The objectives of the study were to determine the 2 year rate of bone changes in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and, whether bone loss is related to physical impairment, systemic inflammation. and therapy. Consecutive outpatients fulfilling the modified New York criteria for AS were included. Baseline assessment included age, disease duration, treatment, clinical, radiologic and laboratory data. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were determined every 6 months. Persistent systemic inflammation was defined as mean ESR > or = 28 mm/h or mean CRP > or = 15 mg/l. Bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine and femoral neck was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, at baseline and year 2. Statistical analysis compared the baseline and 24 month follow-up BMD data, and determined whether baseline data, and persistent systemic inflammation during the 2 years, were related to the 24 month percentage changes in BMD. Fifty-four patients (35 men, 19 women; mean age 37.3 +/- 11.3 years, mean disease duration 12.4 +/- 8.6 years) were included. After 2 years, BMD did not change at the lumbar spine (+0.75% +/- 3.5, p = 0.23), and decreased at the femoral neck (-1.6% +/- 4, p = 0.006). The 24 month percentage change in femoral neck BMD was related to persistent systemic inflammation, defined using ESR (mean percentage change -4.1% +/- 5.7 and -1.2% +/- 3.9 in patients with and without persistent inflammation; respectively; p = 0.007). These results suggest that persistent inflammation might be an etiologic factor of bone loss in AS.

The ristocetin cofactor activity assay (VWF:RCo) is the reference method for assessing von Willebrand factor (VWF) activity but remains difficult to perform, and the coefficient of variation of the method is high (about 20-30%). This study evaluated and compared the performance for measuring the VWF activity of two newly commercialised assays [VWF:Ac Innovance (VWF:Ac) and VWF:RCo Acustar (VWF:RCo Acu)] with the reference VWF:RCo aggregation in 123 pathological plasma samples. The correlation and concordance between both new tests (VWF:RCo-Acu and VWF:Ac) and the reference VWF:RCo were good. The results of the VWF activity to VWF antigen ratio were also comparable whatever the method for the classification of VWF deficiency in all patients. Our results showed that both new tests could replace the "gold standard" VWF:RCo in aggregometry with several benefits: they are fully automated, easier and faster to perform, better adapted to emergency situations if necessary.

Immunotherapy with antibodies against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a treatment option given the absence of any vaccine or other available satisfactory treatment. We selected one of our monoclonal antibodies, RS-348, that is highly neutralizing. We showed that a single peptide (PEP3H) derived from complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) of its heavy chain was capable of neutralizing the virusin vitro. When intranasally administered 24 h before challenge, this peptide protected BALB/c mice against RSV lung infection. These results indicate that a single CDR can be effective against RSV infection.

The possibility of using DEBs did not improve the prognosis in HCC patients treated by TACE. Nonetheless, it had a better medico-economic profile.

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