Isokinetic flexion strength recovery after ACL reconstruction: a comparison between all inside graft-link technique and full tibial tunnel technique

Introduction: Recently, a new minimally invasive single bundle technique for anatomic ACL reconstruction has been described, called the ‘All-Inside graft-link technique’. One of the advantages of this procedure is the reduced morbidity at the donor site as the graft choice is the quadrupled semitendinosus, thus sparing the gracilis tendon. The aim of this study was to evaluate isokinetic flexion strength recovery in patients who underwent a gracilis sparing technique compared to those with a full-tibial tunnel technique using a doubled gracilis and semitendinosus tendons (DGST) graft.

Methods: Patients were divided into two groups: Group A (22 patients) who underwent ACL reconstruction performed with an All-Inside graft-link technique; Group B (22 patients) who underwent ACL reconstruction with an Out-In technique and DGST graft. At a mean follow-up of 13 months, quadriceps and hamstring isokinetic peak torque deficits were recorded.

Results: In group A, the mean side to side peak torque flexion difference between the operated and non-operated limbs was ?3% and the mean torque at 30° was ?7.5% at high angular velocity (180°/sec); the mean peak flexion torque was 7.2% and the mean torque at 30° was 3.1% at low angular velocity (60°/sec).

In group B, the mean side to side peak flexion torque was ?3.5% and the mean torque at 30° was ?7.6% at high angular velocity (180°/sec); the mean peak flexion torque was ?7.2% and the mean torque at 30° was ?11% at low angular velocity (60°/sec).

A statistically significant difference was found between the two groups at lower angular velocity both for the mean peak flexion torque and the mean torque at 30° (p = 0.009), with better results in the study group.

Discussion/conclusion: Gracilis sparing technique is a minimally invasive technique for ACL reconstruction and yielded a significantly better flexion strength recovery at lower angular velocity compared to a full tibial tunnel technique with DGST for ACL reconstruction.     

Aneurysm of the azygos pericallosal artery. One case.

The Authors describe a case of aneurysmal rupture of the azygos pericallosal artery, a variant of the anterior cerebral artery. The association between aneurysm and this anatomical anomaly is of interest because of its rarity and clinical-therapeutic implications.     

Differentiation of the epidermis in turtle: an immunocytochemical, autoradiographic and electrophoretic analysis

Proteins involved in the process of cornification of turtle epidermis are not well known. The present immunocytochemical, electrophoretic and autoradiographic study reports on the localization patterns and molecular weights of keratins, which are cornification proteins, and of tritiated histidine in turtle epidermis. Alpha-keratins with a molecular weight of 40-62 kDa are present in the epidermis. Beta-keratin is mainly detectable in the stratum corneum of the carapace and plastron, but is rarely present or even absent in the corneous layer of limb, tail and neck epidermis. After electrophoresis and immunoblotting with an antibody against chicken scale beta-keratin, bands at 15-17, 22-24, and 36-38 kDa appeared. This antibody recognized weaker bands at 38-40 and 58-60 kDa in the soft epidermis. After reduction and carboxymethylation of proteins extracted from carapace and plastron, but not of proteins from the soft epidermis, protein bands at 15-17 and 35-37 kDa were found when using the anti-beta 1-keratin antibody. Loricrin-, filaggrin-, sciellin-, and transglutaminase-like immunostaining was detectable only in the transitional and lowermost corneous layers of the soft epidermis. Vesicular bodies in the transitional layer were immunolabeled by the anti-loricrin antibody, and weakly by the anti-filaggrin and anti-transglutaminase antibodies. In immunoblots, the anti-loricrin antibody reacted with a major band at 50-54 kDa in both carapace-plastron and soft epidermis. The anti-sciellin antibody detected major bands at 38-40 and 50 kDa in hard epidermis, and at 50 and 54-56 kDa in soft epidermis. Filaggrin-like immunostained bands were observed at 50-55 and 62-64 kDa. This immunostaining was probably due to a common epitope in filaggrin and some keratins. Histidine was evenly incorporated in the epidermis, and the ultrastructural study showed random labeling, often associated with keratin bundles of alpha and beta-keratinocytes. Histidine-labeled protein bands were not found in the carapace-plastron. In the soft epidermis, weakly labeled bands at 15-20, 25, and 45-60 kDa were found occasionally. The latter bands probably represented neo-synthesized keratins as was also indicated by the ultrastructural autoradiographic analysis. In conclusion, our study suggests that proteins with epitopes that they have in common with cornification proteins of mammalian epidermis are also present in the epidermis of turtle.     

Limb reduction defects in Emilia Romagna, Italy: epidemiological and genetic study in 173,109 consecutive births.

Epidemiological and genetic variables in limb reduction defects (LRD) were analysed during the years 1978 to 1987 in a case control study in Emilia Romagna, northern Italy. During the observation period, 83 neonates out of 173,109 consecutive births had LRD (4.8 per 10,000). Cases were divided into five subgroups: transverse, intercalary, longitudinal, split, and multiple types of LRD. Of all cases, 64% were upper limb, 21% lower limb, and 15% both. Coexisting non-limb malformations were found in 10 cases (12%), five with recognised syndromes and five with other associated defects. About 7.2% of first degree relatives had defects involving the skeletal system. In two cases the mother had the same type of LRD (a split). No recurrence among sibs was observed. Risk factors correlated with LRD were found to be low birth weight (2500 g or less), vaginal bleeding, and threatened abortion.     

