Peripheral blood leukocyte telomere length is associated with age but not renal function: A cross-sectional follow-up study

Objectives

We aimed to evaluate the relationship between baseline renal function and changes in telomere length in Han Chinese.

Methods

The telomere restriction fragment (TRF) length of leukocytes in the peripheral blood was measured in healthy volunteers recruited in 2014. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated based on serum creatinine (Scr) and serum cystatin C (CysC)-eGFRcys and eGFRScr-cys through the Cockcroft-Gault formula (eGFRC-G) or the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI / eGFRCKD-EPI) equation. The correlation between telomere length changes over time and renal function was analyzed.

Results

Leukocyte TRF lengths were negatively correlated to age (r = -0.393, p < 0.001) and serum CysC (r = -0.180, p < 0.01), while positively associated with eGFRCKD-EPI, eGFRC-G, eGFRcys, and eGFRScr-cys (r = 0.182, 0.122, 0.290, and 0.254 respectively, p < 0.01). The 3-year change of telomere length was 46 bp/years. When adjusted for age, the associations between telomere length changes and baseline, subsequent TRF lengths, and serum CysC were no longer present. No association was observed between TRF length changes and renal function.

Conclusion

The rate of telomere length changes was affected by age and baseline telomere length. The telomere length changes might be important markers for aging.

     

Effect of Dibutyl Phthalate on the Tolerance and Lipid Accumulation in the Green Microalgae <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chlorella vulgaris</Emphasis>

Offshore oil exploration creates threats to coastal ecosystems, including increasing urbanization and associated effluent releases. Genotoxicity biomarkers in mussels were determined across a gradient of coastal zone influences of offshore petroleum exploration in southeastern Brazil. Coastal ecosystems such as estuaries, beaches and islands were seasonally monitored for genotoxicity evaluation using the brown mussel Perna perna. The greatest DNA damage (5.2%?±?1.9% tail DNA and 1.5‰? ±?0.8‰ MN) were observed in urban estuaries, while Santana Archipelago showed levels of genotoxicity near zero and is considered a reference site. Mussels from urban and pristine beaches showed intermediate damage levels, but were also influenced by urbanization. Thus, mussel genotoxicity biomarkers greatly indicated the proposed oil exploration and urbanization scenarios that consequently are genetically affecting coastal organisms.     

Induction of dental pulp fibroblast matrix metalloproteinase-1 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 gene expression by interleukin-1alpha and tumor necrosis factor-alpha through a prostaglandin-dependent pathway

Matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) are involved in the degradation of extracellular matrix in many inflammatory diseases. Little is known regarding the expression of these mediators in dental pulp fibroblasts. The effects of proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin (IL)-1alpha and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) on pulp fibroblast MMP-1 and TIMP-1 gene expression were investigated. Northern hybridization showed that IL-1alpha and TNF-alpha induced significant MMP-1 gene expression, with only little effect on TIMP-1 gene. Exogenous PGE2, however, upregulated TIMP-1 mRNA synthesis but not MMP-1. Concomitant addition of IL-1alpha and PGE2 or TNF-alpha and PGE2 suppressed MMP-1 mRNA production, compared with the groups treated with IL-1alpha or TNF-alpha alone. In contrast, PGE2 enhanced the upregulatory effects of TIMP-1 mRNA by IL-1alpha or TNF-alpha. Furthermore, cytokine stimulation of MMP-1 and TIMP-1 gene expressions can be enhanced or blocked by indomethacin, respectively, and reversed by exogenous PGE2. These results suggested that cytokine-stimulated MMP-1 and TIMP-1 gene expression in dental pulp fibroblasts was mediated, at least in part, by a prostaglandin-dependent pathway. The differential regulation of IL-1alpha or TNF-alpha-induced MMP-1 and TIMP-1 mRNA synthesis, as well as the direct upregulation of TIMP-1 gene expression by PGE2, also implied that prostaglandin may serve as a protective mechanism from excessive tissue breakdown during pulpitis.     

