Quantitative cell and matrix changes in human humeral head osteoarthritic cartilage

A new quantitative method was devised both to establish an objective standard for morphometric diagnosis and to determine the extent of degeneration in osteoarthritic cartilage. Eight normal and forty-eight osteoarthritic humeral heads, subsequently confirmed by light microscopy, were obtained at necropsy. The articular cartilage was observed in situ with a laser scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) and morphometric measurements determined cell density (cells/mm), cell volume fraction (%) and mean cell volume (microm3). The osteoarthritic cartilages were classified according to the following four characteristics: increase in thickness, increase in cell volume fraction, decrease in cell volume fraction, and fibrous pannus. Deviations in cell density and cell volume fraction from normal means were calculated as extent of degeneration. Our present approach aims to provide valuable clues, such as objective stereological information and a unique reference for biochemical and traditional morphological analyses, that clinicians will be able to use in combination with other methods in order to establish a reliable diagnosis.     

The effects of oligomers content and surface morphology on foreign-body tumorigenesis with polyetherurethanes: two years subcutaneous implantation study in rats

Three polyurethane materials were prepared by removing and adding the leachable oligomers from and to the same polyetherurethane (PEU). The three PEU materials were dissolved in tetrahydrofuran (THF) and dimethyformamide (DMF) and the solutions were cast on a glass plate to make films of smooth and foamed surfaces, respectively. These six materials and polydimethylsioxane (silicone) were implanted into subcutaneous pocket of rats for 2 years to evaluate the long-term effects around the implant. Among the smooth surface implants, PEU materials induced a higher incidence of tissue responses, including tumor formation than silicone. However, no relationship between the oligomer content and the tissue responses was found. Changing surface morphology from a smooth to a foamed one prolonged the latent period of tumor development and decreased the total tumor incidence.     

The increase in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration induced by mechanical stimulation is propagated via release of pyrophosphorylated nucleotides in mammary epithelial cells

Mechanical stimulation of one mammary tumor cell in culture induced an increase in its intracellular calcium concentration which spread to surrounding cells. The increase in calcium can also be induced by addition of a solution in which cultured mammary tumor cells were stimulated by repeated pipetting (solution after pipetting cells, SAPC). The activity of the SAPC was completely abolished by treatment with snake venom phosphodiesterase or pyrophosphatase. Uridine triphosphate (UTP), uridine diphosphate (UDP) and ATP (1 M each) were detected in the SAPC, whereas 5-UMP and 5-AMP were produced by phosphodiesterase digestion. A mixture of UTP, UDP and ATP (1 M each) elicited a calcium response which was comparable to that induced by SAPC, while UTP, UDP or ATP alone at 1 M elicited a small increase in calcium concentration in mammary tumor cells. Suramin, a competitive antagonist of P₂ purinoceptors, diminished the spreading of the calcium wave induced by mechanical stimulation. It also blocked the responses to SAPC, UTP, UDP and ATP. These findings suggest that the mechanical stimulation results in the release of UTP, UDP and ATP into the extracellular space which mediates induction of the spreading calcium response via P_2U-type purinoceptors.     

Changes of hepatic vitronectin levels in patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with interferon alpha

Hepatic vitronectin expression was assessed in 27 patients with chronic hepatitis C before and after interferon alpha treatment and in 7 control patients. Before interferon therapy, vitronectin was localized in the hepatocytes and in the portal and central venous regions. A high correlation was found for the vitronectin expression level with the histological grading and staging scores in the hepatocytes as well as in the portal region. After interferon therapy, the hepatic vitronectin was significantly decreased in the sustained and transient responders, but it was not as markedly decreased in the nonresponders and the non-treated group. A good correlation was found for the vitronectin expression with the staging scores but not with the grading scores in the portal region. These findings suggest that hepatic vitronectin is influenced by interferon therapy and that it may play an important role as a hepatic adhesion molecule through the improvement of inflammation, necrosis and fibrogenesis.     

A ten year serological survey of hepatitis A, B and C viruses infections in Nepal

BACKGROUND: In 1987, we reported that the prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in Nepal was low, as compared to hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection, and that no human T-lymphotropic type-1 (HTLV-1) infection was found in Nepal. OBJECTIVES: To determine changes in the prevalence of HAV, HBV, and HCV infections between 1987 and 1996 in inhabitants of Bhadrakali (suburban) and Kotyang (rural) villages in Nepal. STUDY DESIGN: We did a cross-sectional survey of 458 inhabitants of two Nepalese villages, to assess the prevalence of antibody to HAV (anti-HAV), antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc), hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to HCV (anti-HCV), and antibody to HTLV-I (anti-HTLV-I). RESULTS: Anti-HAV was detected in 454 (99.1%), HBsAg in 5 (1.1%), anti-HBc in 33 (7.2%) and anti-HCV in 8 (1.7%) of serum samples tested in 1996. Statistically significant differences by gender or age group were nil. The prevalence of HCV infection was significantly higher in 1996 than in 1987 after adjusting for age of subjects living in the two villages (p < 0.01). The prevalence of HBsAg was significantly higher in 1996 than 1987 in Bhadrakali after adjusting for the factor of age (p < 0.05). Between 1987 and 1996, evidence for HTLV-1 positive residents was nil. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that HAV has been endemic in Nepal for long time while not of HBV, and that HCV infection tends to be increased recently.     

Importance of fluorescein angiographic study in evaluating early retinal changes in Takayasu disease

PURPOSE: To determine the usefulness of fluorescein angiography in studying Takayasu disease. METHODS: We examined 31 eyes in 16 patients with Takayasu disease using indirect ophthalmoscopy, color photography, and fluorescein angiography. Ophthalmoscopic and fluorescein angiographic findings were compared. RESULTS: Fluorescein angiography revealed no additional retinal changes in 10 eyes that had no retinal vein dilatation as seen by indirect ophthalmoscopy. Seven (33%) of 21 eyes that had dilated retinal veins also had additional abnormal findings, such as microaneurysms, arteriovenous shunts, retinal neovascularization, and avascular areas. Some differences in grading the stages of retinopathy were noted with these newly found retinal changes, as compared with the classifications determined by ophthalmoscopy alone. CONCLUSIONS: In Takayasu disease, studying the fundus of patients with fluorescein angiography is particularly important in correctly classifying the stages of retinopathy when the retinal vein appears dilated in ophthalmoscopic observation.     

Overview of pharmacological treatment of Kawasaki disease

Kawasaki disease has been researched for 32 years but its aetiology is still unknown. Conventional therapy for the disease includes corticosteroids and aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) as anti-inflammatory and/or antithrombotic agents but they have not been proven to prevent coronary artery aneurysms. Although a high incidence of liver dysfunction in Japanese patients with Kawasaki disease receiving high dose aspirin (> or =80 mg/kg/day) suggests racial differences in salicylate sensitivity, the duration of fever in patients receiving high dose aspirin is shorter than that in patients receiving moderate dosages (30 to 50 mg/kg/day). Furthermore, most corticosteroid-resistant patients were found to develop coronary artery aneurysms, many of which were large. With the clarification of the pathogenesis and clinical features of Kawasaki disease, advances in its treatment have been achieved. The introduction of high-dose intravenous gamma-globulin (IVGG) was an epoch in this field and IVGG is now a standard therapy with the incidence of persistent coronary aneurysms 1.9% in children with the disease receiving IVGG. Today, research is mainly directed toward the treatment of IVGG-resistant patients. One to 3 days of pulsed doses of methylprednisolone (30 mg/kg/day) or readministration of IVGG 1 g/kg (once to several times) has been recommended for patients with IVGG-resistant Kawasaki disease.