Knee degeneration in concrete reinforcement workers.

The loads on the knees in concrete reinforcement work and maintenance painting were analysed on eight construction work sites. A total of 352 reinforcement workers and 231 painters. Finnish men aged 20-64, were clinically and radiologically examined to determine the condition of the knee joints in active workers. The loads on the knees and the occurrence of minor injuries and accidents were higher in reinforcement work than in painting, but the occurrence of symptoms, clinical signs, and radiological findings was equally common in both groups. Reinforcement work seemed to provoke more symptoms from degenerated knees than painting.     

Renorrhaphy with a polyglycolic acid mesh

In recent years resorbable polyglycolic acid mesh has been successfully used in the treatment of splenic injuries. The use of a resorbable mesh seems promising also in the treatment of renal injuries and in the rare ruptures of renal allografts. The authors report their own experience in the use of resorbable polyglycolic acid mesh in the treatment of a renal injury.     

Hemopoietic precursor cells in human peripheral blood.

Human peripheral blood contains two types of stem cells that differentiate along the granulocytic pathway. They are separable by their ability to form colonies in agar in vitro (CFU-C) and in plasma clots in diffusion chambers in vivo (CFU-DG). Kinetic studies suggest that CFU-DG represents an intermediate between the still hypothetical human pluripotent stem cell and CFU-C.     

Progenitor cell numbers (CFU-GM, CFU-D, and CFU-Mix) and hemopoietic recovery following autologous marrow transplantation

Forty-one consecutive patients were treated with high-dose chemotherapy with or without total body irradiation followed by autologous marrow transplantation. Four treatment regimens of varying intensity were used. Every patient's harvested marrow was evaluable for nucleated cell and progenitor cell loss during the cell separation and cryopreservation process. Of the 41 patients, 38 were evaluable for peripheral blood count recovery. Multivariate analysis of colony-forming cell assays and recovery of neutrophils and platelets showed a significant association with absolute numbers of post-thaw mixed colony-forming units (CFU-Mix) infused (p less than 0.002). Prefreeze CFU-Mix also correlated with recovery to a lesser degree, as did absolute numbers of nucleated cells. The number of diffusion chamber colony-forming units (CFU-D) prefreeze, but not post-thaw infused into the patient, was associated with recovery of neutrophils (p = 0.0001), but not platelets. When the precursor cell numbers were adjusted for body weight, post-thaw CFU-Mix showed the best correlation with recovery of both platelets and neutrophils. Prefreeze CFU-D per kg was also associated with recovery of neutrophils (p = 0.02). To some extent nucleated cells per kg predicted for recovery with neutrophils and platelets (p less than 0.05). When analyzed according to treatment regimen, cyclophosphamide-BCNU-VP16 (CBV) or cyclophosphamide-total body irradiation (CY/TBI) was associated with prolonged recovery compared to cyclophosphamide-adriamycin-vinblastine (CAV) or etoposide-cyclophosphamide (EC). In this setting only CFU-D number predicted neutrophil recovery (p less than 0.002). We conclude that determination of the number of total nucleated cells, CFU-D, and CFU-Mix, before cryopreservation of the sample is important in predicting hemopoietic reconstitution in autologous bone marrow transplantation.     

Lack of effect of isoflavonoids on the vagina and endometrium in postmenopausal women

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of soy-derived isoflavones on vaginal epithelium and the endometrium. DESIGN: Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial. SETTING: Outpatient clinic of a university hospital. PATIENT(S): Sixty-four postmenopausal women with a history of breast cancer. INTERVENTION(S): The women took (in a randomized order) 114 mg of isolated isoflavonoids or placebo in tablets daily for 3 months; the treatment regimens were crossed over after a 2-month washout period. The subjects were studied before and on the last day of each treatment period. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Vaginal dryness, maturation index (MI) of vaginal epithelium, endometrial thickness, histology, and expression of estrogen (E) and progesterone (P) receptors and the proliferation marker Ki-67 in the endometrium. RESULT(S): Isolated isoflavones did not relieve vaginal dryness. Maturation index values remained unchanged during the isoflavone regimen, but decreased during the placebo regimen. No changes were found in any of the variables measured in the endometrium. CONCLUSION(S): Daily administration of 114 mg of isolated isoflavones for 3 months had no effect on the subjective perception of vaginal dryness or on objective findings in the vagina or endometrium. This implies safety with regard to the endometrium.     

The effects of freeze/thawing process on cryopreserved equine umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells

The use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs)-derived equine umbilical cord blood in cell grafts transplantation is advantageous; therefore, preservation of these cells is of utmost importance in repair therapies. To evaluate the viability ratio of the MSCs obtained from equine umbilical cord blood after cryopreservation, umbilical cord blood obtained from nine 46–48-week-old foals were purified for harvesting MCs. The purified cells were frozen from the first to tenth passages and stored in liquid nitrogen. After thawing, the cell viability was assessed through trypan blue staining procedure. The highest viability (>80%) ratio was observed with the cells derived from the first passage in 1 and 8?weeks after cryopreservation. However, the viability of cells was dependent on the passage used for cryopreservation. Results in this study demonstrated that equine umbilical cord blood stem cells could successfully be frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen for 8?weeks without significant change in the characterization of the cells cryopreserved as regards their viability, growth ability, and differentiation potential.     

Cervical spine surgery in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: longterm mortality and its determinants

OBJECTIVE: Atlantoaxial subluxation (AAS) is a frequent manifestation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The instability of the craniocervical junction caused by AAS is a potentially fatal condition and may require surgical treatment. Systemic manifestations associated with RA may increase the risk of perioperative complications. We evaluated the longterm mortality and its determinants in RA patients with AAS after cervical spine surgery. METHODS: A retrospective study of consecutive patients treated at Kuopio University Hospital between 1994 and 1998. Preoperative risk factors, neurological impairment using the Ranawat classification, perioperative course, functional outcome, and survival status were evaluated. RESULTS: During the study period 86 rheumatoid patients with AAS underwent cervical spine surgery. The mean followup time was 7.5 years (range 5.0-9.8). During the followup, 32 patients (37%) died. The mean survival time after surgery was 7.2 years (95% CI 6.7-8.0). Seven patients experienced postoperative complications. Age, AAS other than horizontal, and occurrence of complications were independent predictors of mortality. In two-thirds of the patients there was relief or decrease of pain, and the functional capacity improved. Neurological deficits subsided in 53% of cases. CONCLUSION: Patients with RA should be actively studied for AAS or other cervical instability, even when cervical symptoms are minor. Attention should be paid to perioperative management of these patients. Surgical treatment may not decrease the mortality of patients with RA, but it may result in more symptom-free life-years.