Connective tissue is a dynamic structure that reacts to environmental cues to maintain homeostasis,including mechanical properties.Mechanical load influences extracellular matrix(ECM)—cell interactions and modulates cellular behavior.Mechano-regulation processes involve matrix modification and cell activation to preserve tissue function.The ECM remodeling is crucial for force transmission.Cytoskeleton components are involved in force sensing and transmission,affecting cellular adhesion,motility,and gene expression.Proper mechanical loading helps to maintain tissue health,while imbalances may lead to pathological processes.Active and passive movement,including manual mobilization,improves connective tissue elasticity,promotes ECM-cell homeostasis,and reduces fibrosis.In rehabilitation,understanding mechanical-regulation processes is necessary for ameliorating and developing treatments aimed at preserving tissue elasticity and preventing fibrosis.In this commentary,we aim to globally describe the biological processes involved in mechanical force transmission in connective tissue as support for translational studies and clinical applications in the rehabilitation field.
Purpose: Studies on imaging findings in mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) are limited. This study assessed the relationship between CT-derived parameters (pulmonary artery diameter [PAD] and lung parenchymal abnormalities [LPA]) and estimated pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) in patients with MCTD. Materials and Methods: This single-center retrospective study enrolled consecutive patients with MCTD who underwent CT and echocardiography within 6 months between December 2004 and November 2021. Chest CT was used to measure PAD (mm) and evaluate LPA (%). LPA was quantitatively assessed for reticular, ground-glass opacities, consolidation, or honeycombing. Peak tricuspid regurgitation velocity (TRV) on echocardiography was considered to reflect PAP. Correlation and partial correlation analyses were performed to assess the relationship between CT-derived parameters and peak TRV. Results: Overall, 116 patients (mean age 50.0 ± 17.0 years [SD]) with a median disease duration of 3.0 years had a median peak TRV of 2.28 m/sec and median PAD of 27.0 mm. Pulmonary hypertension was found in 18 (15.5%) patients. LPA was observed in 52 patients, with a median of 0.0% and a mean of 4.5% ± 8.9 [SD]. Peak TRV was correlated with PAD (r = 0.58, p Conclusion: A moderate positive correlation was observed in patients with MCTD between PAD and estimated PAP, irrespective of the presence of LPA, whereas LPA was not correlated with estimated PAP.
Connective tissue diseases (CTDs) are Autoimmune diseases (AIDs) characterized by the appearance of autoantibodies, which are diagnostic markers. Investigations of these autoantibodies play a major role in the management of several autoimmune diseases. The objective of this study was to describe the profile of anti-ENA antibodies according to the clinical symptoms of mixed CTDs in Conakry teaching Hospital. We performed a cross-sectional study during six months. A total of 20 patients was recruited and we measured antibodies using the ELISA technique. The mean age of our patients was 36.5 years, with a predominance of females. Cutaneous and rheumatological signs were the main clinical manifestations. SLP was the most frequent CTDs;the threshold of ENA antibodies positivity was higher in scleroderma with and SLP. Anti-ENA identification reveals the frequency of anti-SSA (83.33%), anti-U1RNP (66.66%) and anti-histone (50%) antibodies. Antinuclear antibodies (ANA) react with various components of the cell nucleus. Their detection is of major interest in the diagnosis of CTDs. Our results highlight the importance of determining the specificity of these antibodies to guide differential diagnosis.
