Enhancement of Viability of Fat Grafts in Nude Mice by Endothelial Progenitor Cells

BACKGROUND: A recent discovery showed that endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) could augment collateral vessel growth to ischemic tissues. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to demonstrate the effects of EPCs on the vasculogenesis and survival of free transplanted fat tissues in nude mice. METHODS: EPCs from human donors were cultured in vitro for 7 days. Human fat tissues were injected subcutaneously into the scalps of 20 6-week-old nude male mice. EPCs stained with CM-DiI were mixed with the transplanted fat tissues and injected into the mice. EBM-2 medium was used as control group. The animals were euthanized 15 weeks after the procedure. Graft volume were measured, and histologic evaluation was performed. The central part of fat tissues was histologically evaluated 15 weeks after the fat injection. RESULTS: The survival volume of the experimental group was significantly greater than that of the control group (p< .05). Less cyst formation and fibrosis was obtained in the experimental group. Histologic evaluation of the central part of fat tissues 15 weeks after the fat injection showed that capillary densities increased markedly in the experimental group mice. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that EPCs have the ability to enhance the survival and the quality of the transplanted fat tissues.     

Genital psoriasis: a questionnaire‐based survey on a concealed skin disease in the Netherlands

Background Psoriatic lesions may involve nearly all sites of the body. Involvement of the genital skin is frequently classified as part of intertriginous psoriasis without special awareness and treatment for this presentation of the disease. Gaining knowledge about the frequency of the involvement of genital skin in these patients will improve the overall care for patients with psoriasis. Objectives We studied the prevalence of genital psoriasis in the Netherlands and epidemiological characteristics of this specific presentation of the disease. Furthermore, we studied the relation between flexural and genital psoriasis. Patients/Methods A self‐administered questionnaire was sent to all 5300 members of the Dutch Psoriasis Society. Sociodemographic patient characteristics and disease‐related data (such as localization of psoriatic lesions, involvement of the genitalia, age at onset of genital psoriasis and severity of genital psoriatic lesions) were collected and analysed. Results A response rate of 37% was achieved. Almost 46% of the responding patients with psoriasis, that is 16.5% of all potential responders (n = 5300), report genital involvement at some time during the course of their disease. The genitalia can become affected at any age. Many patients with current genital involvement (38%) do not have the flexural skin affected. Conclusions A large part of patients with psoriasis suffer from genital psoriasis, which was not associated with flexural involvement in at least one third of them. More attention to the genital region is required in the current standard treatment of both male and female psoriatic patients at any age.     

International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) and New Zealand Physical Activity Questionnaire (NZPAQ): A doubly labelled water validation

Background  

Accurate measurement of physical activity is a pre-requisite for monitoring population health and for evaluating effective interventions. The International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) is used as a comparable and standardised self-report measure of habitual physical activity of populations from different countries and socio-cultural contexts. The IPAQ has been modified to produce a New Zealand physical activity questionnaire (NZPAQ). The aim of this study was to validate the IPAQ and NZPAQ against doubly labelled water (DLW). Method: Total energy expenditure (TEE) was measured over a 15-day period using DLW. Activity-related energy expenditure (AEE) was estimated by subtracting the energy expenditure from resting metabolic rate and thermic effect of feeding from TEE. The IPAQ (long form) and NZPAQ (short form) were completed at the end of each 7-day period. Activity-related energy expenditure (IPAQ_AEE and NZPAQ_AEE) was calculated from each questionnaire and compared to DLW_AEE.     

Breast feeding and the dietary habits of children in rural Somalia

Breast feeding and dietary habits were studied prospectively in a cohort of children under the age of five years in a rural Somali community. The median duration of breast feeding was 19.5 months. However, all the children also received cow's milk by cup from the first day of life and onwards. Energy supplements (mainly sugar and oil) as well as additional water were given daily from early infancy. Staples, protein-rich foods (beans and meat), vegetables and fruits were usually introduced when the children reached the age of 12-18 months. There was a seasonal variation with the lowest intake of protein-rich and vitamin-rich foods during the rains in May to June. Thus, there was a complete absence of exclusive breast feeding. Energy-reinforced cow's milk and human milk dominated the diet up to the age of one year. Staples were mixed with oil and supplemented with milk, thereby leading to a much higher energy density in the complementary food than is usually the case in African communities.     

