The anteroposterior distance between the posterior edge of the medial tibial condyle and the posterior edge of the fibular head in the lateral view can be a reference in determining the axis perpendicular to the tibial anteroposterior axis.

BACKGROUND: Obtaining an accurate tibial lateral view is important during high tibial osteotomy. This study investigated whether the posterior edge of the medial/lateral tibial condyle (PEMTC/PELTC) and the posterior edge of the fibular head (PEFH) in a lateral view could be a reference for determining the accurate tibial lateral view. METHODS: A total of 75 lower limbs in 38 subjects were evaluated in this study. In order to target healthy knees, subjects undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty were selected. The MF/LF, comprising the anteroposterior distance between PEMTC/PELTC and PEFH, was measured on the lateral view of the tibial bone model based on the tibial anteroposterior (AP) axis (true lateral view: TLV). In addition, measurements were calculated in the model with a 10° external/internal rotation. Using these measurements, linear regression analysis was performed to predict the tibial rotation with MF/LF. RESULTS: The mean MF/LF was 0.9/4.6 mm (P < 0.001). MF and LF increased with incremental tibial rotation. Regression formulas were derived from these results as follows: Tibial rotation = (1) -1.01 + 1.06 × MF (R2 = 0.87, P < 0.001), (2) -8.70 + 1.86 × LF (R2 = 0.51, P < 0.001). The mean tibial rotation angle when MF was 0 mm was -0.9°. CONCLUSIONS: Based on formula (1) and actual measurements, the mean tibial rotation angle when MF is 0 mm is an internal rotation of about 1°. Therefore, a lateral view, in which PEMTC and PEFH are seen colinearly, can be the approximate TLV. The MF can be a suitable intraoperative reference in determining TLV.

Usefulness of a real-time bowel sound analysis system in patients with severe sepsis (pilot study).

Healthy bowel function is an important factor when judging the advisability of early enteral nutrition in critically ill patients, but long-term observation and objective evaluation of gastrointestinal motility are difficult. In the study, real-time continuous measurement of gastrointestinal motility was performed in patients with severe sepsis using a developed bowel sound analysis system, and the correlation between bowel sounds and changes over time in blood concentrations of interleukin (IL)-6, which is associated with sepsis severity, was evaluated. The subjects were five adult patients in the acute phase of severe sepsis on a mechanical ventilator, with IL-6 blood concentrations ≥100 pg/mL, who had consented to participate in the study. Gastrointestinal motility was measured for a total of 62,399 min: 31,544 min in 3 subjects in the no-steroids group and 30,855 min in 2 subjects in the steroid treatment group. In the no-steroids group, the bowel sound counts were negatively correlated with IL-6 blood concentration, suggesting that gastrointestinal motility was suppressed as IL-6 blood concentration increased. However, in the steroid treatment group, gastrointestinal motility showed no correlation with IL-6 blood concentration (r = -0.25, p = 0.27). The IL-6 blood concentration appears to have decreased with steroid treatment irrespective of changes in the state of sepsis, whereas bowel sound counts with the monitoring system reflected the changes in the state of sepsis, resulting in no correlation. This monitoring system provides a useful method of continuously, quantitatively, and non-invasively evaluating gastrointestinal motility in patients with severe sepsis. Gastrointestinal motility might be useful as a parameter reflecting disease severity, particularly in patients treated with steroids.

Interleukin-33 synergistically enhances immune complex-induced tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin-8 production in cultured human synovium-derived mast cells.

BACKGROUND: Substantial evidence suggests that human synovial mast cells (MCs) are involved in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Interleukin (IL)-33 is believed to play an important role in the pathogenesis of RA. We recently reported that FcγRI is responsible for producing abundant tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) from cultured synovium-derived MCs (SyMCs) in response to aggregated immunoglobulin G (IgG). However, whether or not IL-33 affects immune complex (IC)-induced synovial MC activation remains unknown. This study sought to evaluate the effect of IL-33 on IC-induced synovial MC activation. METHODS: Cultured SyMCs were generated by culturing synovial cells with stem cell factor. ST2 expression was analyzed using FACS and immunohistochemical techniques. Mediators released from the MCs were measured using EIAs or ELISAs. RESULTS: SyMCs obtained from patients with RA or osteoarthritis (OA) expressed ST2 on their surfaces. We confirmed the expression of ST2 in MCs using immunofluorescence staining in joint tissue obtained from RA patients. IC-triggered histamine release was not enhanced by IL-33. However, IL-33 synergistically enhanced IC-induced IL-8 and TNF-α production in SyMCs. CONCLUSIONS: ICs and IL-33 may exacerbate inflammation associated with RA by abundantly producing TNF-α and IL-8 from SyMCs.

