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Infection in total joint replacement.

Although a small number of infections in total joint replacements are blood borne from distant sources, most infections appear to have been derived at operation. Strenuous attempts to reduce this risk by cleaning the air in the wound environment, coupled with prophylactic antibiotics, have reduced infection rates by an order of magnitude in a decade. During that time the potential for exchange arthroplasty in established infection has been shown, and the results are encouraging. Rigorous infection control is the key to containing this difficult and expensive problem.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗

Use of antibiotics in the management of postirradiation wound infection and sepsis.

Ionizing gamma irradiation depresses the host defenses and enhances the susceptibility of the immunocompromised host to local and systemic infection due to endogenous or exogenous microorganisms. Trauma and wounding act synergistically and decrease the survival after exposure to irradiation. The current antimicrobial agents suitable for controlling serious infections and their use in post irradiation local and systemic infection with and without trauma are discussed. The experience gained in managing immunocompromised patients following chemotherapy is reviewed. Empiric single agent or combination agent therapy should be directed at the eradication of potential gram-negative as well as gram-positive pathogens. The most important organisms known to cause these infections are Pseudomonas sp. and Enterobacteriaceae. Management of intra-abdominal infections following trauma should include early surgical correlation and antimicrobials directed against the Bacteroides fragilis group and Enterobacteriaceae. Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pyogenes cause most skin and soft tissue infections following trauma. Chemoprophylaxis of enteric sources of systemic infection can be achieved by antimicrobials that selectively inhibit the Enterobacteriaceae sp. and preserve the anaerobic flora. The management of infection in the injured and irradiated host includes supportive and restorative therapy. Supportive therapy includes débridement and cleansing of wounds, fluids, immunoglobulin, and antimicrobials. Restorative therapy includes definite surgery repair and replenishment of the immune system by use of immunomodulators, growth factors, and bone marrow transplantation. Further studies are needed to examine the usefulness of presently available drugs and experimental agents in the irradiated and traumatized host.

Animals↗

Cystic echinococcosis in Jordan: socioeconomic evaluation and risk factors.

The costs of illness and surgical intervention for human cystic echinococcosis (CE) cases in Jordan was economically evaluated by 77 surgeons and 77 CE patients. The cost of diagnosis for each CE case was 111.30 US Dollars and 146.20 US Dollars as estimated by surgeons and patients, respectively. The cost of surgical extraction of hydatid cysts for each case was 590.20 US Dollars and 638.50 US Dollars as estimated by both groups, respectively. Knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of 77 CE patients as well as several Jordanian groups with different occupations including 144 shepherds, 119 settled livestock owners, 25 slaughter house workers, 400 university students and 80 inhabitants of a CE focus in southern Jordan were analyzed through a set of questionnaires. All of these groups had poor knowledge of CE, especially the source and causes of infection. All practices and attitudes of each group favored continuous transmission of the parasite and indicate the need for the implementation of a proper control program in the country.

Adolescent↗

Tissue-specific patterns of changes in 3,5,3'-triiodo-L-thyronine concentrations in thyroidectomized rats infused with increasing doses of the hormone. Which are the regulatory mechanisms?

We have measured 3,5,3'triiodothyronine (T3) in 12 tissues from thyroidectomized (Tx) rats infused with increasing doses of T3, and related them to their corresponding plasma levels. Young adult Wistar rats were surgically Tx. After 4 weeks, the animals were infused with placebo or T3 (0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 1.00 or 2.00 microg/100 g body weight/day). Placebo-infused intact rats served as euthyroid controls. Plasma and samples of cerebral cortex, cerebellum, brown adipose tissue (BAT), pituitary, liver, heart, lung, kidney, spleen, skeletal muscle, ovary and adrenal were obtained after 12-13 days of infusion. We determined plasma T3 and thyrotropin (TSH), and tissue T3 and thyroxine (T4), the latter being virtually undetectable. Results were compared with the relationships between tissue and plasma T3 in Tx rats on T4 infusions. Most tissues presented changes which paralleled those in plasma T3, irrespective of its source (infusion of T3, or generation from infused T4). However, at similar plasma T3 concentrations, cerebral cortex, cerebellum and BAT (containing type II 5' iodothyronine deiodinase (DII) activity), reached much lower T3 levels in the T3-infused Tx rats, than in Tx rats on T4, and required elevated plasma T3 levels for normal tissue T3. In these tissues, and in the pituitary, T3 concentrations were always lower than expected from plasma T3 levels. On the contrary, the lung and ovary of the T3-infused Tx rats contained more T3 than expected from plasma T3. Unexpectedly, both the ovary and adrenal attained higher tissue T3 concentrations in Tx rats on T3 than on T4 at comparable plasma T3 levels. In conclusion, the patterns of changes of the concentrations of T3 as a function of increasing plasma T3 are not only tissue-specific when T4 is provided, but also when circulating T3 is the only source of this iodothyronine. Further studies are needed to identify the mechanisms involved in the regulation of tissue T3 concentrations.

