Ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament]

The authors described 21 patients aged 37 to 83 with ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (10 with ischemic myelopathy, 6 with aftermaths of a trauma of the cervical spine, and 5 with the radicular syndrome on the basis of vertebral osteochondrosis. X-ray signs of three types of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament were defined and specified: linear, curved and mixed. The linear type was more frequently observed in the cervical spine whereas the curved type was more frequent in the lumbar spine.     

Refinement of a quantitative trait locus on equine chromosome 5 responsible for fetlock osteochondrosis in Hanoverian warmblood horses

In this report, we provide 29 new informative microsatellites distributed over a region of 21 Mb on horse chromosome (ECA) 5 and refine a quantitative trait locus (QTL) for fetlock osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD) to a genome-wide significant interval between 78.03 and 90.23 Mb on ECA5. Genotyping was performed in 211 Hanoverian warmblood horses from 14 paternal half-sib groups. Within this OCD-QTL, collagen type XXIV alpha 1 was identified as a potential functional candidate gene for equine osteochondrosis. This report is a further step towards unravelling the genes that cause equine osteochondrosis.     

Electroneuromyography analysis of reduced exercise performance in patients with lumbosacral osteochondrosis

The functional activity of the segmental apparatus and skeletal muscles of the upper and lower extremities was examined using various techniques, mainly, comprehensive electroneuromyography, in patients with lumbosacral osteochondrosis. Among the findings were significant differences between the H and the M responses of the soleus muscle, increased presynaptic inhibition of spinal motoneurons, and alteration in their reflex excitability, which explains the reduction in the exercise performance of the crus muscles as a result of the damage of spinal nerve roots involved in this pathology.     

Mapping quantitative trait loci for principal components of bone measurements and osteochondrosis scores in a wild boar x large white intercross

Data on osteochondrosis and femur dimensions from 195 F2 pigs from a wild boar x Large White intercross were analysed with the aim of detecting quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for normal and disturbed bone formation. The information from numerous recorded traits was summarized by principal component analysis and analysed by least-squares interval mapping. An increase in the proportion of wild boar alleles across the genome increased length versus width of femur and reduced the prevalence of osteochondrosis. The presence of QTLs with an impact on femur dimensions was indicated on chromosomes 2, 4, 16 and 17 and on osteochondrosis on chromosomes 5, 13 and 15. A substantial effect of the chromosome 5 QTL calls for further studies within commercial populations to evaluate whether marker-assisted selection could be used to reduce the prevalence of osteochondrosis.     

Differences between horse selection based on two forms of osteochondrosis in fetlock

Horses lose potential opportunities because of health problems. Available breeding strategies are not effective enough, probably also because of the different definition used and its genetic usefulness. The aim of the study was to compare the genetic background estimated by the genome-wide association study (GWAS) for osteochondrosis using two different scaling osteochondrosis (OC)/healthy and osteochondrosis dissecans (OCD)/healthy systems for evaluating the disease status of investigated fetlock joints. Two hundred one Warmblood horses trained for performance tests (87 stallions and 114 mares) were phenotyped and genotyped. Four fetlock x-ray images per horse were collected using the RTG Girth HF 80 and Vet Scan ray 3600. The DNA of each horse was genotyped using the BeadChip 70K. To identify SNPs that significantly affect the probability of osteochondrosis, two different methods were applied: the Cochran-Armitage test based on an additive mode of inheritance and logistic regression. The genetic background for osteochondrosis, expressed in the number of SNPs found with significant associations with osteochondrosis, was higher by evaluation in the scale of OCD/healthy horses (16 SNPs on several chromosomes mainly on the ECA1 and ECA10) than OC/healthy (2 SNPs on the ECA15 and one SNP on the ECA10). Detailed definition of osteochondrosis is needed in breeding and in veterinary practice. The genetic background for osteochondrosis and osteochondrosis dissecans seems not the same. Suggestive SNPs could be the candidate markers for osteochondrosis but should be checked on a larger population before usage.     

