Low arousal threshold: a common pathophysiological trait in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and asthma

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and asthma are two diseases with a high epidemiological impact that may often coexist. Both diseases have underlying pathogenic mechanisms (chronic inflammation, genetic predisposition, etc.); it is still unclear whether or not their coexistence is due to a specific pathophysiological factor. In the literature, the pathogenesis of OSAS has four pathophysiological traits: one or more anatomical predisposing factors, a low arousal threshold (low AT), high loop gain, and poor muscle responsiveness. In this study, we hypothesized that a low AT is a common pathophysiological factor in OSAS and asthma. Methods: A retrospective study of patients attending the Pulmonology Unit of the University Hospital of Trieste was carried out. Low AT was predicted on the bases of the following polysomnography features, as previously shown by Edwards et al.: an AHI of < 30 events/h, a nadir SpO2 of > 82.5%, and a hypopnea fraction of total respiratory events of > 58.3%. Results: Thirty-five patients with asthma and OSAS and 36 with OSAS alone were included in the study. Low AT was present in 71% of patients affected by asthma and OSAS (25 patients out of 35) versus 31% (11 patients out of 36) of patients affected by OSAS alone with a statistically significant difference (p = 0.002) between the two groups. Stratifying for BMI and OSAS severity, the difference between groups remained statistically significant. Conclusions: This is the first study to describe specific polysomnographic characteristics of patients affected by asthma and OSAS. A low AT may well be the pathophysiological factor common to the two diseases. If confirmed by other studies, this finding could lead to the presence of asthma and OSAS in the same individual being considered a syndrome with a common pathophysiological factor

Macrochanneled Tetragonal Zirconia Polycrystals Coated by a Calcium Phosphate Layer

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65848/1/j.1151-2916.2003.tb03603.x.pd

Ibuprofen-loaded calcium phosphate granules : combination of innovative characterization methods to relate mechanical strength to drug location

This paper studies the impact of the location of a drug substance on the physicochemical and mechanical properties of two types of calcium phosphate granules loaded with seven different contents of ibuprofen, ranging from 1.75% to 46%. These implantable agglomerates were produced by either low or high shear granulation. Unloaded Mi-Pro pellets presented higher sphericity and mechanical properties, but were slightly less porous than Kenwood granules (57.7% vs 61.2%). Nevertheless, the whole expected quantity of ibuprofen could be integrated into both types of granules. A combination of surface analysis, using near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy coupling chemical imaging, and pellet porosity, by mercury intrusion measurements, allowed ibuprofen to be located. It was shown that, from 0% to 22% drug content, ibuprofen deposited simultaneously on the granule surface, as evidenced by the increase in surface NIR signal, and inside the pores, as highlighted by the decrease in pore volume. From 22%, porosity was almost filled, and additional drug substance coated the granule surfaces, leading to a large increase in the surface NIR signal. This coating was more regular for Mi-Pro pellets owing to their higher sphericity and greater surface deposition of drug substance. Unit crush tests using a microindenter revealed that ibuprofen loading enhanced the mechanical strength of granules, especially above 22% drug content, which was favorable to further application of the granules as a bone defect filler

Phenotypic and functional analysis of lymphocytes infiltrating osteolytic tumors: use as a possible therapeutic approach of osteosarcoma

BACKGROUND: Osteosarcoma is the most common type of primary bone tumor. The use of aggressive chemotherapy has drastically improved the prognosis of the patients with non-metastatic osteosarcomas, however the prognosis of the patients with metastasis is still very poor. Then, new and more effective treatments for curing osteosarcoma, such as immunotherapy are needed. Tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) have been involved in the control of tumor development and already assessed with success for the treatment of several cancers including melanoma. While TIL represent a fascinating therapeutic approach in numerous malignant pathologies, there is few report concerning adult bone-associated tumors including osteosarcoma. METHODS: Human TIL were isolated and characterized (phenotype, lytic activity) from twenty-seven patients with bone-associated tumors (osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, giant cell tumor, chondrosarcoma, plasmocytoma and bone metastases). Similar experiments were performed using rat osteosarcoma model. RESULTS: While TIL with a main CD4(+ )profile were easily isolated from most of the tumor samples, only TIL extracted from osteosarcoma were cytotoxic against allogeneic tumor cells. In all cases, TIL lytic activity was significantly higher compared to autologous peripheral blood leukocytes. Similar data were observed in rat osteosarcoma model where TIL were characterized by a main CD4(+ )profile and high lytic activity against allogeneic and autologous tumor cells. Moreover, rat TIL expansion was not accompanied by refractoriness to further activation stimulus mainly by tumor antigens. CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated that TIL therapy could be a very efficient strategy for the treatment of adult osteosarcoma