[Specific variability of teicoplanin protein binding in patients receiving continuous hemodiafiltration-comparison with hypoalbuminemia patients].

Variation in protein binding ratio (PBR) of teicoplanin (TEIC) was investigated in continuous hemodiafiltration (CHDF) patients. TEIC is classified as a high PBR drug (≧90%), and it was reported that the PBR of TEIC decreased with an decrease in the serum albumin level in hypoalbuminemia patients. However, few reports can be found about the variation of PBR of TEIC for CHDF patient. An antibiotic activity is directly determined by the level of unbound antibiotics species (Cfree) in the target site, namely, an increase in the Cfree enhances the risks of TEIC as well as the therapeutic effect against Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In this study, both the total concentration (Ctotal) and Cfree of TEIC were determined and the PBRs were compared between a patient with normal albumin level, hypoalbuminemia patients and CHDF patients. Similarly to the previous report, the lowering of PBR of TEIC was demonstrated in the hypoalbuminemia patients. On the other hand, the CHDF patients showed lower value of PBR suggesting some change in the protein binding ability, although showed higher values of serum albumin level in comparison with the hypoalbuminemia patients. It was not necessary to measure the Cfree value for the hypoalbuminemia patient routinely, but the monitoring of Cfree as well as Ctotal for the CHDF patients can be important for the proper TEIC use because of the potential specialty of PBR.

Comparison of efficacy between continuous hemodiafiltration with a PMMA high-performance membrane dialyzer and a PAN membrane hemofilter in the treatment of septic shock patients with acute renal failure.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether continuous hemodiafiltration (CHDF) with a high-performance membrane dialyzer made of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA-CHDF) in the treatment of septic shock patients with acute renal failure (ARF) is clinically relevant. 30 patients were treated with PMMA-CHDF. 13 patients treated with CHDF used a hemofilter made of polyacrylonitrile membrane (PAN-CHDF). Systolic blood pressure significantly increased in the PMMA-CHDF group following 24 h of treatment (p < 0.01), whereas it did not improve in the PAN-CHDF group. Urine volume significantly increased in the PMMA-CHDF group following 24 h of treatment which was more than in the PAN-CHDF group (p < 0.05). 28-day survival was 83.3% in the PMMA-CHDF group and 30.8% in the PAN-CHDF group, respectively (p < 0.01). We can assume that PMMA-CHDF in the treatment of septic shock patients with ARF is clinically relevant.

A rapid enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with two modes of detection for measuring cytokine concentration.

Interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 were measured in 101 serum samples collected from eight intensive-care unit patients using a polystyrene-based stick enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (STICKELISA) system. This system consisted of an immobilized-antibody ELISA stick and a noncontact spectrophotometer. Cytokine concentration was detected by two ways: first, rapidly and semi-quantitatively by naked-eye observation of the color change and second, quantitatively using the spectrophotometer for accurate concentration determination. The spectrophotometric assay enabled the quantitation of as little as 100 pg/mL cytokine and took only 45 min to complete. There was a good agreement between the STICKELISA observations and data obtained using a plate ELISA system. The agreement between STICKELISA naked-eye observation and plate ELISA determination was 94 and 85% for IL-6 and IL-8, respectively. The correlation coefficients between the STICKELISA spectrophotometric determination and plate ELISA determination were 0.88 and 0.91 for IL-6 and IL-8, respectively, in a 0.1-5 ng/mL cytokine concentration range. These results demonstrate that the STICKELISA system is a simple, rapid, and quantitative method for bedside cytokine measurement in critical-care settings.