The Histological and Biochemical Assessment of Monoiodoacetate-Induced Knee Osteoarthritis in a Rat Model Treated with Salicylic Acid-Iron Oxide Nanoparticles.

Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) represent an important advance in the field of medicine with application in both diagnostic and drug delivery domains, offering a therapeutic approach that effectively overcomes physical and biological barriers. The current study aimed to assess whether oral administration of salicylic acid-functionalized iron oxide nanoparticles (SaIONPs) may exhibit beneficial effects in alleviating histological lesions in a murine monoiodoacetate (MIA) induced knee osteoarthritis model. In order to conduct our study, 15 Wistar male rats were randomly distributed into 3 work groups: Sham (S), MIA, and NP. At the end of the experiments, all animals were sacrificed for blood, knee, and liver sampling. Our results have shown that SaIONPs reached the targeted sites and also had a chondroprotective effect represented by less severe histological lesions regarding cellularity, altered structure morphology, and proteoglycan depletion across different layers of the knee joint cartilage tissue. Moreover, SaIONPs induced a decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) and circulating Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF-α) levels. The findings of this study suggest the therapeutic potential of SaIONPs knee osteoarthritis treatment; further studies are needed to establish a correlation between the administrated dose of SaIONPs and the improvement of the morphological and biochemical parameters.

Management of Upper-Limb Spasticity Using Modern Rehabilitation Techniques versus Botulinum Toxin Injections Following Stroke.

Our purpose is to emphasize the role of botulinum toxin in spasticity therapy and functional recovery in patients following strokes. Our retrospective study compared two groups, namely ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients. The study group (BT group) comprised 80 patients who received focal botulinum toxin as therapy for an upper limb with spastic muscle three times every three months. The control group (ES group) comprised 80 patients who received only medical rehabilitation consisting of electrostimulation and radial shockwave therapy for the upper limb, which was applied three times every three months. Both groups received the same stretching program for spastic muscles as a home training program. We evaluated the evolution of the patients using muscle strength, Ashworth, Tardieu, Frenchay, and Barthel scales. The analysis indicated a statistically significant difference between the two groups for all scales, with better results for the BT group (p < 0.0001 for all scales). In our study, the age at disease onset was an important prediction factor for better recovery in both groups but not in all scales. Better recovery was obtained for younger patients (in the BT group, MRC scale: rho = -0.609, p-value < 0.0001; Tardieu scale: rho = -0.365, p-value = 0.001; in the ES group, MRC scale: rho = -0.445, p-value < 0.0001; Barthel scale: rho = -0.239, p-value = 0.033). Our results demonstrated the effectiveness of botulinum toxin therapy compared with the rehabilitation method, showing a reduction of the recovery time of the upper limb, as well as an improvement of functionality and a reduction of disability. Although all patients followed a specific kinetic program, important improvements were evident in the botulinum toxin group.

The Potential Benefic Effect of Nicotinamide Riboside in Treating a Murine Model of Monoiodoacetate-Induced Knee Osteoarthritis.

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA), one of the most common orthopedic disorders concerning the adult population worldwide, is a condition characterized by progressive destruction of the articular cartilage and the presence of an inflammatory process. The aim of our study was to assess whether nicotinamide riboside (NR), a popular anti-aging supplement, can reduce the rate of cartilage destruction and alleviate the inflammatory response compared to the commonly prescribed collagen supplement in a murine monoiodoacetate (MIA)-induced KOA model. Twenty Wistar rats were randomly assigned to 4 groups: sham (S), MIA and NR, MIA and hydrolyzed collagen (HC), and MIA. At the end of the experiment, the right knees and blood samples were collected for histological assessment and biochemical evaluation of nitric oxide, malondialdehyde, total antioxidant capacity, reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, catalase, myeloperoxidase, and tumoral necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). The study determined that the treatment with NR in a similar dose with HC decreased blood/serum levels of oxidative stress biomarkers and the histological lesions in almost the same manner. The present findings suggest that NR may exhibit chondroprotective and anti-inflammatory effects in MIA-induced KOA in rats.

