Sagittal jaw position in relation to body posture in adult humans – a rasterstereographic study

Background  

The correlations between the sagittal jaw position and the cranio – cervical inclination are described in literature. Only few studies focus on the sagittal jaw position and the body posture using valid and objective orthopaedic examination methods. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that patients with malocclusions reveal significant differences in body posture compared to those without (upper thoracic inclination, kyphotic angle, lordotic angle and lower lumbar inclination).     

Regression dilution methods for meta-analysis: assessing long-term variability in plasma fibrinogen among 27,247 adults in 15 prospective studies

BACKGROUND: Within-person variability in measured values of a risk factor can bias its association with disease. The extent of this regression dilution bias for plasma fibrinogen was investigated using repeat measurement data collected at varying time intervals on 27 247 adults in 15 prospective studies. METHODS: Regression dilution ratios (RDRs) were estimated from a linear regression of repeat measurements on baseline values in each study and for each time interval, and pooled allowing for within- and between-study heterogeneity. RDRs were estimated both without and with adjustment for confounders, and factors were investigated that might influence the RDRs. RESULTS: The unadjusted overall RDR was 0.51 (95% CI: 0.47, 0.55), which decreased to 0.46 (95% CI: 0.42, 0.49) after adjustment for age, sex and measured values of other established vascular risk factors. The RDR did not vary materially by assay method, age, sex or smoking status, but decreased at higher levels of baseline fibrinogen. CONCLUSION: It is appropriate to use an RDR of 0.5 to correct approximately for regression dilution bias in plasma fibrinogen values; however, this correction factor may produce somewhat conservative hazard ratios in adjusted analyses, at higher fibrinogen concentrations and in follow-up beyond a decade. More generally, the methods described in this report have widespread applicability to quantifying regression dilution bias in repeatability data from multiple prospective studies.     

Sagittal spinal posture in relation to craniofacial morphology

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to determine correlations between the parameters of body posture in the sagittal profile and sagittal jaw position by obtaining objective and valid three-dimensional measurements of the dorsal profile by means of rasterstereography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-three adults with Class II or III malocclusions were examined, and six angular parameters were determined. For the sagittal analysis of body posture, the Fleche Cervicale and Lombaire as well as trunk inclination were evaluated. RESULTS: Statistically significant correlations (P < .05) were found between Facial Axis and Fleche Cervicale, Mandibular Plane angle and Fleche Cervicale, and Facial Depth and the Fleche Cervicale. CONCLUSIONS: It can be concluded that the mandible seems to have a greater effect on body posture than other craniofacial parameters. As a clinical result of this study, patients with severe malocclusions should be examined interdisciplinarily before orthognathic surgery is performed to minimize postural influence on the altered jaw relationship after surgery.     

Relationship between thoracic, lordotic, and pelvic inclination and craniofacial morphology in adults

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the correlation ratios between the spinal posture (thoracic, lordotic, and pelvic inclination) and the craniofacial morphology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 53 healthy adults (32 women, 21 men; mean age 24.6 years). Six angular skeletal measurements (facial axis, mandibular plane angle, inner gonial angle, lower facial height, facial depth, and maxilla position) were determined based on the analysis of lateral head cephalographs. Rasterstereography was used for a precise reconstruction of the back sagittal profile. From the profile parameters, the upper thoracic inclination, the thoracic angle, the lordotic angle, and the pelvic inclination were determined. The correlations to the craniofacial morphology were calculated by means of the Pearson and Mann-Whitney U-test. RESULTS: Significant correlations could be obtained with respect to the facial axis and the lordotic angle, the facial axis and the pelvic inclination, the inner gonial angle and the lordotic angle, the inner gonial angle and the pelvic inclination, the mandibular plane angle and the lordotic angle, the mandibular plane angle and the pelvic inclination, as well as the facial depth and the pelvic inclination. CONCLUSIONS: In the case of postural disorders of the back shape, an interdisciplinary treatment approach seems to be of clinical value. Further prospective studies are necessary to prove how changes in craniofacial parameters can affect the postural balance of an individual.     

Cloning, expression and immunoassay detection of ferret IFN-gamma

Ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) develop symptoms upon influenza infection that resemble those of humans, including sneezing, body temperature variation and weight loss. Highly pathogenic strains of influenza A, such as H5N1, have the capacity to cause severe illness or death in ferrets. The use of ferrets as a model of influenza infection is currently limited by a lack of species-specific immunological reagents. Interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) plays a key role in the development of innate and adaptive immunity and the regulation of Th1-type immune responses. Here we describe the cloning of the full-length cDNA for ferret IFN-gamma. Multiple sequence alignment of the predicted amino acid sequence with those of other species indicates that the predicted ferret protein shares the highest identity with Eurasian badger IFN-gamma. We raised two hybridoma clones expressing monoclonal antibodies against recombinant ferret IFN-gamma capable of detecting IFN-gamma protein derived from mitogen-stimulated ferret PBMCs by immunoblotting, ELISA and ELISPOT assay. Finally, an ELISA utilizing the ferret-specific antibodies detected elevated levels of IFN-gamma in serum samples from H3N2 influenza A-infected ferrets.