Normal morphology of sacroiliac joints in children: magnetic resonance studies related to age and sex

Objective. To determine in a prospective study the normal MRI morphology of the sacroiliac joints (SIJs) in relation to age and sex during adolescence. Design and patients. A total of 98 children (63 boys, mean age 12.7±2.8 years; 35 girls, mean age 13.7±2.3 years), ranging in age from 8 to 17 years, with juvenile chronic arthritis (JCA) but without signs of sacroiliitis fulfilled the study prerequisites (no back pain and no pathologic changes of the SIJs on physical examination before MRI in a 1.5-year follow-up). An additional eight HLA-B27-negative boys and eight HLA-B27-negative girls without arthritis served as controls. The MRI protocol comprised a T1-weighted SE sequence, an opposed-phase T2*-weighted GE sequence, and a dynamic contrast-enhanced study in single-section technique. Results. Noncontrast MRI permitted differentiation of “open” from ossified segmental and lateral apophyses of the sacral wings, with a significant difference in age (P <0.05) between children with open and ossified apophyses. Ossification of the apophyses of the sacral wings was seen significantly earlier (P <0.05) in girls than in boys. Girls also had a significantly higher incidence of transitional lumbosacral vertebrae, pelvic asymmetries, and accessory joints. In the contrast-enhanced opposed-phase MRI study, normal cartilage of the SIJs showed no contrast enhancement whereas the joint capsule showed a moderate enhancement. Conclusion. There are significant age- and sex-related differences in the normal MRI morphology of juvenile SIJs. Our findings might serve as a standard of comparison for the evaluation of pathologic changes – in particular for the early identification of juvenile sacroiliitis.     

Controlling for occasion-specific effects when assessing the test–retest reliability of self-report health questionnaires

OBJECTIVE: This study proposes a method for self-report health questionnaires to adjust test-retest reliability for changes during the test-retest interval based on an external measure, and to distinguish such changes from random response errors. METHODS: In our application, eighty participants completed the Symptoms of Illness Checklist (SIC) on two occasions, two weeks apart, immediately before interviews given on each occasion by one of two physicians in a crossover design. The physician interview scores served as external measures, and structural equation modeling was used to estimate the parameters of a model that corrected for the occasion-specific effect of participants' responses using information from the interviews. RESULTS: Correcting for changes in symptoms during the test-retest interval increased SIC test-retest reliability from .744 to .804 and significantly improved model fit (chi2(diff)(1) = 30.78, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest methods that can improve the evaluation of self-report health questionnaire test-retest reliability by identifying changes using an external measure, and distinguishing these from random response errors; these increased the estimated SIC test-retest reliability and indicated that the SIC was indeed able to measure changes over the studied time interval. This method can be applied across a broad range of questionnaires.     

Treatment time analysis for extensive amalgam restorations

The treatment times for the fabrication of Extensive Amalgam Restorations (EAR) as recorded in a longitudinal clinical trial at the Dental School in Nijmegen were analyzed. 269 EAR's with different retention methods were made on molars by three operators. A mean total treatment time of 60 min was found. The factor operator had a significant influence on all treatment phases resulting in a 26% difference in total treatment time between operators. Also significant influences were found in some treatment phases for the factor retention, side location of the tooth and extension of the restoration. The results of this study with regard to treatment times must be considered from the perspective of the quality of the care provided.     

穹隆-海马伞切断对大鼠脑内TrkA表达的影响

①目的　探讨穹隆 海马伞切断对大鼠脑内不同部位神经生长因子受体TrkA表达的影响及临床意义。②方法　成年健康雌性Wistar大鼠 10只 ,随机分为穹隆 海马伞切断模型组和假手术组。两组大鼠均常规取海马CA1区、皮质区、杏仁复合体区、基底前脑Meynert核等部位脑组织与假手术组比较TrkA阳性细胞表达情况。③结果　假手术组大脑各观察区有基础水平的TrkA表达。模型组大脑海马CA1区、大脑皮质区、杏仁复合体区以及Meynert核区TrkA阳性细胞数明显减少 (t=3.94 4～ 8.4 4 2 ,P <0 .0 5 )。 ④结论　穹隆 海马伞切断可致大鼠脑内多部位TrkA表达减少 ,其可能是导致认知和情绪损伤的原因之一。     

