the activity of histaminase in soluble fraction extracted from tissue since heparin forms complexes with proteins (Bergman et al., 1971). In the present study, the effect of heparin on crude histaminase prepared from guinea-pig skin was investigated. Shaved abdominal and dorsal skin from two or three normal male Hartley guinea pigs weighing 300500 g was homogenized with approximately ten volumes (v/w) of ice cold 0.01 M phosphate-buffered saline at pH 7.3 using a homogenizer (I.L.A. X-1020). The homogenate was centrifuged at 15,000 x g for 30 min at 4~ The supernatant was precipitated with powdered ammonium sulphate to 60% saturation by adding slowly 42.4 g ammonium sulphate/100 ml of the supernatant. The precipitate was centrifuged at 15,000 x g for 30 min at 4 ~ C and the supernatant was decanted. The precipitate was dissolved in 0.01 M phosphate-buffered saline at pH 7.3 (1/s volume of the original supernatant of the homogenate), and was dialyzed against the same buffer which changed three times for 24 h at 4~ The dialyzed sample was centrifuged at 15,000 x g for 30 rain at 4~ to remove the insoluble substance and the precipitate formed during dialysis in the dialysis sacs. Seven milliliters of the supernatant was applied to a 2.6 x 62 cm column of Sephadex G-200 which was equilibrated with 0.01 M phosphate-buffered saline at

A light and electron microscopic study of a case of radiation induced malignant giant cell tumor of the soft tissue.

A case of malignant giant cell tumor of the soft tissue in a 59‐year‐old female is presented. Total hysterectomy was performed for uterine carcinoma (histologically squamous cell carcinoma) in 1963, followed by radiation treatment for 6 months. Chronic radiodermatitis developed thereafter on the skin of the hip joint region, buttocks and lower abdominal region. A tumor developed in the lesion of chronic radiodermatitis of the left hip joint region in August 1976 and this was excised on February 23, 1977. Two recurrent tumors and a metastatic lesion in the inguinal lymph node developed, which were surgically removed. The main tumor, measuring 7.5 cm in maximum diameter, was found chiefly in the subcutaneous adipose tissue. Histologically, it was composed of a mixture of fibroblastic spindle‐shaped cells, histiocytic mononuclear cells, bizarre giant cells and osteoclast‐like multinucleated giant cells. Occasionally osteoid tissues were seen. Electron microscopically, undifferentiated cells, fibroblastic cells, monohistiocytic cells, osteoclast like multinucleated giant cells and macrophages were observed, and these cells were considered to be divided into three cell lines, that is an undifferentiated cell line, fibroblastic cell line and histiocytic cell line.