Prolyl and lysyl hydroxylases in collagen synthesis

Collagens are the most abundant proteins in the extracellular matrix. They provide a framework to build organs and tissues and give structural support to make them resistant to mechanical load and forces. Several intra‐ and extracellular modifications are needed to make functional collagen molecules, intracellular post‐translational modifications of proline and lysine residues having key roles in this. In this article, we provide a review on the enzymes responsible for the proline and lysine modifications, that is collagen prolyl 4‐hydroxylases, 3‐hydroxylases and lysyl hydroxylases, and discuss their biological functions and involvement in diseases.     

Congenital esophageal cysts in adults

Sixteen adult patients with congenital esophageal cysts were operated on between 1957 and 1979. Preoperatively, 7 patients (44%) were asymptomatic and the cyst was found incidentally on a routine chest roentgenogram. Esophageal symptoms were present in only 3 patients (19%), whereas most symptomatic patients had precordial sensations or arrhythmias. A correct preoperative diagnosis was made in only 1 patient. After enucleation of the cyst, preoperative symptoms were alleviated in all patients and short-term results were excellent. However, long-term follow-up 13.2 +/- 5.6 (+/- standard deviation) years later revealed moderate reflux in 9 (64%) of the surviving 14 patients. During esophagoscopy, macroscopic esophagitis was found in 12 (92%) of 13 patients. On histological examination of specimens obtained by forceps biopsy, esophagitis was present in 10 (77%) of 13 patients and included Barrett esophagus in 2. We conclude that, despite excellent early results, long-term follow-up of patients who undergo operation for congenital esophageal cysts is indicated because of the increased incidence of reflux esophagitis.     

Influence of pain and urinary symptoms on quality of life in young men with chronic prostatitis-like symptoms

BACKGROUND: Our aims in the present study were to estimate the influences of pain and urinary symptoms on quality of life, and to determine which of these two variables has the most predictive power with respect to quality of life in young men with chronic prostatitis-like symptoms. METHODS: Chronic prostatitis-like symptoms were measured by the National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index. Of the 28,841 men aged 20 years who lived in the study community, 18,495 men (a response rate 64.1%) agreed to participate in the study. A total of 1057 men who complained of symptoms indicative of chronic prostatitis were included in the study. The influences of pain and urinary symptoms on quality of life were determined using logistic regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to estimate the predictive ability of each of these variables with respect to quality of life. RESULTS: Results from multivariate analysis showed that both pain and urinary symptoms were associated with an increased likelihood of impaired quality of life, although pain contributed more to a reduced quality of life than urinary symptoms. Relative to men who experienced mild pain, men who experienced moderate pain had a 3.9-fold risk of poor quality of life (odds ratio [OR], 3.87; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.86-5.23; P < 0.001) and those who experienced severe pain had a 15.7-fold risk of reduced quality of life (OR, 15.68; 95% CI, 6.59-37.35; P < 0.001). Moderate urinary symptoms were associated with a 1.4-fold risk of bother (OR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.01-1.99; P < 0.001) and severe urinary symptoms were associated with 2.4-fold risk (OR, 2.39; 95% CI, 1.37-4.12; P < 0.001), relative to mild urinary symptoms. Comparison of the effects of pain and urinary symptoms showed that pain severity had the most predictive power for bother, quality of life, and quality-of-life impact. The areas under the ROC curves for bother, quality of life, and quality-of-life impact were 71.3%, 69.3% and 72.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Urinary symptoms and pain might be associated with an increased likelihood of impaired quality of life in young men with chronic prostatitis-like symptoms. In addition, our findings suggest that pain severity is the most influential variable for determining quality of life in this population.     

Internal derangement of the temporomandibular joint: a histochemical study.

The purpose of this study was to correlate histologic findings in temporomandibular joint (TMJ) condyles and discs with their macroscopic appearance at surgery. The 24 patients with internal derangement of the joint included 20 women and 4 men (mean age, 37 years; range, 18 to 61 years). The tissue lesions varied in degree from mild soft-tissue fraying and bone remodeling to extensive resorption and new cartilage and bone formation with high phosphatase enzyme activities, and even to loss of articular soft tissue and breakdown of cortical bone. Reactions may arise in the hard tissues before they occur in the articular surface layers.     

Strain gauge plethysmography in the assessment of venous reflux after subfascial closure of perforating veins: a prospective study of twenty patients

Doppler ultrasonography and strain gauge plethysmography were used prospectively to study the hemodynamic changes in 20 patients' (5 men and 15 women) legs operated on by means of subfascial closure for insufficiency of perforating veins. In 10 patients (50%) the valves of the deep veins were incompetent as verified by Doppler ultrasonography, and deep vein thrombosis had previously been diagnosed in seven patients. After subfascial ligature, strain gauge plethysmography showed no changes in arterial flow, venous capacity, or in venous emptying rate. However, both venous reflux flow and reflux volume were significantly lowered (p less than 0.01) after surgery as compared to values before operation. The clinical objective results were good in all cases. In two of four patients with fair subjective results the arterial flow was pathologically high, which probably implies the presence of microscopic arteriovenous fistulas. It is concluded that strain gauge plethysmography can quantitate the change in deep venous reflux after ligation of perforating veins.