A molecular map of long non-coding RNA expression, isoform switching and alternative splicing in osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a prevalent joint disease and a major cause of disability worldwide with no curative therapy. Development of disease-modifying therapies requires a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underpinning disease. A hallmark of osteoarthritis is cartilage degradation.

Primary lung tumour invading the chest wall.

Introduction: This case study describes a primary lung tumour invading the chest wall, that clinically was thought likely to be a lipoma, and was imaged first using ultrasound.

Case Report: A 67 year old male presented to his GP with a six month history of a lump increasing in size on the left upper chest wall. The ultrasound scan demonstrated a hypoechoic and hypervascular soft tissue mass, extending out of the chest into the subcutaneous tissue and starting to erode the overlying rib.

Three-year follow up of using combination therapy with fresh-frozen plasma and iron chelation in a patient with acaeruloplasminemia.

Acaeruloplasminemia is a rare autosomal recessive condition caused by inactivating mutations of the gene encoding caeruloplasmin (ferroxidase). Caeruloplasmin is a copper-containing plasma ferroxidase enzyme with a key role in facilitating cellular iron efflux. We describe a case of a patient with acaeruloplasminemia, confirmed by genetic analysis, treated with combination therapy of monthly fresh-frozen plasma (FFP) or Octaplas and iron chelation over a 3-year period.

The effect of bisphosphosphonates on bone turnover and bone balance in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis: The T-score bone marker approach in the TRIO study.

Postmenopausal osteoporosis is characterised by increased bone turnover and an imbalance between bone resorption and formation. Bisphosphonate treatment reduces bone turnover but their effect on bone balance is yet to be fully investigated. Using the T-score approach our aims were to: i) investigate the effects of oral nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates on bone balance and turnover in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis and ii) determine the relationship of the change in bone balance and turnover with the change in BMD at the lumbar spine and total hip.

Balancing benefits and risks in the era of biologics.

Biologics are substances synthetized from biological sources used in the prevention and treatment of several diseases. Rheumatologists have many years of experience with biologics for the treatment of immune-mediated diseases and osteoporosis. Randomized clinical trials and postmarketing studies have demonstrated that treatment with biologics can result, albeit infrequently, in serious adverse events.

National prospective cohort study of the burden of acute small bowel obstruction.

Background: Small bowel obstruction is a common surgical emergency, and is associated with high levels of morbidity and mortality across the world. The literature provides little information on the conservatively managed group. The aim of this study was to describe the burden of small bowel obstruction in the UK.

Clinical utility of bone turnover markers in monitoring the withdrawal of treatment with oral bisphosphonates in postmenopausal osteoporosis.

Unlabelled: Bone markers may be useful to monitor response to treatment withdrawal in osteoporosis. We used two criteria for investigating the change in BTMs after withdrawal of bisphosphonate treatment. A larger increase in BTMs was associated with greater bone loss.

Effects of discontinuing oral bisphosphonate treatments for postmenopausal osteoporosis on bone turnover markers and bone density.

Unlabelled: The antiresorptive potency varies between different bisphosphonates. We investigated the effect of stopping oral bisphosphonate treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis (ibandronate, alendronate, risedronate) on BTMs and BMD. After stopping treatment, all three groups showed an increase in BTMs and a decrease in hip BMD; however, none returned to pre-treatment baseline values.

Patients Awaiting Surgical Repair for Large Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Can Exercise at Moderate to Hard Intensities with a Low Risk of Adverse Events.

Intervention fidelity refers to the extent an experimental manipulation has been implemented as intended. Our aim was to evaluate the fidelity of high-intensity interval training (HIT) in patients awaiting repair of large abdominal aortic aneurysms. Following a baseline cardiopulmonary exercise test, 27 participants performed a hospital-based, supervised HIT intervention in the 4 weeks preceding surgery.

Response of bone turnover markers to raloxifene treatment in postmenopausal women with osteopenia.

Unlabelled: We used two methods of identifying women who reached the target for raloxifene treatment with bone turnover markers. Both approaches identified women that responded to treatment but did not fully agree and may be complementary.

Introduction: The change in bone turnover markers (BTMs) in response to osteoporosis therapy can be assessed by a decrease beyond the least significant change (LSC) or below the mean of the reference interval (RI).

Bilateral coronary ostial disease following mediastinal irradiation: a case report.

Introduction: Ostial coronary artery disease is rare with a reported incidence of 0.07 to 0.25% in all patients undergoing angiography.

Observational study of maternal anthropometry and fetal insulin.

Aims: To examine the relation between maternal body fat and fetal metabolism.

Methods: In this observational study, cord blood samples were collected from 60 infants of healthy women for the measurement of insulin and C peptide concentrations. Maternal weight, height, body mass index (BMI) and body composition (skinfold thickness measurements and bioelectrical impedance) were assessed at 13-15 weeks of gestation.

Self-learning fuzzy logic control of neuromuscular block.

We have assessed the performance of a "self-learning" fuzzy logic controller to administer atracurium to a required depth of neuromuscular block. We studied 20 ASA I and II patients undergoing surgery anticipated to last longer than 90 min. A Datex Relaxograph was used to measure the degree of neuromuscular block, and control to a T1 twitch height set point of 10% of baseline neuromuscular function was selected.

Bundle nailing in nonunion of the distal radius: case report.

A previously unreported technique for dealing with severe distal radial nonunion in the presence of marked osteoporosis and deformity in a 65-year-old female is presented. The technique involves temporary ankylosis of the wrist with bundle nails connecting the second and third metacarpal with the distal and proximal fragment of the radius, dorsal to the carpal bones and joints. Union was achieved radiographically after nine months.

Evidence for a calcium/calmodulin involvement in density-dependent melanogenesis in murine B16 melanoma cells.

Previous work from our laboratory has shown that both cyclic AMP and calcium/calmodulin appear to be involved in the regulation of melanogenesis in murine B16 melanoma cells. In these cells as in murine Cloudman S91 cells, melanogenic responsiveness to melanocyte-stimulating hormone (MSH) varies with cell density in culture. Our objective in this study was to learn more about the intracellular systems involved in the control of melanogenesis, particularly the role played by calcium.