Non-traumatic chronic shoulder pain is not associated with changes in rotator cuff interval tendon thickness

To determine whether the thickness of the rotator interval tendons is different when comparing both symptomatic and non-symptomatic sides in people with chronic shoulder pain, and to those free of pain. Furthermore, to calculate the level of association between the rotator interval tendon thicknesses and perceived shoulder pain-function. A cross-sectional, observational study. The supraspinatus, subscapularis and biceps brachii tendon thickness of sixty two patients with chronic shoulder pain were determined from standardized ultrasonography measures performed on both shoulders, whereas only the dominant arm was measured for the control subjects. Supraspinatus, subscapularis and biceps brachii tendon thickness was comparable between sides in the symptomatic group and was also comparable between the symptomatic and asymptomatic participants. In addition, the correlation between the tendon thickness and shoulder pain-function was non-significant. Tendon thickness was unaltered in people with chronic shoulder pain. These findings do not rule out the possibility that other changes in the tendon are present such as changes in the elastic properties and cell population and this should be explored in future studies

Hierarchical Multi-classification with Predictive Clustering Trees in Functional Genomics

This paper investigates how predictive clustering trees can be used to predict gene function in the genome of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We consider the MIPS FunCat classification scheme, in which each gene is annotated with one or more classes selected from a given functional class hierarchy. This setting presents two important challenges to machine learning: (1) each instance is labeled with a set of classes instead of just one class, and (2) the classes are structured in a hierarchy; ideally the learning algorithm should also take this hierarchical information into account. Predictive clustering trees generalize decision trees and can be applied to a wide range of prediction tasks by plugging in a suitable distance metric. We define an appropriate distance metric for hierarchical multi-classification and present experiments evaluating this approach on a number of data sets that are available for yeast

PF-4var/CXCL4L1 Predicts Outcome in Stable Coronary Artery Disease Patients with Preserved Left Ventricular Function

Background: Platelet-derived chemokines are implicated in several aspects of vascular biology. However, for the chemokine platelet factor 4 variant (PF-4var/CXCL4L1), released by platelets during thrombosis and with different properties as compared to PF-4/CXCL4, its role in heart disease is not yet studied. We evaluated the determinants and prognostic value of the platelet-derived chemokines PF-4var, PF-4 and RANTES/CCL5 in patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD). Methodology/Principal Findings: From 205 consecutive patients with stable CAD and preserved left ventricular (LV) function, blood samples were taken at inclusion and were analyzed for PF-4var, RANTES, platelet factor-4 and N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Patients were followed (median follow-up 2.5 years) for the combined endpoint of cardiac death, non-fatal acute myocardial infarction, stroke or hospitalization for heart failure. Independent determinants of PF-4var levels (median 10 ng/ml; interquartile range 8-16 ng/ml) were age, gender and circulating platelet number. Patients who experienced cardiac events (n = 20) during follow-up showed lower levels of PF-4var (8.5 [5.3-10] ng/ml versus 12 [8-16] ng/ml, p = 0.033). ROC analysis for events showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.82 (95% CI 0.73-0.90, p<0.001) for higher NT-proBNP levels and an AUC of 0.32 (95% CI 0.19-0.45, p = 0.009) for lower PF-4var levels. Cox proportional hazard analysis showed that PF-4var has an independent prognostic value on top of NT-proBNP. Conclusions: We conclude that low PF-4var/CXCL4L1 levels are associated with a poor outcome in patients with stable CAD and preserved LV function. This prognostic value is independent of NT-proBNP levels, suggesting that both neurohormonal and platelet-related factors determine outcome in these patients

The COOH-Terminal Peptide of Platelet Factor-4 Variant (CXCL4L1/PF-4var47-70) Strongly Inhibits Angiogenesis and Suppresses B16 Melanoma Growth In vivo.

Chemokines influence tumor growth directly or indirectly via both angiogenesis and tumor-leukocyte interactions. Platelet factor-4 (CXCL4/PF-4), which is released from alpha-granules of activated platelets, is the first described angiostatic chemokine. Recently, it was found that the variant of CXCL4/PF-4 (CXCL4L1/PF-4var) could exert a more pronounced angiostatic and antitumoral effect than CXCL4/PF-4. However, the molecular mechanisms of the angiostatic activities of the PF-4 forms remain partially elusive. Here, we studied the biological properties of the chemically synthesized COOH-terminal peptides of CXCL4/PF-4 (CXCL4/PF-4(47-70)) and CXCL4L1/PF-4var (CXCL4L1/PF-4var(47-70)). Both PF-4 peptides lacked monocyte and lymphocyte chemotactic activity but equally well inhibited (25 nmol/L) endothelial cell motility and proliferation in the presence of a single stimulus (i.e., exogenous recombinant fibroblast growth factor-2). In contrast, when assayed in more complex angiogenesis test systems characterized by the presence of multiple mediators, including in vitro wound-healing (2.5 nmol/L versus 12.5 nmol/L), Matrigel (60 nmol/L versus 300 nmol/L), and chorioallantoic membrane assays, CXCL4L1/PF-4var(47-70) was found to be significantly (5-fold) more angiostatic than CXCL4/PF-4(47-70). In addition, low (7 mug total) doses of intratumoral CXCL4L1/PF-4var(47-70) inhibited B16 melanoma growth in mice more extensively than CXCL4/PF-4(47-70). This antitumoral activity was predominantly mediated through inhibition of angiogenesis (without affecting blood vessel stability) and induction of apoptosis, as evidenced by immunohistochemical and fluorescent staining of B16 tumor tissue. In conclusion, CXCL4L1/PF-4var(47-70) is a potent antitumoral and antiangiogenic peptide. These results may represent the basis for the design of CXCL4L1/PF-4var COOH-terminal-derived peptidomimetic anticancer drugs. Mol Cancer Res; 8(3); 322-34

