Effect of Osteoconductive Hyaluronate Hydrogels on Calvarial Bone Regeneration

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The promoter -1031(T/C) polymorphism in tumor necrosis factor-alpha associated with polycystic ovary syndrome

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A <it>tumor necrosis factor-alpha </it>is a multifunctional pro-inflammation cytokine, which has been considered as one of pathogenic factors for various diseases. The promoter -1031(T/C) polymorphism in the <it>tumor necrosis factor-alpha </it>gene was reported that it plays a part in reproduction-related diseases. Among these, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is known to be a common gynecological disease of women in reproductive age women. Here, we performed a comparative study of -1031(T/C) polymorphism of <it>TNF-alpha </it>gene with PCOS in a Korean population.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The -1031(T/C) polymorphism of <it>TNF-alpha </it>gene was analyzed by polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) in a total of 217 PCOS patients and 144 matched female controls of healthy women. And statistical analysis was performed using HapAnalyzer. <it>X</it>²test and logistic regression were utilized analyze the association between two groups. A <it>p</it>-value under 0.05 was considered statistically significant.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The genotype and allelic frequencies were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE). There was strong association between the -1031(T/C) polymorphism in the promoter region of <it>TNF-alpha </it>gene and PCOS (<it>p</it>-value = 0.0003, odd ratio (OR) = 2.53). In addition, the frequency of C allele was significantly higher in PCOS patients compared with controls. Sequence analyses also showed the -1031(T/C) polymorphism of <it>TNF-alpha </it>gene.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This is the first study on the -1031(T/C) polymorphism of <it>TNF-alpha </it>gene in PCOS. We concluded that the -1031(T/C) polymorphism of <it>TNF-alpha </it>gene is associated with PCOS in a Korean population. Therefore, it is possible that it may be considered as a clinical biomarker to diagnose for PCOS, and is helpful in understanding the etiology for the pathogenesis of PCOS.</p

Acupuncture for Spinal Cord Injury and Its Complications: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

To evaluate the evidence supporting the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment for SCI and its complications, we conducted search across 19 electronic databases to find all of the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that used acupuncture as a treatment for SCI and its complications. The methodological quality of each RCT was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool and the PEDro scale. Sixteen RCTs, including 2 high-quality RCTs, met our inclusion criteria (8 for functional recovery from SCI, 6 for bladder dysfunction, and 2 for pain control). The meta-analysis showed positive results for the use of acupuncture combined with conventional treatments for the functional recovery in terms of motor ASIA scores and total FIM scores when compared to conventional treatments alone. Positive results were also obtained for the treatment of bladder dysfunction, in terms of the total efficacy rate, when comparing acupuncture to conventional treatments. However, 2 RCTs for pain control reported conflicting results. Our systematic review found encouraging albeit limited evidence for functional recovery, bladder dysfunction, and pain in SCI. However, to obtain stronger evidence without the drawbacks of trial design and the quality of studies, we recommend sham-controlled RCTs or comparative effectiveness research for each condition to test the effectiveness of acupuncture

Surgical Versus Conservative Management for Treating Unstable Atlas Fractures: A Multicenter Study

Objective This multicenter study compared radiological parameters and clinical outcomes between surgical and nonsurgical management and investigated treatment characteristics associated with the successful management of unstable atlas fractures. Methods We retrospectively evaluated 53 consecutive patients with unstable atlas fracture who underwent halo-vest immobilization (HVI) or surgical fixation. Clinical outcomes were assessed using neck visual analogue scale and disability index. The radiological assessment included total lateral mass displacement (LMD) and the anterior atlantodental interval (AADI). Results Thirty-two patients underwent surgical fixation and 21 received HVI (mean follow-up, 24.9 months). In the surgical fixation, but not in the HVI, LMD, and AADI showed statistically significant improvements at the last follow-up. The osseous healing rate and time-to-healing were 100% and 14.3 weeks with surgical fixation, compared with 71.43% and 20.0 weeks with HVI, respectively. Patients treated with HVI showed poorer neck pain and neck disability outcomes than those who received surgical treatment. LMD showed an association with osseous healing outcomes in nonoperative management. Clinical outcomes and osseous healing showed no significant differences according to Dickman’s classification of transverse atlantal ligament injuries. Conclusion Surgical internal fixation had a higher fusion rate, shorter fracture healing time, more favorable clinical outcomes, and a more significant reduction in LMD and AADI compared to nonoperative management. The pitfalls of external immobilization are inadequate maintenance and a lower probability of reducing fractured lateral masses. Stabilization by surgical reduction with interconnected fixation proved to be a more practical management strategy than nonoperative treatment for unstable atlas fractures