Immunohistochemical localization of oncostatin M in epithelialized apical periodontitis lesions

Aim  To investigate the in situ location of oncostatin M (OSM) in epithelialized apical periodontitis lesions.
Methodology  Thirty periapical lesions of pulpal origin were collected with informed consent from patients at the time of apical surgery. Tissue specimens were fixed with 10% buffered formalin overnight, dehydrated in an ascending series of graded alcohol, and embedded in paraffin. Five micron sections from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens were examined by immunohistochemistry. In addition, another section from each specimen was stained with haematoxylin and eosin to assess the presence of inflammatory infiltrates. Differences in OSM expression between tissue with low and high levels of inflammation were subsequently analyzed by Fisher's exact test.
Results  Based on histological examination of haematoxylin and eosin stained sections, all specimens revealed the morphology of epithelialized apical periodontitis lesions. The results from immunohistochemistry demonstrated that OSM stain was detected in the inflammatory infiltrates, epithelium, connective tissue, and endothelium. The OSM signal was mainly expressed in endothelial cells (100%) followed by inflammatory cells (93.33%), epithelial cells (53.33%), and fibroblasts (16.67%). In addition, OSM expression was significantly higher in epithelialized apical periodontitis with higher levels of inflammatory infiltrates ( P  < 0.001).
Conclusions  Oncostatin M was found to be expressed in epithelialized apical periodontitis lesions and would form part of the cytokine network involved in the disease process of apical periodontitis.     

Nance弓的支抗与支抗消耗分析

目的：评价不同状态时Nance弓的支抗强弱和支抗消耗。方法：43例分成J钩、Nance弓及J钩和Nance弓联合支抗3组，分别测量矢状向和水平向的支抗消耗并进行统计分析。结果：3种支抗时第一磨牙均有显著性前移(P＜0．001)，三者相互之间有显著性差异(P＜0．01或P＜0．05)，Nance弓水平支抗稳定(P＞0．05)。结论：Nance弓是一种简单有效的支抗装置，具有三维支抗作用，支抗消耗可通过与其它支抗联合或改变牵引方式来调节。     

头颈部恶性肿瘤患者血清可溶性白介素2受体水平

目的:研究头颈部恶性肿瘤患者血清可溶性白介素2受体(sIL-2R)水平的变化。方法:用双抗体夹心法对60例头颈部恶性肿瘤患者,60例良性肿瘤患者以及50例健康对照者的血清sIL-2R水平进行检测。结果:头颈部恶性肿瘤患者组血清sIL-2R水平显著高于健康对照组(P<0.01),而良性肿瘤患者组血清sIL-2R水平与健康对照组无统计学差异(P>0.05)。结论:血清中高sIL-2R水平可能与头颈部恶性肿瘤的发生有相关性。     

A newly designed resonance frequency analysis device for dental implant stability detection

Resonance frequency (RF) analysis technology was used to design a new dental implant stability detector. To calibrate and test the performance of this novel apparatus, in vitro and in vivo models, respectively, were used. The RF values of the test implants detected using our new device and a commercially available analogous device (Osstell) were compared. Further, implant stability status was also detected clinically using our device at 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after surgery. A high correlation was demonstrated between the values measured with the two devices (y = 0.31x-12.45; R2 = 0.98, p < 0.05). In our clinical tests, an initial RF value above 10.0 kHz indicated that the implant was ready to accept functional loading, while values in the 4.0-10.0 kHz range reflected the need for further osseointegration. In conclusion, these results indicated that our new device might be useful in a clinical setting for evaluating the healing status of a placed implant.     

倾斜种植体在上颌后牙区骨量不足患者中的应用

目的:探讨倾斜种植体作为一种避免上颌窦植骨的方法,应用于上颌骨后牙区骨量不足患者种植修复的可靠性。方法:2005年1月—2007年12月间,21例患者共27个固定桥修复上颌后牙缺失,分别使用ITI和Br覽nemark 2种种植系统共植入78颗种植体,其中34颗种植体采用倾斜植入,44颗轴向植入。所有患者均为上颌后牙区骨量不足无法直接接受常规种植体植入。种植体植入后常规愈合3个月,除1颗种植体失败外,其余种植体均功能性负载支持固定义齿修复,修复方式为黏结固位和螺丝固位。每例患者均于负载后12、24和36个月接受临床和放射学随访检查。采用SPSS11.0软件包对数据进行统计学处理。结果:上颌有1颗轴向种植体在术后2个月时失败,倾斜种植体无失败。随访时间为36个月。上颌轴向种植体的累积存活率为97.72%,倾斜种植体的累积存活率为100%,修复成功率为100%。随访期间,种植体周围软组织保持稳定,平均探诊深度和附着水平无明显变化。结论:倾斜种植体作为一种上颌骨后牙区骨量不足患者的治疗方法是可靠的,能有效避免植骨手术,并节约治疗时间。