muramidase and Skin-Diseases

Antimicrobial proteins (AMP) are endogenous, gene-encoded proteins, which are able to kill bacteria, fungi and viruses at micro- and nanomolar concentrations. The constitutive as well as inducible production of AMP provides a rapid first-line of defense against invading microorganisms. The significance of such ancient defense system is reflected by the wide distribution of AMP in the plant and animal kingdom. There is increasing evidence that AMP may play an important role in several infectious and inflammatory diseases such as atopic dermatitis, cystic fibrosis and Crohn's disease. In this review we aim to provide a short overview about the role of antimicrobial proteins in human diseases. In addition, the use and selective induction of AMP for the development of novel potential therapeutic strategies are addressed. The benefits and possible restrictions of AMP utilization as a new class of antibiotic compounds are discussed.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Infective Agents; Anti-Inflammatory Agents, Non-Steroidal; Cystic Fibrosis; Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator; Defensins; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Humans; Infections; Inflammation; Muramidase; Phagocytes; Proteins; Skin Diseases

Purely cutaneous Rosai-Dorfman disease is exceptional. The disease is characterized histologically by large, proliferating histiocytes exhibiting inflammatory cells within their cytoplasm (emperipolesis). We present here a case of purely cutaneous generalized disease in which the routine histopathology was suggestive of an inflammatory pseudotumor. Positivity for S-100 protein, alpha1-antitrypsin, alpha1-antichymotrypsin, lysozyme, Mac387 and CD68 proteins, and negativity for CD1a protein confirmed the diagnosis of Rosai-Dorfman disease. The rarity of this case lies in the presence of conspicuous inflammatory pseudotumor-like histopathologic changes, masking an otherwise typical sinus histiocytosis cell infiltrate. This unusual presentation of the disease requires a high index of suspicion by clinicians and pathologists.

Topics: Adult; alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin; alpha 1-Antitrypsin; Antigens, CD; Antigens, CD1; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Granuloma, Plasma Cell; Histiocytosis, Sinus; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Muramidase; S100 Proteins; Skin Diseases

Topics: Chemotactic Factors; Chemotaxis, Leukocyte; Cyclic AMP; Cyclic GMP; Dermatitis Herpetiformis; Erythema; Histamine Release; Humans; Immunoglobulin E; Muramidase; Neutrophils; Skin; Skin Diseases; Staphylococcal Infections

This study aimed to prepare an eco-friendly dressing using a balsa-derived membrane with lysozymes designed for antibacterial purposes.. The groups included controls, balsa (group A), translucent balsa (group B), translucent balsa-lysozymes (group C), and translucent balsa-modified lysozymes (group D). Physical and chemical methods were used to characterize the materials, and the function of the materials was evaluated by in vivo and in vitro experiments.. Antibacterial activity against. This translucent balsa-modified lysozyme dressing is characterized by strong antibacterial properties, stable and persistent release, no cytotoxicity, and capacity to promote antibacterial ability and epithelial growth, as well as cell proliferation and migration.

Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Bacteria; Bandages; Bombacaceae; Cell Proliferation; Cells, Cultured; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Muramidase; Skin Diseases; Wound Healing

Acne vulgaris is the most common skin disorder, and is caused by Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) and can induce inflammation. Antibiotic therapy often needs to be administered for long durations in acne therapy, which results in extensive antibiotic exposure. The present study investigated a new treatment model for evaluating the antibacterial effects of lysozyme (LY)-shelled microbubbles (MBs) and ultrasound (US)-mediated LY-shelled MBs cavitation against P. acnes both in vitro and in vivo, with the aims of reducing the dose and treatment duration and improving the prognosis of acne vulgaris. In terms of the in vitro treatment efficacy, the growth of P. acnes was inhibited by 86.08 ± 2.99% in the LY-shelled MBs group and by 57.74 ± 3.09% in the LY solution group. For US power densities of 1, 2, and 3 W/cm

