Spontaneous perforation of choledochal cyst: a case with unusual distribution of fluid in the retroperitoneal space.

Images of perforated choledochal cysts typically show an intraperitoneal fluid collection. We report a case with, in addition to free intraperitoneal fluid, fluid collection in the right-side anterior pararenal and perirenal spaces. Surgery confirmed the presence of a perforation at the junction of the cystic duct and the common bile duct.

Docosahexaenoic acid induces ERK1/2 activation and neuritogenesis via intracellular reactive oxygen species production in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells.

Docosahexaenoic acid (22: 6n-3; DHA) is a long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid that exists highly enriched in fish oil, and it is one of the low molecular weight food chemicals which can pass a blood brain barrier. A preliminary survey of several fatty acids for expression of growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43), a marker of axonal growth, identified DHA as one of the most potent inducers. The human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells exposed to DHA showed significant and dose-dependent increases in the percentage of cells with longer neurites.

Clinical and methodological aspects of endothelial function in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases.

The endothelium is not merely a barrier but it plays a key role in the maintenance of vascular homeostasis. An alteration of the endothelial function (EF) is an early marker of atherosclerosis, also contributing to the development of atherosclerotic lesions and later clinical complications. Systemic autoimmune diseases are characterized by the occurrence of premature atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.

Vascular reactivity in patients with undifferentiated connective tissue diseases.

Introduction: Endothelial dysfunction is an early event in the development of atherosclerotic disease. We investigated endothelial function in the peripheral circulation of patients with undifferentiated connective tissue diseases (UCTDs), in comparison to healthy controls.

Methods: In 15 young UCTD patients (mean age 39 years) with inactive disease and without cardiovascular risk factors and in 15 age-matched controls we evaluated endothelial function in the brachial conduit artery and in the forearm microcirculation.

Integrated backscatter analysis of carotid intima-media complex in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

A number of studies based on conventional ultrasound scanning (CUS) gave contrasting results about the occurrence of early atherosclerosis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), while no study on early arterial sclerosis in the same patients are available. Recently, information on early arterial sclerosis can be provided by the integrated backscatter (IBS) analysis which reflects the collagen and calcium content within the vascular wall. In order to evaluate if atherosis and/or sclerosis of carotid arteries are early features of SLE, we performed carotid CUS and IBS analysis in 16 SLE patients (15 females; aged 37 +/- 10 years), free from clinically evident cardiovascular diseases and cardiovascular risk factors, with the only exception of five patients who had arterial hypertension.

Occurrence of organ-specific and systemic autoimmune diseases among the first- and second-degree relatives of Caucasian patients with connective tissue diseases: report of data obtained through direct patient interviews.

Studies have demonstrated a familial aggregation of systemic and organ-specific autoimmune diseases. The aim of the present survey was to obtain, by patient interviews, a preliminary estimate of the prevalence of systemic and organ-specific autoimmune diseases among the first- and second-degree relatives of Caucasian patients with connective tissue diseases (CTD) or inflammatory arthritis followed at our unit. Between June 2007 and January 2008, 626 patients and 85 controls (patients with osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, or fibromyalgia) were interviewed.

[Analysis of the evolution to defined connective tissue diseases of patients with "early unidifferentiated connective tissue diseases (UCTD)"].

The term undifferentiated connective tissue diseases (UCTD) is used to identify systemic autoimmune diseases not fulfilling classificative criteria for defined connective tissue diseases (CTD). Aim of the present study was to evaluate the evolution to defined CTD of an historical cohort of 91 UCTD patients followed at our Unit and to describe clinical and serological characteristics of stable UCTD patients with a disease duration of more than 5 years. Patients, previously described, were selected for having an undifferentiated profile after 1 year of follow up.

A case of undifferentiated connective tissue disease: is it a distinct clinical entity?

Background: In November 2001, a 24-year-old woman with thrombocytopenia and Raynaud's phenomenon presented to our clinic. Her physical examination was unremarkable except for bruising on her legs and arms.

Investigations: Laboratory assays detected the presence of antinuclear and anti-ribonucleoprotein antibodies.

[Complete recovery obtained with combined S-1 + CDDP therapy in a patient with multiple lung metastases from esophageal cancer].

Purpose: There are numerous reports on the subject of effectiveness in radio-chemotherapy with regard to esophageal cancer, suggesting especially the combination therapy of 5-FU + CDDP aimed for recovery. Treatment becomes difficult when distal metastases appear during an adjuvant therapy followed by surgery. Our report here is a case in which a complete recovery was obtained after changing to S-1, a prodrug of 5-FU, in response to multiple lung metastases which appeared during the combined 5-FU + CDDP therapy followed by surgery for esophageal cancer.

Undifferentiated connective tissue diseases (UCTD): a new frontier for rheumatology.

Patients with signs and symptoms suggestive of a systemic autoimmune disease but not fulfilling the classification criteria for defined diseases are common in clinical practice. Such conditions have been defined as undifferentiated connective tissue diseases (UCTDs). Since the 1980s, many studies have analyzed different aspects of the UCTDs -- their frequency and epidemiological characteristics, the rate of evolution to defined CTD, and their clinical and serological characteristics.

Antipolymer antibody in Italian fibromyalgic patients.

The objectives of the present study were to evaluate the presence of antipolymer antibody (APA) seropositivity in 285 Italian patients affected by primary fibromyalgia (FM) and to verify whether APA levels correlate with disease severity and with cytokine levels.APA levels were determined on serum samples by an indirect ELISA kit that detects IgG APA. Cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and TNFalpha) were measured by ELISA in plasma.

