Methods: In a prospective study, colonoscopy was performed on 2,469 consecutive patients. Biopsies were taken from the terminal ileum and ascending, transverse, descending and sigmoid colon in all patients.
Results: Sixty-four of the 2,469 patients (2.6%) had eosinophilic gastroenteritis. Only five of the 64 patients (7.8%) with eosinophilic gastroenteritis had endoscopic mucosal abnormalities during colonoscopy. Six of these 64 patients (9.4%) had severe disease at presentation, and seven of these 64 patients (10.9%) required systemic steroid treatment. An elevated absolute peripheral eosinophil count was independently associated with severe disease at presentation (4/6 [66.7%] vs 3/58 [5.2%], p=0.005; odds ratio [OR], 25.320; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.628 to 243.910), and severe disease at the time of presentation was independently associated with the use of systemic steroid treatment (6/7 [85.7%] vs 0/57 [0%], p=0.008; OR, 18.021; 95% CI, 2.163 to 150.152).
Conclusions: The prevalence of eosinophilic gastroenteritis is common, and patients usually present normal-appearing mucosa on colonoscopy. Those with severe disease at presentation usually have a raised absolute peripheral eosinophil count and should be commenced on systemic steroids as an initial therapy.
Methods: HUVECs were divided into six groups: control, treatment with 10 ng/ml TNF-α, and co-treatment of 10 ng/ml TNF-α with four different concentrations of AEPS (100, 150, 250, and 300 μg/ml) for 24 h. Subsequently, vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) protein expression, U937 monocyte cells adhesion, and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) p65 expression in HUVECs were measured.
Results: Treatment of TNF-α-stimulated HUVECs with AEPS at different concentrations resulted in decreased VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 protein expression in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, AEPS also inhibited TNF-α-stimulated U937 monocyte cells adhesion to HUVECs. In addition, AEPS reduced TNF-α-induced NF-κB p65 expression in a dose-dependent manner.
Conclusions: The results indicated that AEPS suppressed TNF-α-induced VCAM-1 and ICAM-1 expression NF-κB signaling.
METHODS: Stromal derived corneal fibroblasts from New Zealand White rabbit (n = 6) were isolated and cultured until passage 1. In vitro corneal ulcer was created using a 4 mm corneal trephine onto confluent cultures and treated with basal medium (FD), medium containing serum (FDS), with and without 0.025 % AH. Wound areas were recorded at day 0, 3 and 6 post wound creation. Genes and proteins associated with wound healing and differentiation such as aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH), vimentin, alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), collagen type I, lumican and matrix metalloproteinase 12 (MMP12) were evaluated using qRT-PCR and immunocytochemistry respectively.
RESULTS: Cells cultured with AH-enriched FDS media achieved complete wound closure at day 6 post wound creation. The cells cultured in AH-enriched FDS media increased the expression of vimentin, collagen type I and lumican genes and decreased the ALDH, α-SMA and MMP12 gene expressions. Protein expression of ALDH, vimentin and α-SMA were in accordance with the gene expression analyses.
CONCLUSION: These results demonstrated AH accelerate corneal fibroblasts migration and differentiation of the in vitro corneal ulcer model while increasing the genes and proteins associated with stromal wound healing.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Corneal epithelial cells were isolated from the corneas of rabbits (n = 6). The optimal dose of GH for CEC proliferation in both basal medium (BM) and cornea medium (CM) was determined via MTT (3-[4, 5-dimethyl thiazolyl-2]-2, 5-diphenyl tetrazolium bro- mide) assay. Morphology, gene and protein expressions, and cell cycle analysis of CECs were evaluated via phase contrast microscopy, real- time polymerase chain reaction, immunocytochemistry, and ow cytom- etry, respectively.
RESULTS: Corneal epithelial cells cultured in 0.0015% GH-supplemented media (BM + 0.0015% GH; CM + 0.0015% GH) demonstrated optimal proliferative capacity with normal polygonal- shaped morphology. Gelam honey potentiates cytokeratin 3 (CK3) gene expression in accordance with the cytoplasmic CK3 protein expression while retaining normal cell cycle of CECs.
CONCLUSION: Culture media treated with 0.0015% GH increased CEC proliferation while preserving its phenotypical features. This study demonstrated the potential devel- opment of GH-based topical treatment for super cial corneal injury.