The prevalence of biofilms in chronic wounds: a systematic review and meta-analysis of published data.

The presence of biofilms in chronic non-healing wounds, has been identified through in vitro model and in vivo animal data. However, human chronic wound studies are under-represented and generally report low sample sizes. For this reason we sought to ascertain the prevalence of biofilms in human chronic wounds by undertaking a systematic review and meta-analysis. Our initial search identified 554 studies from the literature databases (Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline). After removal of duplicates, and those not meeting the requirements of inclusion, nine studies involving 185 chronic wounds met the inclusion criteria. Prevalence of biofilms in chronic wounds was 78.2 % (confidence interval [CI 61.6-89, p<0.002]). The results of our meta-analysis support our clinical assumptions that biofilms are ubiquitous in human chronic non-healing wounds.

Reconsideration of iodine in wound irrigation: the effects on Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm formation.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic skin wounds are usually colonised with bacteria and subsequent infection may develop. Topical antiseptics are commonly used to control bacterial colonisation. The topical antiseptic, 1% polyvinylpyrrolidone-iodine (PVP-I), that is used on chronic open skin wounds remains controversial in the clinical setting because of its cytotoxicity. Here, we tested 1% PVP-I solution against saline to determine if it reduces bacterial count on the wound surface and within the tissue that may lead to wound reduction. METHOD: Open wounds that were created on the backs of Sprague Dawley rats were inoculated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa at the wound surface. Wounds were kept covered except for wound irrigation, two days post-wounding, wounds were irrigated daily using a 10ml syringe and spray tip. RESULTS: Our results indicate that 1% PVP-I irrigation resulted in a reduced bacterial count on the wound surface and within the tissue compared with saline irrigation. The 1% PVP-I irrigation promoted wound re-epithelialisation compared with saline irrigation, but it did not reach significance. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that irrigation with 1% PVP-I was an effective way to reduce bacterial count on the wound surface, and allow the wound to progress to healing.

[Intraoperative direct angiography for the diminutive central pulmonary artery in a patient with major aortopulmonary collateral arteries].

It can be difficult to judge the degree of arborization of diminutive central pulmonary arteries (cPA) in patients with major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (MAPCA). Even through preoperative cardiac catheterization may not give adequate information. We introduce intra-operative direct angiography of diminutive cPA for patients with MAPCA. This would be one of the good options to judge the degree of arborization of the diminutive cPA, and to decide an initial surgical treatment. In this case, unifocalization of MAPCA without patch augmentation of pulmonary arteries, and an aortopulmonary shunt were performed at the 1st procedure. As enough growth of the cPA was obtained, this patient did not require additional patch augmentation of the pulmonary artery at the time of complete repair.

[Sternal resection and chest wall reconstruction for primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the sternum].

Primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the sternum is rare. A 59-year-old woman referred to our department with anterior chest pain and a tumor in the sternum. The patient was diagnosed as primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the sternum by core biopsy of the lesion. She received 2 cycles of preoperative chemotherapy with vincristine, doxorubicin, cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, etoposide. She underwent a total sternectomy with resection of adjacent bilateral costal cartilages and sternal ends of the clavicles. The skeletal defect of chest wall was reconstructed by polypropylene mesh-resin sandwich. The myocutaneus defect was reconstructed by the pedicled latissimus dorsi myocutaneus flap and the bilateral breast flaps. The postoperative course was uneventful and adjuvant radiotherapy was started 6 weeks after the operation. She died of distant metastases 3 months after the operation, although this patient was free from local recurrence.

Induction of Fas-mediated apoptosis in p53-transfected human colon carcinoma cells.

To investigate the biological function of p53 in colon carcinoma cells, a wild-type p53 expression plasmid under the control of the human cytomegalovirus promoter was stably transfected into the human colon adenocarcinoma cell line WiDr, which carries a mutation of the p53 gene at codon 273. Exogenous wild-type p53 transcripts were detected at various expression levels in 8 of 117 G418-resistant clones. The growth rates of the wild-type p53+ clones in culture did not change significantly. The efficiency of colony formation in soft agar, however, was completely suppressed in two wild-type p53+ clones. This is the first to demonstrate the feasibility of stable transfection of the wild-type p53 gene under the control of non-inducible promoter in human colon cancer cells. The major alteration found was that wild-type p53+ cells which were incubated with anti-Fas IgM showed marked cytolysis with preferential over-expression of wild-type p53 accompanied by overexpression of a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, WAF1, whereas the endogenous mutant p53 retained its expression level. The findings suggest that a Fas-initiated pathway is incidentally linked to a p53-dependent apoptotic pathway through the reconstituted wild-type p53 gene in WiDr cells. This model should help elucidating the additional role of the p53 tumor suppressor gene and the mechanism of apoptosis in colon carcinoma cells.

Programmed expression of cholesterol sulfotransferase and transglutaminase during epidermal differentiation of murine skin development.

