Disease relevance of Achilles Tendon

• Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EDMD) is characterized by early contractures of elbows and Achilles tendons, slowly progressive muscle wasting and weakness, and a cardiomyopathy with conduction blocks which is life-threatening [1].
• Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EMD) is characterised by (1) early contractures of the Achilles tendons, elbows, and postcervical muscles, (2) slowly progressive muscle wasting and weakness with a predominantly humeroperoneal distribution in the early stages, and (3) cardiomyopathy with conduction defects and risk of sudden death [2].
• Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy is characterised by the triad of (1) early contractures of the elbows, Achilles tendons, and postcervical muscles; (2) slowly progressive muscle wasting and weakness with a humeroperoneal distribution in the early stages; and (3) a cardiomyopathy usually presenting as heart block [3].
• In the present study, we investigated in rodents the intrinsic deleterious effect of pefloxacin (400 mg/kg of body weight) on Achilles tendon proteoglycans and collagen [4].
• Pefloxacin-induced achilles tendon toxicity in rodents: biochemical changes in proteoglycan synthesis and oxidative damage to collagen [4].

Psychiatry related information on Achilles Tendon

• The present study demonstrates that the connective tissue around the human Achilles tendon produces significant amounts of IL-6 in response to prolonged physical activity, which might contribute to the exercise-induced increase in IL-6 found in plasma [5].

High impact information on Achilles Tendon

• Although the cumulative exposure of the aortic root to cholesterol (the cholesterol-year score) was significantly correlated with the Achilles tendon CSA and vascular calcification, this score did not correlate with the wall thickness or aortic CSA [6].
• OBJECTIVE: To profile the messenger RNA (mRNA) expression for the 23 known genes of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), 19 genes of ADAMTS, 4 genes of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs), and ADAM genes 8, 10, 12, and 17 in normal, painful, and ruptured Achilles tendons [7].
• METHODS: Histologic sections of rat Achilles tendons, stained with toluidine blue or Masson's trichrome, were examined in animals ranging from 2 weeks to 1 year of age [8].
• Ultrastructural analysis of Achilles tendon from fibromodulin-null mice show collagen fibrils with irregular and rough outlines in cross-section [9].
• Tenascin-C was expressed abundantly in the normal myotendinous and myofascial junctions, as well as around the cells and the collagen fibers of the Achilles tendon [10].

Chemical compound and disease context of Achilles Tendon

• Three patients are presented who sustained bilateral rupture of the Achilles tendon while on systemic steroid therapy for chest disease; a fourth patient with polymyalgia rheumatica on steroids is also presented [11].
• However, higher level of serum HDL3 cholesterol was an independent factor in the smaller size of Achilles' tendon xanthoma at baseline [12].
• In contrast, Achilles' tendon xanthoma regressed in four of five patients (80%) treated with pravastatin, but only in two of five patients (40%) treated with probucol [12].
• A plantar flexor strength lower than 50.0 N.m and dorsiflexion range of motion higher than 9.0 degrees were possible thresholds for developing an Achilles tendon overuse injury [13].
• In conclusion, the higher concentrations of lactate in Achilles tendons with painful tendinosis indicate that there are anaerobic conditions in the area with tendinosis [14].

Biological context of Achilles Tendon

• These results provide the first experimental evidence of a pefloxacin-induced oxidative stress in the Achilles tendon that altered proteoglycan anabolism and oxidized collagen [4].
• METHODS: A total of 114 physically active white subjects with symptoms of Achilles tendon injury and 127 asymptomatic, physically active white control subjects were genotyped for the guanine-thymine dinucleotide repeat polymorphism within the tenascin-C gene [15].
• The experiment consisted or recording H-reflexes and Achilles tendon reflexes (ATR) before and after administration of a 20% benzocaine spray or a placebo to the skin of the posterior calf [16].
• Therefore we investigated expression of the receptors of one of the most important angiogenic factors, the vascular endothelial growth factor in normal and pathologic human Achilles tendons by immunohistochemical and molecular biology methods [17].
• There may be a genetic linkage between the ABO blood groups and the molecular structure of the tissue of Achilles tendons [18].

