Omentin-1, visfatin and adiponectin levels in relation to bone mineral density in Iranian postmenopausal women

The bone and fat interface is implicated in the pathogenesis of postmenopausal osteoporosis. The association between circulating omentin-1 levels and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women has never been assessed. A total of 382 healthy postmenopausal women were randomly selected. Omentin-1, visfatin, adiponectin, the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL), osteoprotegerin, high sensitivity C-reactive protein, degradation products of C-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen, and osteocalcin were measured by highly specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods. BMD was determined for the lumbar spine (L2-L4) and the proximal femur using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. In multivariable-adjusted linear regression, serum omentin-1 levels were inversely correlated with BMD at the lumbar spine (β=-0.11, p=0.020). In multiple regression analyses, serum visfatin and adiponectin levels were not significantly correlated with BMD at different skeletal sites after controlling for age, body mass index, and bone-related markers. However, the highest quartile of adiponectin compared to the lowest quartile, after adjusting for potential confounders, revealed an inverse association with BMD in the lumbar spine (β=-0.19, p=0.010). In conclusion, circulating omentin-1 levels had an inverse correlation with BMD at the lumbar spine in Iranian postmenopausal women. To further understand the role of omentin-1 in bone and mineral metabolism, large-scale longitudinal studies focusing on BMD and osteoporotic fractures are warranted.     

Reliability of Surface Electromyography in the Assessment of Paraspinal Muscle Fatigue: An Updated Systematic Review

Objective

The purpose of this study was to review the literature to determine whether surface electromyography (EMG) is a reliable tool to assess paraspinal muscle fatigue in healthy subjects and in patients with low back pain (LBP).

Methods

A literature search for the period of 2000 to 2012 was performed, using PubMed, ProQuest, Science Direct, EMBASE, OVID, CINAHL, and MEDLINE databases. Electromyography, reliability, median frequency, paraspinal muscle, endurance, low back pain, and muscle fatigue were used as keywords.

Results

The literature search yielded 178 studies using the above keywords. Twelve articles were selected according to the inclusion criteria of the study. In 7 of the 12 studies, the surface EMG was only applied in healthy subjects, and in 5 studies, the reliability of surface EMG was investigated in patients with LBP or a comparison with a control group. In all of these studies, median frequency was shown to be a reliable EMG parameter to assess paraspinal muscles fatigue. There was a wide variation among studies in terms of methodology, surface EMG parameters, electrode location, procedure, and homogeneity of the study population.

Conclusions

The results suggest that there seems to be a convincing body of evidence to support the merit of surface EMG in the assessment of paraspinal muscle fatigue in healthy subject and in patients with LBP.     

Effects of infection rate and selection pressure on gene expression from an internal promoter of a double gene retroviral vector

Many commonly used retroviral vectors express one gene from the viral long terminal repeat (LTR) promoter and another gene from an internal promoter. We have investigated factors affecting the expression of the luciferase reporter gene from the internal cytomegalovirus-derived promoter of the retroviral vector, LNCX, which contains a LTR-drivenneo gene as a selectable marker. A subline of human HT1080 cells, expressing the murine ecotropic receptor, was infected with retrovirus generated by transient transfection of BOSC 23 packaging cells. Mass populations of cells infected under conditions resulting in different initial infection rates (IIR) and selected with G418, showed highly variable luciferase activity. Luciferase expression in cell populations with IIR≤5% was generally low; many populations with IIR<1% had marginal or no luciferase activity. The loss of luciferase expression in low-IIR populations was associated with G418 selection. In contrast, cell populations with IIR≥6% showed higher luciferase expression, which was strongly correlated with the IIR. Southern hybridization analysis showed that most cells of the low-IIR populations carried one integrated provirus, with a high incidence of structural rearrangements that abolished luciferase activity. In contrast, populations with IIR≥6% contained two or more copies of integrated provirus per cell, and their luciferase activity correlated with the provirus copy number. Luciferase expression was relatively stable in the populations with IIR>1% maintained in the absence of G418. Increasing the selective concentration of G418 or prolonged maintenance of cell populations in the presence of G418 resulted in higher incidence of provirus rearrangements and decreased luciferase expression. These results indicate that the negative effect of selection for the LTR-driven gene on gene expression from an internal promoter depends on the selection stringency and can be obviated by increasing the infection rate.     

