Lysophosphatidylcholine induces cytotoxicity/apoptosis and IL-8 production of human endothelial cells: Related mechanisms.

Increased levels of oxidized low-density lipoprotein oxLDL) are shown to elevate the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, thrombosis, stroke, and myocardial infarction. This is possibly due to the toxic effects of oxLDLs on vascular cells. Various oxLDLs including lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC) and 7-ketocholesterol injure vascular endothelial cells and stimulate inflammatory reaction. However the toxicity of LPC on endothelial cells is not clear. In this study, human endothelial cells were exposed to LPC. Cytotoxicity was measured by 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Propidium iodide (PI) staining or PI/Annexin V dual staining flow cytometry were used to determine cell cycle progression and apoptosis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) level was analyzed by DCFH-DA labeling flow cytometry. RNA and protein expression of endothelial cells was studied by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. IL-8 secretion was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbant assay. LPC showed cytotoxicity to endothelial cells (>50 µg/ml). LPC induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis with concomitant inhibition of cdc2 and cyclin B1 expression. LPC stimulated intracellular ROS production and ATM/Chk2, ATR/Chk1 and Akt activation. IL-8 expression and secretion in endothelial cells were induced by LPC. LPC-induced apoptosis, and IL-8 expression/secretion was attenuated by LY294002, a PI3K/Akt inhibitor. These results reveal that LPC is involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and vascular diseases by stimulation of inflammation and injury to endothelial cells. These events are related to ROS, ATM/Chk2, ATR/Chk2 and PI3K/Akt signaling. Understanding the toxic mechanisms of LPC is useful for future prevention and treatment atherosclerosis.

Cemental tear: clinical characteristics and its predisposing factors.

INTRODUCTION: Cemental tears often show characteristics mimicking a periapical or periodontal lesion. This leads to difficulty in the early diagnosis of cemental tears. METHODS: In this multicenter study, 71 teeth with cemental tears being confirmed by direct inspection or histological examination were included. For each case, demographic data, dental history, clinical and radiographic findings, and the results of exploratory surgery were recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: Maxillary or mandibular incisors (76.1%) were most frequently affected by cemental tears. Univariate analysis of predisposing factors found that teeth with cemental tears occurred more commonly in men (77.5%) and patients older than 60 years of age (73.2%). Analysis of clinical characteristics showed that teeth with cemental tears were prone to have abscess formation (66.2%), a deep pocket >6 mm (73.2%), positive vitality test (65.3%), healthy antagonist teeth (84.3%), and moderate to severe attrition (77.9%). About 56.3% of cemental tears could be detected on preoperative radiographs. Further analysis of radiographic findings showed that teeth with cemental tears were more likely to have periodontal bone destruction (85.9%) or periapical bone destruction (64.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Endodontists and dentists may avoid misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment of teeth with cemental tears if they can properly evaluate the radiographs and pulp vitality of teeth as well as know the predisposing factors and clinical characteristics of teeth with cemental tears in advance.

Viral load in blood is correlated with disease severity of neonatal coxsackievirus B3 infection: early diagnosis and predicting disease severity is possible in severe neonatal enterovirus infection.

We conducted a study during an outbreak of coxsackievirus B3 infection in 2005 and found that viral RNA could be detected in patients' blood specimens soon after the onset of fever, and the level of viral RNA was positively correlated with disease severity. Timely diagnosis is possible in severe neonatal enterovirus infection.

Coxsackievirus B3 in human milk.

Coxsackievirus B3 can cause severe neonatal disease with high mortality. We present the first report of detection of coxsackievirus B3 in the mothers' milk of 2 severely infected neonates by culture and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction is a rapid and sensitive tool to detect coxsackievirus B3 in breast milk within few hours. By 12 to 14 days after onset of symptoms, coxsackievirus B3 could not be detected in the breast milk of the symptomatic mothers.

Extravasation of calcium gluconate concomitant with osteomyelitis in a neonate.

Extravasation of calcium gluconate is not an uncommon complication in neonatal units, which may result in skin and soft tissue inflammation, injury and even infection. We report an 11-day-old preterm infant who developed osteomyelitis at an infiltrated intravenous site through which calcium gluconate was infused. The patient was initially treated conservatively as a simple calcium-infiltrate. Clinical condition deteriorated until proper antibiotic treatment was given. We exclude other possible causes and assume that calcium-infiltrate had an important role in the pathogenesis. We conclude that osteomyelitis should be considered in a patient with calcium extravasation whose soft tissue inflammation does not improve as expected. Furthermore, using a diluted calcium solution and checking the insertion site frequently in order to identify extravasation earlier would prevent the complication.