Untersuchung zur Kategorisierung des mandibulären Wachstumspotentials von Petrovic,Lavergne und Stutzmann

Zusammenassung In der vorliegenden Studie sollte untersucht werden, ob die vonPetrovic, Lavergne undStutzmann vorgeschlagene Kategorisierung des mandibulären Wachstumspotentials für die Behandlung mit dem Funktionsregler Geltung hat. Dazu wurden die Fernröntgenaufnahmen von 140 Patienten der Angle-Klasse II nach zirka zweijähriger Behandlung mit Funktionsreglern analysiert. Im Vergleich zu 133 unbehandelten Kindern mit Angle-Klasse II trat in fast allen Rotationsgruppen eine signifikant größere Zunahme der Unterkiefergesamtlänge ein. Zwischen der Kategorie 2 mit niedrigem Wachstumpotential und Kategorie 5 mit hohem Wachstumspotential wurden keine signifikant unterschiedlichen Zunahmen der Unterkieferlänge festgestellt.

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Summary The results of the study show whether the classification of mandibular growth potential, as proposed by Petrovic, Lavergne and Stutzmann has any influence on the treatment with a function regulator. X-rays of 140 class II patients were analysed after a treatment time of approximately 2 years. In comparison with 133 class II children without any treatment, a significant increase of the overall mandibular length was observed in almost all children treated. There was no significant difference in the increase of mandibular length between category 2 (low growth potential) and category 5 (high growth potential).

     

Reduction of atherosclerosis in cholesterol-fed rabbits and decrease of expressions of intracellular adhesion molecule-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor in foam cells by a water-soluble fraction of Polygonum multiflorum

Polygonum multiflorum stilbeneglycoside （PMS） is a water-soluble fraction of Polygonum multiflorum Thunb. , one of the most famous tonic traditional Chinese medicines, that has protective effects on the cardiovascular system. The purpose of the present study is to elucidate the effects of PMS on macrophage-derived foam cell functions and the reduction of severity of atherosclerosis in hypercholesterolemic New Zealand White （NZW） rabbits. NZW rabbits were fed for 12 weeks with a normal diet, a high cholesterol diet, or a high cholesterol diet associated with irrigation with different doses of PMS （25, 50, or 100 mg/kg）. Treatment of NZW rabbits fed with high cholesterol diet with 100 mg/kg PMS attenuated the increase in plasma cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and plasma triglyceride. Treatment with 50 and 100 mg/kg PMS caused 43% and 60% decrease in atherosclerotic lesioned area ratio to total surface area, respectively. In U937 foam cells, PMS could decrease the high expression of intercellular adhesion molecule （ICAM）-1 protein and the vascular endothelial growth factor （VEGF） protein levels in the medium induced by oxidized lipoprotein when analyzed by flow cytometry. The results proved that PMS is a powerful agent against atherosclerosis and that PMS action could possibly be through the inhibition of the expression of ICAM-1 and VEGF in foam cells.     

Red cell membrane stiffness in iron deficiency

The purpose of this study was to characterize red blood cell (RBC) deformability by iron deficiency. We measured RBC deformability to ektacytometry, a laser diffraction method for determining the elongation of suspended red cells subjected to shear stress. Isotonic deformability of RBC from iron-deficient human subjects was consistently and significantly lower than that of normal controls. In groups of rats with severe and moderate dietary iron deficiency, RBC deformability was also reduced in proportion to the severity of iron deficiency. At any given shear stress value, deformability of resealed RBC ghosts from both iron-deficient humans and rats was lower than that of control ghosts. However, increase of applied shear stress resulted in progressive increase in ghost deformation, indicating that ghost deformability was primarily limited by membrane stiffness rather than by reduced surface area-to-volume ratio. This was consistent with the finding that iron-deficient cells had a normal membrane surface area. In addition, the reduced mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and buoyant density of the iron-deficient rat cells indicated that a high hemoglobin concentration was not responsible for impaired whole cell deformability. Biochemical studies of rat RBC showed increased membrane lipid and protein crosslinking and reduced intracellular cation content, findings that are consistent with in vivo peroxidative damage. RBC from iron-deficient rats incubated in vitro with hydrogen peroxide showed increased generation of malonyldialdehyde, an end-product of lipid peroxidation, compared to control RBC. Taken together, these findings suggest that peroxidation could contribute in part to increased membrane stiffness in iron- deficient RBC. This reduced membrane deformability may in turn contribute to impaired red cell survival in iron deficiency.     

