Characterization of nitrotyrosine as a biomarker for arthritis and joint injury

Objectives: To characterize the utility of nitrotyrosine (NT) as a biomarker for arthritis and joint injury. Design: Synovial fluid, plasma, and urine from patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, meniscus injury and pseudogout, and knee-healthy volunteers were analyzed for concentrations of NT, nitrate and nitrite (NOx), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3, MMP-1, MMP-9, more than 40 chemokines and cytokines. Results: In OA, plasma and synovial fluid NT were increased versus healthy volunteers. Synovial fluid to plasma NT ratios were elevated in OA patients. Synovial fluid from patients with ACL and meniscus injury and pseudogout had increased levels of NT (P < 0.001). In these samples, NT levels significantly correlated with ARGS-aggrecan neoepitope generated by aggrecanase cleavage of aggrecan (P <= 0.001), cross-linked C-telopeptides of type II collagen (P < 0.001), MMP-1 (P = 0.008), and MMP-3 (P <= 0.001). In RA, plasma NT decreased following 6 months of anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) treatment. For every 1.1% change in log(10) NT, there was a 1.0% change in the log(10) disease activity scores (DAS28-3 CRP). Both predicted and observed DAS28-3 CRP showed a robust linear relationship with NT. RA plasma NT positively correlated with CRP, MMP-3 and interferon gamma-induced protein 10. Conclusions: NT may serve as a useful biomarker for arthritis and joint injury. In RA, NT is highly correlated with several biomarkers and clinical correlates of disease activity and responds to anti-TNF therapy. (C) 2012 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Anogenital distance in human male and female newborns: a descriptive, cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: In animal studies of the effects of hormonally active agents, measurement of anogenital distance (AGD) is now routine, and serves as a bioassay of fetal androgen action. Although measurement of AGD in humans has been discussed in the literature, to our knowledge it has been measured formally in only two descriptive studies of females. Because AGD has been an easy-to-measure, sensitive outcome in animals studies, we developed and implemented an anthropometric protocol for measurement of AGD in human males as well as females. METHODS: We first evaluated the reliability of the AGD measures in 20 subjects. Then measurements were taken on an additional 87 newborns (42 females, 45 males). All subjects were from Morelos, Mexico. RESULTS: The reliability (Pearson r) of the AGD measure was, for females 0.50, and for males, 0.64. The between-subject variation in AGD, however, was much greater than the variation due to measurement error. The AGD measure was about two-fold greater in males (mean, 22 mm) than in females (mean, 11 mm), and there was little overlap in the distributions for males and females. CONCLUSION: The sexual dimorphism of AGD in humans comprises prima facie evidence that this outcome may respond to in utero exposure to hormonally active agents

Intrauterine exposure to mild analgesics is a risk factor for development of male reproductive disorders in human and rat

International audienceBACKGROUND: More than half of pregnant women in the Western world report intake of mild analgesics, and some of these drugs have been associated with anti-androgenic effects in animal experiments. Intrauterine exposure to anti-androgens is suspected to contribute to the recent increase in male reproductive problems, and many of the anti-androgenic compounds are like the mild analgesics potent inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis. Therefore, it appears imperative to further investigate the potential endocrine disrupting properties of mild analgesics. METHODS: In a prospective birth cohort study, 2297 Danish and Finnish pregnant women completed a questionnaire and 491 of the Danish mothers participated in a telephone interview, reporting on their use of mild analgesics during pregnancy. The testicular position of newborns was assessed by trained paediatricians. In rats, the impact of mild analgesics on anogenital distance (AGD) after intrauterine exposure was examined together with the effect on ex vivo gestational day 14.5 testes. RESULTS: In the Danish birth cohort, the use of mild analgesics was dose-dependently associated with congenital cryptorchidism. In particular, use during the second trimester increased the risk. This risk was further increased after the simultaneous use of different analgesics. The association was not found in the Finnish birth cohort. Intrauterine exposure of rats to paracetamol led to a reduction in the AGD and mild analgesics accordingly reduced testosterone production in ex vivo fetal rat testes. CONCLUSION: There was an association between the timing and the duration of mild analgesic use during pregnancy and the risk of cryptorchidism. These findings were supported by anti-androgenic effects in rat models leading to impaired masculinization. Our results suggest that intrauterine exposure to mild analgesics is a risk factor for development of male reproductive disorders

A Study of Pre-Service Teachers\u27 Awareness of Multicultural Issues

This study assessed pre-service teachers\u27 awareness of multicultural issues. Participants were 32 pre-service teachers enrolled in a diversity course in the College of Education at the regional campus of a major university. Participants completed a 2-part questionnaire. Part A consisted of personal information such as age, gender, racial and ethnic background, exposure to multicultural courses, and interest and confidence in including multicultural education in the elementary curriculum. Part B consisted of the pre- and posttest that was made up of 24 multiple choice questions and 1 essay question. Responses on both parts of the questionnaire were tabulated using numbers and percentages. The scores on the posttest were higher than those on the pretest indicating an increase in cultural awareness