Does a biological link exist between periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis?

Periodontitis or Periodontal disease(PD) and Rheumatoid arthritis(RA) are two the most common chronic inflammatory diseases. Periodontitis is a biofilm associated destructive inflammatory disease of the periodontium caused by specific microorganisms. Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition and is identified by elevated serum autoantibody titre directed against citrullinated peptides or rheumatoid factor. Periodontitis may involve some elements of autoimmunity. Recent studies have established that PD and RA show a common pathway and could be closely associated through a common dysregulation and dysfunction in inflammatory mechanism. The enzyme peptidyl arginine deiminase(PAD), expressed by Porphyromonas gingivalis(P. gingivalis) is responsible for the enzymatic deimination of arginine residuals to citrulline resulting in protein citrullination and its increased accumulation in RA.Citrullination by PAD may act as a putative biologic link between PD and RA. Association of Human leukocytic antigen-DR4 antigen has been established both with RA and PD. Several interleukins and inflammatory mediators(ILs) and Nuclear factor kappa beta ligand are linked to these common chronic inflammatory diseases. Antibodies directed against heat shock protein(hsp 70 ab) of P. gingivalis, P. melanogenicus and P. intermedia are raised in PD as well as RA. Both the conditions share many pathological and immunological similarities. Bacterial infection, genetic susceptibility, altered immune reaction and inflammatory mediators considered responsible for RA are also associated with PD. So it is plausible that a biological link may exist between PD and RA. Therapies aimed at modifying the expression and effect of inflammatory mediators and effector molecules such as matrix metalloproteinases, proinflammatory cytokines and autoantibodies of structural proteins may probably reduce the severity of both RA and PD.     

国际脊髓损伤脊柱损伤基础数据集

收集脊柱损伤的信息对于脊髓损伤患者的诊断和治疗非常重要,设立脊髓损伤患者脊柱损伤基础数据集是为了规范脊柱损伤相关信息的收集方式和报告内容,学习并使用国际脊髓损伤脊柱损伤基础数据集,有助于规范和统一我国脊髓损伤患者脊柱损伤信息的收集,为相关治疗提供依据。本文将介绍国际脊髓损伤脊柱损伤基础数据集的研发过程,数据元素的内容以及数据编码的应用实例。     

Perceptions of gender ideals predict outcome of eating disorders in adolescent girls

Clinical features have low predictive value for the outcome of eating disorders. This study focuses on the possible predictive value of gender ideals. Data was from adolescent girls thoroughly assessed both at presentation and at a three-year follow up. Few variables differed between the outcome groups. However, perceptions of gender ideals, as measured by the Three Questions of Ideals, were found to contribute to the prediction of outcome. A discriminant analysis showed that gender ideals, maturity fears, sexual debut, and vomiting were significant discriminators in a set of factors, which correctly classified the outcome for 75.3% of the sample.     

Cerebral net exchange of large neutral amino acids after lipopolysaccharide infusion in healthy humans

Introduction  

Alterations in circulating large neutral amino acids (LNAAs), leading to a decrease in the plasma ratio between branched-chain and aromatic amino acids (BCAA/AAA ratio), may be involved in sepsis-associated encephalopathy. We hypothesised that a decrease in the BCAA/AAA ratio occurs along with a net cerebral influx of the neurotoxic AAA phenylalanine in a human experimental model of systemic inflammation.     

Surgery for colorectal cancer in Greece

Objective The aim of this study is to analyse our experience and assess the outcome of surgery for colorectal cancer with curative intent in Greece.Methods During the last 10 years,550 patients were treated for colorectal cancer with curative intent.291(52.9%) of the patients suffered from colonic cancer while 259(47.1%) were operated for rectal cancer.Tumour site,Astler?Coller and TNM classifications and surgical procedures were recorded.Total mortality,morbidity and 5?year survival were evaluated.Results Morbidity rate was 12.0% and mortality rate was 0.68% for colonic cancer surgery,whereas the overall five year survival rate was 77.9%.Morbidity rate was 16.9% and mortality rate was of 0.38% for rectal cancer patients.The overall five year survival rate was 79.6%.Conclusion Morbidity,mortality rate and 5?year survival after colorectal surgery in our department in Greece are comparable to those published in the international literature.     

Proteoglycans in human long-term bone marrow cultures: biochemical and ultrastructural analyses

Proteoglycans within the extracellular matrix of human bone marrow have been implicated in the process of hematopoiesis, but little is known about the structure and composition of these macromolecules in this tissue. Hematopoietically active human long-term bone marrow cultures were incubated with medium containing 35S-sulfate and 3H-glucosamine as labeling precursors. Proteoglycans present in the medium and cell layer were extracted with 4 mol/L guanidine HCI and purified by diethylaminoethyl (DEAE)-Sephacel ion exchange and molecular sieve chromatography. Both culture compartments contain a large chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (MI, CI) that eluted in the void volume of a Sepharose CL-4B column and contained glycosaminoglycan chains of molecular weight (mol wt) approximately 38,000. A second population of sulfate-labeled material was identified as a broad heterogenous peak (MII, CII) that was included on Sepharose CL-4B at Kav = 0.31. This material when chromatographed on Sepharose CL-6B could be further separated into a void peak (MIIa, CIIa) and an included peak eluting at Kav = 0.39 (MIIb, CIIb). The void peaks (MIIa, CIIa) were susceptible to chondroitinase ABC digestion (99%) but slightly less susceptible to chondroitinase AC digestion (90%). Papain digestion of these peaks revealed them to be proteoglycans with glycosaminoglycan chains of mol wt approximately 38,000. The included peaks on Sepharose CL-6B (MIIb, CIIb) from both medium and cell layer compartments resisted digestion with papain, indicating the presence of glycosaminoglycan chains of mol wt approximately 38,000 either free or attached to a small peptide. Although this material was susceptible to chondroitinase ABC (98%), it was considerably less susceptible to chondrotinase AC (approximately 60%), indicating that it contained dermatan sulfate. A small amount of heparan sulfate proteoglycan was also identified but constituted only approximately 10% of the total sulfated proteoglycan extracted from these cultures. Additionally, approximately 40% of the incorporated 3H- activity radioactivity was present as hyaluronic acid. Electron microscopy revealed a layer of adherent cells covered by a mat containing ruthenium red-positive granules that were connected by thin filaments. The extracellular matrix layer above the adherent cells contained a mixture of hematopoietic cells. Chondroitinase ABC treatment of the cultures completely removed the ruthenium red-positive granules overlying the cells and resulted in a loss of approximately 70% of the 35S-sulfate-labeled material from the cell layer.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)