Prenatal diagnosis of a complete mole coexisting with a dichorionic twin pregnancy: case report

A complete mole coexisting with dichorionic twins was diagnosed by the combined use of sonography and chorionic villus sampling at 10 weeks gestation. The pregnancy resulted in the death of one fetus at 31 weeks from presumed feto-maternal haemorrhage, while the other fetus survived in good condition. A summary of the available literature, combined with this report, reveals a total of seven pregnancies with twins and a coexistent complete mole. Only two out of 14 fetuses survived. Maternal complications included one case of pre-eclampsia and one persistent trophoblastic tumour. Accurate diagnosis of complete mole is possible by genetic analysis of chorionic villi obtained with standard transabdominal sampling. Twins with a coexistent complete mole will usually undergo miscarriage. However, fetal survival is possible and the maternal risks seem limited. A concomitance between gestational trophoblastic disease and the occurrence of feto-maternal haemorrhage is observed.     

Clinical,immunological, and molecular analysis in a large cohort of patients with X-linked agammaglobulinemia: an Italian multicenter study

A questionnaire-based retrospective clinical and immunological survey was conducted in 73 males with a definite diagnosis of X-linked agammaglobulinemia based on BTK sequence analysis. Forty-four were sporadic and 29 familial cases. At December 2000, the patients' ages ranged from 2 to 33 years; mean age at diagnosis and mean duration of follow-up were 3.5 and 10 years respectively. After the mid-1980s all but 2 were on intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) substitution therapy, with residual IgG >500 mg/dl in 94% of the patients at the time of enrollment. Respiratory infections were the most frequent manifestation both prior to diagnosis and over follow-up. Chronic lung disease (CLD) was present in 24 patients, in 15 already at diagnosis and in 9 more by 2000. The cumulative risk to present at diagnosis with CLD increased from 0.17 to 0.40 and 0.78 when the diagnosis was made at the ages of 5, 10, and 15 years respectively. For the 9 patients who developed CLD during follow-up, the duration of follow-up, rather than age at diagnosis; previous administration of intramuscular immunoglobulin; and residual IgG levels had a significant effect on the development of CLD. Chronic sinusitis was present in 35 patients (48%), in 15 already at diagnosis and in 20 by 2000. Sistemic infections such as sepsis and meningitis/meningoencephalitis decreased over follow-up, probably due to optimal protection provided by high circulating IgG levels reached with IVIG.     

The effects of oxygen free radicals on wound healing

We have examined the effects of oxygen free radicals, generated by xenobiotics administration, ischaemia-reperfusion or sepsis, on the healing of skin or intestinal wounds in rats. We found that 5 days after operation there was a significant decrease in the wound breaking strength in rats treated with phenazine methosulfate, zymosan, ischaemia-reperfusion or retroperitoneal infection. These changes were specifically prevented by administration of superoxide-dismutase (SOD), aprotinin and (in some models) allopurinol. On the contrary, none of these measures was effective when a local trauma caused the decrease in breaking strength. Our results suggest that oxygen free radicals mediate the inhibition of wound healing following ischaemia-reperfusion and sepsis.     

mdm2 gene alterations and mdm2 protein expression in breast carcinomas

This study investigates the mdm2 gene status and expression in 66 surgically resected human breast carcinomas, with correlations with clinico-pathological and biological data (histological type, grading, steroid receptor status, p53 expression, proliferative activity). Four (7.7 per cent) out of 52 informative cases bear mdm2 gene amplification (four- to ten-fold) and 8 (15.4 per cent) of 52 cases showed borderline amplification (three-fold). Nine (13.6 per cent) out of 66 cases showed strong mdm2 nuclear immunoreactivity. Twenty-seven (40.9 per cent) cases showed isolated mdm2 reactive nuclei. All cases with clear amplification showed a high percentage of mdm2 immunoreactive nuclei. The relationship between gene amplification and mdm2 protein expression is highly significant (P<0.0001). No association was observed between mdm2 gene amplification and any of the considered clinico-pathological and biological parameters, while mdm2 immunoreactivity showed a significant association only with oestrogen receptor immunoreactivity (P=0.009). p53 expression was associated neither with mdm2 gene amplification nor with mdm2 immunoreactivity. It could be tempting to hypothesize that the evaluation of the combined mdm2/p53 immunohistochemical phenotype in human breast carcinoma could give us better prognostic information than the evaluation of the expression of the p53 protein alone.     

Colonic In Vitro Model Assessment of the Prebiotic Potential of Bread Fortified with Polyphenols Rich Olive Fiber

The use of olive pomace could represent an innovative and low-cost strategy to formulate healthier and value-added foods, and bakery products are good candidates for enrichment. In this work, we explored the prebiotic potential of bread enriched with Polyphenol Rich Fiber (PRF), a defatted olive pomace byproduct previously studied in the European Project H2020 EcoProlive. To this aim, after in vitro digestion, the PRF-enriched bread, its standard control, and fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS) underwent distal colonic fermentation using the in vitro colon model MICODE (multi-unit colon gut model). Sampling was done prior, over and after 24 h of fermentation, then metabolomic analysis by Solid Phase Micro Extraction Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (SPME GCMS), 16S-rDNA genomic sequencing of colonic microbiota by MiSeq, and absolute quantification of main bacterial species by qPCR were performed. The results indicated that PRF-enriched bread generated positive effects on the host gut model: (i) surge in eubiosis; (ii) increased abundance of beneficial bacterial groups, such as Bifidobacteriaceae and Lactobacillales; (iii) production of certain bioactive metabolites, such as low organic fatty acids; (iv) reduction in detrimental compounds, such as skatole. Our study not only evidenced the prebiotic role of PRF-enriched bread, thereby paving the road for further use of olive by-products, but also highlighted the potential of the in vitro gut model MICODE in the critical evaluation of functionality of food prototypes as modulators of the gut microbiota.