Volatile anaesthetics are known to increase leakage of calcium from the light fraction of skeletal sarcoplasmic reticulum (L-SR) which has no calcium release channels. To explore the role of the lipid environment, we have examined the effect of volatile anaesthetics on calcium conductance (gCa) of lipid membranes. Planar lipid bilayers were formed with a mixture of synthetic phospholipids and c...

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is a granulomatous and occlusive vasculitis that causes blindness, stroke, and aortic aneurysm. CD4(+) T cells are selectively activated in the adventitia of affected arteries. In human GCA artery-severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mouse chimeras, depletion of CD83(+) dendritic cells (DCs) abrogated vasculitis, suggesting that DCs are critical antigen-presenting ...

BACKGROUND The diagnosis of giant cell arteritis (GCA) is often confirmed by an early temporal artery (TA) biopsy of adequate length. Treatment of this condition with high-dose corticosteroids may be associated with significant morbidity, including osteoporosis. AIM To audit current management of patients with suspected GCA at Auckland Healthcare, a large teaching hospital. METHODS We perfo...

OBJECTIVES To explore the sensitivity to change of colour Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) in giant cell arteritis (GCA). METHODS This was a blind, prospective study composed of 30 consecutive patients diagnosed with GCA. In 25 of the cases this was their first episode of GCA, and 13 of the cases were relapses. All participants had presented with at least 1 branch involvement in the basal sonography...

PURPOSE This study was conducted in order to compare relationships between the macular visual field (VF) mean sensitivity measured by MAIATM (Macular Integrity Assessment), MP-3, or Humphry field analyzer (HFA) and the ganglion cell and inner plexiform layer (GCA) thicknesses. METHODS This cross-sectional study examined 73 glaucoma patients and 19 normal subjects. All subjects underwent measu...

OBJECTIVE To investigate the relationship between temporal artery biopsy (TAB) length and the diagnostic sensitivity for giant cell arteritis (GCA). METHODS TAB pathology reports were reviewed for histological findings and formalin-fixed TAB lengths. The patient's charts were reviewed for clinical data. TAB was considered positive if there was a mononuclear cell infiltrate in the vessel wall....

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) or temporal arteritis is the most frequent systemic vasculitis in our area, and its incidence may be on the increase in the last years. GCA involves large and medium-sized vessels, with preference to the extracranial arteries, and it affects persons older than 50 years. The aetiopathogenesis is unknown, although several infectious agents may be implicated. A normal te...

OBJECTIVE To study the prevalence and the clinical characterisation of jaw problems in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA). METHODS the prevalence of such symptoms in patients with GCA was evaluated by performing a retrospective analysis of all patients with GCA and polymyalgia rheumatica who were diagnosed during admission to Hadassah University Hospital. Ten patients reported previousl...