To clarify the role of cholesterol sulfate (CS) in the process of epidermal differentiation in vivo, we investigated the concentration of CS and the specific activities of cholesterol sulfotransferase (CST), cholesterol sulfate sulfatase (CS sulfatase) and epidermal transglutaminase (ETG) in murine skin in the pre- and postnatal periods. In the skin at day 14 of gestation, CS was not detected with TLC and the specific activities of all the enzymes were low. However, concomitant with the formation of the multilayered structure of the epidermis (at day 16), the specific activities of CST steeply increased. Although the insoluble CS sulfatase in the microsomal fraction remained at a relatively constant level, the soluble CST in the cytosol fraction showed a 6-fold increase from day 14 to day 16, and the activity decreased continuously in the following period, reaching one forty-sixth of the maximum level at 4-months-old mice. Reflected by the increase in activity, CS was detected in fetal skin at day 15, and the concentration in epidermis significantly increased during the gestation period, reaching maximum level at day 17. Furthermore, the changes in the concentration of cholesterol sulfate were identical with those of N-(O-linoleoyl)-omega-hydroxy fatty acyl sphingosine and its glucosyl derivative in the epidermis. On the other hand, the specific activity of ETG increased after birth. Thus, the activation of CST and ETG was shown to occur separately in association with the formation of the multilayered structure and thickening of the stratum corneum, respectively.

Role of alternative splicing of the rat erythropoietin receptor gene in normal and erythroleukemia cells.

An alternatively splicing of the rat erythropoietin receptor (EpoR) gene was identified in normal and erythroleukemia cells by the reverse transcription PCR method. Insertion of a 105 bp fragment at the region corresponding to the extracellular domain of rat EpoR was found. The insert sequence, which encodes additional 21 amino acids, is similar to that previously found in the mouse EpoR gene, however, has an additional 27 bp direct repeat. Due to the presence of a stop codon in the insert, the alternative transcript is translated to a truncated and soluble form of EpoR which is preferentially expressed in liver, spleen, kidney, heart, and bone marrow cells as well as cultured erythroleukemia cells. These findings suggest that alternative splicing of the EpoR gene may play an important role in proliferation and differentiation of rat erythroid cells.

Health profiles of workers exposed to acrylonitrile.

The objective of this study was to reveal the health effects of acrylonitrile (AN) in seven Japanese acrylic fiber manufacturing factories. The study subjects were 157 AN-exposed male shift workers who had been exposed to AN for 17 years on the average and 537 control workers whose working conditions were similar to those of the AN-exposed workers. The seven factories were classified into two groups according to their AN exposure levels in 1987, and also into three groups on the basis of 1976 exposure levels. The most highly exposed group of subjects showed a mean AN concentration of 1.13 ppm by personal sampling. Medical examination failed to detect any health effects attributable to long-term exposure to AN, although the existence of some symptoms of acute irritation could not be completely ruled out. The results of this study may provide a "no observed effects level" for human on-the-job exposure with regard to the health effects examined here.

Muscle fiber and tendon length changes in the human vastus lateralis during slow pedaling.

Muscle fascicle lengths of vastus lateralis (VL) muscle were measured in five healthy men during slow pedaling to investigate the interaction between muscle fibers and tendon. Subjects cycled at a pedaling rate of 40 rpm (98 W). During exercise, fascicle lengths changed from 91 +/- 7 (SE) to 127 +/- 5 mm. It was suggested that fascicles were on the descending limb of their force-length relationship. The average shortening velocity of fascicle was greater than that of muscle-tendon complex in the first half of the knee extension phase and was less in the second half. The maximum shortening velocity of fascicle in the knee extension phase was less than that of muscle-tendon complex by 22 +/- 9%. These discrepancies in velocities were mainly caused by the elongation of the tendinous tissue. It was suggested that the elasticity of VL tendinous tissue enabled VL fascicles to develop force at closer length to their optimal length and kept the maximum shortening velocity of VL fascicles low during slow pedaling.

Early-onset benign autosomal-dominant limb-girdle myopathy with contractures (Bethlem myopathy).

We report the first Japanese patients, a mother and son, with early-onset, benign, autosomal-dominant, limb-girdle myopathy with contractures (Bethlem myopathy). The clinical features revealed predominantly proximal muscle weakness--especially in the limb-girdle muscles--joint contractures increasing with age, a benign course, and the absence of cardiac involvement. Muscle histology revealed nonspecific myopathy changes without dystrophic features. Electromyogram revealed a reduced interference pattern with a giant spike suggesting a neurogenic process.

Dystrophin analysis in the differential diagnosis of autosomal recessive muscular dystrophy of childhood and Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

We report 2 patients with childhood autosomal recessive muscular dystrophy. Both patients had slight muscle weakness without enlargement of the calf muscles or involvement of the facial muscles. Their clinical courses are static. Muscle histology revealed characteristic features of muscular dystrophy. Dystrophin was identifiable in the sarcolemma of both patients by immunocytochemical staining with an antidystrophin antibody. At an early age, immunocytochemical analysis with antidystrophin antibody was useful in distinguishing between childhood autosomal recessive and Duchenne muscular dystrophies.

