Short-term efficacy of physical interventions in osteoarthritic knee pain. A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised placebo-controlled trials

Background  

Treatment efficacy of physical agents in osteoarthritis of the knee (OAK) pain has been largely unknown, and this systematic review was aimed at assessing their short-term efficacies for pain relief.     

Treatment of classic Kaposi sarcoma with a nicotine dermal patch: a phase II clinical trial

Background  Kaposi sarcoma (KS), a malignancy of dermal endothelial cells that is caused by human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) infection, is sensitive to perturbations of immunity. Nicotine might be effective against KS because of its immunologic and vascular effects and because smoking is associated with a low risk of KS.
Objective and study design  We conducted a masked, randomized phase 2 clinical trial of transdermal nicotine and placebo patches to assess the safety and efficacy of nicotine against classic KS (cKS).
Subjects and methods  Three cKS lesions, predominantly nodules, in each of 24 non-smoking patients were randomly assigned to 15 weeks continuous treatment with nicotine patch (escalated to 7 mg), identical masked placebo patch or no patch. Changes in lesion area and elevation from baseline through six follow-up visits, by direct measurement and by two independent readers using digital photographs of the lesions, were compared using non-parametric and regression methods. Changes in longitudinal levels of HHV8 antibodies and DNA in blood cells were similarly assessed.
Results  There were no systemic or serious adverse events, and compliance was good. One patient resumed smoking and discontinued patches, and two patients withdrew at week 12 for unrelated indications. Six (29%) of the remaining 21 suspended use of patches to relieve local skin irritation; four of these six completed the trial at reduced dose. Treatment assignment was not associated with significant or consistent changes in cKS lesion area or elevation, HHV8 viral load or antibodies.
Conclusion  Transdermal nicotine and placebo patches caused no serious toxicities but had no demonstrable effect on nodular cKS lesions or HHV8 levels.     

HPLC β-环糊精手性流动相添加剂的研究 Ⅱ.RP-HPLC系统中β-环糊精与甲基苯巴比妥的手性选择性包合

在文献报道的基础上，从理论和实验两方面对在不同色谱条件下的β－环糊精流动相手性添加剂对甲基苯巴比妥异构体的保留行为的影响进行了探讨，对表观容量因子ｋ′及包合稳定常数的影响因素如流动相中环糊精添加剂的浓度与溶剂强度进行了较系统的探讨。通过对实验数据的线性回归，得出了流动相中环糊精手性选择性包合稳定常数与溶剂强度的数学关系。     

The expression of murine B cell CD23, in vivo, is regulated by its ligand, IgE

CD23, the low-affinity IgE receptor, is believed to participate in immune responses by mediating antigen capture for presentation by B cells and by shedding fragments with immunomodulatory properties. The number of CD23 molecules on B cells is increased during allergic responses and infection with helminths. This can be attributed in part to regulation of CD23 expression by cytokines, including IL-4. In addition, there is evidence that CD23 can be induced on cultured B cells by its ligand, IgE. In the current study we use IgE-deficient (IgE-/-) mice to establish the effects of IgE on CD23 expression by B cells in vivo, in the absence of allergic or parasitic stimuli. The spleens of IgE-/- and wild-type mice contained similar proportions of CD23+ B lymphocytes. However, cells from IgE-/- mice were found to have nearly 3-fold less CD23 on their surface. The mutant B cells had a corresponding defect in their ability to bind IgE. CD23 could be normally induced on IgE-/- B cells after culture with IL-4 or CD40 ligand, indicating that these cells had no inherent defect in CD23 biosynthesis. CD23 expression and IgE-binding capacity were both restored when splenocytes from IgE-/- mice were cultured in the presence of IgE. IgE-induced up-regulation of CD23 could be elicited in vivo as well. In IgE-/- mice, i.v. infusion of IgE corrected CD23 expression to wild-type levels. Our results demonstrate that IgE directly participates in CD23 regulation in vivo. This positive feedback loop may constitute a mechanism for the amplification of ongoing allergic responses.      

Studies on long-lasting consequences of prenatal exposure to anticonvulsant drugs

Based on neonatal examination at birth, it has been estimated that epileptic women have a 2–3 times greater risk of giving birth to an infant with congenital anomalies. But anticonvulsant drugs may also have more subtle influences on the developing foetus which are not visible at birth but only emerge later in life. Evidence for these functional teratogenic influences has been provided by animal research and follow-up studies in young children. This article discusses these findings in human and animal studies. In addition, the outline of a study carried out at the Department of Obstetrics and Neonatology, Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam, is described. In this study cognitive functioning, fertility and gender role behaviour of young adults, who had been prenatally exposed to barbiturates and/or hydantoins was examined.