Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the large bowel. Its pathogenesis remains unclear, but it appears to result from a deregulated immune response, with infiltration of leukocytes into the mucosal interstitium. Several studies link oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction to the pathogenesis of UC. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes in the colonic mucosal of UC patients. Colonic biopsies were obtained from UC patients (n = 13). The control specimens were taken from patients without any history of inflammatory bowel disease (n = 8). Colon mucosal was removed by colonoscopy and homogenized. Mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes activities were then measured. Our results showed that the activity of complex I was not altered in UC patients, when compared to the control group. On the other hand, complexes II, III, and IV were decreased around 50-60% in the colonic mucosal of UC patients. Based on the present findings, we hypothesize that mitochondrial dysfunction may play a role in pathogenesis of UC.
BACKGROUND
Infection at the pin tract is a frequent and feared complication of external fixators (EF). The type of pin material and coatings have been regarded as possibly influencing infection rates. Over the last 20 years, few prospective clinical studies and systematic reviews addressed the role of coated pins on the rate of pin site infection in human clinical studies.
AIM
To assess the EF literature over the past 20 years on the clinical benefits of pins manufactured from varied materials and coating systems and their possible role in pin tract infection rates.
METHODS
We performed a systematic review according to the PRISMA and PICOS guidelines using four scientific platforms: PubMed, LiLacs, SciELO, and Cochrane. We searched the literature for related publications over the past 20 years.
RESULTS
A literature search yielded 29 articles, among which seven met the inclusion criteria. These studies compared stainless-steel pins and pins coated with hydroxyapatite (HA), titanium and silver. The pin tract infection definitions were arbitrary and not standardized among studies. Most studies included a low number of patients in the analysis and used a short follow-up time. Three meta-analyses were carried out, comparing stainless steel
vs
silver pins, stainless steel
vs
HA-coated pins, and titanium
vs
HA-coated pins. None of this analysis resulted in statistically significant differences in pin tract infection rates.
CONCLUSION
Currently, no clinical evidence supports the advantage of EF pins manufactured with materials other than stainless steel or coated over uncoated pins in reducing the rates of pin tract infections. A standardized definition of pin tract infection in external fixation is still lacking.
Purpose
Infection at the pin site remains the most common complication of external fixators (EFs). It is known that hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated pins increase bone adhesion and may lead to reduced rates of reported infections. The present study compares the rates of pin track infection associated with stainless steel and HA-coated pins.
Methods
This is a prospective, multicenter, nonrandomized, comparative intervention study among patients undergoing surgical treatment with EFs of any type between April 2018 and October 2021. Patients were followed up until the removal of the EF, or the end of the study period (ranging from 1 to 27.6 months). The definition of pin track infection was based upon the Maz-Oxford-Nuffield (MON) pin infection grading system.
Results
Overall, 132 patients undergoing external fixation surgery were included. Of these, 94 (71.2%) were male, with a mean age of 36.9 years (SD ± 18.9). Infection of any type (score > 1) was observed in 63 (47.7%) patients. Coated and uncoated-pin track-infection occurred in 45.7% and 48.5% of patients, respectively (
P
= 0.0887). The probability of developing infection (defined as a score ≥ 2) adjusted for comorbidities and follow-up time was not statistically higher among those who received uncoated pins compared to those who received pins coated with HA (odds ratio (OR) = 1.56, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 0.67–3.67,
p
<0.05).
Conclusion
In the present study, the external fixator pin infection rates were similar when using HA coating and standard steel pins.
Supplementary Information
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00264-023-05717-w.
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