Depressive symptoms in relation to periodontal health in a Jordanian sample

Abstract:  Objectives : This cross-sectional study examines the relationship of depression symptoms to periodontal diseases and decayed (D), missing (M) and filled teeth (FT) in a sample of the Jordanian population. Methods : Subjects escorting dental patients attending two dental hospitals in North Jordan were included. Each subject received full periodontal examination, including probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL), gingival index (GI) and plaque index (PI). The numbers of M, D and F teeth were also recorded. The Zung Self-rating Depression Scale was used to determine susceptibility to depression. Results : The frequency of high susceptibility to depression among periodontitis-free subjects and those with periodontitis was found to be 48% and 50% respectively. There was no statistically significant association between susceptibility to depression symptoms and periodontal parameters, including PPD, CAL, PI and GI ( P  >   0.05 ) . However, subjects with low susceptibility to depression had significantly more FT than subjects highly susceptible to depression. Conclusions : High susceptibility to depression does not play a significant role in the aetiology and severity of periodontitis in the population studied.     

TOXAPHENE IS ANTIESTROGENIC IN A HUMAN BREAST-CANCER CELL ASSAY

Toxaphene is a complex mixture of chlorinated bornanes, bornenes, and bornadienes and was a heavily used insecticide in the United States until its use was restricted in 1982. There are conflicting reports regarding the potential for toxaphene to induce estrogenic responses in human and nonhuman animals. Due to the public concern over environmental estrogens, the estrogenicity of toxaphene was examined in a human breast-cancer cell assay, the MCF-7 focus assay, which is based on in vitro postconfluent cell proliferation and tissue restructuring. In this assay, 0.1-1 n M 17 b estradiol (E) produces maximum postconfluent proliferation and formation of multicel2 lular nodules or foci. Toxaphene was also tested for its ability (1) to bind the estrogen receptor (ER) in a competitive binding assay using recombinant human ER a (rhER) and in a whole-cell competitive ER binding assay, and (2) to alter the catabolism of E 2 in MCF-7 cell cultures. Results from the MCF-7 focus assay showed: (1) Toxaphene alone was not estrogenic between the concentrations of 0.5 n M and 10 mu M, (2) toxaphene in binary combinations with chlordane, dieldrin, or endosulfan (a or b) was not estrogenic, and (3) toxaphene was weakly antiestrogenic (it reduced the number of foci induced by 0.1 n M and 0.01 n M E₂). Results from the competitive binding assays showed that (1) toxaphene alone did not bind rhER or ER in MCF-7 cells, and (2) toxaphene in binary combinations with other pesticides did not bind rhER. Results from the growth assay and radiometric analysis of E₂ catabolism showed that (1) toxaphene did not alter the growth rate of MCF-7 cell cultures over 13 d, and (2) toxaphene did not alter the catabolism of E₂. In conclusion, results from the MCF-7 focus assay demonstrate that toxaphene is weakly antiestrogenic rather than estrogenic.     

Toxaphene is antiestrogenic in a human breast-cancer cell assay

Toxaphene is a complex mixture of chlorinated bornanes, bornenes, and bornadienes and was a heavily used insecticide in the United States until its use was restricted in 1982. There are conflicting reports regarding the potential for toxaphene to induce estrogenic responses in human and nonhuman animals. Due to the public concern over environmental estrogens, the estrogenicity of toxaphene was examined in a human breast-cancer cell assay, the MCF-7 focus assay, which is based on in vitro postconfluent cell proliferation and tissue restructuring. In this assay, 0.1-1 nM 17beta-estradiol (E2) produces maximum postconfluent proliferation and formation of multicellular nodules or foci. Toxaphene was also tested for its ability (1) to bind the estrogen receptor (ER) in a competitive binding assay using recombinant human ERalpha (rhER) and in a whole-cell competitive ER binding assay, and (2) to alter the catabolism of E2 in MCF-7 cell cultures. Results from the MCF-7 focus assay showed: (1) Toxaphene alone was not estrogenic between the concentrations of 0.5 nM and 10 microM, (2) toxaphene in binary combinations with chlordane, dieldrin, or endosulfan (alpha or beta) was not estrogenic, and (3) toxaphene was weakly antiestrogenic (it reduced the number of foci induced by 0.1 nM and 0.01 nM E2). Results from the competitive binding assays showed that (1) toxaphene alone did not bind rhER or ER in MCF-7 cells, and (2) toxaphene in binary combinations with other pesticides did not bind rhER. Results from the growth assay and radiometric analysis of E2 catabolism showed that (1) toxaphene did not alter the growth rate of MCF-7 cell cultures over 13 d, and (2) toxaphene did not alter the catabolism of E2. In conclusion, results from the MCF-7 focus assay demonstrate that toxaphene is weakly antiestrogenic rather than estrogenic.     

