Effect of femoral offset and limb length discrepancy on hip joint muscle strength and gait trajectory after total hip arthroplasty

BackgroudFemoral offset (FO) and limb length discrepancy (LLD) are important perioperative considerations when performing THA. Decreased FO prevents improvement of gait and muscle recovery and residual LLD has a prominent influence on patient satisfaction with THA, while few studies have investigated the relationship between FO and/or LLD and gait disturbances. We investigated the association between these two factors and hip muscle strength and the results of 3-D gait analysis after THA.MethodsWe evaluated 92 patients (including 20 patients who underwent gait analysis) in whom total hip arthroplasty was performed for unilateral evere osteoarthritis of the hip joint. FO and LLD were measured on a standard anteroposterior radiograph of the pelvis. Hip muscle strength was evaluated by isometric hip flexion (in the manner of straight leg raising test: SLR) and hip abduction strength. To evaluate 3-D walking trajectory, we used a portable gait analyzer.ResultsReduction of global FO by > 5 mm after THA compared to the contralateral hip was associated with hip abductor muscle weakness. On the other hand, LLD ≤ 20 mm had no influence on hip abductor muscle strength and SLR strength. In gait analysis, SLR strength showed a significant difference between the sagittal plane symmetrical and asymmetrical groups.ConclusionPostoperative global FO > 5 mm less than that of the contralateral hip was associated with hip abductor muscle weakness. And, from the results of 3-D gait analysis, SLR weakness may increase gait asymmetry in the sagittal plane.     

Codelivery of Adriamycin and P-gp Inhibitor Quercetin Using PEGylated Liposomes to Overcome Cancer Drug Resistance

Transmembrane protein P-gp's overexpression at the drug-resistant cell membrane is the most important characteristic of multidrug resistance (MDR). Quercetin (QUE) can effectively suppress the function of P-gp to reverse MDR. This study uses QUE as the P-gp inhibitor andfilm-ultrasound technique with ammonium sulfate transmembrane gradient method to prepare long-circulating liposomes simultaneously encapsulating QUE and Adriamycin (doxorubicin) (AMD/DOX). The optimal conditions for the preparation of AMD_QUE_long-circulating liposomes (SLs) are as follows: hydrogenated soybean phospholipids (HSPC):cholesterol:DSPE-PEG 2000 = 73.07:24.36:2.57 mol/mol, QUE:HSPC = 1:20 mol/mol, AMD:HSPC = 1:7.9 w/w (NH₄₎₂SO₄ 0.15 mol/L, drug loaded (AMD) at 55°C for 25 min). The average encapsulation efficiency of AMD and QUE was 97.49% and 95.50%, respectively. The average particle size is 85 nm (n = 3), and the average zeta potential is ?14.9 mV. First, the pharmacokinetic study proved that codelivery liposomes enveloping QUE and AMD (AMD_QUE_SL) can obviously increase the blood concentration of AMD (C_max: 140.50 ± 32.37 μg/mL) and extend the half-life period of AMD in plasma (t_1/2:14.02 ± 1.54 h). Second, AMD_QUE_SL can obviously enhance the cell toxicity to AMD-resistant cell strains (HL-6/ADR and MCF-7/ADR), and the reverse effects on the resistance of HL-6/ADR and MCF-7/ADR is increased to 4.81-fold and 3.21-fold, respectively. Third, according to the in vivo pharmacodynamic study, the relative tumor volume and relative tumor growth of the AMD_QUE_SL group were the lowest. The inhibition rate of tumor growth of this group was the highest. It can be concluded that AMD_QUE_SL can effectively reverse MDR, lower cardiac toxicity of AMD in clinical treatment, and improve the clinical treatment effect of AMD.     

Estrogen receptor α is not a candidate gene for metabolic syndrome in Caucasian elderly subjects

Objective

Variants of estrogen receptor α (ERα) have been associated with obesity, dyslipidemia, diabetes and blood pressure. The Middle East registers some of the highest rate of metabolic syndrome worldwide. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between metabolic syndrome, a clustered combination of these metabolic factors, and polymorphisms PvuII and XbaI of ERα in Lebanese Caucasian elderly overweight subjects.

Material/Methods

250 Caucasian Lebanese unrelated elderly men and women, median age 71 years, were studied. ERα intronic polymorphisms variants, PvuII and XbaI diplotypes and genotypes, were examined. Associations with metabolic syndrome, defined by the American Heart Association/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (AHA/NHLBI), and its components, namely high density lipoprotein (HDL), fasting glucose levels, blood pressure, and waist circumference were evaluated in regression models.

Results

ER α diplotypes and genotypes distributions were similar between participants with and without metabolic syndrome, in the overall group of subjects, and by gender. No consistent associations between the diplotypes and genotypes tested and metabolic syndrome, or its components, could be detected.

Conclusions

Genetic variants in ERα were not associated with metabolic syndrome or its components, in a group of 250 Lebanese Caucasian elderly participants, a group with a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome.     

