Analysis of the connection between pain, disability and a radiological image determining the treatment process

The objective of this paper is to analyse the correlation between pain and the degree of disability, and the lesions shown on radiological examination of KOA. Material and method: The study encompassed 31 female patients (42 knees) aged 51-70 years, with diagnosed idiopathic knee osteoarthritis. Medical history and analysis of previously performed x-ray scans were conducted. The history included questions regarding pain (VAS, WOMAC index) and the maximum marching distance, the presence of oedema and instability as well as disability in everyday life (WOMAC index). The radiological lesions were assessed using the Kellgren and Lawrence Grading Scale. Moreover, the widths of the joint spaces were measured. Results: The patients’ pain in everyday activities (WOMAC) showed a positive correlation with the presence of osteophytes (r=0.32), and the intensity of the pain on the VAS correlated with the presence of joint osteophytes (r=0.46) and with the elevation of the intercondylar eminence (r=0.32). The other disorders on the x-ray image did not correlate with the pain. Positive correlations were identified between the presence of oedema (r=0.57) and instability (r=0.39), and the presence of lesions in the patellofemoral joint. The patients’ disability in everyday activities (WOMAC) showed a negative correlation with the width of the joint spaces (r<-0.34). However, no correlations were observed between the remaining x-ray lesions and the WOMAC index. Conclusions: Only a small number of subjects showed a correlation indicating an interdependency between the painful sensations and the degree of disability versus the progression of radiographic lesions. Among the KOA risk factors, it is worth noting the presence of obesity which, in these studies, affected more than half of the female patients.Celem pracy jest analiza zależności pomiędzy dolegliwościami bólowymi i stopniem niesprawności a zmianami wykazanymi w radiologicznym badaniu ChZSK. Materiał i metoda: Przebadano 31 pacjentek (42 kolana) w wieku 51-70 lat z rozpoznaną idiopatyczną chorobą zwyrodnieniową stawu kolanowego. Przeprowadzono wywiad i ocenę uprzednio wykonanego zdjęcia rtg. W wywiadzie zawarte były pytania dotyczące bólu (skala VAS, indeks WOMAC) oraz maksymalnego dystansu marszem, występowania obrzęku i niestabilności oraz niesprawności w życiu codziennym (indeks WOMAC). Zmiany radiologiczne oceniono wg skali Kallgren’a i Lavrence’a. Ponadto zmierzono również szerokości szpar stawowych. Wyniki: Ból pacjentek w czynnościach codziennych (WOMAC) korelował dodatnio obecnością osteofitów (r=0,32) a intensywność odczuwanego bólu w skali VAS korelowała z obecności osteofitów w stawie (r=0,46) oraz z uniesieniem wyniosłości międzykłykciowej (r=0,32). Pozostałe zaburzenia w obrazie rtg nie korelowały z bólem. Zauważono dodatnie korelacje pomiędzy występowaniem obrzęku (r=0,57) i niestabilności (r=0,39) a obecnością zmian w stawie rzepkowo-udowym. Niesprawność pacjentek w czynnościach codziennych (WOMAC) korelowała ujemnie z szerokością szpar stawowych (r<-0,34). Natomiast pomiędzy pozostałymi zmianami w rtg a wskaźnikiem WOMAC nie zanotowałam korelacji. Wnioski: Jedynie u niewielkiej liczby badanych wystąpiła korelacja wskazująca na zależność pomiędzy odczuciami bólu istopniem niesprawności, a zaawansowaniem zmian wykazanych w radiogramach. Spośród czynników ryzyka ChZSK warto zwrócić uwagę na obecność otyłości, która w przedstawionych badaniach wystąpiła u ponad połowy pacjentek

High aspect ratio nanomaterial-induced macrophage polarization is mediated by changes in miRNA levels