Chemotherapy and molecular therapy in cervical cancer

In recent years, the treatment of locally-advanced and metastatic cervical cancer has improved greatly due to the introduction of targeted therapies, new chemotherapy combinations, and emerging treatments. Candidates for potentially curative treatment are those patients with good functional status without associated comorbidities. Numerous trials have demonstrated that chemotherapy prolongs survival versus supportive care alone. In addition, polychemotherapy schemes are superior to single agent regimens. Targeted molecular agents have proven beneficial in the treatment of cervical cancer. Second-line treatment should be considered standard practice in patients with good functional status. Finally, given the poor survival outcomes in patients with metastatic disease, participation in clinical studies should always be considered the best option.     

Factors of the local immune defence of the reproductive tract in pregnant women with vaginosis

Clinico-immunological examination of 99 pregnant women with diagnosed vaginosis and 132 pregnant women without genital infection as a control group, was carried out. The immunological factors of cervical and vaginal secretions in pregnant women before and after local treatment were studied. The conclusion was made that the established changes in the cell-mediated and humoral factors of the immune resistance of the reproductive system could probably play some pathogenetic role in the development of vaginosis and its relapses in pregnant women. As found in this study, more pronounced changes in the local factors of immune protection (the signs of the functional irritation of neutrophils in combination with the prevalence of sIgA and lysozyme simultaneously with a decrease in the level of IgM and IgG in cervical slime) developed in patients with subsequent relapses of vaginosis, these changes remaining after local treatment. The defects of cell-mediated and humoral factors of cervical and humoral secretions, together with some clinical parameters, were shown to be prognostically unfavorable with respect to the relapses of vaginosis in pregnant women.     

Osteochondrosis / Osteoarthrosis and Claw Disorders in Sows,Associated with Leg Weakness

The objective of this study was to investigate the associations between different leg weakness symptoms and osteochondrosis/osteoarthrosis and claw disorders in sows together with the influence of age on these findings. One hundred and seventeen sows in one herd were followed from 6 months of age until culling and judged for leg weakness once in every gestation using a scale from 1 (normal) to 4 (severe changes). At slaughter changes in joints, growth plates and claws were scored on a scale from 1 (normal) to 5 (very severe changes). Osteoarthrotic changes were strongly associated with osteochondral changes in humeral and femoral condyles. The clinical signs of osteochondrosis and osteoarthrosis were found to be: buck-kneed forelegs, turn out of fore and hind legs, upright pasterns on hind legs, stiff locomotion, lameness and tendency to slip. The clinical signs of claw lesions were found to be: buck-kneed forelegs, upright pasterns, steep hock joints, turn out of hind legs, standing under position on hind legs, stiff movements, swaying hindquarters, goose-stepping hind legs, tendency to slip and lameness. Overgrown claws were strongly associated with leg weakness indicating the need for claw trimming in sow populations.     

Capacities of angiography in the imaging of abnormal changes in the cerebral arteries

The study was based on the angiographic examination of 233 patients with prior subarachnoidal hemorrhage. Angiographic study was performed using the Seldinger technique by contrasting both carotid and vertebral arteries. Twenty-three patients in whom arterial aneurysm had been detected by digital subtraction angiography underwent 3D angiography. The authors improved a procedure during which a contrast agent was manually injected into the internal carotid or vertebral artery, by using a 20-ml disposal syringe with controlled maximum developed pressure and flow increase rate up to 2.0 ml/sec for 4-5 sec during rotary scanning and the administration of the radiocontrast medium was stopped when an image appeared on the monitor at 190 degrees (190.0, 200.0) C-arm rotation. This procedure could decrease significantly the volume of the administered contrast agent from 18 to 8 (8.0, 10.0) ml and reduce the time of radiation exposure from 6 to 4 (4.0, 5.0) sec. The improved angiographic modes for the right vertebral and right carotid artery could visualize pathological changes in these arteries and establish a relationship, namely: due to degenerative dystrophic processes of the cervical spine there is a tendency for higher pathological changes in the vertebral arteries with an increased stage of osteochondrosis in the cervical spine (R = 0.95; p = 0.014).     

Carrageenin-induced experimental pneumonia in rats.

The authors verified the possibility of modelling pneumonia by the intratracheal administration of carrageenin solution into the lungs of rats. The most satisfactory dose was found to be 0.5 ml 0.7% carrageenin solution administered at 40 degrees C. The disease, evaluated by the morphological and functional signs, culminated after two days. Both macroscopically and histologically the lungs displayed typical signs of catarrhal suppurative aspiration bronchopneumonia. Functionally, marked tachypnoea (mean 180 cycles/min as against 110 c/min in the conscious controls) and raised functional residual capacity were found. A drop in the respiration rate and in FRC after bilateral cervical vagotomy indicated that a reflex component participates in the origin of the above two signs.     

