2-Methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC)-polymer suppresses an increase of oral bacteria: a single-blind,crossover clinical trial

Clinical Oral Investigations - The biocompatible 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC)-polymers, which mimic a biomembrane, reduce protein adsorption and bacterial adhesion and inhibit...     

Sex-related differences in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of anti-hypertensive drugs

Sex-specific differences in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics have been reported to have important clinical consequences. In this review, some representative sex-specific differences in absorption and transporters (that is, P-glycoprotein (P-gp)), metabolic processes (that is, those that involve cytochrome P450 (CYP)), clearance (Cl) processes (for example, renal excretion or other pharmacokinetic parameters) and involvement of sex hormones (that is, estrogen and testosterone) in the regulation of some metabolic enzymes are introduced for each of the following categories of anti-hypertensive drugs: calcium-channel blockers, angiotensin-receptor blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, diuretic agents, and β-adrenergic-receptor blockers (β-blockers). In many cases, female sex is a risk factor for adverse effects or attenuated clinical responses because of lower Cl, smaller distribution volumes, higher activity of some metabolic enzymes (especially hepatic CYP3A4), or presence of sex hormones. Additionally, some of these factors often co-contribute to the sex-specific differences. Furthermore, pharmacodynamic variability among individuals is often larger than pharmacokinetic variability; in other words, it could become a predominant determinant of interindividual differences in therapeutic responses. Thus, studies of sex-specific differences in pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics should be conducted. However, sex-related disparities in pharmacokinetics may not necessarily correspond to clinically significant differences in therapeutic response. There are still large gaps in our knowledge of sex-specific differences in clinical pharmacology and much more research is needed.     

Wound blotting: A convenient biochemical assessment tool for protein components in exudate of chronic wounds

Because wound exudate includes secreted proteins that affect wound healing, its biochemical analysis is useful for objective assessment of chronic wounds. Wound blotting allows for collection of fresh exudate by attaching a nitrocellulose membrane onto the wound surface. To determine its applicability for several analysis methods and its executability in clinical wound assessment, this study comprised an animal experiment and clinical case reports. In the animal experiment, full‐thickness wounds were created on the dorsal skin of mice, and exudate samples were collected daily by a conventional method and by wound blotting. Extremely small but adequate volumes of exudate were collected by wound blotting for subsequent analysis in the animal experiments. Immunostaining showed the concentration and distribution of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α. The activity of alkaline phosphatase was visualized by reaction with chemiluminescent substrate. The TNF distribution analysis indicated three different patterns: wound edge distribution, wound bed distribution, and a mostly negative pattern in both the animal and clinical studies, suggesting association between the TNF distribution pattern and wound healing. Our results indicate that wound blotting is a convenient method for biochemical analysis of exudate and a candidate tool with which to predict the healing/deterioration of chronic ulcers.     

Predictive validity of granulation tissue color measured by digital image analysis for deep pressure ulcer healing: a multicenter prospective cohort study

This multicenter prospective cohort study examined the predictive validity of granulation tissue color evaluated by digital image analysis for deep pressure ulcer healing. Ninety‐one patients with deep pressure ulcers were followed for 3 weeks. From a wound photograph taken at baseline, an image representing the granulation red index (GRI) was processed in which a redder color represented higher values. We calculated the average GRI over granulation tissue and the proportion of pixels exceeding the threshold intensity of 80 for the granulation tissue surface (%GRI80) and wound surface (%wound red index 80). In the receiver operating characteristics curve analysis, most GRI parameters had adequate discriminative values for both improvement of the DESIGN‐R total score and wound closure. Ulcers were categorized by the obtained cutoff points of the average GRI (≤80, >80), %GRI80 (≤55, >55–80, >80%), and %wound red index 80 (≤25, >25–50, >50%). In the linear mixed model, higher classes for all GRI parameters showed significantly greater relative improvement in overall wound severity during the 3 weeks after adjustment for patient characteristics and wound locations. Assessment of granulation tissue color by digital image analysis will be useful as an objective monitoring tool for granulation tissue quality or surrogate outcomes of pressure ulcer healing.     

A case of left ventricular aneurysm caused by localized myocardial infarction

A 73-year-old man was hospitalized for unstable angina pectoris with no history of myocardial infarction. After undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention, left ventriculography incidentally revealed a cavity in the anterior wall, and echocardiography found the cavity wall to be dyskinetic. Myocardial contrast echocardiography revealed that the wall of the cavity was surrounded by myocardial tissue with low perfusion. Furthermore, radial strain in the wall of the cavity was low. Myocardial scintigraphy showed a localized defect on the anterior wall. The patient was finally diagnosed as true aneurysm after asymptomatic and localized myocardial infarction, and has since been followed up by echocardiography in the outpatient clinic.