elastin and Dupuytren-Contracture

Results of investigation of collagen metabolism in Dupuitren's contracture (DC) were summarized. The patients were operated for calculous cholecystitis and DC stages II - III. The changes revealed witnessed about more expressed degradation of collagen and affection of the elastin components of connective tissue. On background of the pathological process progress in palmar aponeurosis in patients, suffering DC, a content of oxyproline have enhanced trustworthy in urine and reduced in tissue of a changed palmar aponeurosis.

Topics: Aged; Amino Acids; Cholecystitis; Collagen; Connective Tissue; Dupuytren Contracture; Elastin; Fascia; Humans; Hydroxyproline; Liver Cirrhosis; Male; Middle Aged; Severity of Illness Index

Normal tendons, normal palmar aponeuroses and specimens from patients with Dupuytren's disease, namely apparently normal palmar aponeuroses and contracture bands were subjected to elastase and chondroitinase ABC digestion. Maximum Young's modulus, normalized hysteresis loop and residual elongation were determined before and after enzyme treatment. In normal tendons, normal and apparently normal palmar aponeuroses both normalized hysteresis loop and residual elongation increased significantly after elastase treatment, whereas the stiffness decreased. Normalized hysteresis loop and residual elongation display changes corresponding to the amount of digested elastin. The increased viscosity of untreated contracture bands containing less elastin, as compared to normal palmar aponeurosis, was not affected by elastase. Obviously, the elastic fibers in normal shape and distribution are responsible for maintaining an elastic status with a low viscous stress component. With the exception of contracture bands chondroitinase ABC caused a minor increase of residual elongation and as opposed to elastase a decrease of normalized hysteresis loop indicating an increased mobility of the tissue fibers.

Topics: Animals; Chondroitin ABC Lyase; Dupuytren Contracture; Elastic Tissue; Elasticity; Elastin; Hand; Humans; Pancreatic Elastase; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Stress, Mechanical; Tendons; Tensile Strength; Viscosity

Forty-six patients with Dupuytren's contracture (DC) and 55 control persons were HLA-typed for class I and HLA-DR class II antigens and were investigated for the presence of autoantibodies against elastin (ELAB) and collagen types I-IV (ACA I-IV). Using the chi 2 test, obtained from 2 x 2 contingency tables, a significant association was found between DC and HLA-DR3 and autoantibodies to types I-IV collagen. ELAB and ACA I and III were significantly correlated with HLA-DR3 in the whole group of patients plus controls. In analogy to other diseases with autoimmunologic features the presence of HLA-DR3 therefore seems to indicate a higher risk for the formation of connective tissue autoantibodies. The remodeling processes during the course of fibrosis in DC might be responsible for this autoantibody formation.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Antigens; Autoantibodies; Collagen; Connective Tissue; Dupuytren Contracture; Elastin; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; HLA-DR3 Antigen; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Prevalence; Reference Values