ISSN:
1365-2133
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Summary Eosinophilic pustular folliculitis (EPF) is characterized clinically by pruritic grouped follicular papules and pustules on the trunk, limbs, and face, and. Histologically by follicular infiltration with eoslnophils. The blood eosinophil count is elevated in most patients. Oral minocycline. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, diamino diphenyl sulphone and corticosteroids may induce remission. We report two Japanese men with EPF who responded poorly to the usual therapy. Intravenous injections of recombinant interferon-γ (riFN-γ). 5 × 105 to 2 × 106 Japan Reference Unit (JRU) (1 JRU roughly corresponds to 4 NIH units) daily for 7 days, cleared the skin lesions and returned the peripheral eosinophil counts to normal in both patients. However, the lesions recurred 2–3 days after rIFN-γ was stopped. Both patients have received intravenous rIFN-γ once or twice a week for nearly 1 year without systemic side-effects. Reverse transcripta sepolymerase chain reaction revealed a decreased expression of interleukin 5 (IL-S) mRNA in peripheral mononuclear cells after the rIFN-γ therapy. rIFN-γ may become the treatment of choice in recalcitrant EPF, although further studies are needed. It may work by interfering with the immunological function of type 2 T-helper cells, including IL-5 production responsible for the growth and differentiation of eosinophils.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2133.1996.93806.x