IntroductionInhalation of nanomaterials may induce inflammation in the lung which if left unresolved can manifest in pulmonary fibrosis. In these processes, alveolar macrophages have an essential role and timely modulation of the macrophage phenotype is imperative in the onset and resolution of inflammatory responses. This study aimed to investigate, the immunomodulating properties of two industrially relevant high aspect ratio nanomaterials, namely nanocellulose and multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), in an alveolar macrophage model. MethodsMH-S alveolar macrophages were exposed at air-liquid interface to cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), cellulose nanofibers (CNF) and two MWCNT (NM-400 and NM-401). Following exposure, changes in macrophage polarization markers and secretion of inflammatory cytokines were analyzed. Furthermore, the potential contribution of epigenetic regulation in nanomaterial-induced macrophage polarization was investigated by assessing changes in epigenetic regulatory enzymes, miRNAs, and rRNA modifications.ResultsOur data illustrate that the investigated nanomaterials trigger phenotypic changes in alveolar macrophages, where CNF exposure leads to enhanced M1 phenotype and MWCNT promotes M2 phenotype. Furthermore, MWCNT exposure induced more prominent epigenetic regulatory events with changes in the expression of histone modification and DNA methylation enzymes as well as in miRNA transcript levels. MWCNT-enhanced changes in the macrophage phenotype were correlated with prominent downregulation of the histone methyltransferases Kmt2a and Smyd5 and histone deacetylases Hdac4, Hdac9 and Sirt1 indicating that both histone methylation and acetylation events may be critical in the Th2 responses to MWCNT. Furthermore, MWCNT as well as CNF exposure led to altered miRNA levels, where miR-155-5p, miR-16-1-3p, miR-25-3p, and miR-27a-5p were significantly regulated by both materials. PANTHER pathway analysis of the identified miRNA targets showed that both materials affected growth factor (PDGF, EGF and FGF), Ras/MAPKs, CCKR, GnRH-R, integrin, and endothelin signaling pathways. These pathways are important in inflammation or in the activation, polarization, migration, and regulation of phagocytic capacity of macrophages. In addition, pathways involved in interleukin, WNT and TGFB signaling were highly enriched following MWCNT exposure.ConclusionTogether, these data support the importance of macrophage phenotypic changes in the onset and resolution of inflammation and identify epigenetic patterns in macrophages which may be critical in nanomaterial-induced inflammation and fibrosis

Formalization of taxon-based constraints to detect inconsistencies in annotation and ontology development

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Gene Ontology project supports categorization of gene products according to their location of action, the molecular functions that they carry out, and the processes that they are involved in. Although the ontologies are intentionally developed to be taxon neutral, and to cover all species, there are inherent taxon specificities in some branches. For example, the process 'lactation' is specific to mammals and the location 'mitochondrion' is specific to eukaryotes. The lack of an explicit formalization of these constraints can lead to errors and inconsistencies in automated and manual annotation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have formalized the taxonomic constraints implicit in some GO classes, and specified these at various levels in the ontology. We have also developed an inference system that can be used to check for violations of these constraints in annotations. Using the constraints in conjunction with the inference system, we have detected and removed errors in annotations and improved the structure of the ontology.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Detection of inconsistencies in taxon-specificity enables gradual improvement of the ontologies, the annotations, and the formalized constraints. This is progressively improving the quality of our data. The full system is available for download, and new constraints or proposed changes to constraints can be submitted online at <url>https://sourceforge.net/tracker/?atid=605890&group_id=36855</url>.</p

A plant-feeding nematode indirectly increases the fitness of an aphid

Plants suffer multiple, simultaneous assaults from above and below ground. In the laboratory, pests and/or pathogen attack are commonly studied on an individual basis. The molecular response of the plant to attack from multiple organisms and the interaction of different defence pathways is unclear. The inducible systemic responses of the potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) host plant were analysed to characterise the plant-mediated indirect interactions between a sedentary, endoparasitic nematode (Globodera pallida) and a phloem-sucking herbivore (Myzus persicae). The reproductive success of M. persicae was greater on potato plants pre-infected with G. pallida compared to control plants. Salicylic acid (SA) increased systemically in the leaves of potato plants following nematode and aphid infection singly with a corresponding increase in expression of SA-mediated marker genes. An increase in jasmonic acid (JA) associated with aphid infection was suppressed when plants were co-infected with nematodes. Our data suggests a positive, asymmetric interaction between a sedentary endoparasitic nematode and a sap-sucking insect. The systemic response of the potato plant following infection with G. pallida indirectly influences the performance of M. persicae. This work reveals additional secondary benefits of controlling individual crop pests