Probability of cure in elderly Hodgkin's disease patients

BACKGROUND: Elderly Hodgkin's disease patients have a poor prognosis. The question arises whether these patients need aggressive treatment or a palliative strategy. So far, as a consequence of the scarcity of trials designed for them, useful information can be obtained only by retrospective analyses. METHODS: We retrospectively studied clinical data from 567 patients recorded from 1982 to 1989 in the Piemonte Hodgkin's Disease Register (PHDR). The 65 patients over 65 years of age were compared to younger ones. We analyzed the role of disease independently of confounding variables, mainly inadequacy of staging and/or treatment, comorbidity and toxicity. RESULTS: In the elderly comorbidity was as high as 35%. Forty elderly patients (60%) entered a suboptimal plan with a low degree of aggressivity, which was different from the usual PHDR protocol. Elderly patients also had a high proportion of subsequent protocol interruptions (25%). Chemotherapy dose intensity was negatively affected by advanced age (p < 0.01 after both 3 and 6 courses of chemotherapy). Toxic deaths were significantly higher in elderly patients than in younger ones (14% vs 1%; p < 0.05). CR rates, overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS) and event free survival (EFS) were all significantly influenced by age (p < 0.01). Relapse-free survival (RFS) in patients achieving CR did not differ according to age class (77% vs 60%; p = ns). RFS was better in elderly patients entering the PHDR protocols than in those following an alternative plan (75% vs 54%; p = 0.04); however, elderly patients treated according to PHDR guidelines showed a higher incidence of toxic deaths than those treated less aggressively (23% vs 8%). The two groups had similar EFS (36% vs 24%; p = ns). CONCLUSIONS: Elderly patients who achieve CR can have good RFS and cure is possible, but the toxic cost of conventional strategies is unacceptable and selected strategies still must be found.     

The relative importance of thrombin inhibition and factor Xa inhibition to the antithrombotic effects of heparin

The relative importance of antithrombin and anti-factor Xa activities of heparin fractions required to achieve optimal antithrombotic effects is unknown. To study this, we measured the effects of standard heparin, an octasaccharide heparin fraction (anti-factor Xa activity only), and dermatan sulfate (antithrombin activity only) on the prevention of thrombosis and related this to their anticoagulant effects in vivo in rabbits. Thrombosis was measured as the incorporation of 125I- fibrinogen into tissue thromboplastin-induced thrombi using a Wessler- type model. Ex vivo changes in thrombin clotting time (TCT) were used as an index of antithrombin activity, and a chromogenic anti-factor Xa assay was used to measure anti-factor Xa activity. In addition, the ability of the three sulfated polysaccharides to simultaneously inhibit the generation of thrombin activity and to enhance the inactivation of the factor Xa added to initiate thrombin generation in plasma was determined. Standard heparin, in a dose of 10 anti-factor Xa U/kg, inhibited thrombus formation by 90%, prolonged the TCT by two seconds, and resulted in an anti-factor Xa level of 0.32 U/mL. The octasaccharide heparin fraction, in a dose of 10 anti-factor Xa U/kg, inhibited thrombus formation by 41%, had no effect on the TCT, and resulted in an anti-factor Xa level of 0.28 U/mL. Higher doses of the octasaccharide resulted in a further increase in the anti-factor Xa levels but had no further effect on thrombus formation. Dermatan sulfate, in a dose of 500 micrograms/kg, inhibited thrombus formation by 95%, but had no affect on the TCT. These results indicate that the antithrombotic effect achieved by inhibiting factor Xa is limited and that better antithrombotic effects are achieved by heparin or heparin- like substances capable of influencing the inactivation and/or the generation of thrombin.