Extended field of view sonography in musculoskeletal imaging.
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The usage patterns and benefits of extended field of view sonography were analyzed prospectively in 100 consecutive musculoskeletal ultrasonographic examinations. Extended field of view sonography was used in 23 of 58 abnormal cases (10 of 41 shoulders, five of eight other joints, seven of seven extra-articular extremities, one of two interventional procedures) and two of 42 normal cases. Of 23 abnormal cases using extended field of view sonography (12 of 46 tendon tears and 11 of 12 fluid collections or masses), this modality helped in measuring abnormalities in 13, displaying abnormalities in 19, showing spatial relationships in 17, communicating findings in 13, and making diagnoses in 0. Extended field of view is a useful technique for musculoskeletal ultrasonography. The primary benefits are measuring and displaying abnormalities (most often fluid collections or masses and extra-articular extremity abnormalities). (+info)
The hairless gene of the mouse: relationship of phenotypic effects with expression profile and genotype.
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Various mutations of the hairless (hr) gene of mice result in hair loss and other integument defects. To examine the role of the hr gene in mouse development, the expression profile of hr has been determined by in situ hybridisation and correlated to the nature of genetic changes and morphological abnormalities in different mutant animals. Four variant alleles have been characterised at the molecular level. hr/hr mice produce reduced, but significant, levels of hr mRNA whereas other alleles contain mutations which would be expected to preclude the synthesis of functional product, demonstrating a correlation between allelic variation at the hr locus and phenotypic severity. hr expression was shown to be widespread and temporally regulated. It was identified in novel tissues such as cartilage, developing tooth, inner ear, retina, and colon as well as in skin and brain. Analysis of mice homozygous for the rhino allele of hairless revealed that, although no morphological defects were detectable in many tissues normally expressing hr, previously undescribed abnormalities were present in several tissues including inner ear, retina, and colon. These findings indicate that the hairless gene product plays a wider role in development than previously suspected. Dev Dyn 1999;216:113-126. (+info)
Damage in systemic lupus erythematosus and its association with corticosteroids.
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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between corticosteroid use and organ damage in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). METHODS: The occurrence and date of organ damage, as measured by the Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics/American College of Rheumatology Damage Index, were determined for 539 patients enrolled in the Hopkins Lupus Cohort Study. The risk of damage associated with the cumulative prednisone dose, high-dose prednisone (> or =60 mg/day for > or =2 months), and pulse methylprednisolone (1,000 mg intravenously for 1-3 days) was estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression analyses, controlling for age, race, and sex. Risk estimates for the cumulative prednisone dose were based on a reference dose of 36.5 gm (e.g., 10 mg of prednisone daily for 10 years [or equivalent]). RESULTS: The cumulative prednisone dose was significantly associated with the development of osteoporotic fractures (relative risk [RR] 2.5, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.7, 3.7), symptomatic coronary artery disease (RR 1.7, 95% CI 1.1, 2.5), and cataracts (RR 1.9, 95% CI 1.4, 2.5). Each intravenous pulse was associated with a small increase in the risk of osteoporotic fractures (RR 1.3, 95% CI 1.0, 1.8); however, this result failed to reach statistical significance (P = 0.07). Each 2-month exposure to high-dose prednisone was associated with a 1.2-fold increase in the risk of both avascular necrosis (95% CI 1.1, 1.4) and stroke (95% CI 1.0, 1.5). CONCLUSION: SLE patients receiving long-term prednisone therapy were at significant risk of morbidity due to permanent organ damage. Additional research is required to determine the relative contributions of SLE disease activity and corticosteroids to the pathogenesis of specific types of organ damage. Furthermore, new steroid-sparing therapies are needed in order to treat disease activity and minimize cumulative and high-dose prednisone exposure. (+info)
Developmental expression pattern of the cdo gene.
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CDO is a cell-surface protein of the immunoglobulin/fibronectin type III repeat family that positively regulates myogenic differentiation in vitro. To gain a better understanding of the role of cdo during vertebrate development, we carried out an extensive in situ hybridization study to characterize its expression pattern from postimplantation to late stages of mouse embryogenesis and in rat brain from E13 to adult. Our results show a broad pattern of cdo expression that is spatially and temporally restricted during embryogenesis. In the central nervous system (CNS), cdo expression is detected as early as E7.5 and maintained in the dorsal ventricular zones of the brain and spinal cord, becoming increasingly restricted in the adult. High levels of cdo are detected in developing sensory organs, such as the eye and ear. Outside the CNS, cdo is expressed mainly in neural crest and mesodermal derivatives, including skeletal muscle precursors. Overall, the highest levels of cdo expression are seen from E9.0 to E15.5. The temporal onset and restricted expression of cdo suggest that cdo plays a role in the determination and/or differentiation of a number of cell types during embryogenesis. (+info)
Incomplete lupus erythematosus: results of a multicentre study under the supervision of the EULAR Standing Committee on International Clinical Studies Including Therapeutic Trials (ESCISIT).
