Immunological parameters in girls with Turner syndrome

Disturbances in the immune system has been described in Turner syndrome, with an association to low levels of IgG and IgM and decreased levels of T- and B-lymphocytes. Also different autoimmune diseases have been connected to Turner syndrome (45, X), thyroiditis being the most common. Besides the typical features of Turner syndrome (short stature, failure to enter puberty spontaneously and infertility due to ovarian insufficiency) ear problems are common (recurrent otitis media and progressive sensorineural hearing disorder). Levels of IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD and the four IgG subclasses as well as T- and B-lymphocyte subpopulations were investigated in 15 girls with Turners syndrome to examine whether an immunodeficiency may be the cause of their high incidence of otitis media. No major immunological deficiency was found that could explain the increased incidence of otitis media in the young Turner girls

Topical application of 5-fluorouracil on attic cholesteatoma results in downregulation of keratinocyte growth factor and reduction of proliferative activity.

To investigate the cell-biological effect of topically applied 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on middle ear cholesteatoma, 12 attic cholesteatomas were treated with topical application of 5-FU cream, two to five times with an interval of 2 weeks (5-FU group). The control group comprised 65 cholesteatoma that were not treated with 5-FU. All lesions were later excised surgically and processed for immunohistochemical analyses of Ki-67, keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) and its receptor (KGFR). 5-FU significantly reduced the expression of KGF, did not change KGFR expression, and significantly reduced the Ki-67 labeling index, relative to the control group. The effect of 5-FU on cholesteatoma seems to be mediated, at least in part, through downregulation of KGF in stromal cells and reduction of the proliferative activity of epithelial cells

Manifestações otológicas em criança com síndrome da imunodeficiência adquirida Otologic manifestations in child with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

As manifestações otológicas são particularmente comuns em crianças portadoras do Vírus da Imunodeficiência Humana (HIV). A disacusia nestes pacientes pode ser condutiva, principalmente decorrente de otite média ou sensorioneural, pela ação direta do vírus ou pela ação de drogas anti-retrovirais. Neste trabalho, relatamos o caso de uma criança de 10 anos de idade, portadora de HIV, com disacusia e revisamos a literatura.<br>Patients infected with Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) often present with otologic manifestations. The hearing loss may be condutive type, resulting from middle ear disease or sensorineural type due virus action or drug therapy. In this paper we describe and discuss a case of a ten years old child with HIV and otologic manifestations including hearing loss