Intraspecific variation in herbivore community composition and transcriptional profiles in field-grown Brassica oleracea cultivars

Intraspecific differences in plant defence traits are often correlated with variation in transcriptional profiles and can affect the composition of herbivore communities on field-grown plants. However, most studies on transcriptional profiling of plant–herbivore interactions have been carried out under controlled conditions in the laboratory or greenhouse and only a few examine intraspecific transcriptional variation. Here, intraspecific variation in herbivore community composition and transcriptional profiles between two Brassica oleracea cultivars grown in the field is addressed. Early in the season, no differences in community composition were found for naturally occurring herbivores, whereas cultivars differed greatly in abundance, species richness, and herbivore community later in the season. Genome-wide transcriptomic analysis using an Arabidopsis thaliana oligonucleotide microarray showed clear differences for the expression levels of 26 genes between the two cultivars later in the season. Several defence-related genes showed higher levels of expression in the cultivar that harboured the lowest numbers of herbivores. Our study shows that herbivore community composition develops differentially throughout the season on the two B. oleracea cultivars grown in the field. The correlation between the differences in herbivore communities and differential expression of particular defence-related genes is discussed

The Use of Equipment for the Study of Phase Changes to Determine the Conditions of Precipitation of Inorganic Sediments in Geothermal Waters

In Poland, there are low-temperature geothermal reservoirs that can be used for various purposes in many regions of the country. Low-temperature deposits of geothermal waters are common and occur much more frequently than high-temperature deposits. They contain water with temperatures lower than 150 &deg;C. Their temperature normally ranges from 20 to 90 &deg;C. Achieving a state of equilibrium depends on many factors, including the kinetics of reactions between the individual components of the system, temperature, reactivity of reservoir rock, concentration of chemical components in the water and the time the water remains in contact with the rock. Therefore, this article presents the possibility of checking the conditions of precipitation of inorganic sediments in geothermal waters with the use of PVT equipment. Tests were carried out with the use of geothermal waters under given dynamic conditions (pressure, temperature and flow). This paper confirms the suitability of using the equipment for PVT (device for the study of phase changes) testing in order to determine the conditions for the precipitation of inorganic sediments in geothermal projects. Tests on the precipitation of solid sediments in geothermal waters were carried out. A result of the research is the adaptation of the equipment for PVT testing in order to determine the conditions for the precipitation of inorganic deposits in geothermal waters. As a result, different capillary blocking times were obtained depending on the measurement conditions (e.g., for P = 40 bar, T = 120 &deg;C and q = 1 cm3/min, the blocking start time was 10.8 min). The authors found that solid sludge inhibitors, as well as other chemicals used, including paraffin inhibitors, must be periodically adjusted to prevent precipitation in geothermal waters

Structure and function of immunoglobulin receptors of natural killer cells in humans

KIR (killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors) sa to receptory z nadrodziny immunoglobulinowej, obecne na powierzchni naturalnych komórek cytotoksycznych (NK = natural killer cells) i niektórych subpopulacji limfocytów T u człowieka. Posiadają albo dwie (KIR2D), albo trzy (KIR3D) immunoglobulinowe domeny białkowe w części pozakomórkowej, region przezbłonowy i albo długi (L = long), albo krótki (S = short) region cytoplazmatyczny. Ich ligandami są cząsteczki głównego układu zgodności tkankowej klasy I człowieka, HLA-A, -B i -C. KIR2DL i KIR3DL hamują aktywację komórki po związaniu ligandu, natomiast KIR2DS i KIR3DS aktywują komórkę. Geny KIR wykazują polimorfizm alleliczny (wielka liczba alleli) i haplotypowy (różna liczba tych genów u różnych osób). W związku z tym poszczególni ludzie różnią się podatnością na wiele chorób, zależnie od swego genotypu KIR.KIRs (killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors) are cell surface receptors expressed on natural killer (NK) cells and some subpopulations of T lymphocytes in humans. They possess two (KIR2D) or three (KIR3D) extracellular immunoglobulin domains, transmembrane region and either long (L) or short (S) cytoplasmic tail. KIRs bind human major histocompatibility complex class I molecules HLA-A, -B and -C. KIR2DL and KIR3DL, after binding their ligand, inhibit cell activation, whereas KIR2DS and KIR3DS activate the cell. KIR genes are characterized by both allelic (numerous alleles) and haplotypic (different numbers of genes in different individuals) polymorphism. As a consequence, individuals differ in susceptibility to a number ofdiseases, depending on their KIR genotype

