Dupuytren’s disease and occupational mechanical exposures: a systematic review and meta-analysis

International audienceThe risk of developing Dupuytren’s disease among workers exposed to occupational mechanical exposures has been reported in few systematic reviews, mainly related to vibration. Expanding the investigation to all occupational mechanical exposures is essential for advancing scientific knowledge, health policies and improving workplace safety. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to study the association between occupational mechanical exposures and Dupuytren’s disease.We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis using guidelines stated by PRISMA. The systematic literature search was performed in Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases in April 2023. Inclusion criteria were conducted using the PECOS. Two independent authors conducted the literature screening, data extraction and risk of bias assessment. In the meta-analyses, data was pooled using random-effects models and stratified by the risk of bias and study design. The level of evidence was evaluated using GRADE.The literature search identified 563 unique articles and 15 were deemed eligible for inclusion, categorised into hand-transmitted vibration, lifting/carrying loads and combined mechanical exposures. Exposure to hand-transmitted vibration showed an OR of 2.0 (95% CI 1.5 to 2.7, I2=64%), lifting/carrying loads had an OR of 1.5 (95% CI 1.1 to 2.0, I2=77%) and combined mechanical exposures had an OR of 2.1 (95% CI 1.4 to 3.1, I2=94%). When grading the level of evidence, we found moderate evidence for hand-transmitted vibration, while low evidence was found for lifting/carrying loads and combined mechanical exposures.We found an association between hand-transmitted vibration, lifting/carrying loads and combined mechanical exposures. The level of evidence was considered moderate for hand-transmitted vibration and low for lifting/carrying loads and combined mechanical exposures

High-level expression of active human cystatin C in Escherichia coli

Expression of the human cysteine proteinase inhibitor, cystatin C (CysC) in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli was studied using a cDNA fragment encoding the cysteine proteinase inhibitor controlled by the phage λ pImage /cI857 system. The yield of CysC was low, probably due to proteolytic degradation. By fusing the cysC cDNA to a DNA fragment encoding the signal peptide of the E. coli outer membrane protein A, it was possible to produce a substantial amount of CysC in the periplasm. The processing of the signal peptide was shown to be quantitative and to result in CysC with the correct N-terminal amino acid. Yields higher than 1000 μg CysC/ml can be obtained by initiating the product formation at a moderate temperature (40 °C) late in an optimized fermentation process. A method that gives selective extraction of the periplasmic proteins and at the same time stabilizes CysC has been used

An enzyme with rhamnogalacturonase activity

An enzyme exhibiting rhamnogalacturonase activity, which enzyme: a) is encoded by the DNA sequence shown in SEQ ID No. 1 or a sequence homologous thereto encoding a polypeptide with RGase activity, b) has the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID No. 2 or an analogue thereof, c) is reactive with an antibody raised against the enzyme encoded by the DNA sequence shown in SEQ ID No. 1, d) has a pH optimum above pH 5, and/or e) has a relative activity of at least 30% at a pH in the range of 5.5-6.5. The enzyme may be used for reducing the viscosity of a plant cell wall material and for extracting high molecular weight molecules from a plant cell wall material.<br/