Chondrogenic potential of IL-10 in mechanically injured cartilage and cellularized collagen ACI grafts.

OBJECTIVE: The application of adjunctive mediators in Autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) techniques might be useful for improving the dedifferentiated chondrocyte phenotype, to support neocartilage formation and inhibit post-traumatic cartilage destruction. In this study we examined if (a) interleukin 10 treatment can cause chondrogenic phenotype stabilization and matrix preservation in mechanically injured cartilage and if (b) IL-10 can promote chondrogenesis in a clinically applied collagen scaffold for ACI treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For (a) bovine articular cartilage was harvested, subjected to an axial unconfined injury and treated with bovine IL-10 (1-10,000 pg/ng/ml). For (b) a post-operatively remaining ACI graft was treated with human IL-10. Expression levels of type I/II/X collagen, SOX9 and aggrecan were measured by qPCR (a,b). After 3 weeks cell death was analyzed (nuclear blebbing and TUNEL assay) and matrix composition was determined by GAG measurements and immunohistochemistry (aggrecan, type I/II collagen, hyaluronic acid). STATISTICS: One way ANOVA analysis with Bonferroni's correction. RESULTS: (a) IL-10 stabilized the chondrogenic phenotype after injurious compression and preserved matrix integrity. This was indicated by elevated expression of chondrogenic markers COL2A1, ACAN, SOX9, while COL1A1 and COL10A1 were reduced. An increased GAG content paralleled this and histological staining of type 2 collagen, aggrecan and toluidine blue were enhanced after 3 weeks. (b) IL-10 [100 pg/ml] improved the chondrogenic differentiation of human chondrocytes, which was accompanied by cartilaginous matrix formation after 3 weeks of incubation. CONCLUSION: Interleukin-10 is a versatile adjuvant candidate to control the post-injurious environment in cartilage defects and promote chondrogenesis in ACI grafts.

Administrators and mergers: a study of administrators' perceptions.

Health care mergers have become the organizational strategy of choice in the 20th century to contain costs and to survive economically. Several studies have been conducted on the economic impact of mergers on the organization and on the managerial staff of merged organizations. Areas where there has been limited research are in the realm of the impact of mergers on the employees, the industry, and the public. To address these areas, a study was conducted of the perceptions of health care administrators of both merged and non-merged organizations in the state of Florida. A primary finding of the study was that administrators of merged organizations held a higher opinion of the benefits of mergers in their organizations and in the industry than did administrators in non-merged organizations. An unanticipated finding of the impact of mergers was that the increased competition has created a wary, hostile environment for administrators, many of whom refused to participate in this study believing it was being conducted by their competition. The rationale for mergers in health care is based on the market value of competition and future research needs to focus more on the unintended consequences of competition in health care to which this study points.

Sickle cell-beta +-thalassaemia: a haematological and clinical study in Liberia.

Clinical and haematological features of 20 patients of several Liberian ethnic groups with sickle cell-beta +-thalassaemia are reported. Haemoglobin analysis showed increased Hb A2 values, high Hb A levels (median 25%), variable amounts of Hb F and a slight imbalance of non alpha/alpha globin chain synthesis ratios. The clinical and other haematological findings varied but the disease seems to run a relatively mild course in the majority of the patients.

The distribution and interaction of haemoglobin variants and the beta thalassaemia gene in Liberia.

In a population survey in Liberia, West Africa, 12 major tribes were examined for the prevalence of Hb S, Hb C, and the beta thalassaemia (beta Thal) gene. Hb C is rare; Hb S and beta Thal occur in polymorphic frequencies. The distribution of both genes shows an inverse correlation. The beta Thal trait was diagnosed by quantitation of Hb A2 on DE 52-microchromatography. This method proved to be reliable and useful for mass screening.