Animals↗

Dutasteride: a dual 5-alpha reductase inhibitor for the treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia.

OBJECTIVE: To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, safety, drug interactions, and dosing recommendations of dutasteride, a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). DATA SOURCES: A MEDLINE search (1966-February 2006) was conducted to extract human research data in the English language on dutasteride. Search terms included benign prostatic hyperplasia, dutasteride, and finasteride. The reference lists of articles identified through this search process, the manufacturer's Web site, and dutasteride prescribing information were also examined. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: All published studies and clinical data from the manufacturer were included, with emphasis placed on randomized, controlled trials. DATA SYNTHESIS: Dutasteride is approved for the treatment of symptomatic BPH in men with an enlarged prostate to improve urinary symptoms, reduce the risk of acute urinary retention, and reduce the need for BPH-related surgical interventions. Compared with placebo, dutasteride has been shown to significantly improve BPH symptoms, reduce the incidence of acute urinary retention and BPH-related surgery, and improve BPH-related quality of life. Few published data exist comparing dutasteride with finasteride. The most common adverse effects of dutasteride include ear, nose, and throat infection; malaise; headache; dizziness; and musculoskeletal pain. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical trials, sponsored primarily by the manufacturer, have shown dutasteride to be an effective treatment of BPH compared with placebo and to likely possess efficacy similar to that of finasteride. Further studies are needed to gain a more clear understanding of any clinically significant differences between dutasteride and finasteride.

Azasteroids↗

Examination of metabolism of viscera drained by the portal vein in neonatal calves, using short-term intravenous infusions of glutamine and other nutrients.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify glutamine use in viscera drained by the portal vein in neonatal calves and to assess the relative nutritional importance of glutamine, glucose, and acetate for enterocytes. ANIMALS: 5 healthy neonatal calves. PROCEDURE: A femoral artery, jugular vein, and the portal vein were surgically cannulated in each calf. Blood flow in the portal vein was measured by use of an ultrasonographic transit-time flow probe. A series of solutions was infused on 4 days for each calf. On the infusion days, acetate, glucose, glutamine, and saline (0.9% NaCl; control) solutions were administered IV during 1-hour periods via the jugular vein. Venous and arterial blood samples were collected during the last 15 minutes of each 1-hour infusion. RESULTS: Uptake of glutamine and glucose by viscera drained by the portal vein was 0.3+/-1.1 and 1.9+/-3.1 micromol/kg0.75/min, respectively, during saline infusion. During acetate, glucose, and saline infusions, glucose was a greater source of energy for the intestines than was glutamine. However, during glutamine infusion, uptake of glutamine by viscera drained by the portal vein increased significantly (29.9+/-11.2 micromol/kg0.75/min), which was associated with an increase in ammonia production (7.0+/-0.5 micromol/kg0.75/min). Toxicosis was not associated with IV administration of glutamine. CONCLUSION: Glutamine infusion resulted in an increase in glutamine uptake by viscera drained by the portal vein, which was associated with an increase in ammonia production and a slight increase in oxygen consumption. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These solutions may be used to develop treatments that enhance healing of intestines of diarrheic calves.

Acetates↗

Assessment and management of intermittent claudication: importance of secondary prevention.

