Investigation of a mortality cluster in wild adult yellow-eyed penguins (Megadyptes antipodes) at Otago Peninsula,New Zealand

We investigated an epidemic mortality cluster of yellow-eyed penguins (Megadyptes antipodes) that involved 67 moribund or dead birds found on various beaches of the Otago Peninsula, New Zealand, between 21 January and 20 March 2013. Twenty-four carcases were examined post-mortem. Histological lesions of pulmonary, hepatic and splenic erythrophagocytosis and haemosiderosis were found in 23 of 24 birds. Fifteen birds also had haemoglobin-like protein droplets within renal tubular epithelial cells. Despite consistent histological lesions, a cause of death could not be established. Virology, bacteriology and molecular tests for avian influenza, avian paramyxovirus-1, avipoxvirus, Chlamydia psittaci, Plasmodium spp., Babesia spp., Leucocytozoon spp. and Toxoplasma gondii were negative. Tissue concentrations of a range of heavy metals (n?=?4 birds) were consistent with low level exposure, while examination of proventricular contents and mucus failed to detect any marine biotoxins or Clostridium botulinum toxin. Hepatic concentrations of total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (n?=?5 birds) were similar to background concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons previously found in yellow-eyed penguins from the South Island of New Zealand, but there were significantly higher concentrations of 1-methylnapthelene and 2-methylnapthelene in the birds found dead in this mortality cluster. The biological significance of this finding is unclear. A temporal investigation of the epidemic did not indicate either a common source or propagative epidemic pattern. Although our investigation did not definitively implicate a toxic or infectious agent, we could not rule out causes such as toxic marine organisms or mycoplasmosis. Further investigations should therefore by carried out in the event of future mortality clusters.     

The morphology of degenerative hip disease in male breeding turkeys

A form of degenerative joint disease in male breeding turkeys has been studied. Initial lesions occurred in the antitrochanteric region of the acetabulum. A surface cleft appeared in antitrochanteric cartilage and free cartilage bodies were subsequently released into the joint cavity. Secondary osteoarthrosis developed, involving both the femoral and acetabular components of the coxofemoral joint. Lesions of the antitrochanter were graded according to their severity and provide a pathological sequence. Of 59 male breeding turkeys examined at approximately one year of age, antitrochanteric lesions were present in all but 5 of them. The disease was not seen in 20 females of comparable age.     

The histopathology of degenerative hip disease in male breeding turkeys

Age-related degenerative changes are present in the antitrochanteric cartilage of male turkeys at 1 year of age. More severe change involved areas of matrix necrosis and fissures which were even detected in antitrochanters which appeared superficially normal. Superficial matrix necrosis produced cartilage surface changes which were observed in fresh specimens before histological preparation. Degenerative hip disease with stages of cartilage flap formation and osteoarthrosis showed a pronounced matrix necrosis of both hyaline and fibrecartilage. Matrix failure may represent a response to excessive forces which the intercellular collagen cannot withstand. In male turkeys, excessive loading could provide repetitive trauma of a magnitude which produces irreparable joint damage.     

Fibro-osseous (FOL) and degenerative joint lesions in female outbred NIH Black Swiss mice

A review of spontaneous bone and joint lesions in female aging NIH Black Swiss mice (Cr:NIH BL[S]) revealed a high incidence of fibro-osseous lesions (FOL; 89%) and degenerative joint lesions (90%). FOL was characterized by the replacement of bone marrow by fibrovascular tissue and was first seen at 59 weeks of age, most commonly in the nasal bone, femur, and tibia. FOL in female Black Swiss was often accompanied by reproductive-tract lesions, including ovarian atrophy and uterine cervical dysplasia with hydrometra. Mild degenerative femorotibial joint lesions developed by 59 weeks and progressed to full-thickness articular cartilage ulceration and osteophyte development by 75 weeks; joint inflammation was minimal. Although the underlying etiology of FOL remains unknown, an accurate assessment of FOL and degenerative joint disease as background lesions in this stock is necessary to interpret lesions in genetically engineered mice produced from this outbred line.     

