ABSTRACT
Congenital anomalies of the thumb are rare and challenging conditions. There are many possible ways of addressing these various disorders, with potential to improve the function and appearance of the hand.
Subject(s)
Thumb/abnormalities , Thumb/surgery , Female , Humans , Male , Plastic Surgery Procedures , Surgical FlapsABSTRACT
Various attempts have been made to intervene with the formation of hypertrophic scarring (HTS) or to ameliorate it once it has developed, but none have yet proved effective. Massage therapy is routinely used by therapists for the treatment of various conditions, and there have been reports of increased scar pliability and decreased scar banding with the use of massage. This study examines the use of friction massage over a 3-month period in a group of 30 pediatric patients with HTS. The patients were randomly assigned to receive either therapeutic massage sessions of 10 minutes per day in combination with treatment with pressure garments or they were treated with pressure garments alone. A modified Vancouver Burn Scar Assessment Scale was used to measure the characteristics of the identified scars (10 cm by 10 cm) before and after the implementation of massage therapy. The study failed to demonstrate any appreciable effects of massage therapy on the vascularity, pliability, and height of the HTS studied, although there were reports of a decrease in pruritus in some patients. Further studies, with prolonged treatment intervals, are necessary to conclusively demonstrate the ineffectiveness of this therapy for HTS.
Subject(s)
Burns/complications , Cicatrix, Hypertrophic/prevention & control , Massage , Burns/rehabilitation , Child, Preschool , Cicatrix, Hypertrophic/etiology , Female , Gravity Suits , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
A rapid PCR-based assay was used to study the distribution of 5 polymorphic Alu insertions in 895 unrelated individuals from 30 populations, 24 from North, Central, and South America. Although a significant level of interpopulation variability was detected, the variability was less than that observed in a worldwide population survey. This is consistent with the bottleneck effect and genetic drift forces that may have acted on the migrating founder groups. The results corroborate the Asian origin of native American populations but do not support the multiple-wave migration hypothesis supposedly responsible for the tri-partite Eskaleut, Nadene, and Amerind linguistic groups. Instead, these populations exhibit three major identifiable clusters reflecting geographic distribution. Close similarity between the Chinese and native Americans suggests recent gene flow from Asia.
Subject(s)
Indians, North American/genetics , Polymorphism, Genetic , Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid/genetics , Americas , Asia/ethnology , China/ethnology , DNA/analysis , Gene Frequency , Humans , Likelihood Functions , Logistic ModelsABSTRACT
Alu sequences represent the largest family of short interspersed repetitive elements (SINEs) in humans with 500 000 copies per genome. Recently, one Alu subfamily was found to be human specific (HS). We originally described the use of polymorphis HS Alu insertions as a tool in population studies and recently as tools in DNA fingerprinting and forensic analysis. In this report, we will use this simple polymerase chain reaction (PCR) base technique for the detection of HS Alu insertion polymorphisms. We will test the resolving power of this DNA profiling approach in both population genetics and paternity assessment. At the population level, we will describe the genotypic distribution of five polymorphic Alu insertions among 3 populations from the American continent, one of African origin, the other two Amerindians. Insight into their relationships will be provided. At the family level, we will examine one European American family of seven individuals and the same pedigree will also be characterized by way of the two systems currently and widely used to ascertain paternity: PCR-sequence specific oligonucleotide probe hybridization (PCR-SSO) and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) of human leucocyte antigen (HLA) class II molecules, and a standard RFLP protocol used in forensic casework and paternity studies. The importance and strengths of the methods as well as its perspectives for future use in filiation studies will be evaluated.
Subject(s)
Forensic Medicine/methods , Histocompatibility Antigens Class II/genetics , Paternity , Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length , Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid , Gene Frequency , Genetic Markers , Humans , Male , Pedigree , Polymerase Chain ReactionABSTRACT
We have characterized several Human Specific (HS) Alu insertions as either dimorphic (TPA25, PV92, APO), slightly dimorphic (C2N4 and C4N4) or monomorphic (C3N1, C4N6, C4N2, C4N5, C4N8) based on studies of Caucasian, Asian, American Black and African Black populations. Our approach is based upon: 1) PCR amplification using primers complementary to the unique DNA sequences that flank the site of insertion of the different Alu elements studied; 2) gel electrophoresis and scoring according to the presence or absence of an Alu insertion in one or both homologous chromosomes; 3) allele frequencies determined by gene counting and compared to Hardy-Weinberg expectations. Our DNA fingerprinting procedure using PCR amplification of diallelic polymorphic (dimorphic) Human Specific Alu insertions, may be used as a tool for genetic mapping, to characterize populations, study human migrational patterns, and track the inheritance of human genetic disorders.
Subject(s)
DNA Fingerprinting/methods , DNA Transposable Elements , Polymorphism, Genetic , Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid , Forensic Medicine , Genetic Variation , Genetics, Population , Humans , Racial Groups/genetics , Sequence Tagged SitesABSTRACT
La displasia mamaria es una condicion muy frecuente. Siguiendo los principios de la mayoria de los mastologos, se practico un nuevo tipo de reseccion glandular para reducir las mamas. El procedimiento ( reseccion periferica) elimina los cuadrantes interno, inferior y externo, incluyendo en este ultimo las prolongaciones axilares.Se deja una porcion de la glandula detras de la areola, conservando las condiciones anatomicas y funcionales de la mama. Aunque se sigue el clasico abordaje de Pitanguy, se efectua una reseccion distinta de la glandula con fines de curacion o de profilaxis. El control postoperatorio clinico y mamografico es de muy facil interpretacion porque la nueva mama moldeada no agrega ninguna imagen, distorsion glandular ni plegamiento de piel
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Fibrocystic Breast Disease , Surgery, Plastic , MammographyABSTRACT
La displasia mamaria es una condicion muy frecuente. Siguiendo los principios de la mayoria de los mastologos, se practico un nuevo tipo de reseccion glandular para reducir las mamas. El procedimiento ( reseccion periferica) elimina los cuadrantes interno, inferior y externo, incluyendo en este ultimo las prolongaciones axilares.Se deja una porcion de la glandula detras de la areola, conservando las condiciones anatomicas y funcionales de la mama. Aunque se sigue el clasico abordaje de Pitanguy, se efectua una reseccion distinta de la glandula con fines de curacion o de profilaxis. El control postoperatorio clinico y mamografico es de muy facil interpretacion porque la nueva mama moldeada no agrega ninguna imagen, distorsion glandular ni plegamiento de piel