Relationship between the blood flow in a spinal nerve root and its functional state in patients with lumbar disk hernia

Capillary blood flow in the spinal roots was studied in 52 patients with lumbar osteochondrosis during discectomy for lumbar disk herniation, before and after decompression. It was determined that the value of the capillary blood flow in the nerve root influenced markedly the severity of the pain syndrome, the threshold of sensitivity to pain in the dermatome involved, and the strength of the indicator group of muscles. It was shown that the level of intact reserves of the spinal nerve root microcirculation influenced the degree of functional restoration after the discectomy.     

Biomedical engineers present a futuristic wonderland of new devices — and all in the real world

Three patients with the droopy shoulder syndrome are described. This condition occurs most often in young women who are mildly or moderately depressed. Their shoulders are painful and the only clinical sign is drooping of the shoulders. There are no signs of neurologic abnormality. A lateral radiograph of the cervical spine shows all seven cervical vertebrae, the first thoracic vertebra and part or all of the second thoracic vertebra.     

Magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis and treatment of hernias of thoracic intervertebral disks

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was carried out in 24 patients with thoracic osteochondrosis. The obtained MR images showed the high efficiency of this radiodiagnostic technique in solving the tasks of visualizing a degenerative-dystrophic lesion of the vertebral column. MRI allows one to solve a broad spectrum of specific problems facing a radiodiagnostician and a neurosurgeon on examining a patient with thoracic osteochondrosis. This study permits an objective assessment of the stage of herniation and the degree of spinal cord compression, determination of treatment policy, planning of a surgical intervention, assessment of the results of surgical treatment, timely detection of possible complications, and visualization of recurrent hernia.     

SNP‐based heritability and genetic architecture of tarsal osteochondrosis in North American Standardbred horses

Osteochondrosis is a common developmental orthopedic disease characterized by a failure of endochondral ossification. Standardbred horses are recognized as being predisposed to tarsal osteochondrosis. Prior heritability estimates for tarsal osteochondrosis in European Standardbreds and related trotting breeds have been based on pedigree data and range from 17–29%. Here, we report on genetic architecture and heritability based on high‐density genotyping data in a cohort of North American Standardbreds (n = 479) stringently phenotyped for tarsal osteochondrosis. Whole‐genome array genotyping data were imputed to ~2 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). SNP‐based heritability of osteochondrosis in this population was explained by 2326 SNPs. The majority of these SNPs (86.6%) had small effects, whereas fewer SNPs had moderate or large effects (10% and 2.9% respectively), which is consistent with a polygenic/complex disease. Heritability was estimated at 0.24 ± 0.16 using two methods of restricted maximum likelihood analysis, as implemented in gcta (with and without a weighted relatedness matrix) and ldak software. Estimates were validated using bootstrapping. Heritability estimates were within the range previously reported and suggest that osteochondrosis is moderately heritable but that a significant portion of disease risk is due to environmental factors and/or genotype × environment interactions. Future identification of the genes/variants that have the most impact on disease risk may allow early recognition of high‐risk individuals.     

Osteochondritis dissecans-like lesions of the occipital condyle and cervical articular process joints in a Saddlebred colt horse

Background

Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is a sequela to osteochondrosis, whereby the cartilage superficial to the site of osteochondrosis fractures and gives rise to osteochondral fragments in the affected joint. In this case, both the radiological and computed tomography findings were supportive of classical severe OCD but the histologic findings were not supportive of the diagnosis of OCD.

Case presentation

A 1 year and 6 months old, Saddlebred, colt was presented for evaluation of chronic cervical pain. Standing laterolateral radiographs revealed an osteochondral fragment with corresponding irregular subchondral bone defect at one of the occipital condyle. Computed tomography confirmed the presence of osteochondral fragments at the left occipital condyle and several articular process joints of the cervical spine, with associated subchondral bone defects and sclerosis, suggestive of OCD. However, the lack of ischemic chondronecrosis microscopically was not supportive of a histologic diagnosis of OCD. Therefore, the term ‘OCD-like lesions’ was deemed most appropriate for these cervical lesions.

