High Activity Grade Research Articles

A 15-year follow-up of transfemoral amputees with bone-anchored transcutaneous prostheses.

The aim of this study was to describe implant and patient-reported outcome in patients with a unilateral transfemoral amputation (TFA) treated with a bone-anchored, transcutaneous prosthesis. In this cohort study, all patients with a unilateral TFA treated with the Osseointegrated Prostheses for the Rehabilitation of Amputees (OPRA) implant system in Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden, between January 1999 and December 2017 were included. The cohort comprised 111 patients (78 male (70%)), with a mean age 45 years (17 to 70). The main reason for amputation was trauma in 75 (68%) and tumours in 23 (21%). Patients answered the Questionnaire for Persons with Transfemoral Amputation (Q-TFA) before treatment and at two, five, seven, ten, and 15 years' follow-up. A prosthetic activity grade was assigned to each patient at each timepoint. All mechanical complications, defined as fracture, bending, or wear to any part of the implant system resulting in removal or change, were recorded. The Q-TFA scores at two, five, seven, and ten years showed significantly more prosthetic use, better mobility, fewer problems, and an improved global situation, compared with baseline. The survival rate of the osseointegrated implant part (the fixture) was 89% and 72% after seven and 15 years, respectively. A total of 61 patients (55%) had mechanical complications (mean 3.3 (SD 5.76)), resulting in exchange of the percutaneous implant parts. There was a positive relationship between a higher activity grade and the number of mechanical complications. Compared with before treatment, the patient-reported outcome was significantly better and remained so over time. Although osseointegration and the ability to transfer loads over a 15-year period have been demonstrated, a large number of mechanical failures in the external implant parts were found. Since these were related to higher activity, restrictions in activity and improvements to the mechanical properties of the implant system are required. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2020;102-B(1):55-63.

Interleukin-28B rs12979860 C allele: Protective against advanced fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 infection.

Background and Aim: While genetic polymorphisms upstream of the interleukin-28B(IL28B) gene are associated with necroinflammatory activity grade in chronic hepatitis C virus genotype 1 (HCV-1) infection, any association with fibrosis is less definitive. Pretreatment liver biopsies in a cohort of treatment-naïve patients with HCV-1 were analyzed to evaluate associations between liver histology, and the rs12979860 and rs8099917 IL28B single nucleotide polymorphisms.Methods: Two hundred sixty-six patients with HCV-1 infection and pretreatment liver biopsy were tested for the rs12979860 and rs8099917 single nucleotide polymorphisms.Predictors of advanced fibrosis (METAVIR F3/4) and high activity grade (A2/3) were identified using multivariable logistic regression analysis.Results: Forty-four patients (16.5%) had advanced fibrosis and 141 patients (53.0%) high activity grade. Prevalence of rs12979860 IL28B genotype was: CC 45.7%, CT 42.7%, and TT 11.6%. Prevalence of advanced fibrosis was lower in those with IL28B CC genotype compared with those without (11.0% vs 21.3%; P = 0.03), with an increasing number of Talleles associated with a higher frequency of advanced fibrosis: CC 11.0%, CT 18.0%, TT33.3% (P = 0.01). Predictors of advanced fibrosis on multivariate analysis were platelet count (odds ratio [OR] 0.98, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.97–0.99; P < 0.0001), high activity grade (OR 5.68, 95% CI% 1.86–17.32; P = 0.002), IL28B rs12979860 CC genotype(OR 0.36, 95% CI 0.14–0.93; P = 0.03), and aspartate aminotransferase (OR 1.02,95% CI 1.00–1.03; P = 0.046). No association was found between rs8099917 IL28B genotype and liver histology.Conclusions: IL28B rs12979860 CC genotype appears to be independently associated with a lower prevalence of advanced fibrosis stage in HCV-1 infection. This association warrants further evaluation.

Vitamin D status does not predict sustained virologic response or fibrosis stage in chronic hepatitis C genotype 1 infection

