In vitro cultivation of canine multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells on collagen membranes treated with hyaluronic acid for cell therapy and tissue regeneration

Support structures for dermal regeneration are composed of biodegradable and bioresorbable polymers, animal skin or tendons, or are bacteria products. The use of such materials is controversial due to their low efficiency. An important area within tissue engineering is the application of multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to reparative surgery. The combined use of biodegradable membranes with stem cell therapy may lead to promising results for patients undergoing unsuccessful conventional treatments. Thus, the aim of this study was to test the efficacy of using membranes composed of anionic collagen with or without the addition of hyaluronic acid (HA) as a substrate for adhesion and in vitro differentiation of bone marrow-derived canine MSCs. The benefit of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on the differentiation of cells in culture was also tested. MSCs were collected from dog bone marrow, isolated and grown on collagen scaffolds with or without HA. Cell viability, proliferation rate, and cellular toxicity were analyzed after 7 days. The cultured cells showed uniform growth and morphological characteristics of undifferentiated MSCs, which demonstrated that MSCs successfully adapted to the culture conditions established by collagen scaffolds with or without HA. This demonstrates that such scaffolds are promising for applications to tissue regeneration. bFGF significantly increased the proliferative rate of MSCs by 63% when compared to groups without the addition of the growth factor. However, the addition of bFGF becomes limiting, since it has an inhibitory effect at high concentrations in culture medium.

Functional independence in patients with chronic kidney disease being treated with haemodialysis¹

PURPOSE: This study has described and analysed the functional independence of the patients served in the haemodialysis services of a countryside town in the State of São Paulo, Brazil, using the Functional Independence Measure (FIM). METHOD: The population considered was that of 214 patients being treated with haemodialysis, assessed in 2011, by means of a social, demographic and clinical report, a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and also the FIM. RESULTS: The mean age of the population under study was 58.01 years, while the mean FIM point score was 118.38 points, showing a level of complete or modified independence within this population. Even though the level of dependence found has been low, this can be highlighted, within the locomotion domain, in the activity of going up and down stairs (10.28%). Age, complications arising from haemodialysis, and comorbidities show a negative correlation with FIM. CONCLUSION: Awareness of the level of functional independence of the patients being subjected to treatment with haemodialysis is essential in order to back up intervention for the improvement of nursing assistance provided to this population.

Acne fulminans successfully treated with prednisone and dapsone

Acne fulminans is a rare condition and the most severe form of acne. It involves the sudden onset of febrile and multisystemic symptoms, with poor response to ordinary therapy in patients who previously had mild to moderate acne. It is characterized by hemorrhagic ulcerative crusting lesions on the face, chest and upper back. The authors report a case of acne fulminans that was successfully treated with oral prednisone and dapsone.

Maxillary incisors mesiodistal angulation changes in patients with orthodontically treated anterior superior diastemas

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to describe the patterns of maxillary incisor angulation in patients with upper interincisive diastemas, to evaluate angulation changes with treatment and posttreatment period, and to assess whether there are association between incisor angulation and interincisive diastema relapse. METHODS: The sample comprised 30 Class I or Class II patients with at least one pretreatment anterior diastema of 0.77 mm or greater after eruption of maxillary permanent canines. Data were obtained from panoramic radiographs at pretreatment, posttreatment and at least 2 years post-retention. RESULTS: Incisors presented a mesial tipping tendency after treatment, but only lateral incisors showed significant changes between pre and posttreatment stages. CONCLUSION: Regarding post-retention period, no changes were found. Finally, no relation was found between diastema relapse and maxillary incisor axial angulation.

Width of buccal and posterior corridors: differences between cases treated with asymmetric and symmetric extractions

OBJECTIVE: To verify if there is difference in the buccal and posterior corridor width in cases treated with extraction of one and four premolars. METHODS: Through posed smile photographs of 23 Class II patients, subdivision, treated with extraction of one premolar and 25 Class I and Class II patients, subdivision, treated with extraction of four premolars, the percentage of buccal and posterior corridor width was calculated. The two protocols of extractions were compared regarding the buccal and posterior corridor width by independent t tests. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference on the buccal and posterior corridor widths between patients treated with symmetric and asymmetric extraction. CONCLUSION: The buccal and posterior corridor did not differ between the evaluated protocols of extractions.