The relationship between socio-economic situation during childhood and age of natural menopause among women in urban population

Tematem pracy jak również głównym jej celem, jest zbadanie związku pomiędzy sytuacją socjoekonomiczną w okresie dzieciństwa, a wiekiem wystąpienia naturalnej menopauzy (WNM). Badana próba obejmowała kobiety, które wzięły udział w badaniu przekrojowym w ramach wieloośrodkowego badania HAPIEE. Do badania zakwalifikowano kobiety, które odpowiedziały na pytania dotyczące poziomu wykształcenia rodziców, poziomu własnego wykształcenia, podały przyczynę (naturalną) i wiek wystąpienia menopauzy.W badaniu wykazano, że kobiety, których ojcowie posiadali wykształcenie wyższe doświadczały naturalnej menopauzy nieco później (średnia=50,4 lat) od kobiet, których ojcowie charakteryzowali się wykształceniem niższym (średnia=50,1 lat). Kobiety, których matki posiadały wykształcenie wyższe doświadczały naturalnej menopauzy również nieco później (średnia=50,6 lat) od kobiet, których matki charakteryzowały się wykształceniem niższym (średnia =50,0 lat), różnice te jednak nie były istotne statystycznie, poza grupą starszych respondentek (56 lat i więcej), u których wyższy SES w dzieciństwie mierzony wykształceniem matki był związany z późniejszym o 1 rok WNM.Wykazano istotną zależność pomiędzy czasem urodzenia kobiet, a wiekiem wystąpienia naturalnej menopauzy (r= 0,196; p=0,000), co oznacza, że kobiety urodzone w latach 40-tych XX w. doświadczały wcześniej menopauzy od kobiet urodzonych w latach 60-tych XX wieku.Wykazano również, że kobiety z wykształceniem wyższym doświadczały naturalnej menopauzy później (średnia=50,8 lat) od kobiet z wykształceniem niższym (średnia=49,9 lat), a kobiety palące papierosy doświadczały naturalnej menopauzy wcześniej (średnia=49,0 lat) od kobiet niepalących papierosów (średnia= 54,4 lat).The topic and the main goal of this thesis is examine the association between socio-economic status during childhood and the age of natural menopause. Specific objectives include evaluation of the relationship between parents educational level and age of natural menopause and evaluation of these relationships, after controlling for selected confounders (age, educational level and smoking cigarettes).The sample included women, whose participated in a multicenter study HAPIEE. This study included women, whose responded to questions about the educational level of the parents, level of their education, smoking status, their biological age and the age at menopause.The study showed the impact of father education on the age of natural menopause. Woman whose fathers had a university degree have experienced natural menopause later (average=50,4 years) than woman whose fathers were characterized by lower education (average=50,1 years). Woman whose mothers had higher education have experienced natural menopause later (average=50,6 years) than women whose mothers were characterized by lower education (average=50,0 years). However, these differences were not statistically significant, except for a group of older respondents (56 years and older) who have higher SES in childhood measured by maternal education was associated with the later of 1 year age of natural menopause.It has been shown that the time of birth of woman has a significant impact on the age of natural menopause (r=0,196; p=0,000). Women born in the 40s of the twentieth century experienced menopause earlier than women born in the 60s of the twentieth century.It was also found that women with higher education have experienced natural menopause later (average=50,8 years) than women with lower education (average=49,9 years), and women smokers have experienced natural menopause earlier (average=49,0 years) than women non-smokers (average=54,4 years)