Chemometric Models for Quantification of Carbamazepine Anhydrous and Dihydrate Forms in the Formulation

Carbamazepine (CBZ) exists in anhydrous and dihydrate forms. These forms differ in their solubility, dissolution rate, and subsequently in their oral bioavailability. The objective of this study is to develop multivariate chemometric models for estimation of the low level of carbamazepine dihydrate (CBZ-DH) in the CBZ formulations containing excipients of the commercial formulation. The selected excipients were mixed in proportions to make sample matrices ranging from 0% to 50% CBZ-DH. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), near infrared (NIR), and hyperspectral imaging data were mathematically pretreated before the development of partial least square and principal component analysis regression models. The developed partial least squares regression and principal component analysis models demonstrated predictability of CBZ and CBZ-DH by multiple scattering correction and standard normal variate processing methods. Among the spectroscopic techniques used the model performance parameters such as root-mean-square error, standard error, and bias were found to be low for NIR compared to FTIR. The treated data have shown better model fitting than without treatment, which was demonstrated by correlation coefficient of 0.9778, 0.9824, and 0.9852 for FTIR, NIR, and hyperspectral imaging, respectively. Furthermore, the predicted values were found to be very close to the selected low level of independent samples having 5% CBZ-DH in tablet formulation.     

PCR-RFLP鉴定我国黑热病流行区6种常见蛉种

目的 建立鉴定我国黑热病流行区6种常见蛉种的PCR-RFLP （PCR-restriction fragment length polymor-phisms）方法.方法 使用一对通用引物扩增线粒体COI基因,比较中华白蛉、长管白蛉、吴氏白蛉、亚历山大白蛉和歌乐山司蛉线粒体COI基因序列,寻找合适的限制性内切酶酶切位点,使用TaqI、PstI内切酶双酶切,通过电泳片段大小鉴别上述6种蛉种.结果 长管白蛉、中华白蛉、吴氏白蛉、亚历山大白蛉、歌乐山司蛉和鳞喙司蛉酶切片段呈现长度不同的种特异条带,可以将上述我国常见的6种蛉种区分开来.结论 基于COI基因序列差异建立的PCR-RFLP方法简便易行可靠,具有较高的灵敏度和特异性,可用于我国黑热病流行区6种常见蛉种的分类鉴定.     

Interleukin-23 receptor gene polymorphisms in Iranian patients with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus

Introduction and objectivesConsidering the possible roles of interleukin-23 receptor (IL-23R) gene in the pathogenesis of juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE), the objective of this study was to elucidate whether polymorphisms of the IL23R are associated with susceptibility to JSLE in an Iranian population.Materials and methodsA case-control study on 62 patients with JSLE and 78 healthy controls was performed to investigate the associations of four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in IL-23R gene, namely, rs7517847, rs10489629, rs11209026, and rs1343151, with susceptibility to JSLE, using real-time polymerase chain reaction Taqman genotyping technique.ResultsAnalysis of allele and genotype frequency of four selected SNPs revealed statistically significant positive association between homozygous variant of rs7517847 (TT) (P, 0.02) and T allele at the same position (P, 0.01) with JSLE vulnerability. There was no significant association between other evaluated SNPs and JSLE susceptibility.ConclusionThese findings suggest that particular IL-23R gene variants could affect individual susceptibility to JSLE.     

115例汉族献血者ABH分泌型与非分泌型分布及其基因多态性

目的:对115例非亲缘关系的汉族无偿献血者ABH分泌型及非分泌型进行基因多态性分析,初步探讨本地区汉族人群ABH分泌型及非分泌型的基因多态性特点。方法:采用凝集抑制试验检测115例标本ABH血性物质,聚合酶链反应-序列特异性引物(PCR-SSP)技术对选取样本作ABH基因定型。结果:115例献血者经唾液凝集抑制试验检测,分泌型95例,非分泌型20例;115例样本中,无A385T基因突变的48例均为分泌型;A385T基因突变者中,杂合子基因385A/385T39例,为分泌型,纯合子385T/385T基因28例,8例为分泌型,20例为非分泌型。结论:在本地区汉族人群中存在不同于白人及非洲人群的385A/385T基因突变。     

武汉地区人群血小板特异性基因(HPA-1～17)的多态性分析

目的:研究武汉地区人群HPA-1~17基因的多态性及其表达频率,建立HPA基因型资料库。方法:采用序列特异性引物-聚合酶链反应(SSP-PCR)对284名健康的已加入中华骨髓库的血小板捐献者HPA基因进行分型,计算基因型频率、基因频率。结果:武汉地区健康血小板捐献者中检测出HPA-a基因中的1a~17a基因;各基因独立的分布频率中,HPA-1a(98.77%)、2a(97.01%)、3a(59.68%)、4a(99.82%)、5a(99.82%)、6a(98.42%)、15a(49.47%),HPA-7a~14a、16a和17a均为100%。仅检测出HPA-b基因中HPA-1b(1.23%)、2b(2.99%)、3b(40.32%)、4b(0.18%)、5b(0.18%)、6b(1.58%)、15b(50.53%),未检测出HPA-7b~14b、16b和17b。文中调查和分析了HPA基因组合型及其频率,发现武汉地区HPA基因有28种组合型,其中仅有3种基因组合型频率10%(44%),另外25种基因组合型的频率均9%(56%)。在与国内外不同地区人群HPA基因多态性分布的比较分析中发现,武汉地区人群中HPA基因频率与上海、成都地区人群没有差异性,与美国、英国、欧洲人群有较有明显差异,而与日本人群的差异较小。结论:HPA-3、15系统具有多态性,在随机血小板输注中,供受者HPA-3、HPA-15系统不配合的机会分别为36.54%、37.50%,是HPA配合性输注关注重点。HPA基因多态性研究数据有利于指导地区性血小板供者库库容的设计,配合临床开展选择适合性血小板输注具有重要意义。