The British journal of dermatology
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Genetic factors that predispose individuals to Behçet's disease (BD) are considered to play an important role in development of the disease. The tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha gene, which is closely linked to the HLA-B51 gene, is involved in susceptibility for BD. Recently, a polymorphism at position -1031 within the TNF-alpha promoter region was demonstrated to be responsible for susceptibility to BD in a British population. However, the functional effects of this polymorphism have not yet been determined. ⋯ Our results showed that, in the Turkish population the TNF-alpha-1031C allele is associated with susceptibility to BD. On the other hand, carrying the T allele may render patients more prone to developing a positive skin pathergy test. In addition, ELISPOT assays revealed that BD patients exhibited a significantly higher number of mononuclear cells producing TNF-alpha, and cells obtained from patients with a CC genotype had a stronger response to LPS stimulation. The strong IFN-gamma response upon LPS stimulation in BD patients supports the previous findings that BD is a Th1 driven disease. These findings suggest that the TNF-alpha-1031 polymorphism may have a functional effect and could explain the reason for high levels of TNF-alpha production observed in BD patients.
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Comment Letter Case Reports
Cutaneous, perivulvar and perianal ulcerations induced by nicorandil.
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Drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS) is characterized by a severe multiorgan hypersensitivity reaction that usually appears after a 3-6-week exposure to certain drugs, including anticonvulsants. There are some reports showing that serum IgG levels often decrease at the early stage of DIHS. Reactivation of human herpesvirus (HHV)-6 has been reported in patients with DIHS, and some other DIHS patients showed reactivation of cytomegalovirus (CMV) or Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). ⋯ The present study suggests that in addition to HHV-6 reactivation, reactivation of HHV-7, CMV and/or EBV may also occur following drug eruption in some patients with DIHS.