Vitamin K Insufficiency in the Indian Population: Pilot Observational Epidemiology Study.

Background: The fat-soluble K vitamins K1 and K2 play an essential role in the blood coagulation cascade and are made available predominantly through selective dietary intakes. They are less known for their nonessential roles in a family of vitamin K-dependent proteins that promote various functions of organs and systems in the body. A lack of vitamin K can characterize vitamin and nutritional element insufficiency, which is different from a clinically apparent vitamin deficiency.

Decreased Levels of Circulating Carboxylated Osteocalcin in Children with Low Energy Fractures: A Pilot Study.

Objective: In the past decades, an increased interest in the roles of vitamin D and K has become evident, in particular in relation to bone health and prevention of bone fractures. The aim of the current study was to evaluate vitamin D and K status in children with low-energy fractures and in children without fractures.

Methods: The study group of 20 children (14 boys, 6 girls) aged 5 to 15 years old, with radiologically confirmed low-energy fractures was compared with the control group of 19 healthy children (9 boys, 10 girls), aged 7 to 17 years old, without fractures.

Differential effect of platelet-rich plasma fractions on β1-integrin signaling, collagen biosynthesis, and prolidase activity in human skin fibroblasts.

The study was conducted to evaluate the effects of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), supernatant of PRP (SPRP) obtained by centrifugation, and supernatant of activated PRP (SActi-PRP) obtained by Ca solution-treated PRP on collagen biosynthesis, prolidase activity, and β1-integrin signaling in cultured human skin fibroblasts. Incubation of fibroblasts with 5% PRP for 24 h contributed to ~5-fold increase in collagen biosynthesis compared to the control. In the cells treated with 5% of SPRP or SActi-PRP, collagen biosynthesis showed a 3-fold increase of the control.

Roles of Vitamins D and K, Nutrition, and Lifestyle in Low-Energy Bone Fractures in Children and Young Adults.

The research on skeletal system health in children and young adults, while recognizing the important role of calcium and vitamin D, goes beyond these nutritional standards. This review focuses on the role of vitamin K in combination with vitamin D and other factors in bone health. The current understanding is that maintaining bone health and prevention of low-energy fractures in any pediatric population includes nutritional factors combined with an active lifestyle.

Evaluation of Treatment of Low-energy Distal Radial Fractures in Postmenopausal Women.

Background: Distal radial fractures are one of the most common injuries seen in traumatology. Most are treated conservatively with closed reduction and immobilisation in a plaster cast. However, this method does not always allow for achieving and maintaining normal fracture reduction in unstable fractures.

Association between Vitamin D Receptor Polymorphism and Serum Vitamin D Levels in Children with Low-Energy Fractures.

Objective: Fractures of bones, especially forearm fractures, are very common in children and their number is increasing. This study was designed to determine the impact of vitamin D serum levels and vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphisms on the occurrence of low-energy fractures in children.

Methods: The study group consisted of 100 children with clinically relevant bone fractures and a control group consisted of 127 children without fractures.

Inhibition of TNF-α, IL-1α, and IL-1β by Pretreatment of Human Monocyte-Derived Macrophages with Menaquinone-7 and Cell Activation with TLR Agonists In Vitro.

Circulatory markers of low-grade inflammation such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1α), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) positively correlate with endothelial damage, atheroma formation, cardiovascular disease, and aging. The natural vitamin K2-menaquinone-7 (MK-7) added to the cell culture of human monocyte-derived macrophages (hMDMs) at the same time as toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists did not influence the production of TNF-α. When the cells were pretreated up to 6 h with MK-7 before treatment with TLR agonists, MK-7 did not inhibit significantly the production of TNF-α after the TLR activation.

Fibroblast-Like Synovial Cells in Rheumatoid Arthritis--the Impact of Infliximab on Hexosaminidase Activity.

Background: The effect of multiple infusions of infliximab (INF), a chimeric anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha antibody, on the concentration of hexosaminidase (HEX) activity in a synovial cell culture derived from human synovial inflamed fluid obtained from patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been evaluated.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to prove INF efficacy in RA.

