Evaluating elbow osteoarthritis within the prehistoric Tiwanaku state using generalized estimating equations (GEE).

OBJECTIVES:Studies of osteoarthritis (OA) in human skeletal remains can come with scalar problems. If OA measurement is noted as present or absent in one joint, like the elbow, results may not identify specific articular pathology data and the sample size may be insufficient to address research questions. If calculated on a per data point basis (i.e., each articular surface within a joint), results may prove too data heavy to comprehensively understand arthritic changes, or one individual with multiple positive scores may skew results and violate the data independence required for statistical tests. The objective of this article is to show that the statistical methodology Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) can solve scalar issues in bioarchaeological studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS:Using GEE, a population-averaged statistical model, 1,195 adults from the core and one colony of the prehistoric Tiwanaku state (AD 500-1,100) were evaluated bilaterally for OA on the seven articular surfaces of the elbow joint. RESULTS:GEE linked the articular surfaces within each individual specimen, permitting the largest possible unbiased dataset, and showed significant differences between core and colony Tiwanaku peoples in the overall elbow joint, while also pinpointing specific articular surfaces with OA. Data groupings by sex and age at death also demonstrated significant variation. A pattern of elbow rotation noted for core Tiwanaku people may indicate a specific pattern of movement. DISCUSSION:GEE is effective and should be encouraged in bioarchaeological studies as a way to address scalar issues and to retain all pathology information

Metabolic inactivation of estrogens in breast tissue by UDP-glucuronosyltransferase enzymes: an overview

The breast tissue is the site of major metabolic conversions of estradiol (E(2)) mediated by specific cytochromes P450 hydroxylations and methylation by catechol-O-methytransferase. In addition to E(2 )itself, recent findings highlight the significance of 4-hydroxylated estrogen metabolites as chemical mediators and their link to breast cancer development and progression, whereas, in opposition, 2-methoxylated estrogens appear to be protective. Recent data also indicate that breast tissue possesses enzymatic machinery to inactivate and eliminate E(2 )and its oxidized and methoxylated metabolites through conjugation catalyzed by UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs), which involves the covalent addition of glucuronic acid. In opposition to other metabolic pathways of estrogen, the UGT-mediated process leads to the formation of glucuronides that are devoid of biologic activity and are readily excreted from the tissue into the circulation. This review addresses the most recent findings on the identification of UGT enzymes that are responsible for the glucuronidation of E(2 )and its metabolites, and evidence regarding their potential role in breast cancer

Metric sex determination from the pelvis in modern Greeks

The ability to determine sex from unknown skeletal remains is vital, and methods to do this on the various bones of the human skeleton have been researched extensively. Many researchers have emphasized the need for population specific data for methods which are based on measurements, as there are vast differences in body size in various populations. The pelvis is known to be the most sexually dimorphic part of the human body, and no discriminant function formulae for this bone are available for Greek or other Mediterranean groups. The purpose of this study was therefore to develop discriminant functions which can be used for sex determination on measurements of the pelvis of modern Greeks. A sample of 97 male and 95 female pelves in a skeletal collection housed in Heraklion, Crete, was used. Measurements were taken from the articulated pelvis, single os coxae and the sacrum. Discriminant function formulae for all measurements and various combinations were used in order to assess the degree of sexual dimorphism in various parts of the pelvis, and to make the formulae usable on fragmented remains. For the single os coxae, average accuracies of 79.7-95.4% (79.1-93.5% on cross-validation) were found. However, it was found that measurements of the sciatic notch were unreliable and yielded poor results, and it is advisable that this characteristic must only be used as a last resort. Dimensions of the sacrum were not very dimorphic (average accuracy 60.9%), while measurements from the articulated pelvis yielded poorer results than that from single innominate bones. The diameter of the acetabulum was the single most dimorphic characteristic, providing on average 83.9% accuracy when used in isolation. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

The pattern of vertebral osteophyte development in a South African population

Vertebral osteophytosis is recognised by outgrowths of bone on the margins of the vertebral body. These spurs have been shown to increase with age and are usually caused by increased spinal pressure. The purpose of this paper is to describe the pattern and severity of osteophyte development in the vertebral columns of male and female South Africans. A total of 101 male and 117 female morphologically normal vertebral columns were investigated. Osteophytes were visually assessed and scored between 0 (no osteophytosis present) and 4 (osteophytes fused together). The highest frequency and degree of projections was on C5, T11, T12, L3, L4 and L5, whereas the lowest frequency was observed on T2 and L1 in females and T2 in males In both the cervical and lumbar regions, osteophyte development was significantly more pronounced in males than females. Possible reasons for differential osteophytic development throughout the vertebral column include the position of the vertebrae in relation to the line of gravity, mobility of the joint and weight bearing. A description of the normal pattern of osteophytic development across the spine is of great importance for the future development of reliable age-at-death techniques for South African groups. Copyright (c) 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Bilateral total optic atrophy due to transdermal methanol intoxication

PubMed: 23580862In this case report, we document a 54-year-old woman with total bilateral optic nerve atrophy after local application of methanol containing spirit. Almost all the reported cases of methanol intoxication in the literature are caused by oral ingestion. In this rare case, we present transdermal absorption of methanol that may cause irreversible blindness in addition to intracerebral lesions