Ghulam Hassan

Stem Cell Therapy in Myocardial Infarction: Latest Trends

Heart Diseases are a major cause of morbidity and mortality world wide. Myocardial infarction is the leading cause of congestive heart failure and death in the industrialized world. Current therapy is limited in preventing the progression of ventricular remodeling and congestive heart failure. Recent interest has focused on stem cells, which are undifferentiated and pleuropotent cells that can proliferate, potentially self-renew, and differentiate into cardiomyocytes. The article tries to underline the beneficial effects of the stem cell therapy for use in patients where other modes of therapy are not advisable and the multi purpose effects of such as therapy.

Clinical Outcomes of Elastin Fibre Defects

Elastic fibres are a major class of extracellular matrix fibres that are abundant in dynamic connective tissues such as arteries, lungs, skin and ligaments. Their structural role is to endow tissues with elastic recoil and resilience. They also act as an important adhesion template for cells, and they regulate growth factor availability. Mutations in major structural components of elastic fibres, especially elastin, fibrillins and fibulin-5, cause severe, often life-threatening, heritable connective tissue diseases such as Marfan syndrome, Menkes Syndrome, Cutis laxa. Elastic-fibre function is also frequently compromised in damaged or aged elastic tissues. The ability to regenerate or engineer elastic fibres and tissues remains a significant challenge, requiring improved understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of elastic-fibre biology and pathology. The aim of the article is to present in brief the structural details of elastin fibres, the defects and pleiotrophic effects as a result of damage and various clinical conditions associated with defects in elastin fibres ranging from rare pediatric syndromes to common entities like hypertension.

Arthritis Mutilans: A Case Report

A fifty year old farmer presented with severe joint pain and swelling in the small joints of hands and feet and a rapidly progressive downhill course over a period of three months. The patient developed joint deformities of hands and feet with digital resorption of the terminal phalanges. Five months after the start of joint deformities, the patient developed well defined erythematosquamous plaques with silvery white scales on the extensor aspect of limbs and scalp. The nails had pitting, discoloration and sub ungual hyperkeratosis. The clinical and histopathological diagnosis was consistent with Psoriasis. A radiograph of hands and feet revealed splaying of the base of the phalanges with tapering of the ends of metacarpals and metatarsals showing ‘pencil-in-a cup’ deformity. Distal inter phalangeal joints were also involved. A diagnosis of Psoriasis with Arthritis Mutilans was made. The patient was put on injectable Methotrexate and oral steroids.