Material And Methods: Inflamed synovial fluid was taken from RA patients (a study group) and patients who had undergone knee trauma within 7 days (a control group).

Assessment of Idiopathic Scoliosis Patients' Satisfaction with Thoracolumbar Brace Treatment.

Background: Bracing is the most efficient non-surgical method of treatment for idiopathic scoliosis patients with 25-45° curvature according to Cobb. The aim of the present study was to assess compliance of idiopathic scoliosis patients with medical instructions concerning the time patients should spend wearing orthopedic braces, patients' self-perceived health status and problems occurring in patients with idiopathic scoliosis.

Material And Methods: A total of 51 patients aged between 9 to 18 years (84% females) treated for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with a thoracolumbar brace were asked to complete a survey titled ''The profile of quality of life with spine deformity".

Study of the protective effects of nootropic agents against neuronal damage induced by amyloid-beta (fragment 25-35) in cultured hippocampal neurons.

Background: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder, in which progressive neuron loss, mainly in the hippocampus, is observed. The critical events in the pathogenesis of AD are associated with accumulation of β-amyloid (Aβ) peptides in the brain. Deposits of Aβ initiate a neurotoxic "cascade" leading to apoptotic death of neurons.

Lyme disease with effusion either in hip or knee in children from Podlaskie region treated in clinic in 2004-2010.

Objectives: Lyme disease (LB) relatively commonly causes arthritis among patients, especially in LB endemic area. The aim of the study was to analyze the prevalence of LB in children with hip and knee effusion in the North Eastern region of Poland. Conclusions from our study should justify the need of taking into account LB in the diagnosis of hip or knee effusion in children.

[Congenital insensitivity to pain].

Congenital insensitivity to pain belongs to rare diseases called hereditary sensory neuropathy (HSN). The disturbance of sense and secondary harms are creating clinical picture. The aim of this report was to describe therapeutic problems with which we met with a three siblings with congenital insensitivity to pain.

Glycoconjugate markers of joint diseases.

A number of different types of glycoconjugate are found associated with joint tissue and fluids, comprising glycoproteins, glycolipids and glycosaminoglycans. Oligosaccharide chains of glycoconjugates are degraded by exoglycosidases, and the dominant exoglycosidase found in human blood, synovial fluid, the synovial membrane and chondrocytes of articular cartilage is HEX (N-acetyl-β-hexosaminidase). HEX is localized mostly intracellularly in synovial cells.

[The pirymethamine influence on hexosoaminidase gene expression in synovial cell culture--preliminary report].

Unlabelled: Inflammation process is leading to increasing of synovial fluid and value of its pressure. Moreover, the impairment of vascular flow within synovial membrane and increased permeability of blood vessels were described. The activity of lysosomal enzymes, such as N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase (HEX), was increased in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in comparison to health synovial fluid.

Glutathione reductase activity correlates with concentration of extracellular matrix degradation products in synovial fluid from patients with joint diseases.

The mechanisms underlying cartilage matrix degradation in joint diseases is not fully understood but reactive oxygen species are implicated as main causative factors. Comparative studies of glutathione reductase (GR) activity in synovial fluid from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), reactive arthritis (ReA) and osteoarthritis (OA) as well as correlations between GR activity and concentration of the major cartilage components in synovial fluid are presented in this study. We found significantly higher activity of GR in RA (about three-fold) and ReA (about two-fold) than in OA.

IGF-I and IGF-binding proteins in articular exudates of children with post-traumatic knee damage and juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Objective: IGF-I stimulates multiple functions of connective tissue cells and its activity is modulated by IGF-binding proteins (BPs). Some metalloproteinases are expected to modify IGF-I activity by digestion of IGF-BPs. It was decided to evaluate the concentration of IGF-I, IGF-BPs and the activity of gelatinases A and B in knee exudates of children with post-traumatic damage (PTD) and children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in comparison with those in the sera of the same patients.

Activity of lysosomal exoglycosidases in serum and synovial fluid in patients with chronic Lyme and rheumatoid arthritis.