Research on the Influence of MUVON PLUS Treatment Upon the Biomechanical Behavior of the Human Osteoarthritic Knee.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the effects of MUVON PLUS, a dietary supplement containing hydrolized collagen, chondroitin sulfate, and vitamin C, on the biomechanical behavior of the knee joint in patients with second-degree osteoarthritis (OA). MATERIAL AND METHOD: The study included 15 participants who underwent biomechanical testing before and after 3 and 6 months of supplement administration. Biometrics and SimiMotion software were used to process and analyze the data. Results showed significant improvements in biomechanical parameters such as joint range of motion, joint torque, and joint stiffness for all patients during the treatment. Improvements were observed across various tests, including horizontal walking, stairs climbing and descending, sitting/standing up from a chair, and knee squats. This improvement in biomechanical performance was also reflected in the patients' reported quality of life. For the stairs climbing test, the maximum flexion-extension angle increased by approximately 7% after 3 months and 12% after 6 months. In the stairs descending test, the maximum flexion-extension angle increased by approximately 8% after 3 months and 19% after 6 months. These results highlight an improvement in mobility for the study participants. CONCLUSIONS: Significant improvements of the biomechanical parameters of the knee joint were found in all patients during the treatment with the MUVON PLUS in all tests, which indicates the clear clinical benefit, revealed by improving the quality of life reported by patients. Overall, the study demonstrated the effectiveness of MUVON PLUS in enhancing the biomechanical behavior of the knee joint in patients with OA, providing valuable insights for future research and treatment.

Effect of perinatal exposure to glyphosate and its mixture with 2,4-D and dicamba on rat dam kidney and thyroid function and offspring's health.

The increasing use of the herbicide mixture of glyphosate, dicamba and 2-4-D to deal with glyphosate-resistant weeds raises concerns regarding human health and environmental risks. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of developmental exposure to glyphosate and a herbicide mixture containing glyphosate, dicamba and 2-4-D on rat dams' kidney and thyroid function and offspring's health. Pregnant Wistar rats were exposed from day-6 of gestation till weaning to regulatory relevant doses of glyphosate corresponding to the European Union (EU) acceptable daily intake (ADI; 0.5 mg/kg bw/day), and the no-observed-adverse-effect level (NOAEL; 50 mg/kg bw/day), and to a mixture of glyphosate, dicamba and 2,4-D all at the EU ADI (0.5, 0.002 and 0.3 mg/kg bw/day) respectively. After weaning the dams were sacrificed and blood and organs were collected. The pups' health was assessed by measuring viability, gestational and anogenital indices. Perinatal exposure to GLY alone and the herbicide mixture resulted in anti-androgenic effects in male offspring. In dams, exposure to glyphosate resulted in kidney glomerular and tubular dysfunction as well as increased thyroid hormone levels in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, exposure to the herbicide mixture resulted in effects similar to those observed with glyphosate at the NOAEL, suggesting at least an additive effect of the herbicide mixture at doses individually considered safe for humans.

Intermittent physical recovery has similar benefits to continuous physical recovery in patients in the acute and early sub­acute stages following a stroke.

Stroke is one of the most important causes of death and disability worldwide. The recovery of stroke survivors represents a real challenge for healthcare services. The aim of the present pilot study was to evaluate and compare the efficiency of two different approaches of physical rehabilitation in patients in the acute and early sub-acute stages following a stroke. Two groups of patients consisting of 48 and 20 patients, respectively, underwent continuous and intermittent physical recovery, and were assessed through electromyography and clinical evaluation. After 12 weeks of rehabilitation, no significant differences were identified between the outcomes obtained from the two groups. Due to the added value of intermittent physical recovery, this method of rehabilitation could be considered an approach that needs to be further studied for the treatment of patients in the acute and early sub-acute stages following a stroke.

Colchicine versus Physical Therapy in Knee Osteoarthritis.

Background: The treatment of osteoarthritis remains a major challenge due to the unavailability of a disease-modifying medication and the limitations of current therapeutic perspectives, which mainly target the symptoms, not the disease itself. The purpose of our study is to compare the efficacy of colchicine treatment versus physical therapy. Methods: The study included 62 patients diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) according to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria, hospitalized within the time frame of October 2020−March 2022 in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and Physical Therapy of the Emergency Clinical County Hospital of Craiova. The participants were randomly divided into two groups. The observation period was 16 weeks long. The first group (31 patients) received colchicine at a dosage of 1 mg/day together with analgesics (acetaminophen < 2 g/day), while the second group (31 patients) received analgesics (acetaminophen < 2 g/day) together with a 16-week plan of physiotherapy. Results: Group II, in which patients underwent physical therapy, demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in both left (p < 0.001) and right (p = 0.012) knee VAS and WOMAC (p = 0.038) scores at 16 weeks, compared to the group treated with colchicine. Regarding the MSUS examination at 16 weeks, there were no significant changes in the structural abnormalities and no improvement in cartilage aspect or thickness. Higher BMI was associated with higher WOMAC score (p = 0.012), but not with higher VAS score (p = 0.062). Cholesterol and triglyceride levels were associated with high WOMAC (p < 0.001; p = 0.021) and high VAS (p = 0.023; p < 0.001) scores. Conclusions: Our study monitored VAS and WOMAC scores in two groups of patients with KOA, showing that physical therapy is more effective than colchicine in reducing symptoms. We found no statistically significant difference in musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSUS) feature improvement during the 16-week study.

Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug Etoricoxib Facilitates the Application of Individualized Exercise Programs in Patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Background and objectives: The main objective of this study is to highlight the efficiency of different therapeutic means in patients with ankylosing spondylitis, resulting in the improvement of their quality of life. Materials and Methods: We conducted a randomized, longitudinal, controlled trial on 92 patients with ankylosing spondylitis over a period of 6 years. Disease activity was assessed using the BASDAI (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index) score. The assessment of functional disabilities was performed using BASFI (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index). We assessed the quality of life using the HAQ questionnaire (Health Assessment Questionnaire). Based on the HAQ, we calculated the minimum number of patients to be treated for 52 weeks to prevent a decrease in the quality of life for at least one of them (the number needed to treat (NNT)). Results: For the combination therapy group, the result we obtained was 2, lower than the other therapies compared (the medication group and the group with physical exercise). We point out a correlation between the improvement of the functional status (BASFI) and the increase of the quality of life (HAQ), estimated as moderately high (0.8). The superiority of the effects of the combined treatment, in which we combined a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (etoricoxib) to the exercise program, is reflected by the model of the significant improvements (p < 0.05) obtained for the functional status and quality of life scores (BASFI and HAQ). Conclusions: The nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, in our case, etoricoxib, facilitate the application of individualized exercise programs in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Calcium fructoborate coating of titanium-hydroxyapatite implants by chemisorption deposition improves implant osseointegration in the femur of New Zealand White rabbit experimental model.

BACKGROUND: The identification of biocomposites that improve cell adhesion and reduce bone integration time is a great challenge for implantology and bone reconstruction. AIM: Our aim was to evaluate a new method of chemisorption deposition (CD) for improving the biointegration of hydroxyapatite-coated titanium (HApTi) implants. CD method was used to prepare a calcium fructoborate (CaFb) coating on a HApTi (HApTiCaFb) implant followed by evaluation of histological features related to bone healing at the interface of a bioceramic material in an animal model. METHODS: The coating composition was investigated by high-performance thin-layer chromatography/mass spectrometry. The surface morphology of the coating was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), before and after the in vitro study. We implanted two types of bioceramic cylinders, HApTi and HApTiCaFb, in the femur of 10 New Zealand White (NZW) rabbits. RESULTS: The release of CaFb from HApTiCaFb occurred rapidly within the first three days after phosphate-buffered saline immersion; there was then a linear release for up to 14 days. SEM analysis showed similar morphology and particle size diameter for both implants. Around the porous HApTiCaFb implant, fibrosis and inflammation were not highlighted. CONCLUSIONS: Easily applied using CD method, CaFb coatings promote HApTi implant osseointegration in the femur of NZW rabbits.

Thyroid Angiosarcoma-Rare Case or Hard to Find.

INTRODUCTION: Thyroid Angiosarcoma is a rare malignant condition of the thyroid gland with higher incidence reported in mountainous Alpine regions (Switzerland, Austria and northern Italy), featured with poor prognosis. CASE PRESENTATION: A 76 years old male patient presented in our hospital complaining about difficulty in breathing, altered voice (hoarseness), fatigue and dysphagia. Careful observation of the frontal neck region revealed hemorrhaging petechiae and purpura, while palpation indicated a large nodule movable with deglutition, presumably derived by the thyroid gland. Serum biochemical thyroid function tests were normal. Ultrasound of the thyroid gland showed enlargement of the right lobe with a nodular lesion. FNAC indicated a "suspicious for malignancy" lesion. After patient's consensus, total thyroidectomy took place accompanied by excision of infiltrated infrahyoid muscles. The cytopathologic results were positive for primary thyroid angiosarcoma. Patient's postoperative condition was regular, but he died of disease progression 6 months later. DISCUSSION: Angiosarcomas are malignant neoplasms arising from endothelial cells of blood vessels. They are most commonly found in skin, soft tissue, breast, bone, liver and spleen. Angiosarcomas tend to be highly hemorrhaging and invasive. Thyroid gland is a rare location of development. Cytopathologically they are grossly characterized by freely anastomosing vascular channels lined by atypical endothelial cells unusually enlarged, often multinucleated with many nucleoli and vacuoles into the cytoplasm containing fragments of erythrocytes. The immunohistological identity of angiosarcomas are endothelial line markers (CD31, CD34 and vimentin). Surgical excision when feasible is the first line treatment while adjuvant radio-and/or chemo-therapy are ambiguous. Infiltration of surrounding tissues and distant metastasis (lymph nodes and lungs) are negative prognostic factors.