Topics: Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Chickens; Colony Count, Microbial; Inflammation; Mice, Inbred ICR; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Microbubbles; Muramidase; Propionibacterium acnes; Skin Diseases; Ultrasonography

Skin lesions in sarcoidosis are often the initial symptoms that enable the dermatologist to be the first to diagnose this granulomatosis. However, diagnosis is sometimes very problematic. In 2015, the diagnostic criteria for sarcoidosis were updated in Japan, with elevated serum soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) replacing negative tuberculin reaction. Therefore, we assessed the clinical utility of sIL-2R compared with two other common markers, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and lysozyme, in patients who visited the dermatology clinic. Data from 72 patients showed that sIL-2R was more sensitive than both ACE and lysozyme in supporting a diagnosis of sarcoidosis (52.8%) compared with ACE (29%) and lysozyme (26.4%). Additionally, the sIL-2R level was significantly higher in patients with multiple organ involvement and parenchymal infiltration. Patients with elevated sIL-2R levels had higher serum ACE and lysozyme levels, a higher incidence of pulmonary involvement, more severe chest radiographic stage and a high incidence of expression-specific signs by imaging analysis. Receiver-operator curve analysis showed that sIL-2R was a better marker at the threshold cut-off point compared with ACE and lysozyme for identifying patients with multiple organ involvement, detecting patients with pulmonary disease and parenchymal infiltration as well as predicting the presence of specific signs in the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Moreover, the kinetics of sIL-2R levels correlated closely with clinical manifestations, in contrast to the modest changes of ACE and lysozyme levels during the follow-up period. In conclusion, sIL-2R may be considered a good marker for diagnosis and a potential indicator of disease activity.

Topics: Aged; Biomarkers; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Japan; Male; Middle Aged; Muramidase; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A; Receptors, Interleukin-2; Retrospective Studies; Sarcoidosis; Sensitivity and Specificity; Severity of Illness Index; Skin Diseases

The expression of PG-M1, the most specific histiocytic marker, has not yet been studied in granuloma annulare (GA) and other palisaded granulomas of the skin. We evaluated the reactivity of PG-M1 with a series of GA and rheumatoid nodules (RN) to establish the sensitivity and potential usefulness of this marker in the diagnosis and characterization of these entities.. Histological sections from 30 GA and 15 RN were immunostained with PG-M1. For comparison, additional sections were stained with KP-1 and lysozyme. The stains were recorded as negative, weakly positive (1+) and strongly positive (2+).. PG-M1 stained all cases of GA (100%). KP-1 and lysozyme stained 26 (86%) and 18 (60%) GA cases, respectively. PG-M1 exhibited a significantly stronger staining intensity (1.8 +/- 0.07) when compared with KP-1 (1.4 +/- 0.13) (p = 0.018) and with lysozyme (0.9 +/- 0.15) (p < 0.0001). All RN were stained by PG-M1 (100%). KP-1 and lysozyme stained 14 (93%) and six (40%) RN cases, respectively. PG-M1 staining intensity (1.6 +/- 0.13) was slightly higher than that of KP-1 (1.4 +/- 0.18) (p = 0.27) and significantly higher than that of lysozyme (0.4 +/- 0.13) (p < 0.0001).. PG-M1 is consistently and strongly expressed by the histiocytic population of GA and RN, being more sensitive and reliable than other histiocytic markers. We recommend its use in difficult cases in which the histiocytic nature of the lesion needs to be confirmed.

