Telaprevir Experience From Turkey

Background:

In patients with chronic hepatitis C, triple drug regimens containing a protease inhibitor, peginterferon and ribavirin were found to significantly increase sustained virologic response rates compared to dual drug regimen containing pegylated interferon and ribavirin, especially in genotype 1.

Objectives:

In Turkey, telaprevir has been used since March 2013. We aimed to evaluate results of patients with chronic hepatitis C treated with telaprevir, peginterferon and ribavirin.

Patients and Methods:

We evaluated 28 patients with genotype 1 chronic hepatitis C infection treated with triple drug regimen containing telaprevir, in three medical centers in Turkey, retrospectively. Demographic data of patients, treatment indications, adverse events and outcomes were recorded.

Results:

Of 28 patients intended to treat, 25 (89.2%) patients completed the treatment. Overall, 21 (82.1%) patients had relapse and five patients were non-responder. Regarding the treatment outcomes of Telaprevir based regimen, 20/26 patients achieved sustained virological response. Pruritus, rash, dysgeusia, anorectal discomfort and anemia were main adverse effects. Blood transfusion and ribavirin dose reduction required for 7 and 11 patients, respectively. Due to several adverse effects, 10 patients were hospitalized.

Conclusions:

Although more frequent and severe adverse effects, telaprevir has been promising for patients with treatment-experienced hepatitis C.     

Evaluation of miniscrew-supported rapid maxillary expansion in adolescents: A prospective randomized clinical trial

Objectives:To evaluate and compare the dental and skeletal changes with conventional and miniscrew-supported maxillary expansion appliances in adolescents.Materials and Methods:Forty patients were divided into two groups, with one group receiving a tooth-borne expander and the other group receiving an expander supported by four miniscrews (bone-borne). Multiplanar coronal and axial slices obtained from cone-beam computed tomography images were used to measure the changes in transverse skeletal widths, buccal bone thickness, tooth inclination, and root length. Paired t-tests and independent-sample t-tests were used to compare the two expansion methods.Results:Bone-borne expansion increased the maxillary suture opening more than 2.5 times than tooth-borne expansion both anteriorly and posteriorly. Between the maxillary first premolars, sutural expansion accounted for 28% and 70% of the total transverse width increase in the tooth-borne and bone-borne expander groups, respectively. Similarly, 26% and 68% of the total expansion was of skeletal nature in the tooth-borne and bone-borne expander groups between the maxillary first molars. The pattern of expansion was variable, with most of the patients in both groups demonstrating a triangular-shaped sutural opening that was wider anteriorly. Subjects in the conventional group experienced significantly more buccal bone reduction and greater buccal inclination of the teeth. No significant differences were observed for root length measurements between the two groups.Conclusion:Use of bone-borne expansion in the adolescent population increased the extent of skeletal changes in the range of 1.5 to 2.8 times that of tooth-borne expansion and did not result in any dental side effects.     

Prolonged QT dispersion in inflammatory bowel disease

AIM:To investigate the frequency and factors of prolonged QT dispersion that may lead to severe ventricular arrhythmias in patients with inflammatory bowel disease(IBD).METHODS:This study included 63 ulcerative colitis(UC) and 41 Crohn’s disease(CD) patients.Forty-seven healthy patients were included as the control group.Heart rate was calculated using electrocardiography,corrected QT dispersion(QTcd) and the Bazett’s formula.Homeostasis model assessment(HOMA) was used to determine insulin resistance(IR).HOMA values < 1 were considered normal and values > 2.5 indicated a high probability of IR.RESULTS:Prolonged QTcd was found in 12.2% of UC patients,and in 14.5% of CD patients compared with the control group(P < 0.05).A significant difference was found between the insulin values(CD:10.95 ± 6.10 vs 6.44 ± 3.28,P < 0.05;UC:10.88 ± 7.19 vs 7.20 ± 4.54,P < 0.05) and HOMA(CD:2.56 ± 1.43 vs 1.42 ± 0.75,P < 0.05;UC:2.94 ± 1.88 vs 1.90 ± 1.09,P < 0.05) in UC and CD patients with and without prolonged QTcd.Disease behavior types were determined in CD patients with prolonged QTcd.Increased systolic arterial pressure(125 ± 13.81 vs 114.09 ± 8.73,P < 0.01) and age(48.67 ± 13.93 vs 39.57 ± 11.58,P < 0.05) in UC patients were significantly associated with prolonged QTcd.CONCLUSION:Our data show that IBD patients have prolonged QTcd in relation to controls.The routine followup of IBD patients should include determination of HOMA,insulin values and electrocardiogram examination.     

