Outcome in the arthroscopic treatment of synovial chondromatosis of the knee

Background. Synovial osteochondromatosis is a disease in which loose cartilaginous bodies develop around large joints, usually the knee. It is caused by synovial metaplasia of unknown etiology. Symptoms are due either to mechanical problems caused by the loose bodies or to the degenerative arthritis that follows after several years. Surgical or arthroscopic removal of the loose bodies appears to be the only effective treatment. This article reports treatment outcome in synovial chondromatosis of the knee. Material and methods. We treated 13 patients: 11 by arthroscopy and 2 by arthrotomy. The follow-up examination was performed at least two years after after surgery. Results. There were 6 good and very good outcomes, while 2 patients required arthroscopic re-operation. Conclusions. Arthroscopy seems to be the treatment of choice in synovial chondromatosis of the knee.     

Zoledronic Acid in the treatment of bone metastases from the breast and prostate carcinoma

Cancer patients, particulary those with bone metastatses, are at high risk of skeletal complications. Patients with advanced cancer and bone metastatses freguently experience debilitating skeletal complications that can substantially affect their quality of life.Many types of cancer metastasize to the bone, but breast and prostate cancer account for roughly 70-80% of bone metastatses. Bisphosphonates have emerged as a leading therapeutic intervention for the treatment and prevention of sceletal complications of malignancy. Bisphosphonates have a variety of activities in bone and can effectively normalize serum calcium, delay the onset and reduce the incidence of sceletal complications, and may reduce bone pain. Zoledronic Acid is highly potent, new-generation, nitrogen-containing bisphosphonate that has superior potency and pharmacologic properties compared with other bisphosphonates. It has been shown to be highly effective in the treatment of osteolitic, mixed and osteoblastic bone metastatses in patients with breast cancer and prostate cancer.     

High-affinity binding of fibronectin to cultured Kupffer cells

Hepatic Kupffer cells are a major component of the reticuloendothelial or macrophage system. They were the first phagocytic cell type whose phagocytosis was shown to be influenced by plasma fibronectin, a dimeric opsonic glycoprotein. In the current study, the binding of soluble radioiodinated fibronectin purified from rat serum to isolated rat hepatic Kupffer cells was investigated using a cultured Kupffer cell monolayer technique. Binding was specific, since unlabeled purified fibronectin competed in a dose-dependent manner with the 125I-fibronectin for binding to the Kupffer cells. Addition of gelatin enhanced the binding of 125I-fibronectin to Kupffer cells. The phagocytosis of gelatinized-coated red cells by Kupffer cells was increased either by preopsonizing the target particles with purified fibronectin or by the addition of purified fibronectin to the culture medium. In contrast, exposure of the Kupffer cells to medium containing purified fibronectin followed by wash-removal of the fibronectin did not increase the uptake of gelatin-coated red blood cells, even though fibronectin was detected on the surface of the Kupffer cells by immunofluorescence. Trypsinized monolayers expressed decreased capacity to bind 125I-fibronectin as well as fibronectin-coated sheep erythrocytes. The binding of 125I-fibronectin-gelatin complexes was inhibited by excess unlabeled fibronectin. We calculated that specific high-affinity (Kd = 7.46 x 10(-9) M) binding sites for fibronectin exist on Kupffer cells. There are approximately 2,800-3,500 binding sites or putative "fibronectin receptors" per Kupffer cell. These sites appear to mediate the enhanced phagocytosis of gelatin-coated particles opsonized by fibronectin.     

Enzyme activity in mice with transplantable leukemia

Activity of cobalt activated acylase, gamma-glutamyltransferase, leucylaminopeptidase and alanylaminopeptidase in serum and liver of mice with transplantable leukemias (L1210, L1210/ara-C, L1210/CH3-G, AKSL-4, plasmacytoma ADJ-PC-5) were determined. Adenosinotriphosphatase, 5'-nucleotidase and alkaline phosphatase were histochemically localized in lymphatic nodes and spleen. Among the investigated enzymes the rise in serum activity of cobalt activated acylase and gamma-glutamyltransferase was demonstrated. A substantial increase of leucylaminopeptidase and alanylaminopeptidase was shown in the liver. A decrease in the histochemical reactions of all the studied enzymes was observed.     

Ethnic differences in lipid and lipoprotein metabolism in pregnant women of African and Caucasian origin.

AIMS--To investigate differences in serum lipid, lipoprotein and apolipoprotein concentrations in pregnant women of different ethnic origin. METHODS--Serum lipid, lipoprotein and apolipoprotein concentrations were measured in 232 women (114 Caucasians, 118 Africans/Afro-Caribbeans), who presented consecutively for screening for gestational diabetes in the third trimester of pregnancy. RESULTS--African/Afro-Caribbean pregnant women had lower serum concentrations of total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and apolipoprotein B and higher high density lipoprotein cholesterol and Lp(a) lipoprotein concentrations compared with Caucasian women. Apolipoprotein A1 concentrations were similar in the two groups. The differences were not attributable to differences in weight, age, parity, or postload plasma glucose levels. CONCLUSION--Ethnic origin is an important determinant of serum lipid, lipoprotein and apolipoprotein concentrations during pregnancy.     

Early-stage folding in proteins (in silico) sequence-to-structure relation

A sequence-to-structure library has been created based on the complete PDB database. The tetrapeptide was selected as a unit representing a well-defined structural motif. Seven structural forms were introduced for structure classification. The early-stage folding conformations were used as the objects for structure analysis and classification. The degree of determinability was estimated for the sequence-to-structure and structure-to-sequence relations. Probability calculus and informational entropy were applied for quantitative estimation of the mutual relation between them. The structural motifs representing different forms of loops and bends were found to favor particular sequences in structure-to-sequence analysis.     

Intracranially extended nasopharyngeal angiofibroma treated surgically and by radiotherapy

A case of nasopharyngeal angiofibroma with intracranial extension is presented. The parasellar extension was demonstrated on CT and MRI scans after four operations performed in two centres. The boy was radiated (42 Gy/t). Two and a half years follow up using MRI showed gradual regression of the tumour down to minimal enhancement in the parasellar region.