Search Results (4)

Background/Objectives: Limited surgical invasiveness is desirable in elderly patients with femur fracture. Serum cytokines have been considered as a possible marker but with inconclusive evidence. The present study aimed to assess the systemic inflammatory response to surgical trauma through the serum levels of several cytokines (IL1β, IL6, IL8, and IL-10), inflammatory markers (c reactive protein—CRP), and muscular damage markers (creatinkinase—CK) at different time intervals in a consecutive series of patients affected by pertrochanteric fractures (PFs) and treated by two different surgical devices (intramedullary nailing (IM) vs. dynamic hip screw plate—DHS). Methods: A total of 60 consecutive patients (45 female and 15 male, mean age 85.6 years) with PFs (AO31A1.2-2.2) were randomly assigned to two groups according to the surgical procedure used (IM vs. DHS). Specimens of venous blood were collected 1 h preoperatively and at 24, 48, and 72 h postoperatively. Commercial ELISA kits were used. Results: In the adjusted linear mixed model, the serum levels of IL-1β, IL-8, IL-10, CRP, and CK revealed no statistically significant correlation with the type of surgical intervention performed. A significant (p < 0.001) correlation was found for IL-6 values in patients undergoing IM, showing higher serum values than patients receiving DHSs in all postoperative blood sample collections. Conclusions: The results of this study reveal that the use of DHSs may have less biological impact than IM in frail elderly due to a more limited secretion of IL-6 cytokines deriving from the preservation of the femoral medullary canal, representing a possible guide for the choice of the surgical device. Full article

The epidermis of the skin and skin appendages, such as nails, hair and sebaceous glands, depend on a balance of cell proliferation and terminal differentiation in order to fulfill their functions at the interface of the body and the environment. The differentiation of epithelial cells of the skin, commonly referred to as keratinocytes, involves major remodeling processes that generate metabolically inactive cell remnants serving as building blocks of the epidermal stratum corneum, nail plates and hair shafts. Only sebaceous gland differentiation results in cell disintegration and holocrine secretion. A series of studies performed in the past decade have revealed that the lysosome-dependent intracellular degradation mechanism of autophagy is active during keratinocyte differentiation, and the blockade of autophagy significantly alters the properties of the differentiation products. Here, we present a model for the autophagy-mediated degradation of organelles and cytosolic proteins as an important contributor to cellular remodeling in keratinocyte differentiation. The roles of autophagy are discussed in comparison to alternative intracellular degradation mechanisms and in the context of programmed cell death as an integral end point of epithelial differentiation. Full article

Nails are highly keratinized skin appendages that exhibit continuous growth under physiological conditions and full regeneration upon removal. These mini-organs are maintained by two autonomous populations of skin stem cells. The fast-cycling, highly proliferative stem cells of the nail matrix (nail stem cells (NSCs)) predominantly replenish the nail plate. Furthermore, the slow-cycling population of the nail proximal fold (nail proximal fold stem cells (NPFSCs)) displays bifunctional properties by contributing to the peri-nail epidermis under the normal homeostasis and the nail structure upon injury. Here, we discuss nail mini-organ stem cells’ location and their role in skin and nail homeostasis and regeneration, emphasizing their importance to orchestrate the whole digit tip regeneration. Such endogenous regeneration capabilities are observed in rodents and primates. However, they are limited to the region adjacent to the nail’s proximal area, indicating the crucial role of nail mini-organ stem cells in digit restoration. Further, we explore the molecular characteristics of nail mini-organ stem cells and the critical role of the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and Wnt signaling pathways in homeostatic nail growth and digit restoration. Finally, we investigate the latest accomplishments in stimulating regenerative responses in regeneration-incompetent injuries. These pioneer results might open up new opportunities to overcome amputated mammalian digits and limbs’ regenerative failures in the future. Full article

Physicochemical properties of nail may offer valuable insight into the health of bone. Currently, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the gold standard technique for evaluating bone health through bone mineral density (BMD). However, only 70% of fractures are explained by low BMD according to DXA. Therefore, the World Health Organisation recommended the need for the development of alternative methods of assessing bone health. Keratin and collagen type I are major proteins in nail and bone, respectively. Both of these proteins undergo post-translational modifications, with a possible correlation between the degree of post-translational modifications in keratin and collagen. Raman spectroscopy is a technique used to detect changes in protein composition and structure. As changes in protein function and structure may be associated with the development of osteoporosis, Raman spectroscopy may be a valuable adjunct to assess bone health and fracture risk. This review critically evaluates various methods and techniques to identify the link between nail properties and bone health. The strengths and limitations of various studies and the potential use of nail protein and minerals to evaluate bone health have been also presented. Full article