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Biomedical subjects

F Blotman

Publications and source records attributed to F Blotman.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Rotation-abduction analysis in 10 normal and 20 pathologic shoulders. Elite system application.

Kinematics of shoulder rotation-abduction in the plane of the scapula were analysed using the Elite system. We evaluated 10 asymptomatic subjects and 20 patients with painful conditions affecting the shoulder, 10 adhesive capsulitis and 10 rotator cuff-tears. The last pathologic cases were reexamined after rehabilitation treatment. The Elite system computed on line the trajectories of 8 retro reflective markers glued on the main reference points (3 on the spine, 3 on the scapula and 2 on the humerus). Angles and linear velocities were also evaluated. The lower humeral site displacement and gleno-humeral angle increase allowed differentiation of the normal shoulder rotation-abduction from the abnormal movement. Hence, rehabilitation progress could be followed up.

Adult

Stenosis of the lumbar spinal canal in vertebral ankylosing hyperostosis.

Certain morphologic features frequently observed in radiography or computed tomography (CT) scan in patients with hyperostosis led us to study the association between a narrowed spinal canal and vertebral hyperostosis. Twenty-eight items were selected and studied by three different investigators (two rheumatologists and one radiologist) in radiographs and CT scans of 100 patients with acquired stenosis of the lumbar canal, with or without hyperostosis (46 and 54 cases, respectively). The most distinctive points that we suggest can be used as diagnostic criteria of the hyperostotic narrowed lumbar canal are anterior or posterior lateral marginal somatic osseous proliferations, proliferations of the nonarticular aspects of the posterior apophyses, and ossifications of the posterior articular capsule and of the ligaments (yellow ligament, posterior longitudinal ligament, and the supraspinal ligament). Four of these six criteria should be present to establish the diagnosis of hyperostotic lumbar stenosis. The appearance of lumbar hyperostosis on X-ray or CT scans differs from that of simple degenerative changes due to arthrosis, and the hyperostosis can be held responsible for dural compression.

Aged

Lumbar posterior marginal node (LPMN) in adults. Report of fifteen cases.

This report concerns 15 adults (nine men and six women) who experienced lumbar and sciatic pain associated with an unusual defect of the edges of the vertebral bodies together with a small bony ridge protruding into the spinal canal. This lesion was well demonstrated by computed tomography and easily differentiated from the posterior longitudinal ligament or herniated disc calcifications, as well as from posterior degenerative ridge osteophytes. This lesion looked like the so-called lumbar posterior marginal node. First described in adolescents, this entity was considered as a traumatic fracture of the posterior ring apophysis. Recently, identical cases were noted in young adults in the absence of previous trauma, which were a particular type of marginal cartilaginous node. In the cases reported here, the computed tomographic scans suggested several mechanisms of formation of the vertebral lesion: a variant of marginal cartilaginous nodes; traumatic avulsion; avulsion related to disc herniation; and fusion of the avulsed bony fragment with the vertebral body.

Adult

Effects of a single dose of methotrexate on 5- and 12-lipoxygenase products in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

The inhibition of 5-lipoxygenase could be involved in the mechanism of action of methotrexate (MTX). We studied 8 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) immediately before and the day after the first dose of MTX (10 mg intramuscularly). Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) formation by polymorphonuclear leukocytes was significantly decreased (32%, p less than 0.01). This essentially involved released LTB4. A slight decrease was also obtained in omega-oxidation products. Similar results were obtained for plasma LTB4 (30%, p less than 0.02). A non-significant decrease in 5-HETE was noted. Conversely, 12-HETE was not modified. Our results suggest MTX has an effect on the 5-lipoxygenase pathway, particularly at the LTA4 epoxide hydrolase step, since 5-HETE and 6-trans-LTB4 isomers are not involved.

12-Hydroxy-5,8,10,14-eicosatetraenoic Acid

[Effects of methotrexate on leukotriene and derivated lipoxygenase synthesis in polynuclear neutrophils in rheumatoid polyarthritis].

