Paget disease of bone in Japanese patients: a report of three cases.

Paget disease of bone (PDB) is a bone metabolic disorder causing pain, fractures, and deformity. Its incidence is estimated to be 1 to 2% in Caucasians older than 55 years, but in Asian populations the incidence is rare. We report on 2 female and one male Japanese patients aged 46 to 73 years with PDB.

Intradural neurenteric cyst--two case reports of surgical treatment.

Intradural neurenteric cysts are rare congenital lesions and arise from incomplete separation of the developing notochord and foregut in the embryo. Neurenteric cysts are often seen in conjunction with other forms of occult spinal dysraphism. The cases of a 48-year-old male with pain in the right shoulder and numbness in both hands and a 7-year-old girl with subacute muscle weakness of the lower extremities are presented.

Magnetic resonance angiography for vertebral artery evaluation in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Objective: To examine the radiological features of vertebral artery (VA) displacement/occlusion associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) spine using magnetic resonance angiography.

Methods: Forty-seven RA patients with upper cervical lesions were evaluated for patency or abnormality of the VA by extracranial magnetic resonance angiography, with comparison of findings with those of 46 healthy volunteers.

Results: VA occlusion occurred in 4 patients (8.

Evaluation of occipitocervical subluxation in rheumatoid arthritis patients, using coronal-view reconstructive computed tomography.

Study Design: Reconstructive computed tomography (CT) study of occipito-atlanto and atlantoaxial joints in RA patients.

Summary Of Background Data: The occipitocervical region is one of the most common sites of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Although lateral radiography has been used for the diagnosis of atlantoaxial subluxation and vertical subluxation, reconstructive CT imaging of the occipito-atlanto and atlantoaxial joints is more sensitive in detecting morphologic changes in this region.

Effectiveness of anti-folate receptor beta antibody conjugated with truncated Pseudomonas exotoxin in the targeting of rheumatoid arthritis synovial macrophages.

Objective: To define the distribution of folate receptor beta (FRbeta)-expressing cells in various tissues, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovial tissues, and to verify the effects of an immunotoxin composed of an anti-FRbeta monoclonal antibody (mAb) and truncated Pseudomonas exotoxin A (PEA) on apoptosis and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) production by adherent synovial mononuclear cells from RA patients.

Methods: Anti-FRbeta mAb were produced by immunizing mice with FRbeta-transfected murine pre-B cells. The distribution of the FRbeta antigen was examined by immunohistochemical analysis using anti-FRbeta mAb and macrophage-specific anti-CD163 mAb.

Differential expression patterns of secreted frizzled related protein genes in synovial cells from patients with arthritis.

Objective: To detect expression of the secreted frizzled related protein (sFRP) gene in synovial cells from patients with arthritis.

Methods: Expression of sFRP-1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 genes was detected in synovial cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) by semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. To identify synovial cell populations expressing sFRP-1, 3, and 4 genes, expression was compared in macrophage-rich populations and fibroblast-like cell-rich populations by RT-PCR.

Nitration and chlorination of folic acid by peroxynitrite and hypochlorous acid, and the selective binding of 10-nitro-folate to folate receptor beta.

The aim of this work was to characterize folates modified by ONOO(-) and HOCl and to evaluate the binding capacity of folates modified by ONOO(-) to folate receptor alpha and beta. For the modification of folate by ONOO(-), folic acid was reacted with the combination of PMA activated PMN and PAPA NONOate or chemically synthesized ONOO(-). For the modification of folate by HOCl, folic acid was reacted with the combination of MPO and H(2)O(2) or NaOCl.