A growth and differentiation factor-5 (GDF-5)-coated suture stimulates tendon healing in an Achilles tendon model in rats.

Growth and differentiation factor-5 (GDF-5) is essential for normal skeletal development and induces tendon-and ligament-like structures at ectopic sites. Therefore, we investigated the influence of a GDF-5-coated suture on the healing Achilles tendon in rats. The right Achilles tendon in 80 rats was transected and sutured with an absorbable polyglactin suture.

[Injury pattern in shoulder dislocation in the elderly patient].

Problem: Recurrent shoulder dislocation is reported to be rare in older patients. While injuries of the glenoid labrum and the anterior capsule following primary dislocation in younger patients seem to determine the rate of instability, the pattern of damages in the elderly has rarely been studied.

Methods: 91 patients with an age older than 40 years with the diagnosis of primary (group A, n = 50) or recurrent (group B, n = 41) anterior shoulder dislocation were included in a prospective study.

Fusion proteins for combined analysis of autoantibodies to the 65-kDa isoform of glutamic acid decarboxylase and islet antigen-2 in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Background: Prediction, risk assessment, and diagnosis of autoimmune diseases often rely on detection of autoantibodies directed to multiple target antigens, such as the 65-kDa isoform of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD65-abs) and the tyrosine phosphatase-like protein islet antigen-2 (IA2-abs), the two major subspecificities of islet cell antibodies (ICAs) associated with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. We hypothesized that a combination of autoantigens in a fusion protein unifying the important immunodominant epitopes could provide an efficient target for cost-effective, one-step screening of sera.

Methods: Chimeric proteins composed of GAD65 and IA2 residues were constructed, analyzed for their immune reactivity with monoclonal antibodies and sera, and used in a diagnostic assay with (35)S-labeled protein as antigen.

[Traumatic rupture of the rotator cuff in an adolescent--case report].

A traumatic rotator cuff tear is a very rare condition, especially in the adolescent. We report about a 14-year-old boy who fell onto the right arm while riding his bicycle. Immediately after the accident he described some kind of click in his right shoulder.

[Achilles tendon rupture. A prospective study assessing various treatment possibilities].

The object of this study was to compare treatment of ruptured Achilles tendon by operative "end to end" surgery, percutaneous repair, or conservative therapy clinically; a subject of considerable controversy in the literature. These three methods were compared in 73 patients in a randomized trial between 1994 and 1996. After 2.

[Recommendations for diagnosis and expert assessment of traumatic rotator cuff lesions].

Traumatic rotator cuff lesions are a very rare condition. However, this article represents a comprehensive survey according to current knowledge on anatomy, biomechanics, and pathogenesis of rotator cuff pathology. Because of the relatively high prevalence of degenerative changes with increasing age, including partial and complete rotator cuff tears, it may be difficult to demonstrate the causality of an acute traumatic rotator cuff tear.

The peaked audiometric configuration in Meniere's disease: disease related?

A retrospective analysis of audiograms was completed for persons from 3 different patient groups. These 3 groups were (1) persons with unilateral Meniere's disease, (2) persons with unilateral acoustic tumor, and (3) persons from the general clinical population of an audiology clinic in a major medical center. As Paparella, McDermott, Luiz, and de Sousa (1982) also report, the most common audiometric configuration in the Meniere's disease group was peaked, a condition in which poorer hearing is reported in the low and high frequencies, and an island of better hearing sensitivity occurs at either 1.

Evolution of lesions of the labrum-ligament complex in posttraumatic anterior shoulder instability: a prospective study.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the evolution of intraarticular disease in posttraumatic shoulder instability. Ninety-one patients with posttraumatic shoulder instability were examined arthroscopically. The intraarticular disease was recorded on a special documentation sheet (containing 67 descriptive items).

[Tensile strength of the tendon of the supraspinatus muscle in the human. A biomechanical study].

The traumatic tear of the rotator cuff has been discussed very intensively for a long time despite the fact that there do not exist representative objective data about the native tensile strength of these tendons. The aim of this study was to evaluate the age related native strength of the supraspinatus tendon. 25 fresh frozen cadaver specimen (age: 23-94, 24 h post mortem, 18 male, 7 female) were tested using so called cryojaws for soft tissue fixation.