Intraoperative injection of technetium-99m sulfur colloid is effective in the detection of sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer

BACKGROUND: Our objective was to determine if intraoperative injection of technetium-99m-labeled sulfur colloid is as effective as preoperative injection in the detection of sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs). METHODS: Two hundred consecutive patients with breast cancer underwent SLN biopsy examination. Radiocolloid was injected in the preoperative area (group A) or immediately after induction of anesthesia in the operating room (group B). RESULTS: The SLN detection rate was similar for groups A (96%) and B (100%; P = .2). Radioactive SLNs were detected in 95% of patients in group A and in 97% of patients in group B (P = .1). The mean number of SLNs harvested was 1.6 and 2.1 for groups A and B, respectively. There was no significant difference in positive SLNs between groups (P = .11). CONCLUSIONS: Intraoperative injection of sulfur colloid is highly effective in the detection of SLNs, avoiding patient discomfort and surgical schedule delays.     

Diphtheria in Iran

A study of diphtheria in Iran was undertaken during the summer of 1969. Diphtheria was found to be more common among the younger people and to reach its peak 3 months after the start of the school term, during the coldest period of the year. Owing to the liberal use of antibiotics a number of modified clinical cases were observed. Of the strains isolated, 89·7% were gravis, 1·3% intermedius and 9% mitis. Phage typing of these strains showed that the mitis and intermedius strains could only be typed by adapted phages and the majority of gravis strains were phage type XIV, which is the epidemic type seen in other countries.     

The sensitivity of diphtheria bacilli to eight antibiotics

Antibiotics are of equal importance to antitoxin in the treatment of diphtheria, as an effective antibiotic rapidly halts the production of toxin. There appear to have been only two reports of the sensitivity of diphtheria bacilli to various antibiotics and these are based on the examination of less than 60 strains. In this paper the sensitivity of 192 strains to eight representative antibiotics is reported.     

Carcinoma of prostate presenting as retroperitoneal mass

The pattern of dissemination of prostatic carcinoma varies, but skeletal metastasis is the single most common symptomatic mode of presentation. The clinical course and treatment of the 2 cases presenting with symptomatic metastases to the retroperitoneum are described in detail and pertinent literature is reviewed.     

Effect of mitomycin C on anterior urethral stricture recurrence after internal urethrotomy

OBJECTIVES: Urethral stricture is one of the oldest known urologic diseases and remains a common problem with high morbidity. Internal urethrotomy refers to any procedure that opens the stricture by incising or ablating it transurethrally. The most common complication of internal urethrotomy is stricture recurrence. The curative success rate of internal urethrotomy is approximately 20%. Mitomycin C has antifibroblast and anticollagen properties and in sporadic reports of animal and clinical studies it has increased the success rate of trabeculectomy and myringotomy. This study evaluated the efficacy of mitomycin C in the prevention of anterior urethral stricture recurrence after internal urethrotomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Forty male patients with anterior urethral strictures were randomized to undergo internal urethrotomy with or without urethral submucosal mitomycin C injection. Using general anaesthesia, the urethrotomy was performed under direct vision. Mitomycin C (0.1mg) was injected submucosally at the urethrotomy site in 20 patients. The patients were re-evaluated after 6 mo and the stricture recurrence rate was compared between the two groups (chi(2) analysis). RESULTS: Urethral stricture recurred in 2 patients (10%) in the mitomycin C-treated group and in 10 patients (50%) in the other group. This difference in stricture recurrence between the two groups was statistically significant (p=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the first prospective, randomized, clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of mitomycin C application in internal urethrotomy. Submucosal injection of mitomycin C significantly reduced stricture recurrence after internal urethrotomy. Further investigations are warranted to confirm its efficacy and safety.