Methotrexate (MTX) has been proved to be effective in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The mechanism of action of MTX in this disease remains unelucidated but may involve inhibition of the enzyme 5-lipoxygenase. Arachidonic acid metabolites were studied in eight patients with active RA immediately prior to and 24 hours after the first intramuscular injection of 10 mg MTX. None of the patients were taking corticosteroids. Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs were withdrawn four days before the study. Reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography was used to quantitate metabolites produced by 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) and 12-LO in plasma (full spectrum of blood cells) and purified neutrophils (PN) after stimulation with calcium ionophore A 21387 (50 microM for 30 minutes and 5 microM for 5 minutes, respectively). LTB4 production by PNs was significantly decreased (-32%, p < 0.01) 24 hours after MTX administration. A moderate (-17%), nonsignificant (NS) fall in LTB4 omega-oxidation products (wP) was seen. Production of 5-HETE was also slightly decreased (-15%, NS). Findings in plasma were comparable, with a significant decrease in total LTB4 (-29.8%, p < 0.01) and moderate falls in wP (-18.8%, NS) and in 5-HETE production (-17%, NS). Production of 12-HETE was unchanged. These findings suggest that MTX in a single dose is responsible for a decrease in the synthesis of LTB4 and 5-LO products in neutrophils and other blood cells in RA patients but does not affect 12-LO activity.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid

[Association of lumbar canal stenosis and ankylosing vertebral hyperostosis. Results of a multicenter study].

The authors report data collected in a study of the association of narrow lumbar canal and vertebral hyperostosis. Five centres (Montpellier, Toulouse, Lille, Lyons and Paris) participated in this cooperative study which was both retrospective and prospective. Grid case forms were sent to homogenise the date provided. Two hundred and sixty nine cases of symptomatic lumbar canal stenosis were collected; 89 (33 per cent) had hyperostosis. Hyperostosis was definite in 74 cases and probable in 15 other cases. Certain radiological and/or CT scan morphological factors seen frequently in the hyperostosis patients group led us to undertake a second study in 2 of the 5 centres (Montpellier and Toulouse) in order to identify their specificity. Twenty eight items were adopted and studied by 3 different evaluators (2 rheumatologists and one radiologist) in the X-ray films and CT scan documents of 100 patients with acquired lumbar canal stenosis with or without hyperostosis (46 and 54 cases respectively). The most discriminative appearances, which we suggest as diagnostic criteria of narrow lumbar canal with hyperostosis concern anterior and/or posterolateral marginal somatic bone proliferations on the non-articular surfaces of the posterior apophyses and ossifications of the posterior joint capsule and of the ligaments (ligamentum flavum--posterior longitudinal ligament--supraspinous ligament). Four of these 6 criteria are necessary to make the diagnosis of lumbar stenosis with hyperostosis. The radiological and CT scan appearances of lumbar hyperostosis appear to differ from ordinary degenerative changes of osteoarthrosis and hyperostosis may be held responsible for compression of the dural cul-de-sac.

Humans

[Evaluation of the Amor criteria for spondylarthropathies and European Spondylarthropathy Study Group (ESSG). A cross-sectional analysis of 2,228 patients].

Two sets of criteria have been proposed to discriminate spondylarthropathies (SA) from other rheumatic diseases. To evaluate their performance, we conducted a cross-sectional study in the patients observed during one week in 28 French Departments of Rheumatology by 91 staff-teaching physicians. The physicians had to apply these criteria to all their patients and had to classify them as definite SA, definite other rheumatic disease or possible SA. The analysis performed on the 2,088 patients with a definite diagnosis (124 SA and 1,964 controls) showed the following results: (table; see text) Of the 140 patients with possible SA, 37 fulfilled both sets of criteria, 22 the ESSG criteria alone and 12 the Amor criteria alone. These data suggest that a) the overall performance of these two sets of criteria is similar; b) this performance is better in the group of patients with a definite diagnosis; c) the patients without a definite diagnosis require a longer follow-up to assess the clinical relevance of these two sets of criteria.

Cross-Sectional Studies

[Cutaneous lesions in POEMS syndrome. Apropos of 3 case reports and a review of the literature].