Novel compound tetra-, dinucleotide microsatellite polymorphism in the tumor necrosis factor/lymphotoxin locus.

A polymorphic (TGCG)n, tetranucleotide repeat was discovered juxtaposed to the (GT)n dinucleotide repeat that comprises the tumor necrosis factor a microsatellite (TNF) located telomeric to the tumor necrosis factor/lymphotoxin gene cluster. The degree of complexity of this compound tetra-,dinucleotide microsatellite consists of 16 potential alleles of combined length ranging from 24 to 54 bp. The pattern of frequencies of individual alleles belonging to the compound TNFa microsatellite was established from 52 healthy volunteers and was found to be highly heterogeneous.

Profile of immunoglobulin heavy chain variable gene repertoires and highly selective detection of malignant clonotypes in acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The predominant B cell immunoglobulin heavy chain variable gene (IgH-V) usage and the uniquely rearranged, clonotype-specific variable-diversity-joining region gene (VDJ) sequences were identified in patients with B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) using a novel DNA-based gene amplification strategy. The approach allows a thorough and sensitive determination of the number of clonal leukemic IgH rearrangements and their precise V gene usage. This strategy may be applied in the detection of minimal residual disease, in surveillance after induction of disease-free states, and in analyzing the effectiveness of purging autologous bone marrow of malignant clones.

Ex vivo clonotype primer-directed gene amplification to identify malignant T cell repertoires.

A novel strategy that utilizes input genomic DNA and overcomes limitations encountered with traditional RNA reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification methodology is described to screen for T cell receptor (TCR) repertoires. The methodology has been developed to identify individual T cell clonotypes with regard to their unique receptor beta chain variable/diversity/joining (VDJ) region gene rearrangement. The technique avoids preselection for a given antigen specificity and is therefore independent of artificial bias introduced by in vitro cell population expansion.

DnaA protein overproduction abolishes cell cycle specificity of DNA replication from oriC in Escherichia coli.

Initiation of DNA replication from oriC in Escherichia coli takes place at a specific time in the cell division cycle, whether the origin is located on a chromosome or a minichromosome, and requires participation of the product of the dnaA gene. The effects of overproduction of DnaA protein on the cell cycle specificity of the initiation event were determined by using minichromosome replication as the assay system. DnaA protein was overproduced by inducing the expression of plasmid-encoded dnaA genes under control of either the ptac or lambda pL promoter.

Overexpression of the dnaA gene in Escherichia coli B/r: chromosome and minichromosome replication in the presence of rifampin.

The replication of chromosomes and minichromosomes in Escherichia coli B/r was examined under conditions in which the dnaA gene product was overproduced. Increased levels of the DnaA protein were achieved by thermoinduction of the dnaA gene, under the control of the lambda pL promoter, or by cellular maintenance of multicopy plasmids carrying the dnaA gene under the control of its own promoters. Previous work has shown that overproduction of DnaA protein stimulates replication of the chromosomal origin, oriC, but that the newly initiated forks do not progress along the length of the chromosome (T.

Duplication of Escherichia coli during inhibition of net phospholipid synthesis.

In Escherichia coli BB26-36, the inhibition of net phospholipid synthesis during glycerol starvation affected cell duplication in a manner that was similar in some respects to that observed during the inhibition of protein synthesis. Ongoing rounds of chromosome replication continued, and cells in the D period divided. The initiation of new rounds of chromosome replication and division of cells in the C period were inhibited.

Comparison among patterns of macromolecular synthesis in Escherichia coli B/r at growth rates of less and more than one doubling per hour at 37 degrees C.

In Escherichia coli B/r, the relationship between the patterns of chromosome replication and of synthesis of envelope components differs at various growth rates. At growth rates greater than 1.0 doubling per h at 37 degrees C, the average mass and age at initiation of rounds of chromosome replication are similar to those at increase in incorporation of precursors into a major outer membrane protein and phosphatidylethanolamine.

Cell division of cycle of Bacillus subtilis: evidence of variability in period D.

In Bacillus subtilis the deoxyribonucleic acid content and the extent of cell division during inhibition of chromosome replication increased as a function of the average cell mass, independent of the growth rate. At each growth rate, mass, deoxyribonucleic acid, and residual division varied in different cultures. The variation is consistent with a large variability in the D period.