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Biomedical subjects

R W Moskowitz

Publications and source records attributed to R W Moskowitz.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

Eosinophilic fasciitis: clinical, laboratory, and microscopic considerations.

Two patients with clinical and pathologic features of eosinophilic fasciitis manifested serologic and systemic abnormalities that raised the question of the fundamental nature and relationship of eosinophilic fasciitis to scleroderma. In addition to the characteristic features of eosinophilic fasciitis, both patients exhibited arthritis, a predominantly mononuclear cell infiltration of muscles with normal serum muscle enzyme levels, weakly positive serum antinuclear factor, IgA deficiency, and abnormalities of pulmonary function. In addition, one patient had wide-mouthed colonic diverticulae and synovial deposits consistent with amyloid; the second patient had bone marrow hypoplasia. Although corticosteroid therapy was of benefit, hydroxychloroquine and potassium para-aminobenzoate were of further help in controlling the disorder. Biopsies from the two patients revealed inflammatory lesions to be heaviest deep in the skeletal muscle; fascia was only minimally inflamed with mild fibrosis. The findings suggest that striking fibroinflammatory lesions noted in the fascia in some patients with eosinophilic fasciitis may derive largely from spillover of lesions in neighboring skeletal muscle.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Metabolic responses of cartilage in experimentally induced osteoarthritis.

Serial metabolic responses in developing osteoarthritis induced in the right knees of a rabbit model of partial meniscectomy (PM) were studied. Controls were sham-operated (SH) right knees, left knees of all operated animals, nd right and left knees of a nonoperated series. Glycosaminoglycan and protein synthesis and cell replication were separately analysed utilising 35 SO4, 14C-Glycine, and 3H-thymidine, respectively. Pitting, ulceration, and osteophytes, seen only in the PM knees, increased over the 12-week period of study. 3H-thymidine and 14C-glycine incorporations by PM cartilage were increased at 3 weeks, less than nonoperated control animals at 9 weeks, and approximated to those of controls at 12 weeks. 35 SO4 incorporation by tibial osteophytes was decreased at 9 and 12 weeks. Similar isotope incorporations seen after partial meniscectomy and sham surgery represented a nonspecific response to arthrotomy. Cartilage synthetic activity did not increase in parallel with degenerative change.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Differential response of articular chondrocyte populations to thromboxane B2 and analogs of prostaglandin cyclic endoperoxides.

The effects of two unsaturated fatty acids, protaglandin E2, thromboxane B2 (TxB2) and 2 analogs of PG endoperoxide on monolayer cultures of rabbit articular chondrocytes have been studied. Arachidonic and linoleic acids had no effect on either DNA or sulfated-glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis, while 13,14 dihydro-PGE2 and PGE2 markedly inhibited the former. Two epoxymethano analogs of endoperoxide PGH2 (Em-;pgh2) at concentrations of 2.5 and 24 microgram/ml stimulated cell proliferation while reducing 35SO4 incorporation. By contrast, Em-PGH2 at lower concentrations (0.25 - 250 ng/ml) inhibited DNA synthesis in a dose-dependent manner. TxB2 at 2.5 microgram/ml did not alter cellular proliferation. At lower concentrations, 2.5 and 25 ng/ml, TxB2 significantly stimulated sulfated-glycosaminoglycan biosynthesis in at least one of the chondrocyte populations tested. The results also demonstrated marked differences in the effects of TxB2 and the Em-PGH2 analogs on the partitioning of newly synthesized sulfated-proteoglycan between the cells and medium of these cell cultures.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Effects of estrogen on cartilage and experimentally induced osteoarthritis.

Estradiol valerate did not ameliorate experimentally induced osteoarthritis in the rabbit. Both normal and osteoarthritic cartilage were susceptible to estradiol suppression of proteoglycan synthesis. Protoeglycan concentration was not diminished with estradiol, suggesting estradiol suppression of proteoglycan catabolism. The severity of osteoarthritis was unchanged despite markedly decreased proteoglycan catabolism. The severity of osteoarthritis was unchanged despite markedly decreased protoeglycan synthesis in the estrogen treated animals. Osteophyte proteoglycan metabolism differed from other osteoarthritic lesions. Differences in the metabolism of femoral and tibial articular cartilage were observed.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Cartilage proteoglycan alterations in an experimentally induced model of rabbit osteoarthritis.

