Allergic rhinitis and asthma: inflammation in a one-airway condition

BACKGROUND: Allergic rhinitis and asthma are conditions of airway inflammation that often coexist. DISCUSSION: In susceptible individuals, exposure of the nose and lungs to allergen elicits early phase and late phase responses. Contact with antigen by mast cells results in their degranulation, the release of selected mediators, and the subsequent recruitment of other inflammatory cell phenotypes. Additional proinflammatory mediators are released, including histamine, prostaglandins, cysteinyl leukotrienes, proteases, and a variety of cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors. Nasal biopsies in allergic rhinitis demonstrate accumulations of mast cells, eosinophils, and basophils in the epithelium and accumulations of eosinophils in the deeper subepithelium (that is, lamina propria). Examination of bronchial tissue, even in mild asthma, shows lymphocytic inflammation enriched by eosinophils. In severe asthma, the predominant pattern of inflammation changes, with increases in the numbers of neutrophils and, in many, an extension of the changes to involve smaller airways (that is, bronchioli). Structural alterations (that is, remodeling) of bronchi in mild asthma include epithelial fragility and thickening of its reticular basement membrane. With increasing severity of asthma there may be increases in airway smooth muscle mass, vascularity, interstitial collagen, and mucus-secreting glands. Remodeling in the nose is less extensive than that of the lower airways, but the epithelial reticular basement membrane may be slightly but significantly thickened. CONCLUSION: Inflammation is a key feature of both allergic rhinitis and asthma. There are therefore potential benefits for application of anti-inflammatory strategies that target both these anatomic sites

Einfluss von Crushen auf Vitalität und Differenzierungsfähigkeit von Chondrozyten

Einleitung: Gecrushter Septumknorpel wird im Rahmen von Septum- und Septorhinoplastiken verwendet. Außerdem kann dieses Gewebe für Tissue Engineering Verfahren verwendet werden. Da bekannt ist, dass mechanische Belastungen die Vitalität und Differenzierungsfähigkeit von Zellen beeinflussen können und Resorptionen von Knorpelgewebe beobachtet werden, war es das Ziel der vorliegenden Studie Vitalität, Proliferationsfähigkeit und Differenzierung von Chondrozyten nach Crushen zu untersuchen. Methoden: Der bei 15 Patienten im Rahmen von funktionellen Septorhinoplastiken und Septumplastiken gewonnene Knorpel wurde im Labor unter standardisierten Bedingungen gequetscht. Danach wurden die Chondrozyten enzymatisch aus der umgebenden Matrix herausgelöst und die Vitalität mit Trypanblau und einem Fluoreszenz-Färbungskit aus Calcein-AM und Propidium Iodid bestimmt. Die Zellen wurden während der Amplifikation über 3 Passagen mit Hilfe immunhistochemischer Färbungen und PCR auf die Anwesenheit von Kollagen I, II und Agrecan untersucht. Als Kontrolle diente unbehandelter Knorpel desselben Patienten. Ergebnisse: Es zeigte sich, dass Crushen in Abhängigkeit von der Summe der aufgewendeten Kraft die Vitalität der isolierten Chondrozyten deutlich reduziert. Ein Einfluss auf die Differenzierungsfähigkeit war in vitro nicht nachweisbar. So zeigten gecrushte und nicht gecrushte Chondrozyten eine weitgehend identische Zunahme der Kollagen I Produktion bei gleichzeitiger Abnahme der Kollagen II und Aggrecan Synthese. Schlussfolgerung: Es wurde festgestellt, dass gecrushter Knorpel für Tissue Engineering Verfahren geeignet ist. Diese Behandlung beeinflusst die Vitalität nur dann, wenn sehr große Kräfte aufgewendet werden

Centrosome abnormalities in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Numerical and structural centrosome abnormalities play a critical role in the tumor progression of in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) and may provide useful information as a prognostic factor for these patients. Objectives. Centrosome alterations are often linked with aneuploidy, cell transformation, and tumor progress. We investigated centrosome abnormalities in HNSCC and correlated these variables to clinicopathological parameters and clinical follow up data of the patients. Methods. Retrospective analysis of numerical and structural alterations of centrosomes in tumor tissues and corresponding normal epithelium (n=50 and 31, respectively). Immunohistochemistry was performed using an anti-gamma-tubulin antibody. Image acquisition was done by an Orthoplan microscope, centrosomes were segmented interactively, and area as well as mean optical density was measured. Aneuploidy was evaluated by fluorescence in situ hybridization in a subset of cases (n=29). Results. Numerical and structural centrosome abnormalities differed significantly between normal squamous epithelium and tumor cells (both P<0.0001). Especially numerical centrosome abnormalities were significantly associated with T category and tumor stage (both P<0.0001) and the occurrence of distant metastasis (P=0.002 and P=0.019, respectively). Numerical centrosome abnormalities correlated also with disease free survival of the patients (P=0.032) as well as shorter overall survival (P=0.003)

Determination of benzalkonium chloride in viscous ophthalmic drops of azithromycin by high-performance liquid chromatography *

A high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system was used in the reversed phase mode for the determination of benzalkonium chloride (BKC) in azithromycin viscous ophthalmic drops. A Venusil-XBP(L)-C18 (150 mm×4.6 mm, 5 μm) column was used at 50 °C. The mobile phase consisted of a mixture of methanol-potassium phosphate (16:5, v/v). Two sample preparation methods were compared. The results suggested that, compared with an extraction procedure, a deproteinization procedure was much quicker and more convenient. Using the deproteinization procedure for sample preparation, calibration curves were linear in the range 5.0~50 μg/ml. The within-day and inter-day coefficients of variation were less than 10%. The average recoveries were determined as 96.70%, 98.52%, and 97.96% at concentrations of 10.0, 30.0, and 50.0 μg/ml, respectively. Variability in precision did not exceed 5%. In conclusion, this HPLC method using a simple sample treatment procedure appears suitable for monitoring BKC content in azithromycin viscous ophthalmic drops