A Preliminary Comparison of Laryngeal Manipulation and Postural Treatment on Voice Quality in a Prospective Randomized Crossover Study.

Background: This crossover study compared the effects of two osteopathic treatments specific laryngeal manipulation (SLM) and postural manual therapy (PMT) on voice quality and pitch.

Methods: Twelve asymptomatic singers were measured acoustically immediately before and immediately after each intervention using a laryngograph. Fundamental frequency and the glottal closing quotient were used to determine any differences between groups before and after.

The role of the TGF-β family in wound healing, burns and scarring: a review.

It is estimated worldwide that over 6 million people per annum experience a burn injury. Despite advances in management and improved survival rates, the incidence of hypertrophic scarring remains high. These scars are particularly common after burns and are often raised, red, hard and may cause abnormal sensations.

The growth receptors and their role in wound healing.

Abnormal wound healing is a major problem in healthcare today, with both scarring and chronic wounds affecting large numbers of individuals worldwide. Wound healing is a complex process involving several variables, including growth factors and their receptors. Chronic wounds fail to complete the wound healing process, while scarring is considered to be an overzealous wound healing process.

The effect of epigallocatechin-3-gallate, a constituent of green tea, on transforming growth factor-beta1-stimulated wound contraction.

Dermal fibrosis, or scarring, following surgical incisions, traumatic wounds and burns presents a major clinical burden. Transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 is a major factor known to stimulate fibroblast proliferation, collagen production, and the differentiation of fibroblast to myofibroblast promoting wound contraction. Furthermore, excessive or prolonged TGF-beta1 has been shown to be associated with scarring.

Expression of cyclin D1 and retinoblastoma protein in Paget's disease of the vulva and breast: an immunohistochemical study of 108 cases.

Aims: Loss of retinoblastoma protein expression and overexpression of cyclin D1 have been implicated in the development and progression of some cancers. Paget's disease of the vulva (PDV) and Paget's disease of the breast (PDB) are uncommon conditions and the pathogenesis of these diseases is still unclear. The aim was to examine the expression of the retinoblastoma and cyclin D1 proteins in PDV and PDB and to correlate any differences between PDV and PDB, and in the presence or absence of an underlying carcinoma.

Differential gene expression in response to transforming growth factor-beta1 by fetal and postnatal dermal fibroblasts.

The multipotent growth factor transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1 is consistently linked with fibrosis and scarring. The perfect (scarless) healing of cutaneous wounds in early gestational age fetuses is proposed to be due to this tissue's predominance of the TGF-beta3 isoform over the profibrotic TGF-beta1 and 2. Nevertheless, TGF-beta1 is present during wound healing in the early fetus and recently we demonstrated that relevant intracellular signaling pathways are activated (albeit transiently) on TGF-beta1 stimulation.

Dermal fibroblasts derived from fetal and postnatal humans exhibit distinct responses to insulin like growth factors.

Background: It has been well established that human fetuses will heal cutaneous wounds with perfect regeneration. Insulin-like growth factors are pro-fibrotic fibroblast mitogens that have important roles in both adult wound healing and during development, although their relative contribution towards fetal wound healing is currently unknown. We have compared responses to IGF-I and -II in human dermal fibroblast strains derived from early gestational age fetal (<14 weeks) and developmentally mature postnatal skin to identify any differences that might relate to their respective wound healing responses of regeneration or fibrosis.

A role for TGF-beta1-induced cellular responses during wound healing of the non-scarring early human fetus?

Early human fetuses regenerate cutaneous wounds perfectly without scarring. However, transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), the cytokine linked with scarring in mature tissue, is also present during fetal wound repair, albeit transiently. We present a comparison of response to TGF-beta1 by fibroblasts derived from early human fetal skin (non-scarring) and their mature (scarring) postnatal counterparts, which revealed that although fetal fibroblasts do indeed differentiate into myofibroblasts, this response is altogether more rapid and short-lived.

Is localized, provoked vulvodynia an inflammatory condition?

Objective: To perform a pilot study to investigate the relationship between localized, provoked vulvodynia of the vestibule and inflammatory cytokine expression.

Study Design: Women with a diagnosis of localized, provoked vulvodynia had tissue samples taken for vulvar expression of Interleukin 1alpha and 1beta and tumor necrosis factor alpha and compared to those of a control group.

Results: The study group did not show a significant increase in expression of inflammatory markers.

Estrogen receptor expression in vulvar vestibulitis syndrome.

Objective: A pilot study was performed to investigate the relationship between vulvar vestibulitis syndrome and estrogen receptor expression.

Study Design: Women with a diagnosis of vulvar vestibulitis syndrome had tissue samples taken for vulvar estrogen receptor-alpha expression and this was compared with a control group.

Results: The study group showed a significant decrease in estrogen receptor expression, and 50% of the samples did not exhibit any receptor expression.

The role of angiogenesis in vulvar cancer, vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia, and vulvar lichen sclerosus as determined by microvessel density analysis.

Objectives: We compared microvessel density (MVD) in normal, benign, preneoplastic, and neoplastic (squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)) vulvar disease to ascertain if this parameter could identify cases with lichen sclerosus (LS) and high-grade vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN3) at risk of developing malignancy.

Methods: Microvessels were immunohistochemically stained in paraffin wax-embedded vulvar tissue sections with anti-von Willebrand factor (vWF) antibody using the streptavidin-biotin-horseradish peroxidase complex technique. Three "hot spots" with the greatest MVD were identified within 200 microm of the subepithelial dermis under low magnification (x 40 and x 100).

The role of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) and platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor/thymidine phosphorylase (PD-ECGF/TP) in Paget's disease of the vulva and breast.

Background: Paget's disease of the vulva and the breast are uncommon conditions. The pathogenesis underlying these diseases is still unclear. Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), a potent angiogenic factor, has been demonstrated in a variety of tumour cell types and is thought to be involved in tumour expansion.