Neglected congenital trigger thumb

We present a case of neglected trigger thumb in a forty-year-old male. The patient presented to our clinic due to bilateral triggering of his fourth digit. He attested to having pain and limitation of joint movement of his left thumb since his childhood in the former Soviet Union, with occasional triggering. This eventually subsided and the thumb became stuck in relative flexion and could not be fully extended. We performed X-rays of both thumbs wherein the left affected thumb interphalangeal joint showed an aberrant configuration and sclerosis of both joint surfaces. The joint surface curvature was altered on the left side and contact area reduced. This presentation of altered thumb interphalangeal joint biomechanics following an untreated congenital trigger thumb further emphasizes the need for surgical intervention when indicated.

Modeling and simulations of the pharmacokinetics of fluorophore conjugated antibodies in tumor vicinity for the optimization of fluorescence-based optical imaging

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

One of the methods to detect and localize tumors in tissue is to use fluorophore conjugated specific antibodies as tumor surface markers. The goals of this study are to understand and quantify the pharmacokinetics of fluorophore conjugated antibodies in the vicinity of a tumor. This study concludes another stage of the development of a non-invasive fluorescenated antibody-based technique for imaging and localization of tumors in vivo.

STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS

A mathematical model of the pharmacokinetics of fluorophore conjugated antibodies in the vicinity of a tumor was developed based on histological staining experiments. We present the model equations of concentrations of antibodies and free binding sites. We also present a powerful simulation tool that we developed to simulate the imaging process. We analyzed the model and studied the effects of various independent parameters on the imaging result. These parameters included initial volume of markers (injected volume), total number of binding sites, tumor size, binding and dissociation rate constants, and the diffusion coefficient. We present the relations needed between these parameters in order to optimize the imaging results.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

A powerful and accurate tool was developed which may assist in optimizing the imaging system results by setting the injection volume and concentration of fluorophore conjugated antibodies in tissue and approximating the time interval where maximum specific binding occurs and the tumor can be imaged.

Increase in immune cell infiltration with progression of oral epithelium from hyperkeratosis to dysplasia and carcinoma

In the present study, epithelium derived lesions of various pathological manifestations were examined histologically and immunohistochemically for mononuclear cell infiltration. The infiltrate under the transformed epithelium of oral lesions, was examined for differences in the composition of immune mononuclear cells as the epithelium moves from hyperkeratosis through various degrees of dysplasia to squamous cell carcinoma. The study was performed on 53 human tongue tissues diagnosed as hyperkeratosis (11 cases), mild dysplasia (nine cases), moderate and severe dysplasia (14 cases) and squamous cell carcinoma (19 cases). A similar analysis was performed on 30 parotid gland tissues diagnosed as pleomorphic adenoma (14 cases) and carcinoma ex-pleomorphic adenoma (16 cases). Immunohistochemical analysis of various surface markers of the tumour infiltrating immune cells was performed and correlated with the transformation level as defined by morphology and the expression of p53 in the epithelium. The results revealed that, in the tongue lesions, the changes in the epithelium from normal appearance to transformed were accompanied by a corresponding increase in the infiltration of CD4, CD8, CD14, CD19+20, and HLA/DR positive cells. The most significant change was an increase in B lymphocytes in tongue lesions, that was in accordance with the transformation level (P<0.001). In the salivary gland, a significant number of cases did not show an infiltrate. In cases where an infiltrate was present, a similar pattern was observed and the more malignant tissues exhibited a higher degree of immune cell infiltration.

Laser activated fluorescence measurements and morphological features: an in vivo study of clearance time of fluorescein isothiocyanate tagged cell markers

Fourteen BALB/c mice were divided into two groups. One group served as the control and the second group was injected with a squamous cell carcinoma cell line to the tongue. After tumor development (1-4 weeks), mice were injected with a FITC conjugated CD3 marker to their tongues. Immediately after the marker injection, the clearance of the marker was measured using a laser spectroscopy system. The markers were excited by an argon laser at 488 nm and the fluorescence signal was measured as a function of time. A biopsy was taken from every mouse after the procedure and the excised tissue was histologically evaluated. Analysis of clearance times revealed a second order exponential decay for both groups with a slower pace of signal clearance for the sick mice.