Walker-Warburg syndrome in a Japanese patient.

We report the first Japanese female patient with Walker-Warburg syndrome. She had generalized muscle hypotonia with hydrocephalus due to Dandy-Walker malformation and bilateral microphthalmia with opaque corneas. She had severe motor and mental retardation. Muscle histology reflected advanced changes of muscular dystrophy. We discuss the relationship between Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy and Walker-Warburg syndrome, both of which fall within a spectrum of developmental abnormalities with a common cause. In Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy, ocular abnormalities are less severe.

Glycogen storage disease with normal acid maltase: skeletal and cardiac muscles.

We report a 5-year-old boy with lysosomal glycogen storage disease and normal acid maltase activity. This patient, the fourth reported in the literature, was referred to our hospital for evaluation of elevated serum GOT, GPT, and CK activities. He had neither muscle weakness nor atrophy. Echocardiography demonstrated marked thickening of the intraventricular septum and left ventricular wall which indicated hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Biopsied skeletal muscle disclosed massive accumulation of glycogen and autophagic vacuoles. Electron microscopy of biopsied cardiac muscle revealed severe myofibrillar disruption with marked accumulation of free and intralysosomal glycogen. Activities of all major glycolytic enzymes in skeletal muscle, including acid maltase, were normal. It is unknown why muscle lysosomes appeared to be unable to digest the trapped glycogen despite the presence of acid maltase. Our findings illustrate the importance of performing skeletal muscle investigation during childhood in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Detection of single-stranded cohesive ends in the genome of Bacillus thuringiensis temperate phage KK-88.

Cohesive ends (cos sites) were detected in the genome of temperate KK-88 phage in Bacillus thuringiensis after analysis of the phage DNA generated by the 3'-5' exonuclease activity of Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I. In addition, unlike the 5'-protruding ends of coliphage lambda genome, the ends of KK-88 phage genome were found to be 3'-protruding. The restriction map of the phage genome was also constructed on the basis of position of the cos fragments.

Unusual development of acute compartment syndrome caused by a suction injury: a case report.

There have been recent reports of acute compartment syndrome secondary to suction injuries of the hands of children. We report the case of a 68-year-old patient who developed an acute compartment syndrome of the forearm after his arm had been sucked into an exhaust port. He was treated by emergency fasciotomies and the wound was closed five days later with a small skin graft. His recovery was uneventful.

Histochemical and biochemical studies in a patient with myophosphorylase deficiency.

The present report describes the histochemical and biochemical findings of biopsied muscles in a 26-year-old male with myophosphorylase deficiency. Histochemical analysis of the first biopsy specimen revealed that the phosphorylase activity was absent, corresponding to an absent band at 94,000 Da on the basis of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Histochemically the second biopsy specimen showed a partial phosphorylase activity of type 2B fibers, corresponding to a weakly staining band at 94,000 Da on the basis of SDS-PAGE. The present study supports the hypothesis that myophosphorylase deficiency is essentially a single gene disorder, characterized by absence or marked reduction of the myophosphorylase protein.

Difficulty in removing a percutaneous central venous catheter inserted from a peripheral vein.

Two girls with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) are reported. There were difficulties in removing their central venous catheters inserted from a peripheral vein. One girl required surgery under general anesthesia for the removal. The other patient received continuous infusion of low dose urokinase from a distal peripheral vein. The residual catheter was then removed successfully.

Effect of low-load resistance training on the tendon properties in middle-aged and elderly women.

AIM: The purposes of this study were to determine the age-related changes in the tendon-aponeurosis structures and to investigate the effects of low-load resistance training on the tendon-aponeurosis structures in middle-aged and elderly women. METHODS: Fifty-one women (55.8 +/- 13.7 years, range: 21-77 years) volunteered to take part in the present study. Furthermore, 11 middle-aged and elderly women (49.7 +/- 9.2 years) performed the low-load resistance training, i.e. squat using body weight, for 6 months. The elongation of the tendon and aponeurosis of the vastus lateralis muscle was directly measured by ultrasonography, while the subjects performed ramp isometric knee extension up to the voluntary maximum, followed by a ramp relaxation. The relationship between the estimated muscle force (Fm) and tendon elongation (L) during the ascending phase was fitted to a linear regression, the slope of which was defined as stiffness. The percentage of the area within the Fm-L loop to the area beneath the curve during the ascending phase was calculated as hysteresis. RESULTS: Maximal strain (L/initial tendon length) and stiffness of the tendon-aponeurosis structures decreased significantly with ageing. In contrast, the hysteresis increased significantly with ageing. In addition, low-load resistance training produced no significant change in stiffness and hysteresis, but significantly increased the maximal elongation of tendon-aponeurosis structures from 23.3 +/- 2.1 mm to 24.8 +/- 2.2 mm (P = 0.045). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that increasing age results in a decrease in the elasticity of tendon-aponeurosis structures and an increase in their viscosity. Furthermore, the low-load resistance training made the elasticity of tendon-aponeurosis structures increase.