Soft tissue involvement, mediastinal pseudotumor, and venous thrombosis in pustulotic arthro-osteitis

A syndrome of hyperostosis of the thoracic wall, nonspecific signs of inflammatory disease, and palmar and plantar pustulosis is described in eight patients (Table 1). Seven had intersternocostoclavicular ossification [12], and one had chromic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis [2]. This complex of findings has been called “pustulotic arthro-osteitis” [5, 12]. This report emphasizes the periosseous soft tissue inflammation and the unexplained subclavian and mediastinal vein thrombosis seen in two patients [8]. Inflammatory periosseous and mediastinal lesions were seen on plain films in all eight patients and on computed tomographic (CT) scans in seven. Radiographs of the spine showed a spondyloarthropathy in three patients. This was characterized by ossification of the vertebral ligaments and sclerosis of the vertebral bodies. Awareness of the radiologic features of pustulotic arthro-osteitis is important because the clinical, biochemical and pathologic findings are often nonspecific and misleading [5, 8, 12].Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/46791/1/256_2004_Article_BF00366761.pd

Effect of decalcification on bone mineral content and bending strength of feline femur

10.1007/BF00298748Calcified Tissue International56178-82CTIN

Real-time fusion-imaging in low back pain: a new navigation system for facet joint injections

Aims and Objectives: The aim of the current study is to present our experience in lumbar spine interventional procedures performed with a newly developed multimodal echo-navigator (EcoNav) and to evaluate short-term clinical outcomes of a series of patients affected by facet joint disease (FJD) treated with steroid and anaesthetic injection under fusion-imaging guidance, compared to a cohort of patients that received the same treatment under computed tomography (CT) guidance. Methods: Sixty-five consecutive patients (34 females; mean age 68.3 \ub1 12.8 years) with a clinical diagnosis of non-radicular low back pain lasting for more than 6-weeks and magnetic resonance (MR) or CT confirmed FJD were enrolled for image-guided FJI. Twenty-eight patients underwent FJI with fusion-guided technique, while CT-guided procedures were performed in the other cases. Clinical and procedural data were recorded and compared at a mean follow-up of 6.1 \ub1 2.0 months. Results: A significant improvement in clinical parameters was observed for both fusion-guided and CT-guided group. Comparing both groups, no statistically significant difference could be detected neither at baseline conditions nor during the follow-up period. No significant periprocedural complication occurred in both groups. A satisfaction rate of 92.3 and 81.1% was reported for fusion-guided and CT-guided group, respectively. Conclusion: EcoNav fusion-imaging system represents a safe, feasible, effective and reproducible guidance option in FJD infiltration procedures, also avoiding use of ionising radiations

MHC2TA is associated with differential MHC molecule expression and susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and myocardial infarction.

Antigen presentation to T cells by MHC molecules is essential for adaptive immune responses. To determine the exact position of a gene affecting expression of MHC molecules, we finely mapped a previously defined rat quantitative trait locus regulating MHC class II on microglia in an advanced intercross line. We identified a small interval including the gene MHC class II transactivator (Mhc2ta) and, using a map over six inbred strains combined with gene sequencing and expression analysis, two conserved Mhc2ta haplotypes segregating with MHC class II levels. In humans, a -168A --> G polymorphism in the type III promoter of the MHC class II transactivator (MHC2TA) was associated with increased susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and myocardial infarction, as well as lower expression of MHC2TA after stimulation of leukocytes with interferon-gamma. We conclude that polymorphisms in Mhc2ta and MHC2TA result in differential MHC molecule expression and are associated with susceptibility to common complex diseases with inflammatory components