Klinische Erfahrungen mit der Knorpel-Knochen-Transplantation

The treatment of deep cartilage defects in load-bearing joints is a problem that still has no satisfactory solution. Full-thickness defects of the articular cartilage rarely heal spontaneously, usually leaving damage that can lead to early arthrosis. Techniques currently available for the treatment of chondral defects include abrasion, drilling, micro-fracturing, transplantation of tissue autografts and allografts, and cell transplantation. Osteochondral autograft transplantation is currently the only surgical cartilage repair technique known to lead to the formation of genuine hyaline articular cartilage and its retention at least in the medium term. The Draenert method, in which a water-cooled diamond bone-cutting system is used, is an effective procedure for resurfacing the joints affected by localised cartilaginous defects, even when there is also severe bone loss. Donor-side morbidity can be kept to a minimum by filling the defect caused by harvesting with a press-fit cylinder of cancellous bone covered with periosteum for protection.     

De-novo expression of vascular ecto-5′-nucleotidase and down-regulation of glomerular ecto-ATPase in experimental chronic renal transplant failure

Ischemic injury plays an important role in chronic renal transplant failure (CRTF). Down-regulation of ecto-adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) in combination with up-regulation of ecto-5'-nucleotidase is a hallmark of ischemic injury. We studied the expression of renal ecto-5'-nucleotidase and ecto-ATPase in experimental renal transplantation. Fisher 344-to-Lewis allografted rats were either treated with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) or left untreated. Lewis-to-Lewis syngrafted rats served as controls. Untreated allografted rats developed proteinuria, glomerulosclerosis, and mild intimal hyperplasia. ACEi completely prevented focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FGS) and proteinuria, but significantly enhanced intimal hyperplasia. Untreated allografted rats revealed marked vascular ecto-5'-nucleotidase activity, which increased with ACEi. Vascular ecto-5'-nucleotidase activity was absent in syngrafted animals. Ecto-5'-nucleotidase activity correlated well with intimal hyperplasia. Glomerular ecto-ATPase expression was significantly reduced in untreated allografted rats compared to syngrafted rats and correlated well with the extent of FGS. ACEi prevented reduction in glomerular ecto-ATPase. We found de-novo expression of ecto-5'-nucleotidase at sites of renal intimal hyperplasia. Glomerular ecto-ATPase expression was markedly reduced in allografted rats and was prevented by ACEi. These enzyme expression patterns suggest local ischemic damage in experimental CRTF.     

The concept of culture: A core issue in health disparities

Contemporary discourse contains numerous examples of use of the concept of culture by social and behavioral scientists. Simple reification, where the speaker makes culture into a thing capable of action exemplifies one usage in public discourse. Some quantitative social scientists attempt to characterize people’s cultural identities by means of a single categorical variable, which often “lumps” people into categories such as “Hispanic” or “Black” that in fact have numerous culturally bounded subcategories. Approaches that emphasize cultural process are preferable to those who attempt to categorize; more complex measures of acculturation help investigators to make convincing analyses of circumstances in which health disparities occur. Examples in which investigators make appropriate use of cultural characterizations demonstrate their utility in investigating health disparities in Haitian American women, injecting and noninjecting drug users, Hispanic youth, and adult Hispanics at risk of HIV infection. Focus on culture in the study of health disparities can identify entanglements between structural factors such as poverty and lack of education and cultural factors such as beliefs about health. Qualitative methods coupled with quantitative methods have great potential to improve investigators’ grasp of cultural nuance while capturing the distribution of qualitatively derived behaviors.     

Discussing options between patients and health care professionals in genetic diagnosis: ethical and legal criteria

The specific characteristics of genetic data lead to ethical-legal conflicts in the framework of genetic diagnosis. Several international organisations, including UNESCO and the Council of Europe, have enacted rules referring to the use of genetic information. This paper discusses possible legal and ethical criteria that could be used in genetic testing.     

可溶性细胞间黏附分子-1在急性肝内胆汁淤积兔模型中的表达

目的探讨可溶性细胞间黏附分子(sICAM-1)在急性肝内胆汁淤积兔模型中的表达及其意义。方法39只健康的新生大耳白兔随机分成4组:3个实验组(n=9)和1个空白对照组(n=12)。每个实验组分别为3个时间点处理组(24、48、72 h)。实验组采用1次灌服α-荼异硫氰酸盐(ANIT)200 mg/kg方法造成急性肝内胆汁淤积。按时分批取标本,检测其血清和胆汁中sICAM-1水平。结果实验组血清、胆汁中sICAM-1各时间点水平明显高于正常对照组(P均<0.05),其中48 h>72 h>24 h。结论sICAM-1在胆汁淤积中表达升高,与肝脏损伤程度和病程相关。     

中药对大鼠辐射损伤防护作用的实验研究

目的探讨中药当归、川芎、黄芪、丹参提取液对大鼠放射性骨髓损伤的防护作用.方法雄性SD大鼠60只,随机分为正常对照组、模型组、中药组,每组6只,在相同条件下饲养2周,模型组和中药组大鼠给予6.0 Gy 60Co γ射线一次性全身照射,继续饲养1周处死全部动物并取材.用骨髓细胞计数法计数骨髓有核细胞数,用Western blot法测定血管内皮生长因子（vascularendothelialgrowth factor,VEGF）、血小板衍生生长因子（ptatelet derived growth factor,PDGF）的蛋白含量.结果与正常对照组比较,模型组大鼠的骨髓有核细胞数、VEGF、PDGF蛋白含量明显减少（P＜0.01）,与模型组比较,中药组大鼠的骨髓有核细胞数、VEGF、PDGF蛋白含量明显增加（P＜0.01或P＜0.05）.结论中药当归、黄芪、川芎、丹参对大鼠放射性骨髓损伤有一定防护作用.     

A Spanish version of the Family Assessment Device

Introduction  

This paper presents the results of a study on the psychometric properties of an authorized Spanish version of the McMaster Family Assessment Device, a self-report measure of family functioning.