A retrospective analysis of the stability and relapse of soft and hard tissue change after bilateral sagittal split osteotomy for mandibular setback of 64 Taiwanese patients.

PURPOSE: This study was an analysis of the soft and hard tissue changes of the facial profile after bilateral sagittal splitting osteotomy for mandibular setback of Taiwanese patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We collected pre- and postsurgical lateral cephalographs of 64 patients (28 males, 36 females) with skeletal Class III malocclusion who received combined orthodontic-surgical treatment with bilateral sagittal splitting osteotomy mandibular setback at Taipei Veterans General Hospital between 1994 and 2000. Nineteen cephalometric parameters of (14 linear, 4 angular, and the BS index) soft and hard tissues were measured at 1 week before treatment, and 2 months and 1 year after surgery, and analyzed by paired t test. RESULTS: Mean patient age was 20.0 +/- 1.6 years. The patients underwent an average of 7 mm mandibular setback at the osseous pogonion (Pog). Average setbacks at Pog and soft tissue pogonion (pog) were 5.54 mm and 4.85 mm, respectively, at 1 year after surgery. The setback ratio of Pog/pog was 1:0.88. The hard tissue relapse at Pog was 21% at 1 year after surgery. Improvement in prognathic profile was demonstrated by significant changes in the positions of Pog and pog, ANB angle, the distance from lower lip to esthetic line (E-L lip), and the BS index after surgery. However, compared with parameters obtained from a normal Taiwanese population, the cephalometric data of Pog, pog, and BS index still indicated mild prognathism. CONCLUSION: Although mandibular prognathism could be grossly improved by bilateral sagittal splitting osteotomy mandibular setback, a significant amount of relapse occurred within 1 year after surgery. The extent of the postoperatively preserved features showing mandibular prognathism should be a concern for both patients and physicians.     

EVALUATION OF INDOCYANINE GREEN RETENTION AND AMINOPYRINE BREATH TESTS IN PATIENTS WITH MALIGNANT BILIARY OBSTRUCTION

Impaired hepatic function is a major contributory factor to the high incidence of postoperative morbidity and mortality in patients with malignant biliary obstruction. Dynamic hepatic function tests such as indocyanine green (ICG) retention and aminopyrine breath tests were evaluated in such patients to define whether they were clinically useful for prediction of postoperative morbidity and mortality. Forty-four patients with malignant biliary obstruction undergoing surgery for relief of obstructive jaundice were recruited into the study. Indocyanine green retention and aminopyrine breath tests were carried out in all patients pre-operatively and repeated in 36 patients postoperatively. The ICG retention was abnormal in all patients before surgery and there was significant improvement 2 weeks after surgery (32.8 ± 2.5%vs 18.3 ± 2.8%, P= 0.001). The change in ICG retention levels correlated with the serum bilirubin levels but the pre-operative ICG retention value could not predict postoperative morbidity and mortality. The aminopyrine breath test was abnormal in all but one patient. It correlated with pre-operative prothrombin time of the patients before surgery but it did not improve significantly after surgery and was not predictive of postoperative outcome. It is concluded that both ICG retention and aminopyrine breath tests have limited clinical value in the pre-operative evaluation of patients with malignant biliary obstruction.     

Benzo(a)pyrene inhibits epidermal growth factor binding and receptor autophosphorylation in human placental cell cultures

Studies investigated the effects of benzo(a)pyrene (BP) treatment on epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor binding and kinase activity in human placental cell cultures. Specific binding of 125I-EGF to cells from early gestation placentae was significantly decreased by 37 and 60% following exposure to 1 and 10 microM BP, respectively, for 24 hr. In contrast, cells cultured from term placentae showed no inhibitory effect of either concentration of BP. Specific binding of 125I-labeled insulin and insulin-like growth factors-I and -II to early gestation cells was decreased only 15-18% at 10 microM BP, which indicates that loss of membrane receptors appears to be selective for EGF. Scatchard analysis of early gestation cells revealed that BP was associated with a dose-dependent loss in the number of high affinity EGF binding sites. Evidence from cross-linking and autophosphorylation experiments confirmed that the Mr 170,000 binding protein was decreased in a dose-dependent manner following BP treatment. In comparison, term placental cells exhibit a 26% loss of EGF receptor autophosphorylation without alteration in binding following exposure to 10 microM BP. Thus, early gestation cells exhibit a BP-related down-regulation of EGF receptors, whereas term placental cells show receptor desensitization. No adverse effect of BP treatment was observed on the incorporation of [35S] methionine into proteins secreted by early gestation cells. Further experiments compared the effects of BP with the related poly-cyclic compounds beta-naphthoflavone, alpha-naphthoflavone, and 3-methylcholanthrene. In early gestation cells, EGF binding and receptor autophosphorylation were measurably decreased at 10 microM concentrations of these polycyclic compounds, but to a lesser extent than observed with BP. In term placental cells, however, EGF binding was unchanged or increased, whereas receptor autophosphorylation was decreased 10-26%. Thus, exposure of term placental cells to these polycyclic compounds leads to a dissociation between EGF binding and receptor protein kinase activity. Finally, aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity was induced 20- to 200-fold in early placental cells exposed to BP, beta-naphthoflavone, and 3-methylcholanthrene. In summary, the direct effects of BP and related compounds observed on placental EGF receptors may indicate altered function of EGF in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation in the human placenta.     