Mechanism of interaction of hydrocalumites (Ca/Al-LDH) with methyl orange and acidic scarlet GR

The development of new materials for water purification is of universal importance. Among these types of materials are layered double hydroxides (LDHs). Non-ionic materials pose a significant problem as pollutants. The interaction of methyl orange (MO) and acidic scarlet GR (GR) adsorption on hydrocalumite (Ca/Al-LDH-Cl) were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared spectroscopy (MIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR). The XRD results revealed that the basal spacing of Ca/Al-LDH-MO was expanded to 2.45 nm, and the MO molecules were intercalated with a inter-penetrating bilayer model in the gallery of LDH, with 49o tilting angle. Yet Ca/Al-LDH-GR was kept the same d-value as Ca/Al-LDH-Cl. The NIR spectrum for Ca/Al-LDH-MO showed a prominent band around 5994 cm-1, assigned to the combination result of the N-H stretching vibrations, which was considered as a mark to assess MO- ion intercalation into Ca/Al-LDH-Cl interlayers. From SEM images, the particle morphology of Ca/Al-LDH-MO mainly changed to irregular platelets, with a “honey-comb” like structure. Yet the Ca/Al-LDH-GR maintained regular hexagons platelets, which was similar to that of Ca/Al-LDH-Cl. All results indicated that MO- ion was intercalated into Ca/Al-LDH-Cl interlayers, and acidic scarlet GR was only adsorped upon Ca/Al-LDH-Cl surfaces

Is coracohumeral distance associated with pain-function, and shoulder range of movement, in chronic anterior shoulder pain?

Background: The aim of this study was twofold: (i) to assess the intrarater reliability of coracohumeral distance; (ii) to investigate the level of association between coracohumeral distance measured by ultrasonography, and pain-disability and shoulder range of movement, in patients suffering from chronic anterior shoulder pain. Methods: An observational, cross sectional study was carried out. A convenience sample comprised of 87 patients with chronic anterior shoulder pain was assessed from 3 primary care centres. Main outcomes as pain and function were measured through the shoulder pain and disability index. Furthermore, shoulder range of movement-free of pain in shoulder elevation, as well as coracohumeral distance at both 0 and 60 degrees, were collected. Results: Absence of any correlation was found between coracohumeral distance and shoulder pain and disability index at both 0 and 60 degrees of shoulder elevation. Furthermore, absence of any correlation was found between coracohumeral distance measurements and active shoulder range of movement -free of pain. Conclusions: There was poor association between coracohumeral distance and shoulder pain and function, as well as with shoulder range of movement, in patients with chronic anterior shoulder pain. Hence, clinicians should consider, not only increasing this space, but also other possibilities in their therapies, when patients with anterior shoulder pain are treated

Expression of CXCL10 is associated with response to radiotherapy and overall survival in squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue

Five-year survival for patients with oral cancer has been disappointingly stable during the last decades, creating a demand for new biomarkers and treatment targets. Lately, much focus has been set on immunomodulation as a possible treatment or an adjuvant increasing sensitivity to conventional treatments. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prognostic importance of response to radiotherapy in tongue carcinoma patients as well as the expression of the CXC-chemokines in correlation to radiation response in the same group of tumours. Thirty-eight patients with tongue carcinoma that had received radiotherapy followed by surgery were included. The prognostic impact of pathological response to radiotherapy, N-status, T-stage, age and gender was evaluated using Cox's regression models, Kaplan-Meier survival curves and chi-square test. The expression of 23 CXC-chemokine ligands and their receptors were evaluated in all patients using microarray and qPCR and correlated with response to treatment using logistic regression. Pathological response to radiotherapy was independently associated to overall survival with a 2-year survival probability of 81 % for patients showing a complete pathological response, while patients with a non-complete response only had a probability of 42 % to survive for 2 years (p = 0.016). The expression of one CXC-chemokine, CXCL10, was significantly associated with response to radiotherapy and the group of patients with the highest CXCL10 expression responded, especially poorly (p = 0.01). CXCL10 is a potential marker for response to radiotherapy and overall survival in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue