Toll‐like receptors 3, 7, and 9 in Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma

Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA) is a rare, benign tumor affecting adolescent males. The etiology of JNA as well as the causes determining the variable growth patterns of individual tumors remains unknown. Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) are part of the innate immune response to microbes; by recognition of distinct features, they link to induction of pro‐inflammatory signaling pathways. We immunostained TLR 3, 7, and 9 in 27 JNA specimens of patients treated at the Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland, during the years 1970–2009. Results: TLR 3, 7, and 9 expressions were found in stromal and endothelial cells of JNA, and their expression levels varied from negative to very strong positive. TLR 3 expression was found to have a significant correlation with the clinical stage of JNA. Conclusions: The present results propose a putative role of TLRs in the growth process of JNA.     

Impact of comorbidities and co-medication on disease onset and progression in a large German ALS patient group

Journal of Neurology - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease with loss of muscle function. The pathogenesis is still unclear and the heterogeneity of ALS...     

Inflammatory response to surgical trauma in patients with minilaparotomy cholecystectomy versus laparoscopic cholecystectomy: a randomised multicentre study

Objective The aim of the study was to evaluate the inflammatory response to surgical trauma in minilaparotomy cholecystectomy (MC) compared to laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC). Assessment of inflammatory response to surgical trauma in MC has not been addressed properly. Therefore, we investigated five interleukins (IL) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in MC versus LC group in a prospective randomised trial. Methods Initially, 106 patients with non-complicated symptomatic gallstone disease were randomised into MC (n?=?56) or LC (n?=?50) groups. Plasma levels of five interleukins (IL-1β, IL-1ra, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10) and hs-CRP were measured at three time points; before operation (PRE), immediately after operation (POP1) and six hours after operation (POP2). The primary end-point of the study was to compare the plasma levels of five interleukins and CRP in LC versus MC group. Results The demographic variables and the surgical data were similar in the study groups. The patients in the MC group had higher elevation of the CRP mean values post-operatively (p?=?0.01). However, the patients in the MC group had higher elevation of the IL-1ra mean values post-operatively, the mean pre-/post-operative IL-1ra values being 299/614?pg/ml in the MC group versus 379/439?pg/ml in the LC group (p?=?0.003). There was no statistical significance in IL-6 mean values between the MC and LC groups pre- and post-operatively (POP1). However, the patients in the MC group had higher IL-6 mean values six hours post-operatively (POP2), the mean IL-6 values being 27.6?pg/ml in the MC group versus 14.8?pg/ml in the LC group (p?=?0.037). In addition, the patients in the MC group had higher elevation of the IL-6 mean values post-operatively, the mean pre-/post-operative IL-6 values being 4.1/27.6?pg/ml in the MC group versus 3.8/14.8?pg/ml in the LC group (p?=?0.04). There was no statistical significance in IL-8, IL-10, and IL-1β mean values between the MC and LC groups pre- and post-operatively. Conclusion Our results suggest that the inflammatory response in MC versus LC groups was similar based on the IL-8, IL-10, and IL-1β values. A new finding with possible clinical relevance in the present work is higher relative elevation of the IL-1ra and IL-6 mean values post-operatively in the MC group.     

Mast cell subpopulations in gingival overgrowth induced by immunosuppressive and nifedipine medication

BACKGROUND: An immunohistochemical study was conducted to compare distributions of mast cell subpopulations in normal human gingiva and in gingival overgrowth induced by nifedipine and immunosuppressive medication. METHODS: Gingival samples were collected from 12 triple-medicated organ transplant recipients (immunosuppression group), 11 triple-medicated organ transplant recipients taking nifedipine (immunosuppression plus nifedipine group), 11 nifedipine-medicated cardiac outpatients (nifedipine group), and 20 generally healthy individuals (control group). Cryostat sections were stained with mAbs for tryptase and chymase, and an avidin-biotin enzyme complex method was used to detect tryptase-positive mast cells (MC(T)), tryptase- and chymase-positive mast cells (MC(TC)), and chymase-positive mast cells (MC(C)). Total numbers of labeled cells were determined in connective tissue beneath the sulcular epithelium, connective tissue beneath the oral epithelium, and middle connective tissue. Statistical analyses were conducted using the Kruskal-Wallis test, the Mann-Whitney U-test, and Pearson's correlation test. RESULTS: In the three counting zones combined, numbers of MC(TC) cells and MC(C) cells were lower (P = 0.001 and P = 0.048, respectively) in the immunosuppression group than in the control group. The difference in numbers of MC(TC) cells was most marked in the middle connective tissue. Nifedipine medication had no effect on numbers of the mast cell subclasses. CONCLUSIONS: Immunosuppressive medication without concomitant nifedipine decreases the numbers of MC(TC) and MC(C) in overgrown gingiva. Chymase-positive mast cells may play a role in formation of gingival overgrowth, especially in patients receiving cyclosporin A (CsA) medication with no concomitant nifedipine. In this respect, nifedipine and CsA are different.