We present three new cases of POEMS syndrome with the most common cutaneous signs of this entity. The syndrome is a multivisceral complex, mostly described in Japanese patients, which includes polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrine disorders, monoclonal gammopathy and skin changes. The latter are constant but sometimes reduced to one type of lesion. The most frequent are hyperpigmentation sparing the mucosae, hypertrichosis, scleroderma-like skin thickening and capillary angiomas. The other signs are much less common, as shown in table I. Histological findings are seldom reported and usually have little specificity. None of these abnormalities is pathognomonic, but their predominance at the extremities may be suggestive and leads to a search for other elements of the syndrome, notably gammopathy. The main differential diagnostic problem is with scleroderma, sometimes circumscribed and often systemic. Some cases are very ambiguous. The relationship between the two diseases would suggest the existence of one or several common pathogenic factors. The overall physiopathology of POEMS syndrome is obscure. The role of endocrine disorders in the genesis of the cutaneous signs is subject to discussion: hyperoestrogenism may explain some of these signs, but hypertrichosis is incompatible with the frequent finding of low androgen secretion. The role of one or several "toxic" substances secreted by plasmocytes is highly hypothetical. In some cases, the skin abnormalities have regressed after treatment of gammopathy, and in rare patients the recurrence of gammopathy was followed by that of skin lesions. In a few cases, a "paraneoplastic" character may be suspected.

Adult

[Prostatic osteosis. Retrospective study of 110 cases treated with high-dose estrogens].

On the basis of 110 prostatic osteoses that were histologically proven, constantly painful and demonstrated by X-ray, treated by early estrogenotherapy using very high doses, backed up by a high-dose maintenance estrogenotherapy, the authors study the clinical, radiological, histological and biological profile of this metastatic cancer, as well as the response to treatment. The median actuarial survival time of the patients studied is 18.5 months. No statistically significant prognostic correlation was found. Only patients who are clinically estrogen-sensitive, are suffering from bone metastases without a combined visceral conditions, and have a normal initial rate of alcaline phosphates, tend to have a better prognosis (median actuarial survival 31 months versus 18.5 months for the overall population).

Adult

[Multiple myeloma of bones. Retrospective study of prognostic factors based on a series of 243 patients].

The authors have made a retrospective study of 243 cases of multiple myelomas, most of them treated with alkylating agents. The average age at the time of diagnosis was 65 years (+ 10). The ratio of the sexes was 1 : 1. Seventy two per cent of the patients had a bone rating of 2 or 3 according to the criteria of Durie and Salmon. Fifty-eight per cent of the patients were anemic (Hg 12 g per cent), with less than 15 per cent being leucopenic or thrombopenic. Hypercalcemia (105 mg 0/00) was noted in 27 per cent of cases. The distribution of immunochemical types is as follows : IgG, 51.5 per cent; IgA, 28 per cent; pure Bence Jones, 20.5 per cent. The respective percentages of kappa and lambda light chains were 64.2 per cent and 35.8 per cent. In this series, nearly 80 per cent of the patients were at phase III according to the classification of Durie and Salmon, and 30.8 per cent at phase B. The median survival, including all phases, increased from 8 months without alkylating agent, to 20 months with melphalan and/or cyclophosphamide. The factors influencing the survival of the patients treated were age, the hemoglobin level, calcemia, renal deficiencies, the immunochemical type, the stage of the disease, and the response to alkylating treatment. The value of these different prognostic factors is discussed.

Adult

[Biosynthesis of PGE2 and PGF2 alpha in normal and pathological human synovial fluid].

The biosynthesis capacity of PGE2 and PGF2 alpha in normal and pathological (rheumatoid arthritis and osteo-arthrosis) synovialis was studied using the radio-immunological method, simultaneously on homogenized tissues and the microsome fraction, with or without addition of exogenous arachidonic acid. Among the results obtained, the most significant concern rheumatoid polyarthritis: a net increase in PGF2 alpha and especially in PGE2, more pronounced in the homogenized emulsion than in the microsomial fraction. Exogenous arachidonic acid increases the biosynthesis capacity of the PG. The prospective interest of this model is underlined: the possible introduction in the incubation medium of various drugs, making it possible to study the various factors taking part in the biosynthesis of PG (phospholipase A2 and prostaglandin-synthetase).

Arachidonic Acids