Biodistribution studies of BSA loaded gelatin microspheres after peroral application

Biodistribution studies of radiolabelled [131I]BSA loaded gelatin microspheres were carried out on BALB/c mice after peroral administration. To two groups, the radiolabelled [131I]BSA gelatin microspheres with different mean particle size, 1.196+/-1.961 and 7.028+/-1.231 microm were administered orally. To the control group, a solution of [131I]BSA was also orally administered. Biodistribution was followed periodically within 15 days as a percent of total radioactivity present in stomach, small intestine with Peyer's patches and mesentery, colon with Peyer's patches, appendix and mesentery, liver, spleen, blood, kidney, lungs and heart. The biodistribution data confirmed that uptake in mice into Peyer's patches and passage to the liver and spleen via the mesentery lymph supply and nodes, increased with decreasing particle size.     

Stage I indexing to replace a failed implant in an edentulous arch: a clinical report

Implant failure may complicate and lengthen a planned treatment. This article describes a modified stage I indexing technique for registering the position of an implant and replacing a failed implant, allowing prosthesis fabrication time and healing time to be coincidental. The clinician can proceed as originally planned with a minimal increase in overall treatment time.     

Serum Ornithine Carbamoyl Transferase as a Surrogate Marker in Malaria

Ornithine carbamoyl transferase (OCT) activity and other liver function tests were studied in a total of 50 patients of clinical malaria and 15 controls. They were grouped as group I (positive for malarial parasite on peripheral blood smear, n=18), group II (negative for malarial parasite on peripheral blood smear (PBS) but responded to antimalarials, n=17) and group III (peripheral blood smear negative and did not respond to antimalarial therapy, n=15). The mean OCT levels were significantly raised in group I (6.79 ± 1.84 IU/L, p value = 0.006) and group II (5.0 ± 1.15 IU/L, p value = 0.014) as compared to controls (2.5 ± 1.13 IU/L) and returned to normal after treatment In contrast, group III had normal levels except in a case of kala azar and septicemia where OCT levels were high and increased further on treatment. Taking PBS positivity as a gold standard of diagnostic criteria, OCT had a sensitivity of 83% and specificity of 86% with a high positive predictive value of 88% as compared to ALT which had a lower sensitivity of 55% and specificity of 80%. The clinical response rate in PBS negative cases of fever having high OCT level was 83% as compared to 35% in cases with normal OCT level, making OCT a good surrogate marker of malaria. OCT levels could also be of prognostic significance as 2 cases of cerebral malaria had high OCT levels of 11.1 UAL and 10.7 IU/L, respectively.Key Words: Malaria, Ornithine carbamoyl transferase     

A New South Wales Population-based Study of Stillbirths Weighing 2,500 g or More

Summary: This paper describes factors associated with singleton stillbirths weighing 2,500 g or more, born in 1987 and reported to the NSW Midwives' Data Collection (MDC), a statewide perinatal data collection system. A total of 136 singleton stillbirths in this weight range were notified to the MDC, representing one-quarter of all singleton stillbirths in NSW. MDC records on these stillbirths were linked with perinatal death registrations for 125 of the 136. The death registrations indicated that fetal death occurred during labour in 20 cases, prior to the onset of labour in 98, and at an unknown time in the remaining 7 cases. Placental complications, including haemorrhage and functional abnormalities of the placenta, were the most frequent group of conditions associated with the stillbirths, being recorded as the underlying cause of death in 42 (34%) of the 125 cases. Cord complications (such as cord compression or cord around the neck) were given as the underlying cause of death in 30 cases (24%). The death certificate diagnosis was confirmed by autopsy in only 27 of the 125 cases (22%), although autopsies may have been done on a further 45 cases (36%). An adequate explanation of the cause appeared to be lacking for many of the fetal deaths. This highlights the importance of a thorough and systematic investigation of stillbirths. A list of standard investigations to be carried out following a stillbirth is proposed.