Lysosomal exoglycosidases participate in the destruction of the articular cartilage by cleaving glycoside bonds in glycoproteins and proteoglycans. The aim of the study was to determine the activity of exoglycosidases: hexosaminidase, beta-glucuronidase, beta-galactosidase, alpha-mannosidase and alpha-fucosidase in serum and synovial fluid of patients with Lyme and rheumatoid arthritis. The study group consisted of 10 patients with chronic Lyme arthritis (age 18 - 74 y), 13 with rheumatoid arthritis (age 32 - 70 y) and 10 with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (age 8 - 17 y).

Profile of exoglycosidases in synovial cell cultures derived from human synovial membrane.

Objective: Determining the activity of lysosomal exoglycosidases in tissue cultures of synoviocytes derived from the knee joints of patients with injured anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: The following exoglycosidases in cultured synoviocytes were analyzed with p-nitrophenyl derivatives of appropriate sugars as substrates: hexosaminidase (HEX) and its isoenzyme A (HEX-A), beta-glucuronidase (GluA), beta-galactosidase (GAL), alpha-mannosidase (MAN), and alpha-fucosidase (FUC).

Results: In our cell cultures, fibroblast-like synovial cells (FLS) dominated.

Clinical value of neonatal screening for congenital dysplasia of the hip.

Background. The problem of clinical value of neonatal screening for congenital dysplasia of the hip was described in this paper.
Material and methods.

Morphometric analysis of the hip joint in fetuses and neonates.

Background. Information's about prenatal development of hip joint are necessary for full understanding of it's neonatal abnormalities.
Material and methods.

Long-term outcome of early treatment of developmental hip dysplasia using an abduction splint.

Background. Treatment of congenital hip dysplasia, when implemented in the first weeks of life, gives a good outcome. Very few publications, however, have addressed the anatomical remodeling of the affected hip.

Is the repair of articular cartilage lesion by costal chondrocyte transplantation donor age-dependent? An experimental study in rabbits.

The repair of chondral injuries is a very important problem and a subject of many experimental and clinical studies. Different techniques to induce articular cartilage repair are under investigation. In the present study, we have investigated whether the repair of articular cartilage folowing costal chondrocyte transplantation is donor age-dependent.

Optimization of an enzymatic method for the determination of lysosomal N-acetyl-beta-D-hexosaminidase and beta-glucuronidase in synovial fluid.

Background: Our goal was to develop a suitably sensitive assay for N-acetyl-beta-D-hexosaminidase (HEX) and beta-glucuronidase to allow their use as markers of joint diseases.

Methods: We optimized a spectrophotometric method for the determination of lysosomally derived HEX and beta-glucuronidase in synovial fluid on a microplate reader to improve its utility. HEX and beta-glucuronidase act on the 4-nitrophenyl derivatives N-acetyl-beta-glucosamine and beta-D-glucuronide, respectively, to produce 4-nitrophenol, which can be measured at 405 nm on a microplate reader.

Activity of lysosomal exoglycosidases in the serum of patients with chronic Lyme arthritis.

To examine the role of lysosomal exoglycosidases in the pathogenesis of Lyme arthritis we studied a group of 18 patients aged 18-72 (mean: 46 yr) diagnosed with chronic arthritis in the course of borreliosis. The control group was composed of 20 healthy volunteers (health service employees) aged 25-65 (mean: 45 yr) with no detectable serum anti-Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies. We found that N-acetyl-beta-d-hexosaminidase (HEX) was significantly increased and beta-galactosidase and alpha-mannosidase also showed an increase in Lyme arthritis patients compared to healthy persons and normalised after treatment with doxycycline.

[Activity of N-acetylo-beta-hexosamninidase in joint fluid from knee and serum of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis].

N-acetyl-beta-hexosoaminidase (Hex) is a lysosomal enzyme which releases N-acetylaminohexose from non reducing end of glycosaminoglycans, glycoproteins and glycolipids, taking part in degradation of these substances. It is not known what role Hex plays in the degradation of joints in rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. The aim of our work was evaluation of Hex activity in synovial fluid and serum of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.