“
“Purpose of review
The purpose of this review is to discuss recent advances in the understanding of the nature of meniscal calcification and its
relationships with meniscal degeneration and cartilage lesions in osteoarthritis.
Recent findings
Calcium crystals are universally present in hyaline articular cartilage, as well as the meniscus of the knee of end-stage osteoarthritis patients. Osteoarthritis meniscal cells display a distinct gene-expression profile different from normal meniscal cells, have elevated expression of ankylosis progressive analog (ANKH) and ectonucleotide pyrophosphatase/phosphodiesterase 1 (ENPP1) and produce more calcium minerals 17DMAG mw than normal meniscal cells in vitro. Meniscal calcification is positively associated with meniscal degeneration, which is an early event in the development of osteoarthritis and correlates with cartilage lesions and clinical osteoarthritis scores. Phosphocitrate is a potent calcification inhibitor of osteoarthritis meniscal cell-mediated calcium deposition. Its effect on preventing meniscal degeneration and the molecular mechanisms underlying its disease-modifying activity in osteoarthritis remains elusive.
Summary
Recent findings support a pathogenic role of meniscal calcification in osteoarthritis. Meniscal calcification, similar to meniscal https://www.selleckchem.com/products/Mizoribine.html degeneration,
is a predisposing factor for cartilage lesions. Meniscal calcification is a new target for the development of therapeutic disease-modifying drugs for osteoarthritis.”
“Objective. To evaluate the pain score during transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided prostate biopsy using three different anaesthetic applications and no anaesthesia. Material and methods. One-hundred men undergoing TRUS-guided prostate biopsy were prospectively enrolled in this study. Patients were randomized to four groups. Group 1 (n = 25) received no anaesthesia, group 2 (n = 25) was administered a perianal lidocaine injection, group 3 (n = 25) was administered a periprostatic lidocaine
injection, and group 4 (n = 25) was administered a combination of perianal intrarectal lidocaine prilocaine cream. The anaesthetic application was given 5 min before the procedure. All patients were asked to indicate the level of pain experienced on a visual analogue scale (VAS) during three situations, including when the TRUS probe was inserted CT99021 research buy and 15 min and 2 weeks after biopsy. Results. Mean pain scores were similar in all groups at the time of probe insertion. Mean pain scores showed statistically significant differences between group 1 and the other groups, except for group 4, 15 min after the procedure. Group 3 showed better pain control 15 min after biopsy and this difference was statistically significant (p < 0.043). The VAS scores were similar 2 weeks after the procedure in all groups. Conclusions. Anaesthetic application before TRUS-guided prostate biopsy may be advocated.