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The most common disease in the aged population is osteoarthritis [OA] that is resulting in progressive dysfunction following isolated cartilage injuries, subchondral bone remodeling, tissue loss, marginal osteophytes, and loss of joint space. Mesenchymal stem cells [MSCs] are multipotent stem cells; they are able to produce many or all joint tissues. Bone marrow and adipose tissue are rich sources of mesenchymal cells that are useful for the reconstruction of injured tissues such as bone, cartilage, or cardiac muscle. Recently, some studies have been performed on the use of the direct intra-articular injection of mononuclear cells [MNCs] and MSCs as potential therapeutic targets in OA. In this review, the history of MSCs in the treatment of OA are explained. Injection of Bone Marrow Aspirates Concentrate [BMAC] has significantly improved both joint pain and function in radiologic findings; some studies suggested that the injection would be even more effective in early to moderate phases of OA. Injection of MSCs in combination with growth factors may be better solution for the treatment
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Introduction: Pulmonary involvement is the most common cause of mortality and disability in patients with systemic sclerosis and it significantly affects the quality of life in these patients. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary involvement seems necessary in patients with SSc. In this study, we aimed to assess the health-related quality of life [HRQoL] in patients with Scleroderma-Interstitial Lung Disease [SSc-ILD] and its relationship with pulmonary function parameters
Materials and Methods: Considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 25 patients with SSc-ILD were enrolled in this cross-sectional study from April 2012 to June 2013. Full tests of lung function, including body plethysmography and diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide [DLCO], 6-minute walk distance [6MWD], and pulse oximetry were performed. The HRQoL was assessed using St. George's and CAT questionnaires; also, dyspnea was evaluated for all the patients, using modified medical research council [MMRC] scale. Afterwards, the relationship between the total scores of HRQoL questionnaires and the severity of lung disease was analyzed, based on the recorded variables
Results: The mean age of the patients was 40.36 +/- 9.50 years and the mean duration of the disease was 7.16 +/- 4.50 years. A statistically significant inverse correlation was observed between 6MWD [r=-0.50, P=0.01], DLCO [r=-0.67, P<0.001], and CAT total score. In addition, there was a statistically significant negative association between CAT score and total lung capacity [r=-0.46, P=0.01]. Finally, a significant direct relationship was observed between the total scores of CAT and St. George's questionnaires [r=0.75, P<0.001]
Conclusion: The results of this study showed that CAT questionnaire is a suitable tool for assessing the quality of life in SSc patients; moreover, it is significantly related to the factors associated with pulmonary function. Therefore, the CAT questionnaire may be used to track pulmonary function in SSc patients
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It has been shown that inflammation affects thyroid function. In patients with end-stage renal disease, low plasma triiodothyronine [T3] may be an unsuspected expression of the inflammatory state of these patients. This study evaluated the correlation between T3 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein [HSCRP] levels in patients on peritoneal dialysis [PD] and hemodialysis. This is a cross-sectional study aiming at the correlation between T3 and HSCRP levels among 30 patients on PD, 30 patients on hemodialysis, and 20 healthy individuals. Serum levels of HSCRP, T3, thyroxine [T4], thyroid stimulating hormone, T3 resin uptake, and free T3 index [FT3I] and free T4 index [FT4I] were compared between the three groups. There were no significant differences between hemodialysis and PD patients in respect to T3, T4, FT3I, and FT4I. In PD and hemodialysis patients, T3 and FT3I were lower than in controls [P < .001], but there was no significant difference between PD and hemodialysis patients. T3 resin uptake and thyroid stimulating hormone differed significantly between PD and hemodialysis patients. There was a significant inverse correlation between HSCRP and T3 and FT3I among hemodialysis patients [P = .04]; however, there was no such correlations in PD patients. The relationship between T3 and HSCRP suggests that inflammation might be involved in the low T3 syndrome in hemodialysis patients, but we did not find a significant correlation between T3 and HSCRP levels in patients on peritoneal dialysis