应用Nexgen LPS-Flex人工膝关节置换治疗重度膝关节退行性骨关节病126例的早期效果

背景：以往膝关节置换后患者不能获得高度屈曲度,这与假体及患者因素有关。 目的：观察为膝关节高度屈曲而设计的Nexgen-LPS-Flex人工膝关节置换治疗重度膝关节退行性骨关节病的早期疗效。 方法：回顾性分析重度退行性膝关节骨关节病126例(173膝)接受Zimmer 高屈曲后稳定(Nexgen-LPS-Flex)人工膝关节置换的相关数据。 结果与结论：126例173个膝关节置换时间为(78.2±13.5)min。股胫角为外翻5°~7°,关节活动范围置换前为(78.4±10.6)°,置换后为(112.8±18.6)°。置换前HSS评分为(32.4±12.0)分,出院时为(87.9±10.9)分(P < 0.01)。4例(4膝)切口愈合障碍;确诊下肢深静脉血栓3例,均行介入治疗康复出院;1例出现伸膝滞缺,无神经血管损伤发生,无感染、骨折、假体松动、脱位等并发症。结果表明,Nexgen LPS-Flex人工膝关节置换治疗重度膝关节退行性骨关节病早期未发现有骨溶解、假体松动及衬垫严重磨损等并发症。     

Adenoid cystic carcinoma in a juvenile male breast.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast is uncommon and comprises less than 1% of all mammary cancers. Its occurrence in the male breast is very rare. We describe the first case of adenoid cystic carcinoma in a juvenile male breast. The patient is alive and well 2 1/2 yrs following subcutaneous mastectomy. The details of the 4 previously reported cases of the same tumor in male breasts are reviewed.     

Computed tomography of coxofemoral injury in five mute swans (Cygnus olor)

Five mute swans (Cygnus olor) were presented with inability to stand or with abnormal positioning of a leg. Clinical examinations indicated the possibility of femoral fractures or coxofemoral luxations. The suspected diagnosis was proven by means of computed tomography (CT), while superimposition of gastrointestinal contents or other artefacts limited radiographic diagnosis in three birds. A typical CT sign for lesions of the coxofemoral joint apart from femoral displacement was haemorrhage within the pelvic bones (especially around the acetabulum), found in four of the five birds. Small femoral head avulsion fractures could be detected only with CT.     

Age-related changes in the temporomandibular joint of the senescence accelerated mouse. SAM-P/3 as a new murine model of degenerative joint disease.

Age-related changes of the condyle of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) in strains of Senescence Accelerated Mouse (SAM) were investigated. With advancing age, all strains of SAM showed degenerative joint disease initiated by degenerative changes such as eg, roughness, fissure, and erosion on the condylar surface. These degenerative changes were in concert with an active remodeling that can lead to deformation of the condyle. Moreover, the short-lived SAM-P (accelerated senescence prone mouse) strains developed these degenerative changes earlier than did the SAM-R (accelerated senescence resistant mouse) strains. Thus, development of degenerative joint disease in SAM was closely related not only to chronological age but also to the accelerated senescence phenomenon. Of the SAM-P series, the SAM-P/3 strain was the first to manifest degenerative changes (approximately 50% at 7 to 9 months of age and 100% over 12 months of age) and thereafter showed the highest incidence of severe changes with overt deformity. As a model of degenerative joint disease, this strain of SAM should prove useful.     

