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- Lutz, Barbara S., et al.
(author)
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Interposition of a pedicle fat flap significantly improves specificity of reinnervation and motor recovery after repair of transected nerves in adjacency in rats
- 2001
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In: Plastic and reconstructive surgery (1963). - 0032-1052 .- 1529-4242. ; 107:1, s. 116-123
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Despite highest standards in nerve repair, functional recovery following nerve transection still remains unsatisfactory. Nonspecific reinnervation of target organs caused by misdirected axonal growth at the repair site is regarded as one reason for a poor functional outcome. This study was conducted to establish a method for preventing aberrant reinnervation between transected and repaired nerves in adjacency.Rat sciatic nerve was transected and repaired as follows: epineural sutures of the sciatic nerve (group A, n = 6), fascicular repair of tibial and peroneal nerves respectively (group B, n = 8), and, as in group B, separating both nerves using a pedicle fat flap as barrier (group C, n = 8). As control only, the tibial nerve was transected and repaired (group D, n = 5).Muscle contraction force of the gastrocnemius muscle was significantly higher in group C as compared with groups A and B after 4 months. Muscle weight showed significantly lower values in group A as compared with groups B, C, and D. Histologic examination in group C revealed little growth of axons from the tibial to the peroneal nerve and vice versa. This axon crossing was observed only when gaps between the fat cells were available. These findings were confirmed by a significantly lower rate of misdirected axonal growth as compared with groups A and B using sequential retrograde double labeling technique of the soleus motoneuron pool.We conclude that a pedicle fat flap significantly prevents aberrant reinnervation between repaired adjacent nerves resulting in significantly improved motor recovery in rats. Clinically, this is of importance for brachial plexus, sciatic nerve, and facial nerve repair.
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- Bodman-Smith, M.D., et al.
(author)
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Antibody response to the human stress protein BiP in rheumatoid arthritis
- 2004
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In: Rheumatology. - : Oxford University Press. - 1462-0324 .- 1462-0332 .- 1460-2172. ; 43:10, s. 1283-1287
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Objectives. The human stress protein BiP (immunoglobulin binding protein) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) since BiP was found to stimulate synovial T-cell proliferation and anti-BiP antibodies are present in the serum of RA patients. The aim of this study was the development of a rapid and reproducible enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine the specificity and sensitivity of anti-BiP antibodies in RA.Methods. An ELISA was developed that detected antibodies to BiP. The prevalence of anti-BiP antibodies was determined in sera from patients with early and established RA, sera antedating the onset of RA and sera from patients with other inflammatory and autoimmune diseases and healthy controls.Results. We have confirmed the increased prevalence of antibodies to BiP in the sera of a large cohort of patients with established RA (specificity 71% and sensitivity 73%) and early RA (specificity 65% and sensitivity 66%). In pre-disease sera, median 2.5 yr (interquartile range 1.1–4.7) before symptoms of joint disease, the sensitivity for anti-BiP antibodies was 45% and the specificity was 65% for the development of RA.Conclusion. Antibodies to BiP are found in the sera of patients with RA and in sera antedating the onset of RA.
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- Petris, S N, et al.
(author)
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A boot-strap Poisson-Boltzmann theory for the structure and thermodynamics of chargd colloidal solutions
- 2003
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In: Journal of Chemical Physics. - : AIP Publishing. - 0021-9606 .- 1089-7690. ; 118:11, s. 5248-5259
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The structural properties and thermodynamics of one- and two-component solutions of charged colloidal particles with explicit counterions have been investigated by Monte Carlo simulation. A boot-strap Poisson-Boltzmann (BSPB) theory has been developed to interpret these results and the accuracy of its predictions is compared with other existing theories. The BSPB was also used to predict the gas-liquid binodal and spinodal curves for a one-component system with colloid charge to counterion-charge ratio Z(r)=10. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.
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