Management of apical inflammatory root resorption: report of a case

This article describes the diagnosis and treatment of a case of extensive apical external root resorption in the presence of a large periradicular lesion. The diagnosis was made in retrospect because the result of the resorption mimicked an immature root. The treatment consisted of the use of calcium hydroxide to induce apexification. Healing was obtained after 24 months.     

Spontaneous priapism produced by stenosis of the lumbar canal

A case of a 64-year-old man with stenosis of the lumbar canal and symptoms of compression of the cauda equina is described. This symptomatology increased after walking and was associated with spontaneous priapism. All symptoms were relieved after surgical decompression.     

In vitro effects of bencyclan on coagulation, fibrinolysis and platelet function.

The in vitro effects of N-3-(1-benzyl-cycloheptyloxy)-propyl-N,N-dimethylammonium-hydrogenfumarate (bencyclan) on clotting, fibrinolytic and platelet function test were investigated by adding the drug to normal human plasma. An anticoagulant activity, mainly of an antithromboplastin nature (directed against later stages of intrinsic thromboplastin formation and against tissue thromboplastin), was observed, while thrombin phase was unaffected. No effect was found in the fibrinolytic system tested (euglobulin lysis, UK-activated fibrinolysis, "hanging clot" method). The drug, although capable of aggregating platelets by itself at very high concentrations, showed a striking inhibitory effect, over a wide range of concentrations, both on platelet aggregation induced by ADP, epinephrine or collagen and on platelet adhesiveness to glass or collagen. Clot retraction was also clearly inhibited. PF3 availability was influenced with a peculiar two-phase behaviour dose-dependently. High concentrations showed a promoting action, while the lower were obviously inhibitory. It is suggested that the effects on platelet function may be due to an influence of the drug on cell membrane.     

Identification of differentially expressed genes in shrimp (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Penaeus stylirostris</Emphasis>) infected with <Emphasis Type="Italic">White spot syndrome virus</Emphasis> by cDNA microarrays

Summary. White spot syndrome virus (WSSV) is currently the most important viral pathogen infecting penaeid shrimp worldwide. Although considerable progress has been made in characterizing the WSSV genome and developing detection methods, information pertaining to host genes involved in WSSV pathogenesis is limited. We examined the potential of cDNA microarray analysis to study gene expression in WSSV-infected shrimp. Shrimp cDNAs were printed as low-density arrays on glass slides and were hybridized with Cy3/Cy5 labeled probes derived from RNA isolated from healthy and WSSV-infected shrimp. Genes that code for proteins that are relevant to crustacean immunity, structural proteins, as well as proteins of unknown function were among those whose mRNA expression was altered upon WSSV infection. To validate the microarray data, the temporal expression of three differentially expressed genes, an immune gene (C-type lectin-1), a structural gene (40S ribosomal protein), and a gene involved in lipid metabolism (fatty acid binding protein) was measured in healthy and WSSV-infected shrimp by real-time RT-PCR. The data suggest that WSSV infection alters the expression of a wide array of cellular genes, and provides a framework for further studies aimed at identifying genes whose function may provide insight into the mechanism of WSSV infection in shrimp.     

Host-cell-dependent role of actin cytoskeleton during the replication of a human strain of influenza A virus

This study was aimed at investigating the possible involvement of the actin cytoskeleton in the modulation of host permissiveness to A/NWS/33 human influenza virus infection in two mammalian (MDCK and LLC-MK2) cell lines in vitro. During the early stages of infection, no appreciable association between incoming NWS/33 virions and cortical actin was detectable in the permissive MDCK model by confocal microscopy, while extensive colocalization and a slower infection progression were observed in LLC-MK2 cells. In the latter model, we also demonstrated the inability of the virus to carry out multiple replication cycles, irrespective of the presence of cleaved HA subunits in the released virions. Treatment with the actin-depolymerizing agent cytochalasin D significantly increased the infection efficiency in LLC-MK2 cells, while a detrimental effect was observed in the MDCK cell line. Our data suggest a selective role of the actin network in inducing a restriction to influenza virus replication, mostly depending on its molecular organization, the host cell type and virus replication phase.     

Molecular characterization of VP4, VP6 and VP7 genes of a rare G8P[14] rotavirus strain detected in an infant with gastroenteritis in Italy

In this study, the molecular characterization of a rare G8P[14] group A rotavirus (GARV) strain detected in Northern Italy during the 2004-2005 epidemiological rotavirus season is described. Two hundred and seventy three rotavirus-like particle positive stools out of 856 stools from children (31.9%) hospitalized with gastroenteritis were analyzed using polyacrilamide gel electrophoresis and 271 GARVs were genotyped by VP7 and VP4 specific RT-PCRs. One strain (PR/1300/04) with a long electropherotype (e-type) displayed the G8 specificity and was VP4 un-typeable. The P and the subgroup (SG) specificities were determined by sequencing the VP4 and the VP6 gene, respectively. The PR/1300/04 strain exhibited P[14] and SGI specificities. By sequence and phylogenetic analyses of the VP4, VP6 and VP7 amplicons, the PR/1300/04 VP4 and VP6 genes were demonstrated to be of human rotavirus origin, with the VP4 gene closely related to the human Italian PA169 strain (G6P[14]), while the VP7 gene was of animal origin (bovine). These data suggest that the Italian PR/1300/04 strain could be a reassortant between a PA169-like Italian strain with P[14] specificity, long e-type and SGI, and a G8 animal strain. The increasing number of reports of atypical GARVs in humans suggests that interspecies transmission of genes greatly contributes to the GARV genetic evolution.     

长骨骨折骨折后应用非甾体类抗炎药会增加骨不连的风险吗?

四项研究的证据表明,长骨骨折愈合过程中应用非甾体类抗炎药(NSAIDs)会增加发生骨不连的风险,已经修正过的相对危险性评估值为3.15～10.74.其中三项研究显示该增高的危险性具有统计学意义.有必要建立方法学上更为严密的预后研究,包括详细的NSAIDs类型、剂量和使用时间等,以明确NSAIDs的长期应用对长骨骨折骨不连发生率的影响.     

开放性骨折创口Ⅰ期或延迟闭合时感染及骨不愈合的发生率

对于开放性骨折Ⅰ期或延迟闭合创口所伴随的感染或骨不愈合的发生率,三项有关的回顾性群组研究得出的结果并不一致.一项有关胫骨开放性骨折的研究表明,Ⅱ期延迟闭合创口与Ⅰ期闭合相比较,其骨不愈合及感染的发生率均显著降低;但此结果与另外两项研究结果迥异.     

踝部骨折内固定术后早期和晚期活动的比较

三个小型、近似随机对照实验的中度证据表明：①踝部骨折内固定术后，早期和晚期活动组间比较，踝关节功能评分无差异。②在晚期活动组中，静脉血栓发生率轻度增加，但差异无显统计学意义。③早期活动感染和其它并发症发生率轻度增加。[第一段]