Changes in lip forms on three-dimensional images with alteration of lip support and/or occlusal vertical dimension in complete denture wearers

PurposeThis study aimed to examine changes in the lip form, oral fissure form and vermilion height of complete denture wearers resulting from altered occlusal vertical dimension (OVD) and/or lip support.MethodsThree-dimensional facial images of 10 edentulous patients (four males and six females) when wearing six experimental record blocks (ExpRBs) with varying OVD and/or lip support were analyzed. Analysis was performed using three landmarks on the mid-line (labrale superius (ls), stomion (sto), and labrale inferius (li)) and two landmarks on the oral fissure (at points 20 mm right and left of the midline (r-OFP and l-OFP, respectively)). Curvature of the oral fissure (COF) in the frontal view was evaluated by calculating the difference between sto and the average of r-OFP and l-OFP (avrl-OFP). The vermilion height in the frontal view was calculated as the distance from sto to ls and li. In 10 subjects, comparison between standard ExpRB and test ExpRBs with altered OVD and/or lip support was performed by calculating differences between these data.ResultsThe ls, sto, and li landmarks changed with alteration of OVD and/or lip support, whereas avrl-OFP changed vertically with alteration of lip support and anteroposteriorly with alteration of OVD and/or lip support. COF and vermilion height were affected by alterations in OVD and/or lip support.ConclusionDeficient OVD with extensive lip support can curve the oral fissure form upward, and deficient OVD with deficient lip support can reduce the vermilion height.     

Prevalence and time of appearance of Brugada electrocardiographic pattern in young male adolescents from a three-year follow-up study

The prevalence of Brugada's electrocardiographic (ECG) pattern in 7,022 male adolescents in the seventh grade was determined, and the same subjects were reexamined 3 years later, while in tenth grade. Two subjects (0.03%) and 7 subjects (0.10%) showed Brugada's ECG pattern by the conventional criterion (J point or ST-segment >/=0.1 mV in leads V(1) to V(3)), and no subjects (0%) and 2 subjects (0.03%) fulfilled the recent criterion (J point or ST-segment >/=0.2 mV) in the seventh and tenth grades, respectively, indicating that Brugada's ECG pattern begins to appear during junior high school and increases until late adulthood.     

Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 regulates postnatal angiogenesis through inhibition of the excessive activation of Akt

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) binds both VEGF receptor-1 (VEGFR-1) and VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2). Activation of VEGFR-2 is thought to play a major role in the regulation of endothelial function by VEGF. Recently, specific ligands for VEGFR-1 have been reported to have beneficial effects when used to treat ischemic diseases. However, the role of VEGFR-1 in angiogenesis is not fully understood. In this study, we showed that VEGFR-1 performs "fine tuning" of VEGF signaling to induce neovascularization. We examined the effects of retroviral vectors expressing a small interference RNA that targeted either the VEGFR-1 gene or the VEGFR-2 gene. Deletion of either VEGFR-1 or VEGFR-2 reduced the ability of endothelial cells to form capillaries. Deletion of VEGFR-1 markedly reduced endothelial cell proliferation and induced premature senescence of endothelial cells. In contrast, deletion of VEGFR-2 significantly impaired endothelial cell survival. When VEGFR-1 expression was blocked, VEGF constitutively activated Akt signals and thus induced endothelial cell senescence via a p53-dependent pathway. VEGFR-1(+/-) mice exhibited an increase of endothelial Akt activity and showed an impaired neovascularization in response to ischemia, and this impairment was ameliorated in VEGFR-1(+/-) Akt1(+/-) mice. These results suggest that VEGFR-1 plays a critical role in the maintenance of endothelial integrity by modulating the VEGF/Akt signaling pathway.     

Myocardial ultrastructural changes in Kugelberg-Welander syndrome.

Electron microscopical study of a biopsied specimen of myocardium from a patient with the Kugelberg-Welander syndrome revealed myocardial degeneration, including preferential loss of myosin filaments and abnormalities in the Z bands. Leptomeric fibrils were also observed in the cardiac muscle cell; there does not appear to be a previous report of the finding of such fibrils in human myocardium.     