肺癌组织中血管内皮生长因子受体Flt1及KDR的表达及其与肿瘤转移和预后的关系

①目的　探讨肺癌中血管内皮生长因子受体Flt1、KDR的表达与其转移及预后的关系。②方法　应用免疫组织化学PowerVisionTM PV90 0 0法 ,测定 75例肺癌标本中Flt1、KDR的表达。③结果　肺癌组织中Flt1、KDR的表达较为广泛 ,主要位于肿瘤细胞胞浆及胞膜上 ,纤维母细胞和血管内皮细胞胞浆中亦有表达。Flt1、KDR在肿瘤细胞中的阳性率均显著高于在间质纤维母细胞中的表达 (χ2 =6 .0 7、5 .88,P <0 .0 5 )。肿瘤细胞及纤维母细胞中该两种受体的阳性率在不同年龄、不同性别及不同病理类型、不同病理分级之间差异均无显著性 (χ2 =0 .0 1～4 .84 ,P >0 .0 5 ;P =0 .2 9～ 0 .79)。肿瘤细胞中Flt1、KDR的阳性表达率在 3组不同大小的肿瘤间差异均有显著性(χ2 =1 0 .35、7.2 9,P <0 .0 5 ) ,而纤维母细胞中差异均无显著性 (χ2 =2 .86、2 .5 6 ,P >0 .0 5 ) ;肿瘤细胞及纤维母细胞中Flt1、KDR的阳性率在淋巴结有、无转移两组间的差异均有显著性 (χ2 =4 .72～ 9.32 ,P <0 .0 5 ) ,在 3组不同术后生存时间病人间亦均有显著性差异 (χ2 =8.81～ 1 9.1 9,P <0 .0 5 )。肿瘤细胞中Flt1、KDR的表达呈极显著性正相关 (r =0 .4 4 ,P <0 .0 1 )。④结论　肺癌的生长主要依赖自分泌机制 ,联合检测Flt1、KDR可能对肺癌转移     

参附注射液对肠缺血-再灌注大鼠肿瘤坏死因子α的影响

目的观察肿瘤坏死因子α(TNF-α)在大鼠肠缺血-再灌注损伤过程中的作用及参附注射液对TNF-α的影响,探讨参附注射液防治肠缺血-再灌注损伤机制。方法 SD大鼠随机分为肠缺血-再灌注组(IR组)、参附注射液预处理组(SF组)和假手术组(C组)。采用阻断肠系膜上动脉(SMA)的方法制造肠缺血-再灌注模型。分别测定各组动物血浆、肠组织TNF-α含量及血液动力学变化;光镜观察肠粘膜损伤情况。结果IR组再灌注后MAP下降,与C组和SF组比有显著性差异(P<0.01);SF组肠粘膜损伤程度减轻,与IR组比有显著性差异(P<0.01);SF组血浆及肠组织TNF-α水平降低,与IR组比有显著性差异(P<0.01)。结论参附注射液可明显防治大鼠肠缺血-再灌注导致的肠粘膜损伤,这种作用可能是通过抑制TNF-α的释放实现的。     

Inflammatory biomarkers in blood of patients with acute brain ischemia

Although many failed surrogate markers are provided in the literature, inflammation may contribute to the outcome of ischemic stroke. In 50 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke, in the absence of symptoms and signs of concomitant infection, we evaluated a panel of biomarkers reported to be variably associated with brain ischemia, and correlate their serum level with the brain lesion volume and clinical outcome. Infarct size was calculated on computed tomography (CT) scans by means of the Cavalieri's method. Neurological impairment was scored by using the Glasgow Coma Scale, Glasgow Outcome Scale and National Institutes of Health (NIH) scales at stroke onset and 3-month follow-up. Some markers showed a direct significant correlation with both initial and final NIH scale and with infarct size, particularly tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) (P=0.002), intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (P<0.01) and matrix metalloproteinase-2/9 (P=0.001). In contrast to previous reports, interleukin-6 (IL-6) serum level showed a significant inverse correlation with both final neurological impairment and infarct size (P<0.001). This novel finding allows us suggesting that IL-6, in the context of a complex pro-inflammatory network occurring during stroke, is associated with neuroprotection rather than neurotoxicity in patients with ischemic brain injury.     

REPAIR AND RECOVERY FOLLOWING SPINAL CORD INJURY IN A NEONATAL MARSUPIAL (MONODELPHIS DOMESTICA)

1. Repair and recovery following spinal cord injury (complete spinal cord crush) has been studied in vitro in neonatal opossum (Monodelphis domestica), fetal rat and in vivo in neonatal opossum. 2. Crush injury of the cultured spinal cord of isolated entire central nervous system (CNS) of neonatal opossum (P4–10) or fetal rats (E15–E16) was followed by profuse growth of fibres and recovery of conduction of impulses through the crush. Previous studies of injured immature mammalian spinal cord have described fibre growth occurring only around the lesion, unless implanted with fetal CNS. 3. The period during which successful growth occurred in response to a crush is developmentally regulated. No such growth was obtained after P12 in spinal cords crushed in vitro at the level of C7–8. 4. In vivo, in the neonatal (P4–8) marsupial opossum, growth of fibres through, and restoration of, impulse conduction across the crush was apparent 1–2 weeks after injury. With longer periods of time after crushing a considerable degree of normal locomotor function developed. 5. By the time the operated animals reached adulthood, the morphological structure of the spinal cord, both in the region of the crush and on either side of the site of the lesion, appeared grossly normal. 6. The results are discussed in relation to the eventual longterm possibility of devising effective treatments for patients with spinal cord injuries.