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An appropriate protocol and unified management of thoracolumbar fractures without neurological impairment has not been well defined.This review attempts to elucidate some controversies regarding diagnostic tools, the ability to define the most appropriate treatment of classification systems and the evidence for conservative and surgical methods based on the recent literature.Cite this article: Vilà-Canet G, García de Frutos A, Covaro A, Ubierna MT, Caceres E. Thoracolumbar fractures without neurological impairment: a review of diagnosis and treatment. EFORT Open Rev2016;1:332-338. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.1.000029

Lumbar spinal stenosis has become one of the most disabling pathologies in the elderly population.Some additional conditions such as foraminal stenosis or degenerative spondylosis with a history of back pain and leg pain must be considered before treatment.A completely appropriate protocol and unified management of spinal stenosis have not yet been well defined.The objective of this literature review is to provide evidence-based recommendations reflected in the highest-quality clinical literature available to address key clinical questions surrounding the management of degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis.Cite this article: Covaro A, Vilà-Canet G, García de Frutos A, Ubierna MT, Ciccolo F, Caceres E. Management of degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis: an evidence-based review article. EFORT Open Rev2016;1:267-274. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.1.000030.

Toxoplasma gondii is capable of invading and multiplying within murine peritoneal macrophages. Previous studies have shown that treatment of macrophage monolayers with recombinant gamma interferon but not tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is associated with intracellular killing of T. gondii by macrophages. Furthermore, infection of macrophages with T. gondii prevents their stimulation for mycobactericidal activity by TNF. Since transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) is known to suppress a number of functions in macrophages, we investigated the influence of infection with T. gondii on macrophage TNF receptors and on production of TGF-beta. Infection with T. gondii was associated with increased production of TGF-beta and downregulation of TNF receptors. This effect was observed early after infection and was partially inhibited by anti-TGF-beta 1 antibody.