Tissue inflammatory biomarkers in chronic plaque psoriasis: Exploring lesional versus non‐lesional skin relative expression and possible clinical correlations

Decellularized tracheal prelamination implant: A proposed bilateral double organ technique

Introduction In tracheal replacement transplantation, prelamination is a critical stage. Nowadays, the most widely used prelamination technique is the prethoracic fascia flap with lateral thoracic artery. We propose a flap based on the internal thoracic artery, which allows a relatively non-aggressive double organ implant, and we have tested its efficacy in decellularized tracheas. Material and methods Tracheas of albino New Zealand rabbits were decellularized following a protocol that uses detergents and cryogenization, sterilized with 1kGy gamma radiation and tutorized with a stent. Bilateral pedicled flaps made of pectoral fascia and a muscular component were harvested through a longitud…

Discinesia ciliar primaria. Ciliopatías

Resumen La discinesia ciliar primaria es un trastorno geneticamente determinado que se caracteriza por un movimiento ciliar alterado o ausente. Genera un deficit en el aclaramiento mucociliar que se manifiesta clinicamente como infecciones cronicas de vias aereas constantes desde el nacimiento, asi como esterilidad masculina por inmovilidad del espermatozoide y situs inversus en el 40–50% de los pacientes (sindrome de Kartagener). El diagnostico se basa en el estudio de la movilidad ciliar mediante video de alta resolucion digital y alta velocidad, complementado con el estudio de la ultraestructura ciliar. La amplia distribucion ciliar en el organismo y sus numerosas funciones hacen que su …

Gene Expression Profiling of Facilitated L-LTP in VP16-CREB Mice Reveals that BDNF Is Critical for the Maintenance of LTP and Its Synaptic Capture

Expression of VP16-CREB, a constitutively active form of CREB, in hippocampal neurons of the CA1 region lowers the threshold for eliciting the late, persistent phase of long-term potentiation (L-LTP) in the Schaffer collateral pathway. This VP16-CREB-mediated L-LTP differs from the conventional late phase of LTP in not being dependent on new transcription. This finding suggests that in the transgenic mice the mRNA transcript(s) encoding the protein(s) necessary for this form of L-LTP might already be present in CA1 neurons in the basal condition. We used high-density oligonucleotide arrays to identify the mRNAs differentially expressed in the hippocampus of transgenic and wild-type mice. We…

Human platelet-rich plasma improves the nesting and differentiation of human chondrocytes cultured in stabilized porous chitosan scaffolds

[EN] The clinical management of large-size cartilage lesions is difficult due to the limited regenerative ability of the cartilage. Different biomaterials have been used to develop tissue engineering substitutes for cartilage repair, including chitosan alone or in combination with growth factors to improve its chondrogenic properties. The main objective of this investigation was to evaluate the benefits of combining activated platelet-rich plasma with a stabilized porous chitosan scaffold for cartilage regeneration. To achieve this purpose, stabilized porous chitosan scaffolds were prepared using freeze gelation and combined with activated platelet-rich plasma. Human primary articular chond…

Treatment with albumin-hydroxyoleic acid complex restores sensorimotor function in rats with spinal cord injury: Efficacy and gene expression regulation

Sensorimotor dysfunction following incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI) is often characterized by paralysis, spasticity and pain. Previously, we showed that intrathecal (i.t.) administration of the albumin-oleic acid (A-OA) complex in rats with SCI produced partial improvement of these symptoms and that oral 2-hydroxyoleic acid (HOA, a non-hydrolyzable OA analogue), was efficacious in the modulation and treatment of nociception and pain-related anxiety, respectively. Here we observed that intrathecal treatment with the complex albumin-HOA (A-HOA) every 3 days following T9 spinal contusion injury improved locomotor function assessed with the Rotarod and inhibited TA noxious reflex activity in…

Understanding Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia: Experience From a Mediterranean Diagnostic Reference Centre

Background: Due to the lack of a gold standard diagnostic test, reference centres with experienced personnel and costly procedures are needed for primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) diagnostics. Diagnostic flowcharts always start with clinical symptoms. Therefore, the aim of this work is to define differential clinical criteria so that only patients clinically compatible with PCD are referred to reference centres. Materials and methods: 18 variables from 476 Mediterranean patients with clinically suspicious PCD were collected. After analysing cilia function and ultrastructure, 89 individuals were diagnosed with PCD and 387 had a negative diagnosis. Simple logistic regression analysis, consider…

High-Speed Video Microscopy for Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Diagnosis: A Study of Ciliary Motility Variations with Time and Temperature

Este artículo se encuentra disponible en la siguiente URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/11/7/1301 Este artículo de investigación pertenece al número especial "Progress in Diagnosing and Managing Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia". Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare disease resulting from a defect in ciliary function that generates, among other issues, chronic upper and lower respiratory tract infections. European guidelines recommend studying ciliary function (pattern (CBP) and frequency (CBF)), together with characteristic clinical symptoms, as one of the definitive tests. However, there is no “gold standard”. The present study aims to use high-speed video microscopy to describe how CBF…

New insights in primary ciliary dyskinesia

Introduction: Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare genetic disease with an estimated prevalence of 1:20.000 births. It is characterized by abnormal motility of cilia, leading to impaired mucociliary clearance, and subsequent infection and chronic inflammation of the airways. PCD also affects spermatozoa and cilia in the Fallopian tubes, contributing to fertility issues; dyskinesia of embryonic nodal cilia causes a random distribution of the organs. Areas covered: An overview of the history, genetics, clinical manifestations in children and adults, diagnostic tests, treatments, and prognosis are reviewed. We also discuss current research and future prospects of PCD. Expert opinion: As …

A Standardised Approach to the Biomechanical Evaluation of Tracheal Grafts

[EN] The ideal tracheal substitute must have biomechanical properties comparable to the native trachea, but currently there is no standardised approach to evaluating these properties. Here we propose a novel method for evaluating and comparing the properties of tracheal substitutes, thus systematising both measurement and data curation. This system was tested by comparing native rabbit tracheas to frozen and decellularised specimens and determining the histological characteristics of those specimens. We performed radial compression tests on the anteroposterior tracheal axis and longitudinal axial tensile tests with the specimens anastomosed to the jaw connected to a measuring system. All ca…

Role of Circulating miRNAs as Biomarkers in Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension: Possible Relevance of miR-23a

Idiopathic pulmonary hypertension (IPAH) is a rare disease characterized by a progressive increase in pulmonary vascular resistance leading to heart failure. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small noncoding RNAs that control the expression of genes, including some involved in the progression of IPAH, as studied in animals and lung tissue. These molecules circulate freely in the blood and their expression is associated with the progression of different vascular pathologies. Here, we studied the expression profile of circulating miRNAs in 12 well-characterized IPAH patients using microarrays. We found significant changes in 61 miRNAs, of which the expression of miR23a was correlated with the patients’ …