We measured levels of creatine kinase and its three isoenzymes in serum and blister fluid from 16 healthy volunteers. The BB-isoenzyme was found to be the predominant form in blister fluid while only the MM isoenzyme was found in serum. The levels of BB-isoenzyme in blister fluid decreased as the blisters aged. The source of BB-isoenzyme in blister fluid is most probably the damaged epidermis.

Selenium (Se) is known to affect the immune system, and decreased Se/levels in blood of patients with moderate or severe psoriasis have been reported. In this study, the effect of Se/supplementation (400 micrograms/day for 6 weeks as Se/yeast, containing about 70% selenomethionine, SeMet) on skin and blood Se/content, on skin glutathione peroxidase activity and on various chemical and immunological parameters of blood and skin was investigated in 7 psoriatic patients. Before the SeMet/supplementation, serum and blood Se/levels were at the normal range, but they increased 42/45% during the Se/dosage, while zinc levels remained unchanged. Se/dependent glutathione peroxidase activity in both normal and lesional psoriatic skin remained unchanged during the trial, although a small net Se/uptake was detected. At the same time, a slight but statistically significant increase in the number of CD4+ T/cells was observed in the reticular dermis of the psoriatic lesions whereas the numbers of CD8+, CD11c+, and CD1+ cells were not significantly altered. Also, a relatively high number of patients (3 out of 7) showed a strongly reduced number of gamma/delta T/lymphocytes or increased CD8+ T/cells (2 patients) in peripheral blood. However, SeMet/supplementation was not related to these abnormalities or to the number of other peripheral blood immunocytes or to serum immunoglobulin levels. In addition, no marked effect on the clinical condition of the patients was observed. This pilot study suggests that SeMet may be able to modulate the immunological mechanism of psoriatic lesions by increasing the number of CD4+ T/cells.

Tooth resorption (TR) is the most common dental disease in cats. It causes painful lesions in the teeth, the only treatment being tooth extraction. The prevalence of the TR is high in clinical studies while the estimate in the population sample is unknown. The aetiology of the disease remains unclear, but associations to old age, breed, other oral and dental diseases, viral infections and certain environmental factors have been suspected. We wanted to determine the prevalence, risk factors and heredity of feline TR in a population sample of Finnish cats. We collected health and environmental information of 8115 Finnish cats in 41 breeds through an online survey targeted for breeders and owners. The prevalence of veterinary-diagnosed TR was 3.9% in the whole data and 15% in cats diagnosed with oral or dental disease. Results indicated an increased risk by age and decreased risk by constantly available food. Periodontitis and stomatitis were more common in the TR-affected cats. The interaction between gingivitis, dental calculus, and age suggests that the predisposition of young cats to TR is associated with gingivitis, which could partially be prevented by proper dental hygiene. The observed differences between breeds highlight the genetic contribution.