Comparison of mechanical motion profiles following instrumented fusion and non-instrumented fusion at the L4-5 segment

Abstract Purpose: To investigate the difference in motion profiles between instrumented and non-instrumented fusion of the lumbar spine.. Method: In vivo retrospective radiological analysis of dynamic (flexion-extension) lateral plain films was performed in different lumbar spine fusion types. Twenty-eight patients underwent lumbar fusion surgery at the L4/5 level. Fourteen patients underwent anterior fusion surgery without implantation, and the others underwent posterior instrumented fusion. Segmental angular motion was measured at the fused and adjacent levels using dynamic plain lateral film 2 years after operation. Results: The anterior uninstrumented fusion group showed mean 2.0° of segmental angular motion at the fused level compared with mean of 0.8° in the posterior instrumented fusion group (P<0.05). In contrast, at the proximal adjacent level, decreased angular motion (mean 7.7°) was noted in the anterior uninstrumented fusion group compared with mean 11.6° in the posterior instrumented fusion group (P<0.05). Conclusion: This study suggests that differing stiffness of fusion segments could cause different mechanical motion profiles at adjacent segments. Since spine fusion surgery was first introduced by Albee for the treatment of Pott's disease, 1 and by Hibbs, who performed spinal fusion as a treatment for spinal deformity, 2 it has been used for the treatment of various spinal diseases. Reported rates of success with fusion range from 65% to 93%. Adjacent segment degeneration (ASD) is one of the serious complications following spinal fusion surgery

Protective mucosal and systemic immunity induced by virus-like particles expressing Toxoplasma gondii cyst wall protein.

Toxoplasma gondii host cellular invasion factors such as the rhoptry proteins, micronemal antigens, or other subcellular compartment proteins have shown limited vaccine efficacies. T. gondii cyst wall protein (CST1) as a cyst persistence factor is critical for cyst wall integrity and bradyzoite persistence. Here, we generated influenza virus-like particles (VLPs) expressing the T. gondii CST1 and evaluated the mucosal as well as systemic immunities induced by VLPs. Intranasal immunization with the VLPs induced parasite-specific IgG and IgA antibody responses in sera and intestines. VLP immunization showed higher levels of germinal center B cell response and antibody-secreting cell (ASC) response upon challenge infection, indicating memory B cell response was induced. VLP-immunized mice showed a significant reduction of cyst counts and lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-6) production in the brain upon T. gondii ME49 challenge infection compared to unimmunized control. Thus, VLP immunization protected mice from the lethal dose challenge infection with T. gondii ME49 and did not incur bodyweight loss. These results indicated that T. gondii CST1 containing VLPs can induce mucosal and systemic immunity and also suggest its developmental potential as an effective vaccine candidate against T. gondii infection

Erratum to: Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (3rd edition) (Autophagy, 12, 1, 1-222, 10.1080/15548627.2015.1100356

non present