Subthreshold transpupillary thermotherapy of the retina and experimental choroidal neovascularization in a rat model

PURPOSE: To study the effect of subthreshold transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT) on the retina and experimental choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in the rat. METHODS: Subthreshold TTT was performed on normal Brown Norway rats or those with krypton laser-induced CNV and appropriate controls with an 810-nm diode laser coupled to a slit lamp. At different intervals after TTT, fundus fluorescence angiography (FFA) and histopathological examinations were performed. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) was used to detect apoptosis. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) expression. RESULTS: In normal retina, edema and whitening was found on day 1 after TTT. Different degrees of hyperfluorescence could be seen on FFA. Obvious retina damage, especially in the outer layers, was observed by histology in all the lesions that appeared whitened. In the CNV there was congestion and less damage in the overlying retina than in normal retina on day 1 after TTT. Apoptosis was detected in all retinal layers and CNV lesions by TUNEL. In normal eyes, after TTT, Hsp70 expression was increased in the inner layers of the retina and some of the cells in the choroid. Hsp70 was also increased in laser-induced CNV. Two weeks after TTT, the CNV showed a tendency for fibrosis by Masson staining. FFA did not show much change in the CNV lesions 2 weeks after TTT. CONCLUSION: Subthreshold TTT has adverse effects on the overlying retina and thus is likely to cause significant functional and morphological long-term sequelae. Subthreshold TTT can cause apoptosis in laser-induced CNV in rats.     

Identifying potential indicators of the quality of end-of-life cancer care from administrative data.

PURPOSE: To explore potential indicators of the quality of end-of-life services for cancer patients that could be monitored using existing administrative data. METHODS: Quality indicators were identified and assessed by literature review for proposed indicators, focus groups with cancer patients and family members to assess candidate indicators and generate new ideas, and an expert panel ranking the meaningfulness and importance of each potential indicator using a modified Delphi approach. RESULTS: There were three major concepts of poor quality of end-of-life cancer care that could be examined using currently-available administrative data (such as Medicare claims): institution of new anticancer therapies or continuation of ongoing treatments very near death; a high number of emergency room visits, inpatient hospital admissions, or intensive care unit days near the end of life; and a high proportion of patients never enrolled in hospice, only admitted in the last few days of life, or dying in an acute-care setting. Concepts such as access to psychosocial and other multidisciplinary services and pain and symptom control are important and may eventually be feasible, but they cannot currently be applied in most data systems. Indicators based on limiting the use of treatments with low probability of benefit or indicators based on economic efficiency were not acceptable to patients, family members, or physicians. CONCLUSION: Several promising claims-based quality indicators were identified that, if found to be valid and reliable within data systems, could be useful in identifying health-care systems in need of improving end-of-life services.     

Magnetic nanoparticle labeling of mesenchymal stem cells without transfection agent: cellular behavior and capability of detection with clinical 1.5 T magnetic resonance at the single cell level.

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the efficacy of labeling human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) by ionic superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) without a transfection agent and verifying its capability to be detected with clinical 1.5 T magnetic resonance (MR) at the single-cell level. Human hMSCs were incubated for 24 h with an ionic SPIO, Ferucarbotran. The labeling efficiency of hMSCs was determined by iron content measurement spectrophotometrically, and the influence of labeling on cell behavior was ascertained by examination of cell viability using the trypan blue exclusion method, cell proliferation analysis using MTT (3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) change, differentiation capacity, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production measured by dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFDA) fluorescent probe. Labeled hMSCs were scanned under 1.5 T MRI with three-dimensional (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) T(2)-weighted gradient echo (GRE) pulse sequences. Human hMSC labeling without transfection agent was efficient. The iron content in hMSCs was 23.4 pg Fe/cell. No significant change was found in viability, proliferation, MMP change, ROS production, or differentiation capacity. About 45.2% of the hMSCs could be detected using 1.5 T MRI at the single cell level with 3D GRE and four repetitions.     

抗β2糖蛋白1抗体与习惯性流产

目的 探讨抗β2 GP1抗体与习惯性流产间的关系。方法 选取122例有习惯性流产史未妊娠妇女为流产组，选取60名未妊娠正常生育育龄妇女为正常对照组，用酶联免疫法检测两组血清中抗β2 GP1抗体。结果 122例不明原因习惯性流产史的患者中，抗β2 GP1IgA、IgG、IgM型抗体阳性率分别为13．1％、9．0％和15．6％。这三型自身抗体阳性率均明显高于正常对照组，差别有显著性(P分别为P=0．009、P=0．011、P=0．003)。结论 对不明原因习惯性流产史的患者作抗β2 GP1抗体检测，将有助于病因的诊断。     

发育性偏颌畸形的整形外科矫治

目的探讨发育性偏颌畸形的外科矫治方法。方法通过对21例发育性偏颌畸形患者的畸形部位与程度，分别采用LefortⅠ型截骨、下颌升支矢状劈开、颏部水平截骨、下颌骨外板截除、下颌骨外板移植等项整形手术治疗，并就该类患者颌面结构特征、手术方式的选择及疗效进行了回顾性分析。结果自1997年7月至2003年10月共治疗发育性下颌偏斜畸形21例，根据不同的类型采用相应的手术方法，获得了满意面部形态和殆功能。结论发育性偏颌畸形，根据不同类型运用相应的措施，通过恢复面部骨性轮廓支架和殆关系，配合术前术后的正畸治疗，可获得满意的临床效果。