Size distribution of cartilage proteoglycans (PG) extracted from control and osteoarthritic rabbit knees after partial meniscectomy was analyzed. In normal control knees, about 30% of PG molecules were in aggregate form and average sedimentation constant was 60S. No aggregates were found in osteoarthritic cartilage, whether ulcer, rim about ulcer, or distant normal-appearing cartilage was examined. Weight average sedimentation constants for PG subunits were similar to controls, 15S. Up to 70% of guanidinium-extractable PG could be extracted from osteoarthritic cartilage by using 0.5M guanidine HC1 (GuHCl); sedimentation characteristics of extracted PG were similar to those using 4.0M GuHCl. Absence of aggregates is consistent with a disorder of link protein, hyaluronic acid, or PG subunit hyaluronic acid binding sites. Absence of subunit degradation was an enexpected finding. The demonstrated ability of 0.5 M GuHCl to extract large amounts of PG from osteoarthritic cartilage will allow study of cartilage proteoglycans in their native nondissociated state.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Lower motor neuron disease with spinocerebellar degeneration.

A patient with polymyositis responded initially to steroid therapy. A muscle biopsy disclosed features of primary myopathy and group atrophy. The patient became refractory to therapy and died with relentlessly progressive weakness. The autopsy disclosed lower motor neuron involvement and degeneration of the spinocerebellar tracts. There was loss of Purkinje cells, which may have occurred secondary to an anoxic episode prior to death. The case is unique because of the limited involvement of the lower motor and spinocerebellar systems.

Cerebellum↗
PubMed1977

Skin basement membrane immunofluorescence in rheumatoid arthritis: lack of diagnostic correlation.

Thirty-nine patients with rheumatoid arthritis were studied for the presence of skin basement membrane immunofluorescence. Punch biopsies from normal sun-exposed skin of the forearm were negative for basement membrane immunofluorescence in all cases, except one which was read as questionable. No correlation with serum antinuclear antibody or lupus erythematosus cells was observed. Skin immunofluorescence studies are helpful in differential diagnosis when patients with a clinical picture of rheumatoid arthritis present with serum antinuclear antibodies and lupus erythematosus cells. Positive basement membrane immunofluorescence is strong evidence of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Meniscal regeneration and postmeniscectomy degenerative joint disease.

The failure of meniscal regeneration via a fibrous semilunar mold can be correlated with an increased incidence of degenerative joint disease. Experiments on rabbits revealed a statistically significant relationship between the failure of meniscal regeneration and the development of degenerative joint disease, characterized by osteophyte formation, cartilage pitting and erosions, and loss of carbilage proteoglycan. Similar results in limited studies utilizing adult fox hounds supported this observation. In dogs, variation in the extent of tissues resected about the meniscus, including synovectomy, did not inhibit the reformation of a fibrous semilunar mold. No specific "zone of regeneration" responsible for meniscal regeneration was identified.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Classification criteria for systemic lupus erythematosus. Frequency in normal patients.

One hundred healthy women were examined prospectively during their annual physical examination for any of the preliminary criteria of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). No patient had more than three of the criteria; 50 (50%) had none. The preliminary criteria were effective in excluding normal patients. Three of 19 patients taking oral contraceptives had serum antinuclear antibody (ANA), whereas only one of 81 non-pill users had serum ANA (P less than .05). None of these patients with positive ANA had clinical evidence of SLE.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Steroid myopathy in connective tissue disease.

In eight women with polymyositis (three patients), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) (three patients), rheumatoid arthritis (one patient) and shoulder-hand syndrome (one patient), weakness developed during high dose prednisone therapy. These women were studied using serial functional and manual muscle tests, determination of serum glutamic oxaloacetic transminase (SGOT), creatine phosphokinase (CPK) and serum aldolase levels, and urinary excretion of creatine. Insidious onset of weakness was characteristic. Myalgias were seen in five patients and unusual sudden weakness in two. Weakness was always most severe in the pelvic girdle muscles; there was a lesser involvement of shoulder girdle and distal muscles. Serum muscle enzyme levels were normal in all cases, but urinary creatine excretion was invariably increased and proved to be the most sensitive laboratory indicator for clinical diagnosis and for monitoring patient improvement. Serial urinary creatine excretion and serum enzyme studies were of value in differenting steroid myopathy from a flare of myositis in patients with connective tissue disease. Diagnosis and effective management were achieved by the use of readily available laboratory and clinical procedures without resorting to muscle biopsy.

Adolescent↗