Femoroacetabular impingement: normal values of the quantitative morphometric parameters in asymptomatic hips.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the means and the reference intervals of the quantitative morphometric parameters of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) in normal hips with high-resolution computed tomography (CT). METHODS: We prospectively included 94 adult individuals who underwent CT for thoracic, abdominal or urologic pathologies. Patients with a clinical history of hip pathology and/or with osteoarthritis on CT were excluded. We calculated means and 95 % reference intervals for imaging signs of cam-type (alpha angle at 90° and 45° and femoral head-neck offset) and pincer-type impingement (acetabular version angle, lateral centre-edge angle and acetabular index). RESULTS: The 95 % reference interval limits were all far beyond the abnormal thresholds found in the literature for cam-type and to a lesser extent for pincer-type FAI. The upper limits of the reference intervals for the alpha angles (at 90°/45°) were 68°/83° (men) and 69°/84° (women), compared to thresholds from the literature (50°, 55° or 60°). Reference intervals were similar between genders for cam-type parameters, and slightly differed for pincer-type. CONCLUSION: The 95 % reference intervals of morphometric measurements of FAI in asymptomatic hips were beyond the abnormal thresholds, which was especially true for cam-type FAI. Our results suggest the need for redefining the current morphometric parameters used in the diagnosis of FAI. KEY POINTS: ? 95 % reference intervals limits of FAI morphotype were beyond currently defined thresholds. ? Reference intervals of pincer-type morphotype measurements were close to current definitions. ? Reference intervals of cam-type morphotype measurements were far beyond the current definitions. ? Current morphometric definitions of cam-type morphotype should be used with care

Replication and innate host response of influenza A virus in lung microvascular endothelial cells: new insights into systemic infection and pathogenesis

INTRODUCTION: Though influenza A virus replication kinetics and host responses have been previously studied in umbilical vein endothelial cell or transformed endothelial cell lines, the tropism of influenza A virus including H5N1 and pandemic H1N1pdm for primary human lung microvascular endothelial cell has not been well defined.1 In this study we employed primary human lung microvascular endothelial cells, which are more physiologically relevant for understanding pathogenesis of influenza in the lung as to obtain a better understanding of the links of endothelial cell infection to systematic virus dissemination and multiple organ involvement in severe human influenza …link_to_OA_fulltex

Tropism and innate host response of the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus compared with related swine influenza viruses and reassortants in ex vivo and in vitro cultures of the human respiratory tract and conjunctiva

BACKGROUND: Pandemic influenza H1N1 (H1N1pdm) virus of swine-origin causes mild disease, but occasionally is associated with acute respiratory distress syndrome and death.1,2 It is important to understand the pathogenesis of this new disease. Previously we showed a comparable virus tropism and host innate immune responses between H1N1pdm and seasonal H1N1 influenza virus in the human respiratory tract,3 however H1N1pdm virus differed from seasonal H1N1 influenza virus in its ability to replicate in human conjunctiva, suggesting subtle differences in receptor-binding profile and highlighting the potential role of the conjunctiva as an additional route of infection. We now compare the tropism and host responses elicited by pandemic H1N1 with that of related swine influenza viruses and a pandemic-swine reassortant virus in ex vivo and in vitro cultures of the human respiratory tract and conjunctiva. We have used recombinant virus to investigate the role of the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) of H1N1pdm virus in its conjunctival tropism. These findings are relevant for understanding transmission and therapy …link_to_OA_fulltex