Effect of the duration of electrical stimulation on the analgesic response in patients with low back pain

BACKGROUND: Electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves produces acute analgesic effects. This randomized, sham-controlled, crossover study was designed to evaluate the effect of differing durations of electrical stimulation on the analgesic response to percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in 75 consenting patients with low back pain. METHODS: All patients received electrical stimulation for four different time intervals (0, 15, 30, and 45 min) in a random sequence over the course of an 11-week study period. All active percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation treatments were administered using alternating frequencies of 15 and 30 Hz three times per week for 2 consecutive weeks. The prestudy assessments included the health status survey short form questionnaire and 10-cm visual analog scale scores for pain, physical activity, and quality of sleep, with 0 being the best and 10 being the worst. The pain scoring was repeated 5-10 min after each 60-min study session and 24 h after the last treatment session with each of the four methods. The daily oral analgesic requirements were assessed during each of the four treatment blocks. At the end of each 2-week treatment block, the questionnaire was repeated. RESULTS: Electrical stimulation using percutaneously placed needles produced short-term improvements in the visual analog scale pain, physical activity, and quality of sleep scores, and a reduction in the oral analgesic requirements. The 30-min and 45-min durations of electrical stimulation produced similar hypoalgesic effects (48+/-21% and 46+/-19%, respectively) and were significantly more effective than either 15 min (21+/-17%) or 0 min (10+/-11%). The 30- and 45-min treatments were also more effective in improving physical activity and sleep scores over the course of the 2-week treatment period. In contrast to the sham treatment (0 min), the health status survey short form revealed that electrical stimulation for 15 to 45 min three times per week for 2 weeks improved patient function. CONCLUSION: The recommended duration of electrical stimulation with percutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy is 30 min.     

Human alpha – Fetoprotein peptides bind estrogen receptor and estradiol, and suppress breast cancer

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a transporter of various serum ligands and regulator of cellular growth during pregnancy. Estrogens modify AFP to exhibit growth suppressive properties. We recently synthesized a peptide (P149) from human AFP that suppresses the growth of mouse uterus and MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Here it is shown that molar excess treatment of native AFP with estradiol-17 (E₂) exposes the P149 site on AFP. The anti-estrogenic and anti-tumor activities of AFP-peptides were tested in vivo in the immature mouse uterine assay and mammary tumor (6WI-101)-induced ascites assay, and in vitro in a cytostatic assay using five different human breast tumor cell lines. AFP-peptide P149, and fragments of P149, P149A and P149C but not P149B, suppressed the growth in both in vivo assays. P149 also suppressed the in vitro growth of MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB435 breast cancer cells by more than 75%. P149 and P149A bound the estrogen receptor- (ER) with low affinities compared to E₂ and tamoxifen, while P149B bound ³H-E₂ with 10⁵ fold less affinity compared to ER. The recent epidemiologic observation that high AFP levels in young pregnant women reduce their subsequent risk of postmenopausal breast cancer may be related to the growth suppressive property of AFP with the exposed P149 epitope.     

出血热误诊为上呼吸道感染1例

1病例报告患者,男,22岁,因间歇性全身乏力、肌肉酸痛2 wk,发冷1 wk,发热4 d入院.曾在我院查WBC 4.5×109/L,N 0.60,L 0.4,体温波动在38～40℃.初步诊断"上呼吸道感染",用阿莫西林、VC银翘片、清热解毒冲剂等治疗无效.查体:T 38.9℃,BP面性12/8 kPa.全身皮肤无出血点,双眼球结膜轻度充血,咽部充血,软腭未见充血点,心肺腹部未见阳性体征.实验室检查:WBC 7.85 × 109/L,N 0.79,L 0.21,HGB 150g/L,PCL30×109/L,尿蛋白3.2g/L,流行性出血热抗体( ).诊断:流行性出血热.入院后立即按照流行性出血热的治疗原则给予抗病毒、抗渗出、抗出血治疗.具体包括卧床休息,给予高热量,多维生素,易消化饮食;维持水、电解质、酸碱及血浆渗透压平衡;给予大剂量(5 g)Vit.C和Vit.E.同时给予氢化可地松100 mg/d,稀释后缓慢静脉滴注.入院后3 d患者的尿量由450 mL/d增至750 mL/d,肌酐204.6μmol/L,BUN 13.3 mmol/L.5 d尿量增加至4000 mL/d.经综合治疗10 d,肌酐和BUN检查等正常,痊愈出院,随访1 mo未见异常.     

Polypropylene mesh repair of sacroperineal hernia following sacrectomy with long-term follow-up. A case report and literature review

Sacroperineal hernia is an uncommon complication following sacrectomy. We review previous techniques of repair and report a simple method of reconstructing the operative defect using polypropylene mesh. This case has been without complication or repeat herniation at six years follow-up.