Sildenafil and tadalafil reduce the risk of contrast-induced nephropathy by modulating the oxidant/antioxidant balance in a murine model.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential protective role of sildenafil and tadalafil in contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) by modulating oxidative stress. Thirty Wistar male rats were equally assigned into five groups: sham, CIN, CIN + sildenafil (10 mg/kg bw/day), CIN + tadalafil (5 mg/kg bw/day) and CIN + N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) (100 mg/kg bw/day) as a positive control. CIN was induced by 12 h dehydration and administration of indomethacin (10 mg/kg bw), N-ω- nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (10 mg/kg bw), and iopromide (3 g/kg bw iodine). Blood was drawn prior to and 24 h after CIN induction for evaluating renal function and oxidative stress. In the CIN group, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), reduced glutathione (GSH) and catalase (CAT) levels were significantly decreased; and protein carbonyl (PROTC) and thiobarbituric reactive species (TBARS) were significantly increased compared to the sham group. Pre- Sildenafil and tadalafil pre-treatment reduced CIN risk and reversed oxidative stress almost to the sham group levels. These results suggest that PDE5Is can be good candidates for preventing CIN based on their ability to modulate the oxidant/antioxidant balance.

Complex regional pain syndrome as a paraneoplastic disorder associated with metatypical basal cell carcinoma.

Metatypical basal cell carcinoma (MTBCC) is a rare form of tumor, which associates the clinical and histopathological (HP) characteristics of both basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), with a 5% chance for the development of metastases. The reference diagnosis remains the HP confirmation from the lesional tissue. The current report illustrates the case of a 74-year-old patient, diagnosed with MTBCC consequently to the biopsy from the clinically malignant lesion with HP and immunohistochemical examination, currently in clinical remission following surgical treatment. The musculoskeletal symptoms represent the patient's admission reason to the Clinic of Rheumatology, where he was diagnosed with paraneoplastic type I complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS-I). The onset was six weeks prior with intense pain in the upper limb, burning sensation and nondermatomal distribution, exacerbated by lowering the position of the upper limb. The clinical evaluation revealed vasomotor disorders: color changes on the skin of the upper limb, venous turgescence on the back of the hands, and local increased temperature. Also, there were evident sudomotor modifications with hyperspiration and fluffy edema. The presence of clinical manifestations associated with the HP confirmation of MTBCC and the information provided by the imaging tests regarding the evaluation of tumor extension advocates for the diagnosis of paraneoplastic CRPS, consequently to both the primary tumor and the pulmonary metastasis. Diagnosis of CRPS-I is generally established on the basis of clinical criteria after excluding other conditions that may explain the degree of pain and the existing dysfunction. The therapist should be aware of the clinical manifestation of CRPS, as early recognition and aggressive treatment often leads to the best response.

Update on current pancreatic treatments: from molecular pathways to treatment.

Pancreatic cancer is still diagnosed at a late stage although we have novel diagnostic tools. Pancreatic cancer chemotherapy treatment resistance is observed and therefore novel treatments are in need. Anti-cancer stem cell therapy, combination of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy with immunotherapy, proteins/enzymes and gene therapy are currently under evaluation. Targeted treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors is also administered and novel inhibitors are also under evaluation. In the current review we present recent data from our search within the year 2018.

