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Background: Equine sarcoids are locally invasive, fibroblastic benign skin tumors. Bovine papillomavirus type-1 (BPV-1) and/or Bovine papillomavirus type-2 (BPV-2) are believed to be the causative agent of sarcoids, although the mechanisms by which the virus induce the tumor are still poorly understood. We hypothesized that in genetically predisposed equines latent BPV infection may be reactivated by immunosoppression and/or mechanical injury leading to a form of pathologic wound which may transform into a sarcoid. In this study, we investigated in 25 equine sarcoids and in five normal skin samples the histological features and evaluated the immunohistochemical and molecular expression of type I and type III Collagen, vimentin (VIM), alfa Smooth Muscle Actin (α-SMA), Matrix Metalloproteinase (MMPs) -2, 9, 14 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 2 (TIMP-2)., Results: In 64% of investigated sarcoids, type I collagen staining was stronger than that of type III collagen. In 80% of sarcoids, SFs were strongly positive for vimentin and negative for α-SMA; the remaining sarcoid samples (20%) showed 70-80% of SFs labeled for vim and approximately 20-30% labeled for α-SMA. Moreover, all sarcoid specimen showed a variable staining pattern (weak to moderate) for MMP-9 and MMP-14, and a moderate to strong staining for MMP-2 and TIMP-2. Biochemical analysis confirmed immunohistochemical results and showed in sarcoids, for the first time, the cleaved form of MMP9, the 35 KDa active species for MMP-9., Conclusions: This study revealed that in equine sarcoids exhibit an altered turnover of the Extracellular Matrix (ECM) deposition and degradation, as result of an altered expression of MMPs and TIMPs. Therefore, these observations seem to confirm that the basic mechanism for growth of equine sarcoids could be a neoplastic transformation during wound healing.

Objective: To study increases in electromyographic (EMG) response from the right and left rectus femoris muscles of individuals with long-term cervical spinal cord injuries after EMG biofeedback treatment., Design: Repeated measure trials compared EMG responses before and after biofeedback treatment in patients with spinal cord injuries., Main Outcome Measures: The Neuroeducator was used to analyse and provide feedback of the EMG signal and to measure EMG response., Setting: Department of Traumatic Orthopaedics, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Brazil., Participants: Twenty subjects (three men and 17 women), between 21 and 49 years of age, with incomplete spinal cord injury at level C6 or higher (range C2 to C6). Of these subjects, 10 received their spinal cord injuries from motor vehicle accidents, one from a gunshot, five from diving, three from falls and one from spinal disc herniation., Results: Significant differences were found in the EMG response of the right rectus femoris muscle between pre-initial (T1), post-initial (T2) and additional (T3) biofeedback treatment with the subjects in a sitting position [mean (standard deviation) T1: 26μV (29); T2: 67μV (50); T3: 77μV (62)]. The mean differences and 95% confidence intervals for these comparisons were as follows: T1 to T2, -40.7 (-53.1 to -29.4); T2 to T3, -9.6 (-26.1 to 2.3). Similar differences were found for the left leg in a sitting position and for both legs in the sit-to-stand condition., Conclusions: The EMG responses obtained in this study showed that treatment involving EMG biofeedback significantly increased voluntary EMG responses from right and left rectus femoris muscles in individuals with spinal cord injuries., (Copyright © 2010 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)