Topics: Antibodies, Monoclonal; Antigens, CD; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; Biomarkers, Tumor; Granuloma Annulare; Histiocytes; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Muramidase; Retrospective Studies; Rheumatoid Nodule; Sensitivity and Specificity; Skin Diseases

We report on a patient with malignant histiocytosis (MH) presenting as multiple erythematous plaques and cutaneous depigmentation on her neck and chest. In a biopsy of an erythematous plaque, atypical large, foamy histiocytes infiltrated the dermis and positively stained with antibodies to lysozyme, leukocyte common antigen, and KP-1 (CD68). A few similar atypical cells were present in the superficial dermis focally in the depigmented areas. With use of immunohistochemical studies, most cases previously diagnosed as MH have been reclassified as T-cell lymphoma, B-cell lymphoma, or Ki-1-positive anaplastic large cell lymphoma. However, a few cases of "true" MH characterized by authentic histiocytes have been reported, presenting usually as red nodules. To our knowledge, our patient is the first with MH to present with erythematous plaques and vitiligo-like depigmentation.

Topics: Antigens, CD; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; Diagnosis, Differential; Erythema; Female; Histiocytic Sarcoma; Humans; Hypopigmentation; Leukocyte Common Antigens; Middle Aged; Muramidase; Skin Diseases; Skin Neoplasms

A 30-year-old Japanese woman relapsed into sarcoidosis after two successive parturitions. The cutaneous lesions consisted of scar sarcoidosis, papular type, nodular type, and subcutaneous nodules with histologically typical "naked tubercles". Hypergammaglobulinemia, elevation of both serum angiotensin converting enzyme and lysozyme levels, and bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy were found in the acute and subacute stages, and spontaneously returned to normal levels 16 months after the onset. Our case suggests that parturition may trigger the onset of sarcoidosis.

Topics: Acute Disease; Adult; Female; Humans; Hypergammaglobulinemia; Labor, Obstetric; Muramidase; Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications; Recurrence; Remission, Spontaneous; Sarcoidosis; Skin Diseases

The clinicopathological and immunohistochemical features of four patients with systemic multicentric reticulohistiocytosis (MR) were compared with five cases of solitary and one case of multiple reticulohistiocytoma (RH), which were confined to the skin only. The MR cases mostly affected the limbs of older women, while RH affected young male adults without preference to site. Characteristically, both entities consisted of oncocytic mononuclear histiocytes (with granular eosinophilic cytoplasm similar to oncocytic thyroid cells) and multinucleated histiocytes with a ground-glass appearance, which appeared to be much larger (> 200 microns) and bizarre in cases of RH compared with cases of MR (50-100 microns). In RH a variable number of vacuolated, spindle-shaped, and xanthomatized mononuclear histiocytes were also present. Immunohistochemical profiles showed positivity of mononuclear histiocytes with HHF35, factor XIIIa, and LN3 (HLA-DR), with a variable number of multinucleated histiocytes in RH showing binding with peanut agglutinin. In mono- and multinucleated histiocytes in both entities macrophage markers KP1 (CD68), KiM1P, HAM56, lysozyme, and alpha 1-antitrypsin were positive. However, macrophage markers MAC387 (L1 antigen) and Leu-M1 (CD15) were negative. Vimentin was universally positive in both conditions, with all other markers (S100, desmin, smooth muscle-specific actin, and QBEnd 10 [CD34]) negative. This study shows that histology supplemented by immunocytochemistry delineates MR from RH and immunohistochemical profiles indicate a cell lineage relationship between RH and adult xanthogranuloma.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; alpha 1-Antitrypsin; Cell Nucleus; Child; Child, Preschool; Cytoplasm; Female; Granuloma; Histiocytes; Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell; Histiocytosis, Non-Langerhans-Cell; HLA-DR Antigens; Humans; Immunophenotyping; Macrophages; Male; Middle Aged; Muramidase; Skin Diseases; Transglutaminases; Vimentin; Xanthomatosis