Complex evaluation in patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a very common, slowly progressive and incurable articular disease resulting in the breakdown of cartilage and bone in the joint, which causes significant discomfort, pain and disability, with a significant socio-economic impact. The aim of our observational study for patients with symptomatic KOA was to investigate the changes of C-terminal telopeptide of type II collagen (CTX-II) in serum pre and post a complex rehabilitation program and to establish the correlation between all studied parameters [clinical, functional, serum CTX-II (sCTX-II) and histological aspects obtained through arthroscopy]. During 2016-2017, we performed an observational study including 24 patients, between 59 and 76 years old, diagnosed with KOA. Studied patients were completely assessed before (T1) and four months after a complex rehabilitation program (T2). The measured parameters were stiffness, pain, and physical function and we used the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain, with Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), sCTX-II value obtained by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test, histological assessment of knee cartilage after arthroscopy. In the histological assessment of our patients, we observed that the cells of the superficial areas were round and hypertrophic, the cartilage tissue had few proteoaminoglycans and glycosaminoglycans, with an airy aspect of the matrix and degenerate cells, numerically reduced. After positive diagnosis, the complete treatment, including the rehabilitation program, seems to be the ideal option for improving the CTX-II values, as well as the quality of life in KOA patients.

The incidence of skin lesions in contrast media-induced chemical hypersensitivity.

Contrast agents are used in radiology to increase the sensibility and specificity of radiological techniques. Some of these compounds have side effects that include organ toxicity (with kidney being the most affected organ) and hypersensitivity reactions. We performed multiple PubMed searches from January, 2008 to January, 2018 for studies regarding adverse reactions to compounds used as contrast agents in imagistic techniques. The initial research identified 929 records written in English. After further excluding 223 non-human studies, 292 articles that had irrelevant designs as reviews, meta-analysis, commentaries, editorials and case reports, 414 studies were selected for retrieval. After reading the abstracts, we excluded 363 studies as they had little relevance to the study. In total, 51 full-articles were assessed for eligible studies to be included. Finally, 20 articles were included in the analysis. In our systematic literature search the incidence of overall skin immediate reactions to iodinated contrast media (ICM) had an incidence between 1.15 and 0.12%, depending on the cohort analyzed in the studies. The percentage of cutaneous manifestations in the cohort that experienced immediate hypersensitivity reactions was between 33.33 and 87.7%. The most frequent skin manifestations were urticaria, rashes, pruritus and limited facial edema. Non-iodinated contrast agents have a safer profile compared with ICM, the incidence of immediate adverse reactions being very low in gadolinium-based contrast agents and other agents used for contrast-enhanced ultrasound. The incidence of delayed reactions was between 10.1 and 0.03%. In the studies analyzed by us the main adverse reactions due to delayed hypersensitivity phenomena were cutaneous manifestations that were present between 70.27 and 100% of the cases. Regarding the risk factors for developing immediate adverse reactions, being female was a predisposing factor accompanied by history of allergy and history of reactions to contrast media. An accurate anamnesis of the patients and a correctly conducted pretreatment can limit the incidence and the severity of the adverse reactions and also can avoid the life occurrence of life-threatening reactions.

The Fructoborates: Part of a Family of Naturally Occurring Sugar-Borate Complexes-Biochemistry, Physiology, and Impact on Human Health: a Review.

Sugar-borates (SBs) are mono- or di-sugar-borate esters (SBEs) comprised of one or two monosaccharide molecules linked to a boron (B) atom. SBEs occur naturally in commonly consumed herbs, vegetables, fruits, seeds, and nuts and, other than greatly varying levels of B found in local drinking water, are the primary natural dietary sources of B-containing molecules in humans. To date, the most studied SBE is calcium fructoborate (CaFB). CaFB represents an important example of how organic B-containing molecules are significantly distinct from their inorganic counterparts. During these past two decades, CaFB has been researched for its physical and biochemical characteristics, safety, and clinical outcomes. Results of these researches are presented and discussed herein. CaFB has been characterized using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), liquid chromatography-multistage accurate mass spectrometry (LC-MSn), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, and inductively coupled plasma (ICP) in non-biological and biological specimens. Potential health benefits of CaFB have been clinically investigated in pilot and efficacy studies demonstrating (i) significant reductions in knee discomfort and improved flexibility within 7, 14, and 90 days and (ii) significant effect on blood levels of inflammatory, cardiovascular, and other biomarkers. These studies support the use of CaFB as a dietary supplement for the management of joint discomfort. CaFB is presented here in order to illustrate how physiological benefits are imparted by distinct organic boron-containing molecules rather than solely by the element B itself. Considering recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data reporting increases in age-related joint pain and an increasing elderly demographic, SBEs offer potential for safe, natural, and effective management of joint discomfort and improved mobility in human and animal health applications. Several of these studies may also open new opportunities for use of SBEs for health benefits beyond joint health.