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OBJECTIVE: Patients characterized with antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and disease symptoms related to one organ system can be described as having incomplete systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of this multicentre study was to describe the outcome of these so-called incomplete SLE patients. Two aspects of the outcome were studied: (i) the disease course, defined by the presence or absence of clinical symptoms; and (ii) the number of patients that eventually developed full SLE. METHODS: Outcome parameters were the ACR criteria, the SLE disease Activity Index (SLEDAI), the European Consensus Lupus Activity Measure (ECLAM) and the requirement for treatment. In 10 European rheumatology centres, patients who had been evaluated in the last 3 months of 1994 and had been diagnosed as having incomplete SLE on clinical grounds for at least 1 yr were included in the study. All 122 patients who were included in the study were evaluated annually during 3 yr of follow-up. RESULTS: Our results are confined to a patient cohort defined by disease duration of at least 1 yr, being under clinical care at the different centres in Europe. These patients showed disease activity that was related mostly to symptoms of the skin and the musculoskeletal system, and leucocytopenia. During the follow-up, low doses of prednisolone were still being prescribed in 43% of the patients. On recruitment to the study, 22 of the 122 incomplete SLE patients already fulfilled the ACR criteria for the diagnosis of SLE. In the 3 yr of follow-up only three patients developed SLE. CONCLUSIONS: A high proportion of patients in our cohort defined on clinical grounds as having incomplete SLE eventually showed disease activity defined by the SLEDAI as well as ECLAM. However, only three cases developed to SLE during the follow-up. This suggests that incomplete SLE forms a subgroup of SLE that has a good prognosis. (+info)
Expression and function of Ets transcription factors in mammalian development: a regulatory network.
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The Ets transcription factor family is involved in a variety of mammalian developmental processes at the cellular, tissue and organ levels. They are implicated in cellular proliferation, differentiation, migration, apoptosis and cell - cell interactions. This article reviews recent studies that demonstrate the integral importance of Ets in the dosage dependent regulation of development. The expression of many Ets genes is associated with mesenchymal - epithelial interactions and changes in extracellular matrix proteins. These inductive processes contribute to tissue remodeling and integrity, particularly during embryonic development. Overlapping as well as unique patterns of Ets expression are evident in developing tissues, including development of the lymphoid and myeloid lineages, brain and central nervous system, bone and mammary gland. Integration of these data will allow the development of predictive models for the regulation of complex developmental processes. (+info)
Ets transcription factors and targets in osteogenesis.
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Bone formation in vivo is a complex phenomenon whereby recruitment and replication of mesenchymal precursors of osteoblasts, differentiation into preosteoblasts, osteoblasts, and mature osteoblasts ultimately result in the accumulation and mineralization of the extracellular matrix. MC3T3-E1, a clonal osteoblastic cell line, was derived from mouse calvaria and undergoes an ordered and time dependent developmental sequence leading to formation of multilayered bone nodules over a 30 - 35 day period. This developmental pattern is characterized by the replication of preosteoblasts followed by growth arrest and expression of mature osteoblastic characteristics such as matrix maturation and eventual formation of multilayered nodules with a mineralized extracellular matrix. We have found that Ets1 is expressed in proliferating preosteoblastic cells whereas Ets2 is expressed by differentiating and mature osteoblasts. In addition, the expression of Ets1 can be induced in MC3T3-E1 and fetal rat calvaria cells by retinoic acid (RA) which is known to exert profound effects on skeletal growth and development, bone turnover, and induce specific cellular responses in bone cells. Thus the multiple functions of RA in bone cells are likely to be mediated in part by Ets1. Also, Ets2 transgenic mice develop multiple neurocranial, viserocranial, and cervical skeletal abnormalities. Significantly, these abnormalities are similar to the skeletal anomalies found in trisomy-16 mice and in humans with Down's syndrome, wherein the dosage of Ets2 is known to be increased. These results indicate that Ets2 has an important role in skeletal development and that Ets2 overexpression in transgenics is responsible for the genesis of the same type of skeletal abnormalities that are seen in Down's syndrome. Thus the genetic programs regulated by Ets1 and Ets2 may significantly affect the development and differentiation of osteoblasts, and in fact, Ets1 has been shown to interact with the 'quintessential' osteoblast transcription factor CbfA1. This review will examine in detail the role and possible targets of Ets1 and Ets2 in osteoblast differentiation and bone formation. (+info)
Preferential utilization of healthcare systems by a Malaysian rural community for the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries.
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The preferential utilization of healthcare systems by a rural Malaysian community in Perlis for the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries was studied using focus group discussions. The objectives of the study were to explore the pattern of utilization of healthcare systems, the factors influencing the choice of a healthcare provider, rural residents' expectations of their healthcare provider and their views on integrating traditional and modern scientific healthcare systems. Most participants considered traditional and modern scientific healthcare systems as complementing each other. For musculoskeletal injuries, the traditional system was considered the primary choice of healthcare regardless of the participants' socioeconomic and educational levels. Key factors for preferring traditional care were the nature of treatment, the perceived shorter duration for recovery and inclusion of spiritual elements in the therapy. Barriers to seeking hospital treatment were the perceived longer duration for recovery, fear of surgery, use of metallic implants and casts that were culturally unacceptable and objections from elders. For perceived life-threatening situations, in children, pregnancy, and where injuries to internal organs were suspected, hospital treatment was preferred as the primary choice. Discussions on integrating traditional and modern scientific systems were inconclusive. (+info)