Temporomandibular joint: morphology and signal intensity characteristics of the disk at MR imaging

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has been used in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) primarily to define the disk position. This report examines altered morphology and signal intensity characteristics of the TMJ disk as they relate to the severity of internal derangement. Two hundred sixteen joints in 133 patients with a history of such derangement. were imaged with MR. Disk position, signal intensity, morphology, and the presence of osteoarthritis were determined for each joint. The normal disk was not anteriorly displaced and had a normal "bow-tie" shape. A grade 1 disk was anteriorly displaced and had a normal shape; a grade 2 disk was anteriorly displaced and had an abnormal shape. Forty (19%) joints were considered normal; none of these exhibited osteoarthritis. One hundred thirty-nine (64%) joints were grade 1; osteoarthritis was found in 17%. Thirty-seven (17%) were grade 2; osteoarthritis was found in 95%. All forty normal joints had high or intermediate signal intensity in the disk. Osteoarthritic joints had a higher percentage of disks with diminished intensity (P less than .0001). Severe or untreated osteoarthritis is known to be a complication of TMJ internal derangements; hence this grading system seems to correlate with the severity of internal derangement.     

Mobilization of early hematopoietic progenitor cells with BB-10010: a genetically engineered variant of human macrophage inflammatory protein- 1 alpha

BB-10010 is a genetically engineered variant of human macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha with improved solution properties. We show here that it mobilizes stem cells into the peripheral blood. We investigated the mobilizing effects of BB-10010 on the numbers of circulating 8-day spleen colony-forming units (CFU-S8), CFU-S12, and progenitors with marrow repopulating ability (MRA). A single subcutaneous dose of BB-10010 caused a twofold increase in circulating numbers of CFU-S8, CFU-S12, and MRA 30 minutes after dosing. We also investigated the effects of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G- CSF) and the combination of G-CSF with BB-10010 on progenitor mobilization. Two days of G-CSF treatment increased circulating CFU-S8, CFU-S12, and MRA progenitors by 25.7-, 19.8-, and 27.7-fold. A single administration of BB-10010 after 2 days of G-CSF treatment increased circulating CFU-S8, CFU-S12, and MRA even further to 38-, 33-, and 100- fold. Splenectomy resulted in increased circulating progenitor numbers but did not change the pattern of mobilization. Two days of treatment with G-CSF then increased circulating CFU-S8, CFU-S12, and MRA by 64-, 69-, and 32-fold. A single BB-10010 administration after G-CSF treatment further increased them to 85-, 117-, and 140-fold, respectively, compared with control. We conclude that BB-10010 causes a rapid increase in the number of circulating hematopoietic progenitors and further enhances the numbers induced by pretreatment with G-CSF. BB- 10010 preferentially mobilized the more primitive progenitors with marrow repopulating activity, releasing four times the number achieved with G-CSF alone. Translated into a clinical setting, this improvement in progenitor cell mobilization may enhance the efficiency of harvest and the quality of grafts for peripheral blood stem cell transplantation.     

Squamous cell carcinoma after radiofrequency ablation for Barrett’s dysplasia

Barrett’s oesophagus(BO)is a usually indolent condition that occasionally requires endoscopic therapy.Radiofrequency ablation(RFA)is an effective endoscopic treatment for high grade dysplasia(HGD)and intramucosal cancer in BO.It has a good efficacy,durability and safety profile although complications can occur.Here we describe a case of RFA in a patient with high grade dysplasia.Although the response to treatment was initially very good with the development of neosquamous epithelium,the patient very rapidly developed a squamous cell cancer of the oesophagus confirmed on radiology,histology and immunohistochemistry.Sanger sequencing confirmed that the original HGD and the squamous cell cancer(SCC)were derived from separate clonal origins.The report highlights the fact that SCC of the oesophagus has been noted after endoscopic ablation for BO previously and suggest that ablation of BO may encourage the clonal expansion of cells carrying carcinogenic mutations once a dominant clonal population has been eradicated.     

MicroRNAs bind to Toll-like receptors to induce prometastatic inflammatory response

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs, 19-24 nucleotides in length, that regulate gene expression and are expressed aberrantly in most types of cancer. MiRNAs also have been detected in the blood of cancer patients and can serve as circulating biomarkers. It has been shown that secreted miRNAs within exosomes can be transferred from cell to cell and can regulate gene expression in the receiving cells by canonical binding to their target messenger RNAs. Here we show that tumor-secreted miR-21 and miR-29a also can function by another mechanism, by binding as ligands to receptors of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family, murine TLR7 and human TLR8, in immune cells, triggering a TLR-mediated prometastatic inflammatory response that ultimately may lead to tumor growth and metastasis. Thus, by acting as paracrine agonists of TLRs, secreted miRNAs are key regulators of the tumor microenvironment. This mechanism of action of miRNAs is implicated in tumor-immune system communication and is important in tumor growth and spread, thus representing a possible target for cancer treatment.     

Cardiorespiratory fitness and body mass index values in 9-year-old rural Norwegian children

Aim: To describe cardiorespiratory fitness and body mass index (BMI) values in a representative population of 9-year-old Norwegian children in two rural communities and compare present values with previous findings.
Methods: Two hundred and fifty-nine 9-year-old children were invited, and 256 participated in this study. Maximal oxygen uptake was directly measured during a continuous progressive treadmill protocol. Body mass and height were also measured.
Results: The mean ± SD relative maximal oxygen uptake was 52.8 ± 6.5 for boys and 46.9 ± 7.2 mL/kg/min for girls. Eight percent of the boys and 16.8% of the girls were classified as overweight, and 1.6% of the boys and 6.9% of the girls as obese. Mean age, body mass, height and Ponderal index were not significantly different between sexes. Girls had a higher BMI than boys (p = 0.05).
Conclusion: Compared to earlier Norwegian studies, children's BMI values seem to have increased substantially. This increase is most pronounced in girls. When assessing these differences using the PI, this increase is less marked. Comparing maximal oxygen uptake data with that in earlier Nordic studies, there is no evidence that fitness has declined among 9-year olds. However, the limitations of the few earlier studies make reliable comparisons difficult.