Atherosclerotic peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a common disorder with a steep age-related incidence that affects 5-10% of the over 55-year age group. Because of the association with atherosclerotic disease elsewhere, particularly coronary heart disease (CHD), the ankle-brachial pressure index (ABPI) correlates inversely with survival. Clinical management centres around detection, assessment, symptom relief and prevention of secondary cardiovascular complications. Non-invasive ultrasound and colour duplex techniques have revolutionised the detection of PAD, and the long-term surveillance of disease progression, while antiplatelet therapy coupled with risk factor modification (lipids, blood pressure and glycaemic control and smoking cessation) are aimed at reducing direct or indirect vascular complications, e.g. amputation or CHD death. The natural history of intermittent claudication, although troublesome and disabling, often runs a stable, fairly benign course, so the majority of patients (73%) are treated medically. Selecting patients for surgical revascularisation (angioplasty, bypass or endarterectomy) is guided principally by the severity of clinical symptoms, but discrete, proximal, short-segmental lesions are the most amenable to surgical intervention. In general, surgery is indicated to relieve disabling symptoms when medical therapy had failed; for treatment of symptoms of limb-threatening ischaemia, including rest pain, ischaemic ulceration and gangrene; and to remove or bypass sources of thrombo-embolism. Thus, medical therapies for symptom relief and secondary prevention of complications form the mainstay of treatment for three-quarters of patients with uncomplicated intermittent claudication.

Angioplasty, Balloon↗

[Hybrid 3-D rendering of the thorax and surface-based virtual bronchoscopy in surgical and interventional therapy control].

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to demonstrate the possibilities of a hybrid rendering method, the combination of a color-coded surface and volume rendering method, with the feasibility of performing surface-based virtual endoscopy with different representation models in the operative and interventional therapy control of the chest. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In 6 consecutive patients with partial lung resection (n = 2) and lung transplantation (n = 4) a thin-section spiral computed tomography of the chest was performed. The tracheobronchial system and the introduced metallic stents were visualized using a color-coded surface rendering method. The remaining thoracic structures were visualized using a volume rendering method. For virtual bronchoscopy, the tracheobronchial system was visualized using a triangle surface model, a shaded-surface model and a transparent shaded-surface model. RESULTS: The hybrid 3D visualization uses the advantages of both the color-coded surface and volume rendering methods and facilitates a clear representation of the tracheobronchial system and the complex topographical relationship of morphological and pathological changes without loss of diagnostic information. Performing virtual bronchoscopy with the transparent shaded-surface model facilitates a reasonable to optimal, simultaneous visualization and assessment of the surface structure of the tracheobronchial system and the surrounding mediastinal structures and lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Hybrid rendering relieve the morphological assessment of anatomical and pathological changes without the need for time-consuming detailed analysis and presentation of source images. Performing virtual bronchoscopy with a transparent shaded-surface model offers a promising alternative to flexible fiberoptic bronchoscopy.

Anastomosis, Surgical↗

Control of severe hemorrhage using C-clamp and arterial embolization in hemodynamically unstable patients with pelvic ring disruption.

INTRODUCTION: Hemorrhage is the leading cause of death in patients with a pelvic fracture. The majority of blood loss derives from injured retroperitoneal veins and broad cancellous bone surfaces. The emergency management of multiply injured patients with pelvic ring disruption and severe hemorrhage remains controversial. Although it is well accepted that the displaced pelvic ring injury must be rapidly reduced and stabilized, the methods by which control of hemorrhagic shock is achieved remain under discussion. It has been proposed to exclusively use external pelvic ring stabilization for control of hemorrhage by producing a 'tamponade effect' of the pelvis. However, the frequency of clinically important arterial bleeding after external fixation of the pelvic ring remains unclear. We therefore undertook this retrospective review to attempt to answer this one important question: How frequently is arterial embolization necessary to control hemorrhage and restore hemodynamic stability after external pelvic ring fixation? MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of 55 consecutive patients who presented with unstable types B and C pelvic ring fractures. Those patients designated as being in hemorrhagic shock (defined as a systolic blood pressure less than 90 mmHg after receiving 2 L of intravenous crystalloid) were treated by application of the pelvic C-clamp. Patients who remained in hemorrhagic shock, or were determined to be in severe shock (defined as mandatory catecholamines or more than 12 blood transfusions over 2 h), underwent therapeutic angiography within 24 h in order to control bleeding. RESULTS: Fourteen patients were identified as being hemodynamically unstable (ISS 30.1 +/- 11.3 points) and were treated with a C-clamp. In those patients with persistent hemodynamic instability, arterial embolization was performed. After C-clamp application, 5 of 14 patients required therapeutic angiography to control bleeding. Two patients died, one from multiple sources of bleeding and the other from an open pelvic fracture (total mortality 2/14, 14%). CONCLUSIONS: Although the C-clamp is effective in controlling hemorrhage, one must be aware of the need for arterial embolization to restore hemodynamic stability in a select subgroup of patients.