Immunohistochemically, the presence of lysozyme (LZ) has been detected by the antibody against human LZ in cytoplasm of cells from granulomatous and histiocyte-proliferative skin diseases. To detect LZ in these cells morphologically, I have done electron microscopic observations of the following skin diseases; sarcoidosis, lupus vulgaris, lupus miliaris disseminatus faciei (LMDF), tattoo granuloma, lichen nitidus, foreign body granuloma, granuloma annulare, xanthelasma, xanthoma tuberosum, xanthoma planum, juvenile xanthogranuloma, giant cell tumor of tendon sheath, dermatofibroma, malignant fibrous histiocytoma, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, granulation tissue of burn, hypertrophic scar, and histiocytosis X. From both the immunohistochemical and the electron microscopic features it was concluded that a) immunohistochemically LZ-positive cells from lesions of sarcoidosis, lupus vulgaris, LMDF and tattoo granuloma had a number of electron-lucent bodies (ELB) or microvesicles in their cytoplasm, b) lichen nitidus and xanthoma tuberosum had few LZ-positive cells and the ELB were not observed, and c) the other diseases were LZ-negative, and the ELB were also absent. It is suggested that LZ is present in the ELB which are observed electron microscopically.

Topics: Granuloma; Histiocytes; Histiocytic Sarcoma; Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous; Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Microscopy, Electron; Muramidase; Skin Diseases; Skin Neoplasms

Topics: Abdomen; Aged; Diabetes Complications; Elastic Tissue; Granuloma, Giant Cell; Histiocytes; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Male; Muramidase; Skin Diseases; Thorax

Sun-exposed and sun-protected skin obtained at post mortem from the nape of the neck in 14 subjects was immunostained using antisera to elastin, lysozyme, amyloid P component, and the plasma protease inhibitors alpha-I antitrypsin, alpha-I antichymotrypsin and alpha-2 macroglobulin. Both the normal elastic fibres in sun-protected skin, and elastosis in sun-exposed skin were positively immunostained for elastin, lysozyme and amyloid P component. Collagen fibres were unstained. No immunostaining of normal elastic fibres or elastosis in the skin was obtained with antisera to alpha-I antitrypsin, alpha-I antichymotrypsin or alpha-2 macroglobulin. It was concluded that the elastosis in sun-exposed skin does contain elastic fibres. The absence of immunostaining for plasma protease inhibitors probably indicates that the elastic material is mature, and not newly-formed.

Topics: Elastic Tissue; Elastin; Humans; Muramidase; Protease Inhibitors; Serum Amyloid P-Component; Skin; Skin Diseases; Sunlight

Two cases of actinic granuloma are described with emphasis on distinctive clinical and histopathologic features, including immunoperoxidase staining for lysozyme and immunophenotyping of mononuclear leukocytes. Actinic granuloma presents in chronically sun-damaged skin as normally colored to erythematous papules that coalesce to form centrifugally enlarging annular patterns. By light microscopy, a granulomatous infiltrate of giant cells and histiocytes is seen to be intimately related to the presence of elastotic fibers in the upper dermis. Selective localization of lysozyme in the giant cells of the granuloma is apparent by a tertiary antibody immunoperoxidase technique. Determination of mononuclear leukocyte subsets with monoclonal antibodies reveals a predominance of helper T cells in the lymphocytic infiltrate associated with the granuloma. It is postulated that actinic granuloma represents a cell-mediated immune response to weakly antigenic determinants on actinically altered elastotic fibers.

Topics: Adult; Biopsy; Cytoplasm; Elastic Tissue; Female; Granuloma; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Leukocytes; Male; Middle Aged; Muramidase; Neck; Skin; Skin Diseases; Sunlight; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Chronic Disease; Humans; Immunity, Innate; Middle Aged; Muramidase; Nephelometry and Turbidimetry; Skin Diseases; Spectrophotometry

The large stellate and polygonal cells observed in eleven fibrous papules and two angiofibromas were examined immunohistochemically for alpha 1-antitrypsin and lysozyme. The positive findings suggest that these cells are related to histiocytes rather than nevomelanocytes.

