Real-world evidence of quality of life improvement in patients with distal ulcerative colitis treated by mesalazine: the Quartz study.

BACKGROUND: Distal ulcerative colitis (UC) is responsible for distressing symptoms and reduces quality of life (QoL). Oral and topical formulations of 5-amino-salicylic acid are the first line therapy for mild to moderate distal UC. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to evaluate the impact of mesalazine treatment for mild to moderate ulcerative proctitis and proctosigmoiditis on patient QoL. METHODS: Ninety-three patients with mild to moderate ulcerative proctitis and proctosigmoiditis, initiating a treatment with Pentasa, were prospectively included. The primary endpoint was the change from baseline to W8 in patient health-related QoL (HRQoL) as measured by the Short Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (SIBDQ) total score. RESULTS: More than 80% of patients were prescribed with a rectal formulation, either alone (47.9%) or with an oral formulation (35.1%), and 17.0% of patients were prescribed oral formulation alone. Mean SIBDQ score was improved at W8 in patients affected with mild and moderate disease ( P < 0.001 versus baseline in both groups, as well as in patients who achieved clinical remission ( P < 0.001). Patients who achieved clinical remission at W8 reached a mean change of +6.7 (±7.1), whereas those who did not achieve clinical remission had a mean change of +1.1 (±8.9). Seventy-five per cent of patients had an improvement of their disability index at W8. Fecal incontinence was also improved at W8. CONCLUSION: HRQoL measuring with the SIBDQ is proportionally related to disease activity in patients with distal UC treated with mesalazine.

Effects of Uygur sand therapy on the mechanical properties of femurs in osteoarthritic rabbits.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of Uygur sand therapy on the mechanical properties of the femur bone of osteoarthritic rabbits. METHODS: Sixteen rabbits were injected with papain in the right posterior femoral articular cavity on the first, fourth and seventh day to establish the osteoarthritis (OA) rabbit model. Animals were divided into the experimental group and control group (8 rabbits each). The experimental group was treated with sand therapy, and the control group received no sand therapy treatment. Computed tomography (CT) scanning was used to collect the data of the femur before modeling, after modeling and 14 and 28 days after sand treatment. A 3D model of the femur was generated with the MIMIC software the bone layer was divided according to the different gray values and the change of the bone volume was analyzed. The body mesh is divided, and the material properties are given, then the three-point bending simulation is performed in Ansys. Additionally, the three-point bending test was performed on all the rabbits' femur to obtain the deflection and maximum stress values. And the effects of the sand treatment on the volume and mechanical properties of the bone were analyzed. Finally, the simulation results are compared with the experimental results, and the effects of sand treatment on the volume and mechanical properties of the bone are analyzed. RESULTS: (1) there is a tendency in the control group to convert the hard bone into dense bone and soft bone, while in the experimental group, the soft bone is converted into dense bone and hard bone obviously; (2) the morphological parameters of the experimental group are lower than those of the control group, whereas the maximum load, maximum normal stress, maximum shear stress of the experimental group are higher than those of the control group. (3) The mechanical test of three-point bending test was carried out using the three dimensional finite element model of rabbit femur. CONCLUSION: The sand therapy has positive effects on the volume distribution of bone layer and the mechanical properties of the femur of adult osteoarthritic rabbits.

Pilot clinical study of a fluoride resin and conditioning paste for desensitising dentine.

The clinical trial was carried out on 34 'hypersensitive' teeth in 10 subjects. Dentine sensitivity was measured as the pain perception thresholds to controlled air and probe stimuli. In each subject, pairs of teeth of comparable initial sensitivity were randomly assigned to a test (T) or control (C) treatment. All teeth were cleaned and a conditioning paste applied. Group T was treated with a topically-applied light-cured resin; Group C received a placebo, sham light-cured. Air sensitivity was remeasured after treatment, and the procedures were repeated after 1, 2, and 3 weeks. When comparing air thresholds before and after treatment at each visit, the test agent caused significantly greater reduction in sensitivity than the control. The median increase in air threshold in the test group was 2.5 s at visit no. 1, 1.3 s at visit no. 2 and 0.8 s at visit no. 3. Comparisons of the initial thresholds at each visit showed no significant long-term changes in sensitivity in either group.

Effect of cyclosporin A, silica quartz dust, and protease inhibitors on virus-induced demyelination.

Treatment with cyclosporin A, from the time of virus infection, suppressed inflammation and demyelination in the spinal cord of SJL/J or ASW(H-2s) mice persistently infected with Theiler's murine encephalomyelitis virus. Demyelination was not decreased if treatment was given after inflammation was established. The decrease was independent of serum titers of immunoglobulin G to purified viral antigen but did correlate with decreased proliferation of T lymphocytes to virus and myelin antigens. Silica quartz dust, a direct toxin of macrophages, suppressed demyelination and inflammation if begun at time of virus infection. No therapeutic effect was seen with inhibitors of plasminogen activators or other neutral proteases found primarily in macrophages.

Protection against experimental allergic neuritis with silica quartz dust.

Lewis rats sensitized against peripheral nervous system antigens can be protected against experimental allergic neuritis (EAN) by the intraperitoneal injection of silica quartz dust. Two doses of 200 mg silica given 8 and 11 days post-inoculation (dpi) protected against the development of both clinical and pathological disease. A single dose of 200 mg silica 8 dpi gave significant protection against clinical disease but all animals developed pathological signs. A single injection of 200 mg silica 11 dpi, after the onset of early signs, protected against further progression of disease. The protection was long lasting. Given the known toxic effects of silica for macrophages, these results would support the conclusion that macrophages function during the effector stage in the clinical and pathological expression of EAN in the Lewis rat.