Anatomical context of Achilles Tendon

• In the present study, we characterized fluoroquinolone-induced Achilles tendon lesions by comparing the effects of 10 fluoroquinolones and examining the potential of one of these antimicrobial agents, pefloxacin, to induce tendon lesions when coadministered with one of nine anti-inflammatory compounds [19].
• The inhibition of leukocyte accumulation by diclofenac did not translate into a reduction of tissue damage or a promotion of tissue healing, because the mechanical properties of injured Achilles tendons were identical in placebo and diclofenac-treated groups [20].
• Compared with unstimulated control fibroblasts, culture media from Achilles tendon, paratenon, and shoulder capsule cells that were exposed to ciprofloxacin demonstrated statistically significant increases in matrix-degrading proteolytic activity after 72 hours in culture [21].
• These findings suggest that, at least these five patients with lower lymphocyte LDL receptor activities, and probably another patient with both hypercholesterolaemia and xanthoma-like thickening of Achilles' tendons suffered from familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) [22].
• Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy is a neuromuscular disorder that has three characteristics: (a) early contracture of the elbows, Achilles tendons and postcervical muscles; (b) slowly progressive wasting and weakness of skeletal muscle; and (c) cardiomyopathy with severe conduction block [23].

Associations of Achilles Tendon with chemical compounds

• Loss of the Achilles tendon reflex, an objective parameter, was noted in 19 percent of patients receiving glutamic acid and 42 percent of control subjects (p = 0.03) [24].
• 4. With exercise, the net release of lactate as well as of glycerol from the peritendinous space of the Achilles tendon increased 2-fold (P < 0.05) [25].
• 2. A microdialysis technique was used to determine interstitial concentrations of glycerol, glucose, lactate, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and thromboxane B2 (TXB2) as well as to calculate tissue substrate balance in the peritendinous region of the human Achilles tendon [25].
• Bilateral rupture of the Achilles tendon in patients on steroid therapy [11].
• Purified ScpA is a monomeric, pepstatin-insensitive carboxyl proteinase with a molecular mass of 37 kDa which exhibited the highest reactivity toward collagen (type I, from a bovine Achilles tendon) among the macromolecular substrates examined [26].

Gene context of Achilles Tendon

• Previous work using the brachypod mouse has suggested that GDF-5 affects Achilles tendon composition, ultrastructure, and material behavior, as well as tendon repair [27].
• We investigated the expression of one important angiogenic factor, the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), in normal and pathologic human Achilles tendons using immunohistochemical, biochemical, molecular and cell biology methods [28].
• On an ultrastructural level, GDF-7 deficient Achilles tendons exhibited a shift towards smaller diameter fibrils which resulted in a small but significant reduction in mean fibril diameter (-8%, p = 0.05) [27].
• HYPOTHESIS: The tenascin-C gene is associated with Achilles tendon injury [15].
• On day 14 following Achilles tendon division, uPA receptor protein increased 12.6-fold (p<0.001) while uPA itself increased only 1.3-fold (p<0.05) [29].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of Achilles Tendon

• CONCLUSIONS: Measurement of serum cholesterol in patients presenting with painful Achilles tendon could lead to early diagnosis of HeFH [30].
• To conclude, lung transplant recipients receiving ciprofloxacin are at significant risk of developing Achilles tendon disease [31].
• We tested the use of functional polyurethane casts as an alternative to rigid plaster casts after experimental tenotomy and repair of the rabbit Achilles tendon [32].
• Measurement of the Achilles tendon after 12 to 16 months of treatment showed that reductions in thickness occurred in all patients taking probucol, even in a single-drug regimen, in those undergoing plasmapheresis, especially if probucol was used and in those receiving a combination of cholestyramine and compactin [33].
• Pain-free normal Achilles tendons and chronic painful Achilles tendons were examined by the use of antibodies against a general nerve marker (protein gene-product 9.5, PGP9.5), sensory markers (substance P, SP; calcitonin gene-related peptide, CGRP), and immunohistochemistry [34].

References