Topics: alpha 1-Antitrypsin; Histiocytes; Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Muramidase; Skin Diseases; Skin Neoplasms

Electron microscopic examination in a case of papular xanthoma revealed the presence of myelinlike laminated bodies in the cytoplasm of the foam cells. To our knowledge, similar bodies have been described in large numbers in only two cases of congenital self-healing histiocytosis and one case of generalized eruptive histiocytoma. The presence of laminated bodies may be a morphologic characteristic of papular xanthoma. However, this possibility should be confirmed by identification of the same inclusions in other cases of this disease.

Topics: Adult; Cytoplasm; Diagnosis, Differential; Foam Cells; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Macrophages; Male; Muramidase; Skin; Skin Diseases; Xanthomatosis

Serum lysozyme (Muramidase) levels in patients with localized and generalized granuloma annulare were measured by a turbidometric method. More lysozyme is present in the serum samples of patients with generalized granuloma annulare than patients with the localized form or normal controls. The mean level of patients with generalized disease was 9.27 mg/L compared with 5.96 mg/L for patients with localized disease and 6.8 mg/L for controls.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Female; Granuloma; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Muramidase; Skin Diseases

In a patient with cold-induced cutaneous periarteritis nodosa, cryoprecipitation of a circulating hepatitis B surface antigen-containing immunocomplex resulted in phagocytosis by neutrophils and monocytes with prominent vacuolation of the cells and extracellular release of lysosomal enzymes. We believe this immunocomplex attached itself to the cell membrane and induced vacuolation and degranulation in normal neutrophils.

Topics: Antigen-Antibody Complex; Cells, Cultured; Complement C3; Cryoglobulins; Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; Humans; Immunoglobulins; Male; Middle Aged; Muramidase; Neutrophils; Polyarteritis Nodosa; Skin Diseases

Topics: Adolescent; Antigens, Neoplasm; Cell Adhesion Molecules; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Glycoproteins; Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Male; Middle Aged; Muramidase; S100 Proteins; Skin Diseases; Xanthomatosis

Topics: Antigens; Antigens, Neoplasm; Cell Adhesion Molecules; Glycoproteins; Histiocytes; Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Lymphatic Diseases; Muramidase; S100 Proteins; Skin; Skin Diseases; Skin Neoplasms; Xanthogranuloma, Juvenile

Between 1978 and 1980, 45 cases of acute monoblastic leukaemia have been diagnosed, treated and followed in our institute. Morphological diagnosis was performed according to the French-American-British classification. Tumoral syndrome (particularly extra-medullary) and hyperleucocytosis were the most striking findings at the time of diagnosis. Cytogenetic analysis performed in 31 cases before treatment has showed that abnormality of the long arm of chromosome 11 seemed to be more frequently associated with the poorly differentiated cytological subtype M5 (a). Intensive chemotherapy with zorubicin and cytosine arabinoside led to complete remission in 75% of the cases. Central nervous system prophylaxis appeared definitively useful in preventing meningeal relapse. Despite a prolongation of the median duration of complete remission which now reaches 12 months, the prognostic is still poor.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Child; Child, Preschool; Chromosome Aberrations; Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation; Female; Gingival Hypertrophy; Hepatomegaly; Humans; Infant; Leukemia, Monocytic, Acute; Lymphadenitis; Male; Meningeal Neoplasms; Middle Aged; Muramidase; Prognosis; Skin Diseases; Splenomegaly

Topics: Adult; Aged; Female; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Male; Middle Aged; Muramidase; Skin; Skin Diseases

Biopsies from palisading granulomas of granuloma annulare, necrobiosis lipoidica, and rheumatoid nodules were examined for the presence of lysozyme (muramidase). This enzyme was identified in paraffin-embedded tissues using a primary antibody to lysozyme and the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technic. Some inflammatory cells in the infiltrate of granuloma annulare stained abundantly for lysozyme, whereas those of necrobiosis lipoidica and rheumatoid nodule stained minimally and negatively, respectively. This pattern of staining may be of diagnostic value and suggests that the histiocytoid cells constituting the infiltrate of granuloma annulare are in some way different from the similar-appearing cells of necrobiosis lipoidica and rheumatoid nodule.