Immunohistochemical localization of metallothionein in synovial tissue of patients with chronic inflammatory and degenerative joint disease

 Metallothioneins (MTs) are low-molecular-weight cytosolic proteins, which are thought to participate in metal homeostasis and protection against metal toxicity and oxidative stress. MT synthesis can be induced by a variety of inflammatory mediators and antirheumatic drugs, and high levels of MT have been implicated in resistance of cells to some antirheumatic drugs. We studied the expression and localization of MT in synovial tissue samples from patients with rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis or osteoarthritis (OA) by quantitative immunohistochemistry. Immunostaining for MT was detected in a large number of intimal lining cells in most of the investigated synovial tissue samples (75%). In a smaller proportion of samples (42%), some of the fibroblast-like cells of the subsynovial layer were also MT positive. Immunostaining and double-staining experiments with antibodies against monocyte-, macrophage- and leucocyte-associated antigens suggested that most of the MT-positive cells were intimal fibroblast-like cells and subsynovial fibroblasts. However, there were no statistically significant differences in the intensity of staining for MT between the rheumatic diseases and OA at the single-cell level. Thus, MT is expressed in synovial tissue and may participate in homeostatic and protective functions. The interindividual variability in the expression of MT in synovial tissue may be related to the therapeutic efficacy of the gold compounds and chemotherapeutic antirheumatic drugs sequestered by MT. Received: 25 July 1997 / Accepted: 23 March 1998     

Articular cartilage proteoglycan metabolism in avian degenerative joint disease: effects of strain selection and body weight

The effects of strain selection and body weight on proteoglycan metabolism and the onset of degenerative joint disease (DJD) were investigated in avian articular cartilage. Samples from the hock joint (proximal tarsometatarsus, PTM; distal tibiotarsus, DTT) of rapidly growing broiler fowl, fed either ad libitum or on a restricted-diet, were compared with those from a slow growing, light and non-selected strain (J-line). Synthesis and degradation of proteoglycans were investigated by radioactive pulse-chase studies, determination of total sulphated glycosaminoglycans and electrophoretic analysis. By gross morphology, degenerative changes in articular cartilage occurred solely in the DTT from ad libitum-fed broiler fowl, after 13 weeks. Differences in proteoglycan metabolism were also observed, most markedly in the DTT, where the rate of proteoglycan synthesis in the ad libitum-fed group was less than in age-matched J-line cartilage, and the proportions of both newly synthesised and resident proteoglycans released into the culture medium were greater. Results with the feed-restricted group were intermediate between ad libitum-fed and J-line. Electrophoretic analysis of proteoglycans in the culture media showed evidence of degradation solely in the ad libitum-fed group, with earliest onset in the DTT. The results indicate that proteoglycan metabolism in avian articular cartilage is similar to that in mammalian cartilage during the development of DJD, and that the onset of cartilage degeneration is linked with excessive load bearing.     

Autosomal dominant (Beukes) premature degenerative osteoarthropathy of the hip joint unlinked to COL2A1

Molecular investigations have been undertaken in several separate large South African families with autosomal dominant skeletal dysplasias in which premature degenerative osteoarthropathy of the hip joint was the major manifestation. There are sometimes additional minor changes in the spine and these conditions fall into the general spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia (SED) nosological category. In some kindreds, linkage between phenotype and the type II collagen gene (COL2A1) has been established, while in others there is no linkage. We have now completed molecular linkage investigations in an Afrikaner family named Beukes, in which 47 members in 6 generations have premature osteoarthropathy of the hip joint. A LOD score of minus infinity indicates that this condition is not the result of a defect of the COL2A1 gene. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

12-year-old male with Elejalde syndrome (neuroectodermal melanolysosomal disease)

Neuroectodermal melanolysosomal disease, also known as Elejalde syndrome, is a rare syndrome characterized by silvery hair, pigment abnormalities, and profound central nervous system dysfunction. It is similar to the Chediak-Higashi and Griscelli syndromes, although these syndromes are associated with severe immunologic dysfunction. We report on a 12-year-old male with Elejalde syndrome and compare the Elejalde, Chediak-Higashi, and Griscelli syndromes.     

