Antioxidant effect of hydroxytyrosol on human sperm quality during in vitro incubation.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the antioxidant potential of hydroxytyrosol (HT) on human sperm quality during incubation in vitro. Semen samples collected from men attending the Laboratory of Histology-Embryology of Sfax Faculty of Medicine (Tunisia) for infertility investigations were evaluated for initial sperm parameters. Only normal selected ejaculates (n = 15) were centrifuged and incubated further with or without HT (200ug ml-1 ) at room temperature for 45 min. After incubation, sperm motility and viability, DNA oxidation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were assessed. The results showed that centrifugation significantly influenced sperm motility and viability. The supplementation of HT in incubating media improved (P = 0.01) significantly sperm viability and decreased sperm DNA oxidation (P < 0.001) and ROS levels (P = 0.03) following centrifugation. It can be concluded that supplementation of HT might be helpful to maintain the human spermatozoon after centrifugation.

Biomarkers of oxidative stress in epidermis of Tunisian pemphigus foliaceus patients.

BACKGROUND: Reactive oxygen species play a key role in the development of many dermatological disorders. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to examine the lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation and antioxidative profile in Tunisian pemphigus foliaceus (PF) patients. METHODS: Malondialdehyde (MDA), conjugated dienes (CD), protein thiol levels, catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were evaluated in skin biopsies of 13 patients compared to biopsies of 7 healthy controls. RESULTS: Oxidative stress was confirmed in these three types of patient biopsies as compared to controls. Thus, MDA, CD levels and catalase CAT and SOD activities were significantly increased in lesional, perilesional and normal biopsies of PF patients than in those of control subjects. Protein oxidative was confirmed by lower levels of protein thiols in lesional, perilesional and normal biopsies than in control's biopsies. Otherwise, in patients, a significant rise of these biomarkers was observed in lesional and perilesional biopsies compared with normal biopsies. CONCLUSION: This study shows that oxidative stress could be involved in the pathogenesis of PF by the spread of skin lesions and/or by the increase in auto-antibodies' reactivity.

Enhanced reactivity to malondialdehyde-modified proteins by systemic lupus erythematosus autoantibodies.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of the reactivity of autoantibodies of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients directed against malondialdehyde (MDA)-modified catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), and different Hep2 protein fractions (hydrophobic, hydrophilic, and nuclear). METHOD: Thiol groups and MDA-protein adducts were first assessed among 65 SLE patients and 60 healthy controls. Then, the reactivities of SLE immunoglobulin (Ig)G autoantibodies towards MDA-modified and unmodified proteins were compared using a standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: An increase in the levels of MDA-modified proteins and a decrease in the concentration of thiol groups among SLE patients (p < 0.05) were observed. IgG circulating autoantibodies in the sera of SLE patients exhibited a significant enhanced reactivity (p < 0.05) against catalase and SOD-modified proteins. The same data were observed in the different protein fractions extracted from cultured cells (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: These data reinforce the role of oxidative stress and especially lipid peroxidation products in the progression of SLE disease.

Increased levels of autoantibodies against catalase and superoxide dismutase associated with oxidative stress in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the level of autoantibodies against superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in the sera of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) Tunisian patients, to study the oxidative profile among the same patients and to establish a correlation between the two parameters in order to understand the role of each one in the genesis of the two diseases. METHOD: Using a standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgM directed against CAT and SOD in the sera of 39 RA patients, 40 SLE patients, and 50 control healthy individuals were evaluated. The oxidative/antioxidative profile was tested by measuring serum malondialdehyde (MDA), conjugated dienes (CD), CAT activity, and SOD activity. RESULTS: Our data showed increased levels of IgG antibodies (Ab) against CAT in both groups of patients (p<0.05) compared to control subjects. However, the SLE patients displayed an increased level of anti-SOD IgG (p<0.05). In all patients the lipid peroxidation was confirmed by high levels of MDA and conjugated dienes (p<0.05). RA patients exhibited an increasing CAT and SOD activity in their sera (p<0.05) with a positive correlation observed between CAT and IgG anti-CAT (p<0.05). The same results were observed for SLE patients. In addition, a positive correlation was observed between anti-CAT Ab and anti-SOD Ab in SLE patients (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Collectively, these results suggested that the primary factor causing the oxidative stress observed in RA and SLE is excessive free radical production rather than impaired CAT or SOD activity due to autoantibody inhibition.

Successful treatment of osteolytic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma with pamidronate.

We describe the case of a 70-year-old man with unicentric grade 1 epitheloid hemangioendothelioma (EH) of the bone that favourably responded to intravenous pamidronate as a single agent. After 6 years of follow-up, the patient was in complete remisssion. We suggest that use of bisphosphonates should be considered in the treatment of osteolytic EH.

[Synovial hemangioma of the knee joint. A case report]. / L'hémangiome synovial du genou. A propos d'une observation]

Synovial hemangioma of the knee joint was diagnosed in a young woman 15 years after the first signs. The principal clinical manifestation involved repeated episodes of hemorrhagic joint effusion. MRI is the exploration of choice for this vascular tumor of the synovial membrane, although a pathology study is needed to confirm the diagnosis. Cure is achieved with surgical resection.

