Expression of genes for estrogen receptors α and β in human articular chondrocytes

AbstractObjective To investigate the gene expression of estrogen receptor (ER) α and ERβ in human articular chondrocytes.Methods 16 articular cartilage specimens were obtained from 15 patients during surgery. Three of the specimens were from men and 13 from women; three from hip joints and 13 from knee joints; four were normal and 12 showed osteoarthritic cartilage. Total RNA was extracted from the articular chondrocytes and the expression of both ERα and ERβ genes was investigated by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method.Results Gene expressions of ERα were detected in all specimens and those of ERβ were found in 15 specimens by the RT-PCR method. There was a significant correlation between the amounts of ERα and ERβ. Expression levels of both genes were significantly higher in men than in women. There were no significant differences in the expression levels of both ER genes between the hip and knee joint sites, nor between normal and osteoarthritic tissues.Conclusion This study is to our knowledge the first to demonstrate the gene expression of both ERα and ERβ in human articular chondrocytes. Since there are some functional differences between the two receptors, the effects of estrogen on cartilage metabolism should be elucidated by two different receptor mechanisms.{copy

Caracterización de pacientes con mielopatía espondilótica cervical intervenidos por disectomía anterior

Introduction: cervical spondylotic myelopathy is a common disease, which accounts for a quarter of all upper-limb paresthesia. Anterior graft discectomy is one of the most widely used surgical techniques in the world to treat this disease.Objective: to characterize patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy who underwent surgery using the anterior discectomy with graft technique.Methods: a retrospective, descriptive, longitudinal study was conducted in 35 patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy who underwent surgery using the anterior graft discectomy technique at “Lucia Iñiguez Landín” Clinical Surgical Teaching Hospital from January 2017 to December 2019. The variables studied were: age, sex, race, personal pathological history, signs and symptoms (before the surgery), cervical level affected, sequelae and complications.Results: male patients predominated (59,9 %), with ages between 45 and 60 years (45,71 %) and with personal pathological history of obesity (40 %). The prevailing clinical manifestations before surgery were hyperreflexia (65,71 %) and paresthesia (62,85 %). The most affected cervical segment was C5-C7 (91,42 %). The main complications were generalized hyperreflexia (17,14 %) and pain (8,57 %).Conclusions: patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy surgically treated by the anterior discectomy with graft technique were mostly male, in ages after the fourth decade of life. Patients presented hyperreflexia before the surgery, and could develop generalized hyperreflexia as a complication.Introducción: la mielopatía espondilótica cervical es una enfermedad frecuente, que representa la cuarta parte de las parestesias en miembros superiores.  La disectomía anterior con injerto es una de las técnicas quirúrgicas más utilizadas en el mundo para tratar esta enfermedad.Objetivo: Caracterizar los pacientes con mielopatía espondilótica cervical intervenidos quirúrgicamente por la técnica disectomía anterior con injerto.Método: Se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo, longitudinal retrospectivo en 35 pacientes con mielopatía espondilótica cervical intervenidos quirúrgicamente por la técnica de disectomía anterior con injerto en el Hospital Clínico Quirúrgico Docente “Lucia Iñiguez Landín” en el período de enero del 2017 a diciembre del 2019. Las variables estudiadas fueron: edad, sexo, color de piel, antecedentes patológicos personales, signos y síntomas (antes de la operación), nivel cervical afectado, secuelas y complicaciones.Resultados: Se encontró predominio de pacientes masculinos (59,9 %), con edades entre 45 y 60 años (45,71 %) y con antecedentes patológicos personales de obesidad (40 %). Las manifestaciones clínicas que predominaron antes de la intervención quirúrgica fueron la hiperreflexia (65,71 %) y la parestesia (62,85 %). El segmento cervical más afectado fue C5-C7 (91,42 %). Las principales complicaciones fueron la hiperreflexia generalizada (17,14 %) y el dolor (8,57).Conclusiones: los pacientes con mielopatía espondilótica cervical intervenidos quirúrgicamente por la técnica disectomía anterior con injerto fueron de sexo masculino en su mayoría, con edades pasadas de la cuarta década de vida. Los pacientes presentaron hiperreflexia antes de la operación, pudiendo desarrollar hiperreflexia generalizada como complicación

New perspectives on evolutionary medicine: the relevance of microevolution for human health and disease

Evolutionary medicine (EM) is a growing field focusing on the evolutionary basis of human diseases and their changes through time. To date, the majority of EM studies have used pure theories of hominin macroevolution to explain the present-day state of human health. Here, we propose a different approach by addressing more empirical and health-oriented research concerning past, current and future microevolutionary changes of human structure, functions and pathologies. Studying generation-to-generation changes of human morphology that occurred in historical times, and still occur in present-day populations under the forces of evolution, helps to explain medical conditions and warns clinicians that their current practices may influence future humans. Also, analyzing historic tissue specimens such as mummies is crucial in order to address the molecular evolution of pathogens, of the human genome, and their coadaptations.Frank Jakobus Rühli and Maciej Henneber