Adolescent↗

Regional flaps in facial reconstruction.

Soft-tissue defects of the head and neck that are too extensive to be reconstructed with local flaps without excessive impairment of either form or function usually require repair by some type of regional flap. Selection of a specific regional flap depends on the type of defect, i.e., its size and location, and on the intrinsic properties of the regional flap. Single pedicle peninsular or island axial pattern flaps are usually selected because of their improved blood supply compared with random flaps. For most skin defects of the face and neck requiring reconstruction with a regional flap, a medially based deltopectoral flap is usually preferable to musculocutaneous flaps because it is less bulky and produces less donor-site functional impairments. Likewise, for large defects of the upper or lower lip, a deltopectoral flap in most instances is the regional flap of choice for reconstruction. Nasal defects that require regional flaps for repair are reconstructed with various types of forehead flaps. The median flap remains the most useful because the donor site can be closed primarily, leaving a thin midline scar that is camouflaged relatively easily. For nasal defects that require a longer flap that can be provided by a median flap, the oblique forehead flap provides additional length sufficient to reach the base of the columella. Larger defects of the oral cavity and oral pharynx usually require regional or microsurgical flaps for reconstruction of soft-tissue deficits. In addition, mandibular reconstruction may be necessary. The pectoralis major musculocutaneous flap is the author's preferred choice of a regional flap for reconstruction of such defects. The flap readily reaches the oral cavity and oral pharynx and the muscle provides good coverage of the carotid artery when neck dissection has been accomplished. A great advantage of the flap is the ability to achieve reconstruction in one stage without the need for a controlled salivary fistula. Although the deltopectoral flap is the author's preferred regional flap for reconstruction of major defects of the hypopharynx, the pectoralis major musculocutaneous flap is the regional flap of choice when patients are severely malnourished or cachetic. Both flaps provide a source of nonirradiated skin and provide sufficient tissue for total reconstruction of the hypopharynx and cervical esophagus. Both methods of reconstruction, however, have a relatively high rate of stenosis of the distal anastomoses.

Face↗

Macro-structural effect of metal surfaces treated using computer-assisted yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser scanning on bone-implant fixation.

Porous coatings have been applied to the surface of prosthetic devices to foster stable device fixation. The coating serves as a source of mechanical interlocking and may stimulate healthy bone growth through osseointegrated load transfer in cementless arthroplasty. Joint arthroplasty by porous-coated prostheses is one of the most common surgical treatments, and has provided painless and successful joint mobility. However, long-term success is often impaired by the loss of fixation between the prosthesis and bone. Porous-coated prostheses are associated with several disadvantages, including metal debris from porous coatings (third body wear particles) and irregular micro-texture of metal surfaces. Consequently, quantitative histological analysis has been very difficult. These issues arise because the porous coating treatment is based on addition of material and is not precisely controllable. We recently developed a precisely controllable porous texture technique based on material removal by yttrium-aluminum-garnet laser. Free shapes can be applied to complex, three-dimensional hard metal surfaces using this technique. In this study, tartan check shapes made by crossing grooves and dot shapes made by forming holes were produced on titanium (Ti6A14V) or cobalt chrome (CoCr) and evaluated with computer-assisted histological analysis and measurement of bone-metal interface shear strength. Width of grooves or holes ranged from 100 to 800 mum (100, 200, 500, and 800 microm), with a depth of 500 microm. When the cylindrical porous-texture-treated metal samples (diameter, 5 mm; height, 15 mm) were implanted into a rabbit femoral condyle, bone tissue with bone trabeculae formed in the grooves and holes after 2 or 4 weeks, especially in 500-microm-wide grooves. Abundant osteoconduction was consistently observed throughout 500-microm-wide grooves in both Ti6A14V and CoCr. Speed of osteoconduction was faster in Ti6A14V than in CoCr, especially in the tartan check shape made of 500-microm-wide grooves. In pushout testing, the tartan check shape made of 500-microm-wide grooves had significantly higher bone-metal interface shear strength than the dot shape or commercial porous coating. These results indicate that the tartan check shape made of 500-microm-wide grooves on metal surfaces has potential for clinical application in artificial prosthesis design.