The influence of various occlusal materials on stresses transferred to implant-supported prostheses and supporting bone: a three-dimensional finite-element study

The aim of this numerical analysis was to evaluate the amount and localization of stress that occurs with various materials used in implant-crown design under functional forces. Computer-aided design techniques and a finite-element stress analysis method were used for evaluation. A 4.1 x 10-mm implant placed in the mandibular second premolar area was simulated and analyzed. Simulation and analysis were performed with the use of COSMOS/M software and Pro/Engineer 2000i on a Dual Pentium III 1-GHz computer. Crown designs were as follows: porcelain fused to noble metal crown, porcelain fused to base metal crown, In-Ceram porcelain crown, and IPS Empress 2 porcelain crown. A 300-N vertical force was applied to the centric relation stop points of the crowns. The results of this study indicated that different types of restorative materials play an important role in the amount and distribution of the stresses in the superstructure and the implant. The highest stress values were observed in the IPS Empress 2 porcelain crown design (600 MPa). Porcelain fused to base metal and In-Ceram framework designs transferred less stress to abutment. Type of restorative materials used in implant crown designs are significant factors in the amount and distribution of the stresses on superstructure and implant under functional forces. Porcelain fused to base metal (149 MPa) and In-Ceram (173 MPa) crown designs induced higher von Mises stress values within the framework than porcelain fused to noble metal (108 MPa) and IPS Empress 2 (119 MPa) porcelain crown designs.     

Dental and alveolar arch widths in normal occlusion, class II division 1 and class II division 2

The aim of this study was to compare the transverse dimensions of the dental arches and alveolar arches in the canine, premolar, and molar regions of Class II division 1 and Class II division 2 malocclusion groups with normal occlusion subjects. This study was performed using measurements on dental casts of 150 normal occlusion (mean age: 21.6 +/- 2.6 years), 106 Class II division 1 (mean age: 17.2 +/- 2.4 years), and 108 Class II division 2 (mean age: 18.5 +/- 2.9 years) malocclusion subjects. Independent-samples t-test was applied for comparisons of the groups. These findings indicate that the maxillary interpremolar width, maxillary canine, premolar and molar alveolar widths, and mandibular premolar and molar alveolar widths were significantly narrower in subjects with Class II division 1 malocclusion than in the normal occlusion sample. The maxillary interpremolar width, canine and premolar alveolar widths, and all mandibular alveolar widths were significantly narrower in the Class II division 2 group than in the normal occlusion sample. The mandibular intercanine and interpremolar widths were narrower and the maxillary intermolar width measurement was larger in the Class II division 2 subjects when compared with the Class II division 1 subjects. Maxillary molar teeth in subjects with Class II division 1 malocclusions tend to incline to the buccal to compensate the insufficient alveolar base. For that reason, rapid maxillary expansion rather than slow expansion may be considered before or during the treatment of Class II division 1 patients.     

Three-dimensional finite-element analysis of functional stresses in different bone locations produced by implants placed in the maxillary posterior region of the sinus floor

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Implants placed in the posterior maxilla have lower success rates compared to implants placed in other oral regions. Inadequate bone levels have been suggested as a reason for this differential success rate. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the amount and localization of functional stresses in implants and adjacent bone locations when the implants were placed in the posterior maxilla in proximity to the sinus using finite element analysis (FEA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A 3-dimensional finite element model of a maxillary posterior section of bone (Type 3) was used in this study. Different bony dimensions were generated to perform nonlinear calculations. A single-piece 4.1x10-mm screw-shaped dental implant system (ITI solid implant) was modeled and inserted into atrophic maxillary models with crestal bone heights of 4, 5, 7, 10, or 13 mm. In some models the implant penetrated the sinus floor. Cobalt-Chromium (Wiron 99) was used as the crown framework material placed onto the implant, and porcelain was used for occlusal surface of the crown. A total average occlusal force (vertical load) of 300 N was applied at the palatal cusp (150 N) and mesial fossa (150 N) of the crown. The implant and superstructure were simulated in finite element software (Pro/Engineer 2000i program). RESULTS: For the porcelain superstructure for bone levels, maximum von Mises stress values were observed on the mesial fossae and palatal cusp. For the bone structure, the maximum von Mises stress values were observed in the palatal cortical bone adjacent to the implant neck. There was no stress within the spongy bone. High stresses occurred within the implants for all bone levels. CONCLUSION: The maximum von Mises stresses in the implants were localized in the neck of implants for 4- and 5-mm bone levels, but for 7-, 10-, and 13-mm bone levels more even stresses occurred within the implants.