The relationship between vitamin D status and response to antiviral therapy and liver histology in hepatitis C virus genotype 1 (HCV-1) infection remains unclear, with studies to date yielding inconsistent results and failing to use reference assay methodology. We therefore analyzed pre-treatment 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level, using reference liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry methodology, in a cohort of treatment-naïve patients with HCV-1 to evaluate the association between vitamin D status, virologic response, and liver histology. 274 patients, with pre-treatment liver biopsy and up to 48 weeks of pegylated interferon alfa-2a plus ribavirin therapy, were tested for serum 25(OH)D level. Predictors of sustained virologic response (SVR), and variables associated with fibrosis stage, activity grade and 25(OH)D status were identified using multivariate analysis. Mean 25(OH)D level was 79.6 nmol/L, with a prevalence of 25(OH)D <75 nmol/L and <50 nmol/L of 48% and 16%, respectively. Season, race and geographic latitude were independent predictors of 25(OH)D status, while vitamin D deficiency was more prevalent in those with high activity grade (21% vs. 11%; p=0.03). Mean 25(OH)D level was lower (76.6 vs. 84.7 nmol/L; p=0.03) and 25(OH)D <75 nmol/L more prevalent (53% vs. 40%; p=0.03) in patients with an SVR, but no association between 25(OH)D status and SVR was found in multivariate analysis. Mean 25(OH)D level did not vary between fibrosis stage or activity grade. Baseline 25(OH)D level is not independently associated with SVR or fibrosis stage in HCV-1, but vitamin D deficiency is associated with high activity grade.

Serum Antibodies Positivity to 12 Helicobacter pylori Virulence Antigens in Patients with Benign or Malignant Gastroduodenal Diseases – Cross-sectional Study

To investigate the association of gastric histological and endoscopic findings in patients with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), according to presence of seropositivity to 12 bacterial virulence antigens. This is a cross-sectional single-center study of 360 consecutive outpatients referred in the period of one year to upper gastrointestinal endoscopy because of dyspeptic complaints. Patients sera were tested by Western blot method to determine the presence of serum antibodies to bacterial virulence antigens--p120 (CagA--cytotoxin-associated antigen), p95 (VacA - vacuolating cytotoxin), p67 (FSH--flagellar sheath protein), p66 (UreB--urease enzyme heavy subunit), p57 (HSP homologue--heath shock protein homologue), p54 (flagellin), p33, p30 (OMP--outer membrane protein), p29 (UreA--urease enzyme light subunit), p26, p19, and p17. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy was performed, endoscopic diagnosis recorded, and 4 mucosal biopsy samples were obtained and assessed according to Updated Sydney protocol. The sera of 207 patients were analyzed. Thirty patients had gastric adenocarcinoma, 126 peptic ulcers, and 51 normal finding. p120 (CagA) seropositivity was significantly more often present in patients with higher activity grade in the antrum (P = 0.025), p30 in patients with greater inflammation in the antrum (P = 0.025) and the corpus (P = 0.010), p33 in patients with greater inflammation in the corpus (P = 0.050), and p19 (OMP) in patients with lower intestinal metaplasia grades in the corpus (P = 0.025). Seroreactivity to all other bacterial proteins showed no association with the histological status of the stomach mucosa. Except for the seropositivity to protein p95 (VacA), which was more often present in patients with duodenal ulcer (P = 0.006), there was no difference in seroreactivity to other bacterial proteins and upper gastrointestinal endoscopic findings. p120 (CagA), p33, p30 (OMP), and p19 (OMP) seropositivity was more often present in patients with higher grades of the histological parameters of gastritis and seropositivity to protein p95 (VacA) with endoscopic presence of duodenal ulcer. Histological parameters of gastritis are more associated with bacterial virulence than endoscopic findings.

Primärstabilität von zementfrei implantierten Hüftprothesenschäften aus Titan mit metaphysärer Verankerung

Under early mobilisation and full weightbearing the primary stability of two different cementless hip stems should be examined by using Roentgen Stereometric Analysis (RSA). 26 patients (slashed circle 60.8+/-7.5 J., 16 m, 10 w, BMI 27.7+/-3.9 kg/m2) received a total hip arthroplasty with an anatomical designed image-stem (IS) (Smith & Nephew, Schenefeld, Germany), 20 patients (slashed circle 60.0+/-10.9 J., 12 m, 8 w, BMI 27.5+/-3 .7 kg/m2) the Bicontact-stem (BS) (Aesculap, Tuttllingen, Germany). RSA measurements were done before mobilizing, 3 and 6 weeks, 3, 6, 12 and 24 months postoperatively. Furthermore the patients had to estimate their pain on a visually scale (VAS). We registrated the Harris-Hip-Score (HHS) and the Western Ontario and McMasters Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Both stems showed the maximum of subsidence in the first 3 months (IS 0.647 mm, BS 0.54 mm). 6 months postoperative the measured migrations were in the range of the accuracy. After 2 years the subsidence was 1.07 mm+/-0.07 mm for the IS-group, 0.97 mm+/-0.18 mm for the BS-group. There were no significant differences in the examined parameters between the both groups. An excellent prostheses function and high activity grade with a high WOMAC score, a high HHS and a low VAS was founded for both groups. Both cementless implanted titanium hip stems showed a sufficient primary and midterm stability with excellent clinical results. The measured migrations do not differ from those given in literature for cemented stems.