Conclusion

In the event where imaging features were characteristics of OCD but lack of histologic evidence of ischemic chondronecrosis, the term ‘OCD-like lesion’ is deemed most appropriate.

     

The possible role of alpha 2-macroglobulin in regulating the immune components of the brain in tick-borne encephalitis

In tick-borne encephalitis certain immunopathological reactions develop in the tissues of the central nervous system; alpha 2-macroglobulin may serve as the marker of the activity of these reactions. The dynamic study of liquor taken from 16 patients with the meningeal and focal forms of tick-borne encephalitis (TBE), 8 patients with severe craniocerebral traumas accompanied by meningitis and 10 patients with osteochondrosis was made. As revealed in this study, in TBE patients the level of alpha 2-macroglobulin increases 3.5-fold and remains stable during the acute period of the disease.     

Evaluation of the degree of maturation of the cervico-vaginal epithelium in normal, inflammatory and dysendocrine states]

The AA. have determined the maximum percentage of the para-basal cells compatible with a phlogistic state resulting from the exam of 2400 cervical and vaginal smears from women of various ages that were not following therapies able to falsify the evaluations of the endocrine situations. At the objective exam the patients had no sure signs of erosions, thyroid illnesses, vitamin deficiency or cervical metaplasia. The aim of the research was to find a criteria of evaluation of the endocrine situations of the patients, that were not easily influenced by the variations of the karyopyknotic index and acidophilix that are met in the course of numerous illnesses.     

Muscle tissue changes in vertebrogenic myofascial syndromes

Asymmetrical electrical activity of paired deep segmentary (short) muscles of the back at the level of a vertebra rotation subluxation was found in 50 patients with early neurological thoracic column osteochondrosis (recorded with point electrodes). The proposed experimental simulation of spinal column osteochondrosis (rotation subluxation of the second thoracic vertebra in rabbit) establishes the presence of persistent tonic activity of the deep short paired back muscles at the level of the subluxation and exposes the dynamics of ultrastructural change in the muscle group. Persistent excitation irritation in that segment of the spinal cord and disorganization of deep short back muscle function are associated with over-stretching of richly innervated soft tissues of the same dislocating segment.Scientific-Research Laboratory Center, A. A. Bogomolets Medical Institute, Ukrainian Public Health Ministry, Kiev. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 24, No. 3, pp. 298–306, May–June, 1992.     

鼻咽癌的CT 显像与VEGF 和p53 蛋白表达的相关性研究

目的:探讨鼻咽癌患者CT表现与血管内皮细胞生长因子以及p53蛋白表达的相关性.方法:选择经病理确诊的鼻咽癌患者36例,行螺旋CT扫描并采用免疫组化法检测肿瘤组织中VEGF和p53蛋白的表达,分析影像学特征与VEGF及p53蛋白表达的相关性.结果:鼻咽癌患者肿瘤组织中VEGF的表达与CT征象中的侵及后鼻孔、颅底骨质破坏及颈部淋巴结转移正相关,p53蛋白的表达与颈部淋巴结转移正相关.结论:肿瘤组织中VEGF和p53蛋白表达与鼻咽癌的部分CT影像学特征相关,可作为评价鼻咽癌CT表现恶性度及预后的指标.     

Functional deficits of central sensory and motor pathways in patients with cervical spinal stenosis: a study of SEPs and EMG responses to non-invasive brain stimulation

The central conduction time of the descending and ascending fibers of the spinal cord were examined in patients with radiologically defined cervical spinal stenosis (antero-posterior diameter of the spinal canal less than 13 mm). Nineteen patients were examined, only 4 of whom showed clinical signs of spastic weakness or ataxia. The electromyographic response after non-invasive stimulation of the leg area of the motor cortex was delayed in13 of the 15 clinically unaffected patients. The central latency (N21-P39) of the somatosensory evoked response after stimulation of the tibial nerve (tibialis SEP) was increased in 12 of the 15 individuals. The 4 patients with clinical signs showed abnormal latencies with both methods.The use of both techniques for the examination of the function of the spinal cord revealed increased latencies in the central motor and/or sensory pathways in all patients. The technique of non-invasive stimulation of the corticospinal system therefore provides an additional tool to detect and quantity subclinical and clinically apparent lesions in patients with defined cervical spinal stenosis.