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A 53-year-old female patient with pemphigus vulgaris under continuous immunosuppressive therapy for about 2 years presented a superficial spreading malignant melanoma on a pre-existing melanocytic naevus. After surgical removal of the inguinal lymph node group, a diffuse low-grade polymorphous immunocytoma was proved both histologically and immunocytochemically. The possible induction mechanisms are discussed.

Two further methods for the characterization of epidermal skin tumors are described: the antinuclear antibody (ANA) immunofluorescent test, which consists of indirect immunofluorescence with known high titer sera containing homogenous ANAs on epidermal skin tumors, and the ammoniacal-silver cytochemical method, which specifically stains nuclear histones. Squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), basal cell epitheliomas (BCEs) as well as control specimens from normal skin and benign epidermal hyperplasias were studied. The ANA immunofluorescent test was positive for most SCCs, mixed SCC and basal cell carcinomas and metatypical BCEs. The ammoniacal-silver method gave a characteristic staining pattern shared among SCCs, mixed carcinomas and metatypical BCEs. BCEs, besides metatypical ones, were always negative by the ANA immunofluorescent test and the same applied for the control specimens. The ammoniacal-silver method gave a characteristic staining pattern for BCEs and control sections quite different from the staining pattern of the more aggressive forms of epidermal tumors. The two methods usually yielded parallel results.

In 2 patients with anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia, we were able to show that the hypoplastic eccrine glandular elements may give rise to normal eccrine glands both anatomically and functionally, after repeated local application of acetylcholine. The perspectives of our findings for the therapeutic management of the anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia are discussed and special attention is paid to the genetic background of the defect as well as the possible mode of action of acetylcholine.

The present study deals with the evaluation of some substrates for the detection of nuclear antibodies by the indirect immunofluorescence method. We have examined white male mouse liver imprint, white female pregnant mouse liver imprint, compound substrate consisting of male mouse liver, kidney and gastric wall sections, skin sections from psoriatic patients, skin sections from squamous cell carcinomata, male rabbit spleen imprint, skin sections from healthy adult people, skin sections from basal cell epitheliomata, skin sections from patients with lichen planus, male mouse spleen imprint and male guinea pig spleen imprint. To evaluate the substrates, we have employed 4 selected sera from patients with collagen disease. It was observed that some types of antinuclear antibodies demonstrate greater affinity for certain substrates and the fluorescent nuclear pattern might change on serial dilutions. From all the substrates studied, the white male mouse liver imprint and the male rabbit spleen imprint were considered as the most efficient for routine purposes as they are both sensitive and easily obtainable.

Dermatologica