ABSTRACT
Proteins, with the large variety of chemical groups they present at their molecular surface, are a class of molecules which can be very informative on most of the possible solute-solvent interactions. Hen egg white lysozyme has been used as a probe to investigate the complex solvent dynamics occurring at the protein surface, by analysing the results obtained from Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, X-ray diffractometry and Molecular Dynamics simulations. A consistent overall picture for the dynamics of water molecules close to the protein is obtained, suggesting that a rapid exchange occurs, in a picosecond timescale, among all the possible hydration surface sites both in solution and the solid state, excluding the possibility that solvent molecules can form liquid-crystal-like supramolecular adducts, which have been proposed as a molecular basis of 'memory of water'.
Subject(s)
Egg Proteins/metabolism , Muramidase/metabolism , Protein Conformation , Water/metabolism , Animals , Chickens , Computer Simulation , Crystallography, X-Ray , Models, Chemical , Models, Molecular , SolventsABSTRACT
This retrospective study was undertaken to evaluate the utility of Ultrasound Biomicroscopy (UBM) in the assessment of the anterior chamber in patients affected by silicone oil-related glaucoma after vitreoretinal surgery. UBM showed high reflectivity of angular structure, anterior chamber alterations and a fairly trophic ciliary body.
Subject(s)
Anterior Chamber/diagnostic imaging , Ciliary Body/diagnostic imaging , Glaucoma/chemically induced , Silicone Oils/adverse effects , Vitrectomy/adverse effects , Anterior Chamber/drug effects , Anterior Chamber/surgery , Ciliary Body/drug effects , Follow-Up Studies , Glaucoma/diagnostic imaging , Humans , Injections , Retinal Diseases/surgery , Retrospective Studies , Sensitivity and Specificity , UltrasonographyABSTRACT
Ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) was employed in the assessment of the anterior chamber in patients affected by penetrating and blunt traumas. UBM detected correctly the extent and the localization of penetrating injuries and the presence of foreign bodies, IOL dislocation, and angular structures or ciliary body damages.
Subject(s)
Anterior Chamber/injuries , Eye Foreign Bodies/diagnostic imaging , Eye Injuries, Penetrating/diagnostic imaging , Wounds, Nonpenetrating/diagnostic imaging , Anterior Chamber/diagnostic imaging , Ciliary Body/diagnostic imaging , Ciliary Body/injuries , Cornea/diagnostic imaging , Corneal Injuries , Eye Foreign Bodies/complications , Eye Injuries, Penetrating/complications , Foreign-Body Migration/diagnostic imaging , Humans , Hyphema/diagnostic imaging , Hyphema/etiology , Lenses, Intraocular , Ultrasonography , Vitreous Hemorrhage/diagnostic imaging , Vitreous Hemorrhage/etiology , Wounds, Nonpenetrating/complicationsABSTRACT
Standardized A- and B-scan echography was performed in 45 patients (68 eyes) affected by proliferative diabetic retinopathy, before vitreoretinal surgery, to evaluate the percentage of agreement between the ultrasonographic data and the surgical findings. The agreement was quite good for tractional retinal detachment (93%) and for posterior vitreous detachment (91%). The main cause of failure was the presence of vitreoschisis, while preretinal and vitreal membranes can easily be detected.
Subject(s)
Diabetic Retinopathy/diagnostic imaging , Vitrectomy , Adult , Aged , Diabetic Retinopathy/complications , Diabetic Retinopathy/surgery , Epiretinal Membrane/diagnostic imaging , Epiretinal Membrane/etiology , Epiretinal Membrane/surgery , Humans , Macula Lutea/diagnostic imaging , Macula Lutea/surgery , Middle Aged , Reproducibility of Results , Retinal Detachment/diagnostic imaging , Retinal Detachment/etiology , Retinal Detachment/surgery , Ultrasonography , Video Recording , Vitreous Body/diagnostic imaging , Vitreous Body/surgeryABSTRACT
Vitreous and vitreoretinal interface changes were evaluated in giant retinal tears in order to plan surgical approach. Vitreal sineresis was evident in patients affected by primary giant retinal tears; in patients affected by retinal disinsertion the vitreous was adherent to the edge of the posterior flap, and in giant retinal tears secondary to IOL implantation, posterior vitreous detachment but no sineresis was displayed.
Subject(s)
Retina/diagnostic imaging , Retinal Perforations/diagnostic imaging , Vitreous Body/diagnostic imaging , Adult , Aged , Humans , Middle Aged , Retina/surgery , Retinal Detachment/complications , Retinal Detachment/diagnostic imaging , Retinal Detachment/surgery , Retinal Perforations/etiology , Retinal Perforations/surgery , Scleral Buckling , Ultrasonography , Video Recording , Vitrectomy , Vitreous Body/surgeryABSTRACT
The potential value for the diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome (SS) of 28 clinical and 18 serological parameters was evaluated in 38 patients with primary (1 degree) SS, 29 with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 30 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and 22 with mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC), by means of a stepwise discriminant analysis. Twelve patients with RA, 11 with SLE, and 8 with MC had evidence of sicca syndrome and were then classified as having a secondary (2 degree) SS. When comparing the various disease groups to each other, it was always possible to select different combinations of clinical and serological variables which defined highly significant discriminant functions. In addition, some parameters appeared to have a stronger discriminant power between different disease groups. For instance, 1 degree SS was well discriminated from RA by anti-Ro antibodies (Ab) and normal C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, from SLE by normal complement levels and the positivity of rheumatoid factor, from MC by the absence of liver involvement and normal complement levels. While anti-La Ab had the highest value in differentiating patients with 1 degree from those with 2 degrees SS, anti-Ro Ab and recurrent parotid swelling seem to be typical features of patients with SS with respect to those with other connective tissue disease but without sicca syndrome.