Topics: Granuloma; Histocytochemistry; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Muramidase; Necrobiosis Lipoidica; Rheumatoid Nodule; Skin; Skin Diseases

Distribution of intracytoplasmic lysozyme in proliferative and neoplastic fibrohistiocytic lesions and non fibrohistiocytic tumors was studied by immunoperoxidase technique on formalin fixed, paraffin-embedded sections. The cases examined were 161 fibrohistiocytic lesions and 86 non-fibrohistiocytic tumors. Contrary to our expectation, the lysozyme positive cells were found only in the minority of cases with fibrohistiocytic lesions. Cells positive for lysozyme were found only in 13 out of 100 cases of dermatofibroma, one out of 4 cases of xanthogranuloma and 8 out of 33 cases of malignant fibrous histiocytoma. Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans and non-fibrohistiocytic tumors were negative for lysozyme. It is suggested that in proliferative fibrohistiocytic lesions, induction of lysozyme synthesis is weak or absent. Some malignant fibrous histiocytomas showed scattered lysozyme positive neoplastic cells, indicating their probable histiocytic origin or differentiation. On the other hand, evidence of histiocytic differentiation of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans was not obtained using lysozyme immunohistiochemistry.

Topics: Aged; Cytoplasmic Granules; Fibroma; Granuloma; Histiocytes; Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous; Histocytochemistry; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Liposarcoma; Male; Middle Aged; Muramidase; Skin Diseases; Skin Neoplasms; Tuberculosis, Lymph Node

Topics: alpha 1-Antichymotrypsin; alpha 1-Antitrypsin; Animals; Chymotrypsin; Histiocytes; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Muramidase; Rabbits; Skin Diseases; Swine; Trypsin Inhibitors

Topics: Histiocytes; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Muramidase; Skin; Skin Diseases

Histiocytosis X, multicentric reticulohistiocytosis, juvenile xanthogranuloma, the "fibrous" type of dermatofibroma, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, and malignant fibrous histiocytoma are all characterized by dermal and/or subcutaneous infiltrates composed at least partially of cells having morphologic features suggestive of histiocytes. Paraffin-embedded tissues representing these conditions were stained for lysozyme (muramidase) with a peroxidase-antiperoxidase technic. The cells of juvenile xanthogranuloma were rich in lysozyme. Some of the cells of histiocytosis X showed a positive pattern, and the cells of the other three conditions were essentially negative. This study confirmed the histiocytic nature of juvenile xanthogranuloma and multicentric reticulohistiocytosis, supported the interpretation that there is a histiocytic component in the lesions of histiocytosis X, and cast some doubt on the alleged histiocytic nature of "fibrous" dermatofibroma, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, and malignant fibrous histiocytoma.

Topics: Fibroma; Granuloma; Histiocytes; Histiocytoma, Benign Fibrous; Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell; Humans; Immunoenzyme Techniques; Lipoma; Lymphatic Diseases; Muramidase; Skin Diseases; Skin Neoplasms

Topics: Bacterial Infections; Humans; Muramidase; Skin; Skin Diseases; Skin Diseases, Infectious

Topics: Adult; Complement System Proteins; Dexamethasone; Glucocorticoids; Humans; Middle Aged; Muramidase; Phagocytosis; Prednisolone; Properdin; Skin Diseases; Triamcinolone