Aluminum↗

The rat brachial plexus and its terminal branches: an experimental model for the study of peripheral nerve regeneration.

Despite the introduction of microsurgical techniques into clinical practice, the results of surgical procedures involving the brachial plexus and peripheral nerves are still far from spectacular. We therefore studied the rat brachial plexus and its terminal branches in 203 rats. Detailed anatomic and morphologic analyses of the biceps brachii and musculocutaneous nerve, finger flexors, flexor carpi radialis, and the median nerve were performed. Various sources of conventional and vascularized nerve grafts were explored. After musculocutaneous nerve section or median nerve section, there were no articular contractures or automutilations, which constitutes an advantage for these experimental models over the sciatic nerve model. The brachial plexus and its terminal branches provide a good experimental model which can be used to assess the development and normal control of muscle function, examine the mechanisms underlying functional recovery, and test the effects of treatments to enhance recovery.

Animals↗

Preoperative pulmonary evaluation: identifying and reducing risks for pulmonary complications.

Postoperative pulmonary complications are among the most common sources of morbidity in patients undergoing major surgery. For this reason, the preoperative patient evaluation should emphasize risk factors for pulmonary complications as well as for traditional cardiac complications, as the former are comparably frequent and associated with longer hospital stays. Procedure-related risk factors are more important than patient-related risk factors for predicting pulmonary events, but clinicians should assess both types of factors. Pulmonary function testing has a limited role and should not be the basis for denying surgery if the surgical indication is compelling. Strategies to reduce the risk of postoperative pulmonary complications include optimizing management of chronic lung disease before surgery, lung expansion maneuvers, pain control, and selective placement of nasogastric tubes.

Humans↗

Typing of Nocardia farcinica by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis reveals an endemic strain as source of hospital infections.

Severe postoperative wound infections caused by Nocardia farcinica were repeatedly observed in a German hospital surgical ward. A pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) protocol was established to characterize the genetic relatedness of the bacterial isolates from these infections. All 18 isolates from postoperative infections that have occurred since 1985 belong to a common endemic genotype; organisms of this genotype were also detected in the air of two rooms of the department where these postoperative infections occurred. In contrast, two environmental isolates from another building on the same campus showed a distinct genotype. Three cases of pulmonary infections, at a department which is located in proximity to the surgical department, were also caused by the endemic type, which suggests aerogenic spread of the endemic strain to these patients. Controls consisting of epidemiologically unrelated isolates from sporadic infections in other towns belonged in each case to a different genotype. PFGE was well suited to differentiate various types of N. farcinica and revealed an endemic strain causing postoperative wound infections possibly after aerogenic transmission.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗

Intra-abdominal sepsis following liver trauma.

Of 330 consecutive patients with liver trauma having a celiotomy over a 5-year period, 295 (89%) survived more than 72 hours. Of these 295, 35 (12%) developed sepsis, and 11 (31%) of these septic patients died. The sources of the sepsis in 30 of these patients included: abdominal abscesses--23, pneumonia or empyema--seven, acalculous cholecystitis--two, gangrene of right colon--two, and thigh abscess--one. In five other patients, the source of the sepsis was not found, even at autopsy. The mortality rate in the 30 patients with one or more identifiable foci of infection was 23%. In contrast, when the source of the sepsis could not be found, the mortality rate was 80% (4/5) (p less than 0.05). Factors associated with an increased incidence of abdominal abscess included: splenectomy, 75% (3/4); liver packs, 63% (5/8); 20+ units of blood, 57% (8/14); Class IV-V liver injury, 35% (8/23); 10-19 units of blood, 25% (7/28); colon injury, 19% (7/36); and open (Penrose) drainage of the abdomen, 11% (23/213). None of 82 patients without drains developed an intra-abdominal abscess. Thus early control of an identifiable source of infection provides the best results with sepsis following liver trauma. The most effective method for preventing intra-abdominal abscesses appears to be avoidance of drains in mild (Class I-II) liver injuries. The use of a closed system in the most severe injuries is still controversial and needs to be addressed in a prospective trial.