Immunohistochemical analysis of bone metabolism in osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head occurs because of the suppression of blood circulation. At the level of the area affected by the ischemic phenomenon, there are two types of events, in the first stage there is necrosis of the cellular elements, followed by a reparatory phase of the spongy bone tissue. The objective of the study was the histological and immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of bone metabolism in the repair phase. We observed the action of the main cells involved in the remodeling, the osteoblasts and the osteoclasts, following the reaction of the markers of their activity: osteoprotegerin, osteonectin, osteopontin. We included 23 patients diagnosed with femoral head osteonecrosis, stage II, Ficat and Arlet classification, biological material required for histological and IHC analysis being obtained during hip arthroplasty. Regardless of the age or presence of risk factors, the reaction to osteoprotegerin was mildly positive, being only highlighted at the level of the reactive dividing line, being absent in the other areas, indicating a reduced activity of inhibiting differentiation and activation of osteoclasts, also highlighted with classical histology methods, the affected area being well-defined and we could observe the necrotic tissue resorption by osteoclasts. The intense positive reaction of osteopontin and osteonectin, especially at the line of demarcation, is due to the increase in the number of osteoblasts required for the synthesis of neoformation bone tissue. We believe that the aspects revealed by our study can be a track in finding new-targeted therapies useful in stopping the development of the disease.

Effects of boron-containing compounds on cardiovascular disease risk factors - A review.

Boron is considered to be a biological trace element but there is substantial and growing support for it to be classified as an essential nutrient for animals and humans, depending on its speciation. Boron-containing compounds have been reported to play an important role in biological systems. Although the exact biochemical functions of boron-containing compounds have not yet been fully elucidated, previous studies suggest an active involvement of these molecules in the mediation of inflammation and oxidative stress. Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress are known to amplify the effects of the main cardiovascular risk factors: smoking, diet, obesity, arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes (as modifiable risk factors), and hyperhomocysteinemia and age (as independent risk factors). However, the role of boron-containing compounds in cardiovascular systems and disease prevention has yet to be established. This paper is a review of boron-containing compounds' existence in nature and their possible functions in living organisms, with a special focus on certain cardiovascular risk factors that may be diminished by intake of these compounds, leading to a reduction of cardiovascular morbidity and/or mortality.

Left gluteal metastasis from a hepatocellular carcinoma - an unusual finding.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the primary malignant tumor of the liver that is directly derived from parenchymal cells. It is usually encountered in patients already suffering from a long-established liver disease that has evolved past the stage of liver cirrhosis. It is usually associated with viral liver infections, alcohol consumption or other dietary habits that lead to liver damage. Metastases are not rare and are usually found incidentally after a period of monitoring the main liver disease. We present here a rare case of HCC metastasis found in the right gluteal region, in a hepatitis C virus-infected patient also displaying lung tumor lesions. Diagnosis of both the metastasis and of the primary tumor were found during the same hospital visit, employing contrast-enhanced computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound (US), with positive biopsy of the metastatic lesion, performed under US guidance. The patient received oncological treatment, with good prognosis and stable evolution during the next eight months since diagnosis.

Association of cytokine gene polymorphisms with osteoarthritis susceptibility.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a multifactorial disease characterized by low-grade inflammatory processes that are mediated initially by the cells and factors of the innate immune system. In addition to their key role in inflammation, cytokines contribute to the pathogenesis of OA through angiogenesis and chemotaxis. The purpose of the present case-control study was to investigate a possible association of four cytokine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), IL-4R -3223C>T (rs2057768), IL-8 -251T>A (rs4073), IL-10 -1082A>G (rs1800896) and TNF -A-308G>A (rs1800629) with OA susceptibility. Genomic DNA was isolated from blood samples collected from 305 Romanian subjects (90 patients with OA and 215 controls) and the genotyping of the SNPs was performed by TaqMan allelic discrimination polymerase chain reaction using predesigned assays. Our data indicated a significant association for IL-4R rs2057768 C>T SNP. The subjects that carried the CT genotype were at a higher risk for OA (OR 2.03, 95% CI: 1.21-3.42, P=0.007) compared with those that had the CC genotype. Furthermore, the carriers of the T allele were at a 1.9 fold higher risk for OA (OR 1.92; 95% CI, 1.17-3.17; P=0.009) in a dominant model. The association remained significant only for knee OA in the subgroups analysis. No correlations were observed between the other remaining SNPs and OA. The results suggested that the IL-4R rs2057768 SNP could contribute to OA susceptibility in the Romanian population, providing novel evidence for the involvement of IL-4/IL-4R pair in the pathogenesis of OA.