Biomarkers and Bacterial Pneumonia Risk in Patients with Treated HIV Infection: A Case-Control Study

Background: Despite advances in HIV treatment, bacterial pneumonia continues to cause considerable morbidity and mortality in patients with HIV infection. Studies of biomarker associations with bacterial pneumonia risk in treated HIVinfected patients do not currently exist. Methods: We performed a nested, matched, case-control study among participants randomized to continuous combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) in the Strategies for Management of Antiretroviral Therapy trial. Patients who developed bacterial pneumonia (cases) and patients without bacterial pneumonia (controls) were matched 1:1 on clinical center, smoking status, age, and baseline cART use. Baseline levels of Club Cell Secretory Protein 16 (CC16), Surfactant Protein D (SP-D), C-reactive protein (hsCRP), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and d-dimer were compared between cases and controls. Results: Cases (n = 72) and controls (n = 72) were 25.7% female, 51.4% black, 65.3% current smokers, 9.7% diabetic, 36.1% co-infected with Hepatitis B/C, and 75.0% were on cART at baseline. Median (IQR) age was 45 (41, 51) years with CD4+ count of 553 (436, 690) cells/mm3. Baseline CC16 and SP-D were similar between cases and controls, but hsCRP was significantly higher in cases than controls (2.94 mg/mL in cases vs. 1.93 mg/mL in controls; p = 0.02). IL-6 and d-dimer levels were also higher in cases compared to controls, though differences were not statistically significant (p-value 0.06 and 0.10, respectively). Conclusions: In patients with cART-treated HIV infection, higher levels of systemic inflammatory markers were associated with increased bacterial pneumonia risk, while two pulmonary-specific inflammatory biomarkers, CC16 and SP-D, were not associated with bacterial pneumonia risk.

Dynamics of follicular growth and progesterone concentrations in cyclic and anestrous suckling Nelore cows (Bos indicus) treated with progesterone, equine chorionic gonadotropin, or temporary calf removal

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of eCG and temporary calf removal (TCR) associated with progesterone (P4) treatment on the dynamics of follicular growth, CL size, and P4 concentrations in cyclic (n ¼ 36) and anestrous (n ¼ 30) Nelore cows. Cyclic (C) and anestrous (A) cows were divided into three groups. The control group received 2 mg of estradiol benzoate via intramuscular (IM) injection and an intravaginal device containing 1.9 g of P4 on Day 0. On Day 8, the device was removed, and the animals received 12.5 mg of dinoprost tromethamine IM. After 24 hours, the animals received 1 mg of estradiol benzoate IM. In the eCG group, cows received the same treatment described for the control group but also received 400 UI of eCG at the time of device removal. In the TCR group, calves were separated from the cows for 56 hours after device removal. Ultrasound exams were performed every 24 hours after device removal until the time of ovulation and 12 days after ovulation to measure the size of the CL. On the same day as the CL measurement, blood was collected to determine the plasma P4 level. Statistical analyses were performed with a significance level of P ≤ 0.05. In cyclic cows, the presence of the CL at the beginning of protocol resulted in a smaller follicle diameter at the time of device removal (7.4 ± 0.3 mm in cows with CL vs. 8.9 ± 0.4 mm in cows without CL; P ¼ 0.03). All cows ovulated within 72 hours after device removal. Anestrous cows treated with eCG or TCR showed follicle diameter at fixed-timed artificial insemination (A-eCG 10.2 ± 0.3 and A-TCR 10.3 ± 0.5 mm) and follicular growth rate (A-eCG 1.5 ± 0.2 and A-TCR 1.3 ± 0.1 mm/day) similar to cyclic cows (C-eCG 11.0 ± 0.6 and C-TCR 12.0 ± 0.5 mm) and (C-eCG 1.4 ± 0.2 and C-TCR 1.6 ± 0.2 mm/day, respectively; P ≤ 0.05). Despite the similarities in CL size, the average P4 concentration was higher in the A-TCR (9.6 ± 1.4 ng/mL) than in the A-control (4.0 ± 1.0 ng/mL) and C-TCR (4.4 ± 1.0 ng/mL) groups (P < 0.05). From these results, we conclude that eCG treatment and TCR improved the fertility of anestrous cows by providing follicular growth rates and size of dominant follicles similar to cyclic cows. Additionally, TCR increases the plasma concentrations of P4 in anestrous cows