The safety and efficacy of an injectable bone substitute in dental sockets demonstrated in a human clinical trial.

International audienceThis study is the first report of a clinical evaluation of an injectable bone substitute (IBS). This IBS was prepared by suspending biphasic calcium phosphate (BCP) particles with diameters ranging between 80 and 200 microm in a water-soluble cellulose polymer carrier phase. It was used for filling bone defects after tooth extractions in 11 patients. The first objective of the study was to investigate the safety of the filler material. The second objective was to investigate the efficacy of the material for filling human tooth sockets and preventing alveolar bone loss. Radiographic density measurements of the surgical sites gradually increased to those of the surrounding host bone. Three years after surgery, small biopsies of the implanted areas were harvested and analyzed by using micro-computed tomography, non-decalcified histology and histomorphometry. The BCP granules appeared in direct contact with mineralized bone tissue, thereby supporting bone growth. A gradual substitution of the filler by bone tissue was observed thus preserving the height of the alveolar bone crest

Electron crystallography of Metal-Organic Frameworks

This thesis work is focused on synthesis and crystal structure characterization of Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs). We exploited solvothermal synthesis in order to replicate the reference Zn-btca and Mn-btca MOF structures. Successively, we tried metal ion substitution of the synthesised samples with the aim of obtaining bimetallic MOFs. We also tried to synthesise new monometallic and bimetallic MOF structures with solvothermal and mechanochemical synthetic approaches. We used Powder X-Ray Diffraction (PXRD), Electron Diffraction (ED) and Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) to characterize the obtained samples from a structural and compositional point of view

Arthrodèse du rachis lombaire instrumentée avec utilisation d'une céramique biphasée mélangée à de la moelle osseuse

Les objectifs de cette étude rétrospective ont été : d'une part, de démontrer l'intérêt et l'efficacité de l'utilisation des céramiques de phosphates de calcium (BCP) mélangées à de la moelle osseuse dans l'arthrodèse du rachis lombaire, et d'autre part, d'étudier l'évolution radiographique des niveaux sus- et sous-jacents à la zone arthrodèsée ; de déterminer les facteurs pouvant modifier cette évolution ; d'apprécier le retentissement sur le résultat fonctionnel des modifications radiologiques constatées à long terme. 56 patients ont été revus avec un recul moyen de 13,1 ans. Les résultats radiologiques montrent d'une part, une fusion favorable avec un faible taux de pseudarthrodèse (5/56), et d'autre part un taux relativement élevé de dégénérescence adjacente (18/56). Cependant, il n'existe pas de parallélisme entre l'apparition de ces lésions dégénératives et le résultat fonctionnel obtenu. Les facteurs influençant cette évolution dégénérative, dans notre série, sont : l'âge, l'étendue de la fusion et la lordose lombaire.NANTES-BU Médecine pharmacie (441092101) / SudocSudocFranceF

RESULTATS DU LAVAGE CHIRURGICAL AVEC CONSERVATION DES ELEMENTS PROTHETIQUES DANS LES INFECTIONS PRECOCES SUR ARTHROPLASTIE DE HANCHE (EXPERIENCE DU CHU DE NANTES A PROPOS DE 34 CAS ET REVUE DE LA LITTERATURE (DES CHIRURGIE ORTHOPEDIQUE ET TRAUMATOLOGIQUE))

NANTES-BU Médecine pharmacie (441092101) / SudocPARIS-BIUM (751062103) / SudocSudocFranceF