Acute calcific tendinitis in children.

Acute calcific tendinitis is uncommon in children. Clinical manifestations are similar to those in adults. The abrupt onset, functional impairment, and frequent presence of fever suggest an infection. Radiographic findings establish the diagnosis, obviating the need for further investigations.

Bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis.

A 75-year old man with rheumatoid arthritis developed bronchiolitis obliterans organizing pneumonia (BOOP), which responded to treatment with prednisolone (1 mg/kg/d) and cyclophosphamide (100 mg/d).

Treatment of good-prognosis polyarteritis nodosa and Churg-Strauss syndrome: comparison of steroids and oral or pulse cyclophosphamide in 25 patients. French Cooperative Study Group for Vasculitides.

Twenty-five patients with good-prognosis polyarteritis nodosa or Churg-Strauss syndrome entered a prospective, randomized, multicentre study comparing two treatments: either oral corticosteroids and oral cyclophosphamide (CY; 2 mg/kg/day) for 1 yr (group A), or oral corticosteroids and monthly i.v. CY pulses (0.6 g/m2) (group B) for 1 yr. The objective was to determine the optimal CY regimen. Judgement criteria were the efficacy of the treatment in controlling the disease and the development of side-effects. Among the 25 patients who could be analysed, complete recovery was achieved with the experimental treatment in 9/12 patients in group A and 10/13 patients in group B. Two patients in each group relapsed after the end of therapy and were well controlled by corticosteroids or other drugs. One failure occurred in each group. The mean follow-up was 60.8 +/- 14.5 months after the beginning of the treatment. Side-effects associated with the administration of CY and steroids were noted 27 times in group A vs 14 times in group B (not significant). The oldest patient in these series (group B) died of pneumonia. No superiority in terms of efficacy could be established between the two regimens; however, the number of patients included was too small to conclude definitively. Toxic side-effects were significantly more frequent in women (P < 0.02). The high number of adverse effects leads us to recommend pulse over oral CY and an overall lowering of the doses of immunosuppression.

Synovial effusions at the knee as the inaugural manifestation of stress fracture of the proximal tibia.

Eight patients with an age ranging from 72 to 83 years, seen in an outpatient clinic over a one-year period for stress fractures of the proximal tibia responsible for acute knee pain and effusion were studied retrospectively. Plain roentgenograms were often normal at presentation but subsequently showed sclerosis of the proximal tibia. Radionuclide bone scanning was the most useful investigation for early diagnosis. Potential risk factors were advanced: age, genu varum or valgum, overweight and vitamin D deficiency. Stress fracture of the proximal tibia should be considered in elderly patients with knee pain, effusion and normal roentgenograms. Elimination of weight-bearing ensures healing of the fracture.

Symptomatic osteonecrosis in recipients of nonautologous bone marrow transplants.

A retrospective study of 36 allogeneic bone marrow transplant recipients was conducted to determine the rate of occurrence of and risk factors for avascular osteonecrosis. Eight patients developed osteonecrosis, after a mean time interval of 18 months. Multiple sites were often involved (mean 2.37 per patient). Advanced roentgenologic lesions were present at diagnosis in most instances. The occurrence of osteonecrosis was not significantly correlated with the initial hematologic diagnosis, the preparative regimen, serum lipid abnormalities, presence of acute or chronic graft-versus-host disease, or corticosteroid therapy characteristics. Intraosseous blood vessels exhibited histologic lesions consistent with a role of graft-versus-host-disease vasculitis in the occurrence of osteonecrosis in nonautologous bone marrow transplant recipients.

Prevalence of thyroid abnormalities in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The prevalence of thyroid abnormalities was determined in 131 patients: group I = rheumatoid arthritis, 68 patients, group II = systemic immunological diseases (IIa Sjögren's syndrome, n = 6; IIb other rheumatic autoimmune disease, n = 17), group III = other rheumatic diseases n = 13 and control group (n = 27). Thyroid abnormalities (hypo, hyperthyroidism, nodular goiter) were frequent: 33.8% in group I, 100% in group IIa, 11.7% in group IIb. Hypothyroidism was present in 19.1% (group I), 50% (group IIa). 6% (group IIb). Autoimmune thyroiditis was found in 16.2% in group I, 100% in group IIa, 11.7% in group III. Thyroid diseases are frequent in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Therefore thyroid tests might be performed in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

[Dermatomyositis associated with two neoplasms]. / Dermatomyosite associée à une double néoplasie.

A case of dermatomyositis in a patient with two different malignancies is reported. Skin lesions cleared only following exeresis of the second tumor. This case provides the opportunity for a discussion of the main theories put forward to explain relationships between dermatomyositis and malignant disease.

[Spontaneous fracture of the femoral neck in hip algodystrophy in pregnancy. Apropos of a case and review of the literature]. / Fracture spontanée du col fémoral au cours d'une algodystrophie de hanche pendant la grossesse. A propos d'un cas et revue de la littérature.

A case of reflex sympathetic dystrophy involving the hip with a pathologic fracture of the femoral neck in a pregnant patient is reported. The low incidence of this condition is underlined and its characteristics are reviewed. The role of increased fragility related to pregnancy is discussed.