Vitamin K deficiency bleeding with intracranial hemorrhage: focus on secondary form.

Non-accidental trauma is the leading cause of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) in infancy. In contrast, ICH as a part of vitamin K deficiency bleeding (VKDB) secondary to hepatobiliary disease is rare, but encountered even in the era of vitamin K (VK) prophylaxis. During 43 months, six cases with ICH were diagnosed as an initial presentation of VKDB.

Guinea Pig Maximization Test of tri-ethylene glycol mono-methacrylate.

The aim of this study was to evaluate tri-ethylene glycol mono-methacrylate (TEGMA) in terms of dermatological allergic reaction using a Guinea Pig Maximization Test. Skin reaction was evaluated according to the criteria of International Contact Dermatitis Research Group. TEGMA, as a constituent in new primers, has been reported to contribute to a priming ability similar to that of highly purified glyceryl mono-methacrylate (GM).

Anti-C1q antibodies in pregnant patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: To study anti-C1q antibodies in pregnant patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and to evaluate their prognostic significance for the occurrence of disease flares or pregnancy complications.

Methods: Twenty-one pregnancies in 19 SLE patients prospectively followed were analyzed. Disease activity was evaluated on the basis of the physician's intention to treat and a modified version of the ECLAM index.

Differential expression of both extracellular and intracellular proteins is involved in the lethal or nonlethal phenotypic variation of BrtlIV, a murine model for osteogenesis imperfecta.

This study used proteomic and transcriptomic techniques to understand the molecular basis of the phenotypic variability in the bone disorder osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). Calvarial bone mRNA expression was evaluated by microarray, real-time, and comparative RT-PCR and the bone proteome profile was analyzed by 2-DE, MS, and immunoblotting in the OI murine model BrtlIV, which has either a moderate or a lethal OI outcome. Differential expression analysis showed significant changes for eight proteins.

Protein expression profiles of Bos taurus blood and lymphatic vessel endothelial cells.

The endothelium is a metabolically active organ that regulates the interaction between blood or lymph and the vessel or the surrounding tissue. Blood endothelium has been the object of many investigations whereas lymphatic endothelium biology is yet poorly understood. This report deals with a proteomic approach to the characterization and comparative analysis of lymphatic and blood vessel endothelial cells (ECs).

Protein expression profiles in Saccharomyces cerevisiae during apoptosis induced by H2O2.

We identified the proteins involved during apoptosis induced by H2O2 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and analyzed the global protein pattern by 2-DE. We analyzed classical parameters of apoptosis such as chromatin condensation, DNA fragmentation, and morphology changes of cells. Exposure of yeast cells to nonphysiological doses of peroxides decreases the expression (or increases degradation) of enzymes involved in protection against oxidative stress.

Undifferentiated connective tissue diseases (UCTD).

The term undifferentiated connective tissue diseases is used to define conditions characterized by the presence of signs and symptoms suggestive of a systemic autoimmune disease that do not satisfy the classificative criteria for defined connective tissue diseases (CTD) such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), Sjögren's syndrome (SS), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and others. A small percentage of patients presenting with an undifferentiated profile will develop during the first year follow up of a full blown CTD, however an average of 75% will maintain an undifferentiated clinical course. These patients may be defined as having a stable undifferentiated connective tissue diseases (UCTD).

[Chronic inflammation and endothelial dysfunction: analysis of a cohort of patients with SLE and UCTD].

Objective: Cardiovascular complications, mainly caused by an accelerated atherosclerosis, are one of the leading causes of death and disability in patients with systemic autoimmune diseases. Endothelial dysfunction is considered the earliest and reversible step of atherogenesis. Aim of the present study is to investigate endothelial function (EF) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), undifferentiated connective tissue diseases (UCTD) and correlate the results with clinical and laboratory variables.

Nonprotein-bound iron and plasma protein oxidative stress at birth.

We previously reported plasma nonprotein-bound iron (NPBI) as a reliable early indicator of intrauterine oxidative stress (OS) and brain injury. We tested the hypothesis that albumin, an NPBI serum carrier, is the major target of NPBI-induced OS. Twenty-four babies were randomly selected from 384 newborns constituting the final cohort of a prospective study undertaken to evaluate the predictive role of NPBI in cord blood for neurodevelopmental outcome.

Hypoxia-induced post-translational changes in red blood cell protein map of newborns.

Tyrosine (Tyr) phosphorylation is implicated in the modification of several erythrocyte functions, such as metabolic pathways and membrane transport, as well as in signal transduction systems. Here we describe the map of Tyr-phosphorylated soluble proteins of newborn red blood cells (RBC) using an in vitro model simulating RBC reoxygenation at birth after an intrauterine hypoxic event. We tested the hypothesis that a hypoxic environment and subsequent reoxygenation promote post-translational changes in the RBC protein map of newborns, in addition to desferrioxamine (DFO)-chelatable iron (DCI) release and methemoglobin (MetHb) formation.

Compatibility between self-etching adhesive and self-curing resin by addition of anion exchange resin.

Objective: The aim was to investigate whether anion exchange resin powder in the OH(-) form, added to the amine component of self-cured resin can deprotonize acid groups of a self-etching adhesive and thus eliminate incompatibility caused by amine neutralization.

Methods: Shear bond strength (SBS) of a self-cured CorePaste (COP), bonded either with all-in-one adhesive iBond (IBO) or with IBO coated with a self-cured experimental resin (SCR), loaded with 0, 8, 16, or 32 wt% of anion exchange resin powder (AER) in OH- form, were determined on 80 enamel and dentin surfaces each after 24 h water storage. IBO specimens were either light-activated or not.