A case of hypersensitivity pneumonitis caused by Humicola fuscoatra

A 51-year-old housewife with hypersensitivity pneumonitis caused by Humicola fuscoatra is reported. The diagnosis was made by an inhalation challenge with H. fuscoatra antigen. She was admitted for diagnosis and treatment of a fever and productive cough. Auscultation of her lungs revealed inspiratory fine crackles. Her chest CT showed diffuse miliary nodules in a centri-lobular distribution with patchy ground glass opacities. Findings of transbronchial lung biopsy and BAL fluid were compatible with a hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Her symptoms worsened on returning home, which suggested the existence of some aetiological agent in the subject's house. H. fuscoatra, Penicillium decumbens and Aspergillus versicolor were isolated from a number of rooms. High titres of serum anti H. fuscoatra, P. decumbens and A. versicolor were detected. Inhalation challenge tests with both P. decumbens and A. versicolor antigen were negative, in contrast to that with H. fuscoatra which was positive. Based on these results, we advised the patient to cleanse her entire house. Since cleaning, her symptoms have not worsened upon returning home. This is the first report of hypersensitivity pneumonitis caused by H. fuscoatra antigen.     

Disseminated gonococcal infection in a Japanese man with complement 7 deficiency with compound heterozygous variants: A case report

Rationale:Complement deficiency are known to be predisposed to disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI). We herein present a case of DGI involving a Japanese man who latently had a complement 7 deficiency with compound heterozygous variants.Patient concerns:A previously healthy 51-year-old Japanese man complained of sudden-onset high fever. Physical examination revealed various skin lesions including red papules on his trunk and extremities, an impetigo-like pustule on left forearm, and tendinitis of his right forefinger.Diagnosis:Blood culture testing detected gram-negative cocci, which was confirmed to be Neisseria gonorrhoeae based on mass spectrometry and a pathogen-specific PCR test.Interventions:Screening tests for underlying immunocompromised factors uncovered that complement activities (CH50) was undetectable. With a suspicion of a congenital complement deficiency, genetic analysis revealed rare single nucleotide variants in complement 7 (C7), including c.281-1G>T and a novel variant c.1454C>T (p.A485V). CH50 was normally recovered by adding purified human C7 to the patient''s serum, supporting that the patient has C7 deficiency with compound heterozygous variants.Outcomes:Under a diagnosis of DGI, the patient underwent an antibiotic treatment with cefotaxime for a week and was discharged without any sequela.Lessons:DGI is a rare sexually-transmitted infection that potentially induces systemic complications. Complement immunity usually defeats N. gonorrhoeae and prevents the organism from causing DGI. This case highlighted the importance of suspecting a complement deficiency when a person develops DGI.     

Pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax and subcutaneous emphysema during radiotherapy in primary cavitating bronchogenic carcinoma

An extremely rare case of cavitating large cell carcinoma lung is reported in a middle aged man who developed pneumomediastinum, pneumothorax and subcutaneous emphysema on thirteenth day of his tele cobalt radiotherapy to chest. Possible mechanisms of such complications during radiotherapy are also discussed.     

Changes in insulin, somatostatin, and glucagon secretion during the development of obesity in ventromedial hypothalamic-lesioned rats

Changes in insulin, somatostatin, and glucagon secretion during the development of obesity in rats after ventromedial hypothalamic (VMH) lesions were evaluated by measuring fasting hormone levels and their secretion from the isolated perfused pancreas. Fasting peripheral insulin levels were not altered 1 week after the VMH lesions but became progressively elevated at 3-4, 8-9, and 11-12 weeks compared to the values in sham-operated and age-matched control rats. In the portal vein, insulin levels also progressively increased in VMH-lesioned rats, but the portal-peripheral gradient of insulin in the later phase of VMH obesity was significantly lower than in the early phase after VMH lesions. On the contrary, the arginine-induced insulin release from the perfused pancreas was highest at 1 week and gradually decreased thereafter, although it continued to remain higher than that of controls. The perfusate somatostatin response to arginine also was exaggerated in the VMH-lesioned rats. However, both the peripheral glucagon level and the glucagon secretion from the perfused pancreas of the VMH-lesioned rats were not significantly different from the controls. These results show that VMH lesions result in an increased insulin and somatostatin secretion. Using the cyclically perfused liver in situ, we have found that the hepatic extraction rate of insulin is indeed reduced in rats 8-9 weeks after VMH lesioning, and so have at least partly accounted for the decreased portal-peripheral gradient of insulin in the later VMH postoperative phase.     

Association study between a novel single nucleotide polymorphism of the promoter region of the prostacyclin synthase gene and essential hypertension.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether an association exists between the promoter region of the prostacyclin synthase gene and essential hypertension (EH). Using the polymerase chain reaction-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) method, we discovered a novel single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), T-192G, in the 5'-flanking region. We performed an association study using the SNP in 200 patients and 200 controls. The allele frequency distribution in the two groups was not significantly different. Thus, this SNP in the PGIS gene is not associated with EH.