Detection of biofilm-producing and methicillin resistance genes in Staphylococcus epidermidis isolated from healthy humans and in blood culture tests.

The detection of biofilm-producing (ica AB) and methicillin resistance genes (mec A) was investigated in 70 blood culture isolates of Staphylococcus epidermidis and in 66 and 51 isolates from human hands and the vestibules of the nose, respectively, of 77 healthy subjects who gave consent. Of the 70 strains isolated from blood culture testing, both ica AB and mec A were detected in 36 (51.4%), and neither was detected in 4 (5.

Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-positive cells in the synovial-cartilage junction and bone marrow during the progression of collagen-induced arthritis in adult rats.

We investigated the time-course changes in bone destruction in rats with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). The synovial-cartilage junction (SCJ) and epiphyseal bone marrow of the femoral posteromedial condyle in CIA rats were evaluated histologically and immunohistologically at 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after sensitization. Two weeks after sensitization, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive multinuclear cells formed resorption lacunae on the lateral side of the cortical bone under the SCJ.

Plantar pressure distribution during gait in athletes with functional instability of the ankle joint: preliminary report.

This study addressed the hypothesis that gait characteristics differ between normal subjects and athletes suffering from functional instability (FI) of the ankle joint. FI of the ankle joint is one of the most common residual disabilities after an acute ankle sprain. However, the influences of the FI of the ankle joint on the gait characteristics are not well understood.