Evaluation of families wherein a single male manifests a phenotype of X-linked lymphoproliferative disease (XLP)

The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-induced diseases of males with X-linked lymphoproliferative disease (XLP) include fatal infectious mononucleosis (IM), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (ML), agammaglobulinemia, and aplastic anemia. These phenotypes also occur as sporadic cases in families, and EBV seronegative males in these families must be considered at risk for XLP until they seroconvert normally to EBV. Given that 50% of males inheriting the defective XLP gene die following primary EBV infection, it is vital that they be identified pre-EBV infection. Here we report result using molecular genetic techniques to provide information as to the relative risks of EBV negative males and potential carrier females in ten families wherein a single male had died of IM. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Some observations on Adelie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) mortality in East Antarctica

The postmortem findings of an adult male Adelie penguin found at Magnetic Island, East Antarctica, demonstrating a premortem wound in addition to those consistent with an attack and scavenging by south polar skuas, are described. Other causes of mortality are discussed.     

Idiopathic calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystal deposition disease in a young male patient: a case report

Calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystal deposition disease is a disease of the elderly and extremely rare in young individuals. If young people develop CPPD crystal deposition disease, it may be associated with metabolic diseases such as hemochromatosis, hyperparathyroidism, hypophosphatasia, hypomagnesemia, Wilson's disease, hypothyroidism, gout, acromegaly, and X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets. Therefore, in young-onset polyarticular CPPD crystal deposition disease, investigation for predisposing metabolic conditions is warranted. We report a case of a young male patient with idiopathic CPPD crystal deposition disease, who did not have any evidences of metabolic diseases after thorough evaluations. As far as we know, this is the first report of a young male patient presented with idiopathic CPPD crystal deposition disease.     

Spontaneous thymoma in a juvenile cynomolgus macaque (Macaca fascicularis)

A single, solid, yellow-white thymic mass was found at necropsy of a two-year-old female cynomolgus macaque from a four-week, repeat-dose toxicity and immunogenicity study. Microscopically, the mass was multilobular and well encapsulated, surrounded by a thick connective tissue capsule, and composed of dense sheets of elongate or spindle-shaped cells and large cystic cavities separated by thick connective tissue stroma. Normal thymus was adjacent to the mass, but it was compressed. Within the mass were abundant interspersed Hassall's corpuscles; individual and small clusters of mature, small lymphocytes; scattered eosinophils; large areas of necrosis; focal mineralization; and cholesterol clefts. An interesting feature was the presence of large multinucleated giant cells, which varied widely in size and nuclear number. Immunohistochemical staining for two lymphocyte markers and two structural proteins confirmed the identity of the neoplastic spindle cells and other cellular components. There was no evidence of vascular invasion or metastasis. Features of the thymoma indicated it was a pre-existing condition and not treatment related.     

Bilateral necrotizing pectenitis causing blindness in a rainbow lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus)

A rainbow lorikeet (Trichoglossus haematodus) in good physical condition and otherwise neurologically normal was presented with a history of sudden blindness. Gross abnormalities were not detected at necropsy and cultures of aqueous humour and visceral organs failed to yield bacterial growth. In both eyes histopathological examination demonstrated acute necrosis of the pecten associated with a severe heterophilic inflammation and a myriad of Giemsa and Gram‐positive, filamentous, branching nocardioform bacteria. In the lungs and kidneys there were several nodules of acute, mild granulomatous inflammation composed of macrophages, giant cells and heterophils. The bilateral nature of the eye lesions was consistent with haematogenous spread of nocardioforms after mild, primary lung infection. The lesions suggest that the vascular network of the pecten may be a site favourable for lodgement of other bacterial species during episodes of bacteraemia or septicaemia.     

Marchiafava-Bignami disease in a non-alcoholic Indian male.

Marchiafava-Bignami disease, a rare affliction of alcoholic males, is described in a severely malnourished Malaysian Indian male who took no alcohol. It is the second report of the disease in an Asian and represents one of the few cases which have occurred in non-alcoholics. Besides the pathognomonic demyelination of the central portion of the corpus callosum, there were striking demyelinative plaques in the subcortical white matter. In addition, neuropathological features of Wernicke's disease were found suggesting that severe malnutrition with thiamine deficiency was probably the cause of his demise.