Clinical course of primary Sjögren's syndrome: salivary, oral, and serologic aspects

OBJECTIVE

To assess changes in symptoms and signs, salivary function, serologic activity, and disease progression in primary Sjogren's syndrome (SS).

METHODS

Treatment records on 80 patients seen in clinic and diagnosed with primary SS by defined criteria were reviewed. Forty-nine patients were evaluated at least twice a minimum of 5 years (mean 7 years) apart. Salivary flow rates from each of the major salivary glands and laboratory values were obtained. A structured interview with questions pertaining to signs and symptoms of primary SS was given and a physical examination was performed. An additional 26 patients completed a followup questionnaire by mail and their current medical records were obtained for review. For this group, the followup period was a mean of 10 years after their initial evaluation. Five patients were deceased.

RESULTS

The patients seen twice showed relative stability in their salivary measurements and in their serologic values. The subjective sicca symptoms of oral and ocular dryness among the 75 surviving patients remained prominent. Very few individuals developed another connective tissue disease, therefore evolving into secondary SS. Among the 80 patients, 6 cases of B cell lymphoma were recognized during the followup period.

CONCLUSION

Although it is not a benign condition, primary SS is a very slowly progressing disease without rapid deterioration in salivary function, systemic markers of disease activity, or dramatic changes in symptoms, with the exception of a high incidence of lymphoma.

Fas and Fas-mediated effects on a human salivary cell line in vitro: a model for immune-mediated exocrine damage in Sjögren's syndrome

Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune exocrinopathy characterized by mononuclear cell infiltration and loss of parenchymal tissue in salivary and lacrimal glands. The mechanisms for these histologic alterations are not known. Apoptotic cell death, induced by the ligation of Fas (APO-1/CD95) with Fas ligand (FasL/CD95L) may be an explanation for the tissue damage seen in SS. Fas and FasL were detected in minor salivary glands from SS patients and healthy individuals using immunohistochemical methods. There was increased expression of both Fas and FasL in the patients. The ability of the Fas-FasL pathway to influence epithelial cell growth and survival was demonstrated in vitro using a human submandibular cell line. The presence of Fas receptor was demonstrated on the cells. Anti-Fas antibody triggered cell death. Cells were also grown in the presence of gamma-interferon (IFN-gamma). IFN-gamma induced an upregulation of Fas receptor expression and pre-treatment of cells with IFN-gamma led to enhanced anti-Fas mediated cell death.

Optical simulations of a noninvasive technique for the diagnosis of diseased salivary glands in situ

A simulation experiment for three-dimensional (3D) imaging of exogenous fluorescinated antibodies that specifically bind to infiltrating lymphocytes in minor salivary glands was carried out. Small (approximately 1 mm3 volume) rhodamine targets, which mimic diseased minor salivary glands labeled with fluorescent antibodies to infiltrating lymphocytes in Sjøgren's syndrome, were embedded in a highly scattering tissue phantom consisting of a thick Delrin disk covered by index matched Delrin slabs of various thickness. In this way the variation of fluorescence profiles on the surface of tissue could be examined corresponding to the range of depths of the salivary glands in vivo. Surface images were obtained for different target depths and radial distances from laser excitation to target fluorophore. These images were analyzed and compared to calculations based on random walk theory in turbid media, using previously determined scattering and absorption coefficients of the Delrin. Excellent agreement between the surface profiles experimentally measured and those predicted by our random walk theory was obtained. Derivation of these theoretical expressions is a necessary step toward devising an inverse algorithm which may have the potential expressions to perform 3D reconstruction of the concentration distribution of fluorescent labels within tissue.