Specific chemical modification of group A polysaccharide antigen to the A-variant structure was demonstrated in the lymphoid organs of mice by autoradiography by use of radioantibodies specific for these structures. Both antigenic moieties persisted and were still discerned 10 weeks after injection of the group A cell wall. In rabbit skin, the group A specificity was altered after a prolonged period. Unlike the situation for the mouse, polysaccharide A was not converted to A-variant structure, but another specificity common to both polysaccharides persisted at the site of injection. Mucopeptide, separated from the polysaccharide of group A cell walls, was eliminated from the site of injection in rabbit skin between 4 and 8 hr after injection. Group D streptococcal cell walls were also rapidly eliminated from tissue, and were no longer detectable 8 hr after injection into rabbit skin or 24 hr after injection into mice. The rapid degradation of these structures was correlated with their susceptibility to lysozyme in vitro and was in contrast to the prolonged persistence of group A cell walls, which were completely resistant to egg white lysozyme. This persistence in tissue correlated with the capacity of group A cell wall fragments to induce a chronic inflammatory process, whereas the isolated mucopeptide or group D cell walls produced only an acute necrotoxic reaction.

Topics: Animals; Antibodies; Antigens; Autoradiography; Cell Wall; Iodine Isotopes; Lymph Nodes; Mice; Mucoproteins; Muramidase; Polysaccharides, Bacterial; Rabbits; Skin; Skin Diseases; Streptococcus

The biological activity of Odontomyces viscosus, which has been reported to cause periodontal disease in hamsters, was examined. The microorganism was cultured anaerobically in Brain Heart Infusion broth, and the cells were harvested. The washed cells were injected intradermally into the abdomen of rabbits. After 72 hr, a well-defined, firm, raised nodule (about 1.0 by 1.5 cm) with an erythematous border was seen at the injection site. Suspensions of cell wall and cytoplasmic material were injected intradermally, and the lesions appeared only at the site of cell wall injection. The cell walls, which were then treated with trypsin, pepsin, and ribonuclease, again produced the characteristic lesion. These nodular dermal lesions persisted for a minimal time of 10 days. The enzymatically treated cell walls were then hydrolyzed with 1 n HCl, and such hydrolysis up to 1 hr failed to alter the toxic activity of the cell walls. Similar dermal nodular lesions were obtained by injection of enzymatically treated cell walls of strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus groups B, C, E, F, K, Lactobacillus casei, and Actinomyces israelii. Treatment with hot and cold trichloroacetic acid solutions and proteolytic enzymes, or with formamide, yielded insoluble fractions which produced the characteristic nodular lesions. The size of the lesion resulting from injection of these fractions was proportional to the amount of the injected material. The active fraction, which does not appear susceptible to hydrolysis by lysozyme, is thought to be cell wall mucopeptide. Histological studies showed skin abscesses due to the toxic reaction; however, in addition to the acute inflammatory reaction, there was local eosinophilia.

Topics: Actinomyces; Animals; Bacteria; Bacterial Proteins; Cell Wall; Eosinophilia; Lactobacillus; Mucoproteins; Muramidase; Pepsin A; Periodontal Diseases; Rabbits; Ribonucleases; Skin Diseases; Staphylococcus; Streptococcus; Toxins, Biological; Trypsin

Topics: Adult; Aged; Female; gamma-Globulins; Humans; Iodine; Male; Methylene Blue; Middle Aged; Muramidase; Skin Diseases

Topics: Antiviral Agents; Dermatology; Drug Therapy; Humans; Muramidase; Skin Diseases

Topics: Adrenal Cortex Hormones; Anti-Infective Agents, Local; Dermatologic Agents; Dermatology; Drug Therapy; Humans; Muramidase; Skin Diseases

Topics: Anti-Infective Agents, Local; Antiviral Agents; Dermatologic Agents; Dermatology; Drug Therapy; Humans; Muramidase; Skin Diseases

Topics: Dermatologic Agents; Humans; Leg Ulcer; Muramidase; Skin Diseases; Vaccination; Varicose Ulcer

Topics: Antiviral Agents; Dermatologic Agents; Humans; Muramidase; Skin Diseases; Virus Diseases

Topics: Atrophy; Dermatologic Agents; Humans; Lacrimal Apparatus; Muramidase; Rhinitis; Rhinitis, Atrophic; Skin Diseases; Tears