Sensitization to horse hair, symptoms and lung function in grooms

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the rate of occupational sensitization to horse hair in grooms and whether occupational exposure to horse hair increases respiratory and allergic symptoms and affects lung function in grooms or not. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study. Two hundred grooms were randomly selected among 1000 grooms working in Veliefendi Hippodrome of Istanbul. One hundred and twenty-five subjects agreed to enter the study. Ninety-two workers who worked in the different parts of this hippodrome enrolled as the control group. A detailed questionnaire including respiratory and allergic symptoms was filled in, physical examination, skin prick tests and pulmonary function tests were performed. RESULTS: Sensitization to horse hair was 12.8% in grooms and 4.3% in controls. The difference was statistically significant (P = 0.0035). Asthma was found in 14.4% of the grooms and 5.4% of the controls, allergic rhinitis in 42.4% of the grooms and 18.4% of the controls, allergic conjunctivitis in 35.2% of the grooms and 15.2% of the controls, and allergic skin diseases in 32.8% of the grooms and 13% of the controls. The differences were statistically significant (P = 0.043, P = 0.0002, P = 0.001 and P = 0.0008, respectively). The means of FEV1, FEV1/FVC and FVC parameters were significantly lower in the groom group (P = 0.006, P = 0.001 and P = 0.003, respectively). In the multivariate analysis, being in the groom group and working years were found to be predictive factors for impairments of lung function (P < 0.001 and P = 0.002, respectively). CONCLUSION: Occupational exposure to horse increases the sensitization to horse hair, induces asthma and allergic symptoms and also impairs lung functions.     

The effect of ethanol intake on tendon healing: a histological and biomechanical study in a rat model

Introduction  

Ethanol has a suppressive effect on inflammation and the immune system, but the effect of ethanol on tendon healing in vivo has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the histological and biomechanical effects of ethanol intake on tendon healing in a rat tendon injury model.     

Ligneous periodontitis and gingival antioxidant status: report of two cases.

Ligneous periodontitis (LP) is a rare periodontal disease in which plasminogen deficiency and fibrin deposition both play a part, resulting in characteristic gingival enlargement and periodontal breakdown. Recent data suggest that oxidant/antioxidant changes are significant in the pathology of oral diseases. This study examines the gingival histopathology in 2 cases with LP. To examine the antioxidant (AO) status, the activity of the major AOs glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) and the malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, a product of lipid peroxidation, were measured and compared with healthy control subjects. The histopathologic examination of the gingiva revealed subepithelial fibrin accumulation and irregular extensive downward proliferation of the epithelium. Biochemical analysis showed that the CAT, GST, and MDA levels were higher in LP patients than in the control subjects, and the GSH level was lower. Our preliminary findings show that in LP, the AO capacity of the gingiva changes or decreases and lipid peroxidation increases, which suggests that oxidative stress is involved in the pathology of the periodontal breakdown observed in this disease.     

Treatment of horizontal root‐fractured maxillary incisors – a case report

Abstract – Traumatic dental injuries often occur to the teeth and their supporting tissues and they are the main reasons for emergency visit to a dental clinic. Management of a fracture depends on its position and the extent of root involvement. Horizontal root fractures are not seen frequently and the treatment consists of reduction and long‐term rigid fixation of the coronal segment. The present case demonstrates the successful management of two horizontally fractured maxillary central incisors with a follow‐up period of 9 months.     

Partially de-epithelialised and buried V-Y advancement flap for reconstruction of sacrococcygeal and ischial defects.

Defects in the sacrococcygeal and ischial soft tissues can be treated with gluteus maximus and posterior thigh V-Y advancement flaps. However, late complications include recurrence and dehiscence of the suture line. Increasing the amount of the soft tissues over the bony prominences and multilayered closure may have an advantage for long-term durability. We modified the V-Y advancement technique by de-epithelialising the medial parts of the flap and burying them under the opposing edge of the wound or the flap. Sixteen patients with various defects of the sacrococcygeal and ischial soft tissues were operated on using this technique. All the flaps healed well with no partial or complete loss of the flap. Three patients developed complications. The main advantage of our technique is the use of healthy tissues to obliterate the dead spaces under the edges of the wound or the opposing flap. In this way, not only the defect in the skin but the defect in the subcutaneous tissue, with its iceberg tip at the surface, is treated effectively. To have an additional layer of tissue between the bone and the superficial tissues provides an extra cushion of soft tissue and avoids putting the suture line directly over the bony prominences. We used this modification safely for both unilateral and bilateral flaps. It could also be used successfully in other parts of the body.     

Intrasphenoidal migration of a premaxillary Kirschner wire.

OBJECTIVE: The use of Kirschner wire for the fixation of premaxilla is a well-known method in bilateral cleft lip surgery. We report a case in which the Kirschner wire of the premaxillary fixation had migrated intrasphenoidally. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The foreign body was accidentally discovered during a cephalometric analysis and was taken out surgically through an upper lip sulcus incision. Although the wire remained asymptomatic for 10 years, it constituted a potential danger for intracranial migration.     

Effects of oral continuous 17beta-estradiol plus norethisterone acetate replacement therapy on abdominal subcutaneous fat, serum leptin levels and body composition.

AIM: To evaluate the effects of oral continuous 17beta-estradiol plus norethisterone acetate (E2/NETA) replacement therapy on abdominal subcutaneous fat, serum leptin level (SLL) and body composition in postmenopausal women. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A 6-month, prospective, randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study was conducted. Forty-three healthy naturally postmenopausal women aged 43-65 years were randomly assigned to receive E2/NETA (2 mg E2 plus 1 mg NETA, n = 22) or placebo (n = 21). Fasting SLL by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, subcutaneous abdominal fat thickness (STh) by ultrasound and the anthropometric indices of body weight (BW), body mass index (BMI), waist and hip circumference (WC, HC) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) were recorded at the beginning and the end of the study. RESULTS: After 6 months of therapy, BW and SLL increased in the placebo group (p = 0.043 and 0.033, respectively). WC, HC and STh decreased significantly in the E2/NETA group (p = 0.002, 0.006 and 0.000, respectively) and they were also significantly lower in women receiving E2/NETA than in women taking placebo (p = 0.000, 0.034 and 0.000, respectively). At baseline, SLL and STh were positively correlated with all anthropometric indices except WHR. CONCLUSION: Oral continuous combined regimen of E2/NETA significantly reduced central fat accumulation as assessed by WC and STh, and attenuated the increase in SLL. The observed changes in SLL were highly and positively related to changes in STh. The oral continuous combined E2/NETA regimen appears to have protective effects on cardiovascular function and probably on metabolic diseases by its slimming effect upon WC in postmenopausal women.