Structure-mechanism-based engineering of chemical regulators targeting distinct pathological factors in Alzheimer???s disease

The absence of effective therapeutics against Alzheimer???s disease (AD) is a result of the limited understanding of its multifaceted aetiology. Because of the lack of chemical tools to identify pathological factors, investigations into AD pathogenesis have also been insubstantial. Here we report chemical regulators that demonstrate distinct specificity towards targets linked to AD pathology, including metals, amyloid-?? (A??), metal-A??, reactive oxygen species, and free organic radicals. We obtained these chemical regulators through a rational structure-mechanism-based design strategy. We performed structural variations of small molecules for fine-tuning their electronic properties, such as ionization potentials and mechanistic pathways for reactivity towards different targets. We established in vitro and/or in vivo efficacies of the regulators for modulating their targets??? reactivities, ameliorating toxicity, reducing amyloid pathology, and improving cognitive deficits. Our chemical tools show promise for deciphering AD pathogenesis and discovering effective drugs.ope

The evolution of electrocardiographic changes in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophies

PurposeMyocardial dysfunction and dysrhythmias are inevitable consequences of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. We aimed to evaluate specific trends of electrocardiographic changes that reflect the progress of cardiomyopathy in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.MethodsFifty electrocardiograms (ECGs) of 30 patients (ages 1 to 27 years) who had not been prescribed medications for heart failure treatment at the time of examination were retrospectively analyzed and compared with 116 ECGs of age-matched healthy 116 controls. Heart rate, leads with fragmented QRS (fQRS), corrected QT, Tpeak-to-Tend, and Tpeak-to-Tend/QT were analyzed.ResultsThe patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy failed to show a normal age-related decline in heart rate but showed an increasing trend in the prevalence of fQRS, corrected QT, corrected Tpeak-to-Tend, and Tpeak-to-Tend/QT over time. In the ≤10-year-old patient group, a significant difference was found only in the prevalence of fQRS between the patients and the controls. The prevalence of fQRS, heart rate, Tpeak-to-Tend/QT, and corrected Tpeak-to-Tend demonstrated significant differences between the patients and the controls in the middle age group (11 to 15 years old). All the indexes were statistically significantly different in the ≥16-year-old patient group.ConclusionThe prevalence of lead with fQRS representing regional wall motion abnormalities was higher in the young patients than in the young healthy controls, and this might be one of the first signs of myocardial change in the patients. Markers of depolarization and repolarization abnormalities were gradually prominent in the patients aged >10 years. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings

Proteomics-based dissection of biotic stress responsive proteins in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Proteomic techniques that allow the identification and quantification of stress-related proteins, mapping dynamics of their expression and post translational modifications represent an important approach in the research of plant stresses. Biotic stress is one of the major stresses limiting crop productivity and the geographical distribution of many important crops worldwide. Two hundred and seventeen protein spots reproducibly were detected from six gels by using two-dimensional electrophoresis. After tryptic digestion, MALDI-TOF/MS analysis and database searching of some of the identified proteins indicated that the proteins are known to be involved in several biotic stress related functions as disease associate with pathogens. Mass spectrometry analysis allowed the identification of 185 differential expressed proteins with isoforms including well known biotic stress  esponsive proteins. Keumgang (13%), Jinpum (8%), China-108 (14%), Yeonnon-67 (11%), Norin-61 (22%) and Kantou-107 (32%) were identified as biotic stress responses proteins directly coupled to disease and pathogen infection on wheat. Nevertheless, our studies provides new insights into identification of biotic stress responses protein in disease infected wheat grain by natural condition, the post-translational modification in  protein sequences, verify eventual differences among the genotypes in relation to them, and demonstrates the advantages of proteomic analysis.Key words: Biotic stress, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight, proteomics, posttranslational modification, two-dimensional electrophoresis, wheat