Serum levels of IL-6 and TNF-α are associated with knee cartilage loss in older people suggesting low level inflammation plays a role in the pathogenesis of knee OA.

Variation within the low levels of inflammatory markers observed in this study, especially IL-6, predicts bone loss and resorption, suggesting that targeted antiinflammatory therapy has potential for the prevention of osteoporosis.

Objective. To determine the associations between serum levels of vitamin D, sunlight exposure, and knee cartilage loss cross-sectionally and longitudinally in older adults.Methods. A total of 880 randomly selected subjects (mean age 61 years [range 51-79 years], 50% women) were studied at baseline, and 353 of these subjects were studied 2.9 years later. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) were assessed by radioimmunoassay, and sunlight exposure was assessed by questionnaire. T1-weighted fat-suppressed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the right knee was performed to determine knee cartilage volume and defects. Knee radiographic osteoarthritis (OA) and knee pain were also assessed. Results. The mean 25(OH)D serum level was 52.8 nmoles/liter at baseline (range 13-119 nmoles/liter). Winter sunlight exposure and serum 25(OH)D levelwere both positively associated with medial and lateral tibial cartilage volume, and a serum 25(OH)D level <50 nmoles/liter was associated with increased medial tibiofemoral joint space narrowing (all P < 0.05). Longitudinally, baseline serum 25(OH)D level predicted change in both medial and lateral tibial cartilage volume (␤ ‫؍‬ ؉0.04% per annum per nmole/liter for both; P < 0.05), and change in serum 25(OH)D level was positively associated with change in medial tibial cartilage volume. These associations were consistent in subjects with radiographic OA and knee pain and/or in women, but not in men or in subjects without radiographic OA or knee pain.Conclusion. Sunlight exposure and serum 25(OH)D levels are both associated with decreased knee cartilage loss (assessed by radiograph or MRI). This is best observed using the whole range of 25(OH)D levels rather than predefined cut points and implies that achieving vitamin D sufficiency may prevent and/or retard cartilage loss in knee OA.Both osteoarthritis (OA) and vitamin D insufficiency are common health conditions in older people. Approximately 25% of people age Ͼ55 years have had knee pain on most days in a month in the past year, of which about half have radiographic knee OA and thus are considered to have symptomatic OA (1). Furthermore, it has been estimated that 1 billion people worldwide have vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency (2,3). Vitamin D insufficiency has been linked with osteoporosis and fractures both in older women and in older men (2); however, the role of vitamin D insufficiency in the pathogenesis of OA is controversial.Preliminary evidence suggests that vitamin D has direct effects on chondrocytes in OA cartilage, and

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Adrenal lesions are common in MEN-1 and occur in association with pancreatic disease. Abdominal CT scan is more sensitive than ultrasonographic examination in detecting adrenal disease. Primary hypersecretory syndromes of the adrenal glands appear to be rare, and the majority of lesions follow an indolent clinical course.

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 phenocopy is an important differential diagnosis in patients exhibiting an multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 phenotype. This is a relevant consideration, particularly when the diagnosis of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 is made using sensitive, but nonspecific, criteria such as mild hyperparathyroidism, pituitary micoadenoma, and hyperprolactinaemia. Confirmatory genetic testing should be undertaken to confirm clinical diagnoses of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1.

Two new cell lines, SIMH and SIGE, were derived from the heart of milkfish (Chanos chanos), a euryhaline teleost, and from the eye of grouper (Epinephelus coioides), respectively. These cell lines were maintained in Leibovitz's L-15 supplemented with 20% fetal bovine serum (FBS). The SIMH cell line was subcultured more than 50 times over a period of 210 days and SIGE cell line has been subcultured 100 times over a period of 1 1/2 years. The SIMH cell line consists predominantly of fibroblastic-like cells. The SIGE cell line consists predominantly of epithelial cells. Both the cell lines were able to grow at temperatures between 25 and 32 degrees C with an optimum temperature of 28 degrees C. The growth rate of these cells increased as the proportion of FBS increased from 2% to 20% at 28 degrees C with optimum growth at the concentrations of 15% or 20% FBS. Seven marine fish viruses were tested to determine the susceptibility of these cell lines. The SIGE cell line was found to be susceptible to nodavirus, MABV NC-1 and Y6, and the infection was confirmed by cytopathic effect (CPE) and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction. When these cells were transfected with pEGFP-N1 vector DNA, significant fluorescent signals were observed, suggesting that these cell lines can be a useful tool for transgenic and genetic manipulation studies. Further, these cell lines are characterized by immunocytochemistry using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CFLSM).

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