EVALUATION OF EWE COLOSTRUM QUALITY BY ESTIMATION OF ENZYME ACTIVITY LEVELS

The objective of this study was to assess the potential use of colostral enzymes for the determination of colostrum quality in ewe. The enzymes gamma glutamyltransferase (GGT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were measured in the colostrum from 11 ewes, milked within six hours after birth, by a dry chemistry system and spectrophotometrically. The quality of colostrum, given by the content of gamma globulines (IgG), was measured by electrophoresis separation of colostrum proteins. The highest activity was found for GGT, followed by LDH and ALP. A very high correlation (r = 0.83, P < 0.001) between GGT and IgG concentration was shown, suggesting this enzyme can be a good marker for the evaluation of colostrum quality in ewe

AB0134\u2005Phosphorelated stat3 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in rheumatoid arthritis

Conference: Annual European Congress of Rheumatology, EULAR 2018, Amsterdam, 13\u201316 June 201

Chondrocytes treated with different shock wave devices.

Background: Shock wave treatment is used for several orthopedic diseases and there are different devices available. Until now, there have been no experimental studies on the effects of these different generators. Methods: We carried out an experimental study to compare the effects of three focused generators (electro-magnetic, piezoelectric and electro-hydraulic) as well as a radial generator on healthy and osteoarthritis chondrocytes. Results: By the analysis of our results, we may exclude significant differences between the different generators, even though there is a greater action specificity for electro-magnetic and piezoelectric generators. Conclusions: The smaller size of the focus of the latter two generators guarantees a greater concentration of energy in the target. The biological effect of the increase of IL-10 and reduction of both N-Cadherin and B-Catenin in chondrocytes in healthy subjects and those affected by osteoarthritis confirms the therapeutic potential of ESWT in cartilage diseases, such as osteoarthritis. In clinical practice it is important to introduce the parameter of total energy. This allows us to standardize the treatment and to manage the variability related to the different types of device and size of the focus. Level of evidence: IIb. © 2017, CIC Edizioni Internazionali s.r.l. All rights reserved

Serum sCD40L levels are increased in patients with psoriatic arthritis and are associated with clinical response to apremilast

The pathogenesis of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) involves several pathways, including the CD40/CD40L signaling which promotes the release of multiple cytokines. Transmembrane CD40L is also released in soluble form (sCD40L) and phosphodiesterase 4 (PDE4) seems to be involved in its cleavage. We aimed to investigate whether apremilast, a PDE4 inhibitor, could modify circulating levels of sCD40L in PsA patients, and the possible associations of these changes with clinical response. Consecutive PsA patients starting apremilast in routine clinical practice were prospectively observed. Disease Activity of Psoriatic Arthritis (DAPSA), Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI), Leeds Enthesitis Score (LEI) and serum samples were collected at baseline and at 6 months. Samples were run in a Bio-Plex ProTM plate for sCD40L. To investigate the association of sCD40L level with DAPSA based minor response, low disease activity (LDA) and/or remission at 6 months of treatment, multivariate logistic regression models with backward selection (P &lt; 0 center dot 05) were built. We studied 27 patients (16 of 27 women, 59 center dot 6%) with PsA and mean age [+/- standard deviation (s.d.)] of 58 center dot 4 +/- 10 years. A significant reduction of the mean values of DAPSA, LEI and PASI was detected at 6 months. Mean serum levels of sCD40L decreased from baseline 5364 +/- 2025 pg/ml to 4412 +/- 2629 at 6 months (P = 0 center dot 01). Baseline DAPSA [odds ratio (OR) = 0 center dot 80, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0 center dot 65-0 center dot 98] and sCD40L (OR = 1 center dot 001, 95% CI = 1 center dot 0001-1 center dot 0027) were independently associated with DAPSA LDA/remission at 6 months. In PsA patients, sCD40L levels decrease upon apremilast treatment and might predict short-term clinical response to apremilast

SAT0571\u2005Role of Obesity in the Expression of Cytokines and Metalloproteinases in Human Osteoarthritis Chondrocytes

EULAR congress Paris 201