Abdomen↗

Microbial flora on doctors' white coats.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the level and type of microbial contamination present on the white coats of doctors in order to assess the risk of transmission of pathogenic micro-organisms by this route in a hospital setting. DESIGN: Cross sectional survey of the bacterial contamination of white coats in a general hospital. SETTING: East Birmingham Hospital, an urban general hospital with 800 beds. SUBJECTS: 100 doctors of different grades and specialties. RESULTS: The cuffs and pockets of the coats were the most highly contaminated areas. The level of bacterial contamination did not vary with the length of time a coat had been in use, but it increased with the degree of usage by the individual doctor. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from a quarter of the coats examined, more commonly from those belonging to doctors in surgical specialties than medical specialties. Pathogenic Gram negative bacilli and other pathogenic bacteria were not isolated. CONCLUSIONS: White coats are a potential source of cross infection, especially in surgical areas. Scrupulous hand washing should be observed before and after attending patients and it may be advisable to remove the white coat and put on a plastic apron before examining wounds. There is little microbiological reason for recommending a more frequent change of white coat than once a week, nor for excluding the wearing of white coats in non-clinical areas.

Bacteria↗

Re-operation for complicated secondary peritonitis - how to identify patients at risk for persistent sepsis.

INTRODUCTION: There is an ongoing dispute on the benefit of planned relaparotomy for patients with diffuse peritonitis. SETTING: Surgery Department, university hospital. PATIENTS: 145 patients with diffuse peritonitis treated with planned relaparotomy were analysed for APACHE II, MOF- and MODS-score (Goris and Marshall), complications, outcome and clinical/laboratory factors indicating intra-abdominal compartment syndrome (positive endexpiratory pressure (PEEP), central venous pressure (CVP), creatinine, blood urea nitrogen (BUN)) after termination of planned relaparotomy. Statistical analysis of data (mean and standard deviation) was performed using Mann-Whitney, chi-square, ANOVA and multiple regression analysis. RESULTS: The overall mortality was 29.7% and APACHE II score on admission 16.7 +/- 8.3. In 107 patients (mortality 17.8%) closure of the abdomen was achieved at termination of planned relaparotomy, 20 patients (mortality 30%) were treated with mesh closure and in 18 patients (mortality 100%) closure of the abdomen was not feasible. After closure of the abdomen 39 patients showed signs of persistent sepsis. Patients who were explored had a mortality of 37.5% and without re-exploration a mortality of 67%. BUN, PEEP and CVP were significantly different in survivors and non-survivors. Independent predictors of outcome were closure of the abdomen, complications, APACHE II and MOF scores. CONCLUSION: Patients with planned relaparotomy for diffuse peritonitis are not a uniform group and differ in mortality depending on source control and closure of the abdomen. Patients with persistent sepsis after termination of planned relaparotomy may be recognized by clinical and laboratory parameters and benefit from a timely reexploration. The decision when to close the abdomen may not only be based on intraperitoneal findings but also on the existence and level of organ failure.

APACHE↗

Effect of transforming growth factor beta on postoperative adhesion formation and intact peritoneum.

Transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta) is an extremely potent chemoattractant for macrophages, mononuclear leukocytes, and fibroblasts. It also acts as a potent stimulant for collagen and fibronectin synthesis and inhibits epithelial cell growth. TGF beta plays an important role in healing many types of wounds, but its role in peritoneal adhesion formation is not known. These studies were performed to determine if TGF beta could affect postoperative wound healing in a rat model. In the first experiment, 20 rats were divided into two groups and received either 2 micrograms TGF beta or control diluent IP daily for 5 days after surgical injury to the uterine horns. The severity of the adhesions were graded 2 weeks postoperatively using a score of 0-3. The TGF beta group showed a higher adhesion score at 2 weeks compared to control, 2.9 +/- 0.34 and 1.6 +/- 0.61, respectively (P less than 0.001). On H&E stained sections of the adhesions, there was an increase in the number of both inflammatory cells and fibroblasts in the TGF beta-treated animals. A comparison trial of bone-derived TGF beta (a gift from Collagen Corporation, Palo Alto, CA) versus recombinant TGF beta (a gift from Oncogen, Seattle, WA) versus control using the same protocol as above showed that both sources of TGF beta were more effective in promoting postoperative adhesions when compared to controls, and there was no difference between TGF beta groups, 3.0 +/- 0 for both TGF beta groups, and 2.2 +/- 0.91 for control (P less than 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