Mandibular stability and condylar changes following orthognathic surgery in mandibular hypoplasia patients associated with preoperative condylar resorption

Clinical Oral Investigations - To evaluate postoperative mandibular stability and condylar changes in patients with mandibular hypoplasia and preoperative condylar resorption (CR) undergoing...     

Prognostic role of the recepteur d'origine nantais (RON) expression in ovarian cancer patients

ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to investigate the potential clinical relevance of immunohistochemically assessed RON expression in a large, single institution series of primary untreated advanced ovarian cancer patients.MethodsImmunohistochemical analysis was performed by using the polyclonal rabbit anti-RON-β antibody (C-20, clone sc-322, Santa Cruz, California). Results were expressed as the total proportion of immunostained tumor cells (RON positivity), or the percentage of cells showing strong staining of RON expression (H-RON positivity).ResultsIn the overall series RON positive immunoreaction was observed in 103/141 cases, while H-Ron positivity was detected in 577141 (40.4%) cases. No association between RON and H-RON expression with response to first-line treatment was documented. During the follow up period, progression and death of disease were observed in 111 (78.7%) and 76 (53.9%) cases, respectively. Cases with strong H-RON expression has a shorter overall survival (median = 35 months) than cases with low RON levels (median = 59 months) (X² = ? 2.1, p value = 0.032). In multivariate analysis, only platinum resistance, and extent of residual tumor retained an independent negative prognostic role for OS, with the percentages of H-RON positively immunostained cells showing a borderline statistical significance (p value = 0.0643). The unfavourable role of elevated percentages of H-RON expression was maintained only in the subgroup of platinum resistant recurrent ovarian cancer patients (X² = 3.89, p value = 0.048) compared to the platinum sensitive ones (X² = 1.98, p value = 0.16).ConclusionsThe assessment of RON expression deserves further attention as a parameter helpful to identify poor prognosis ovarian cancer patients potentially candidates to investigational agents.     

Simultaneous ovarian and endometrial osseous metaplasia: a case report

BACKGROUND: Endometrial ossification is a rare disease. More than 80% of cases occur after pregnancy, but it has been observed in patients with a history of endometritis, dilation and curettage, and metabolic disorders. CASE: A 42-year-old woman presented with osseous metaplasia of both the endometrium and ovaries. At laparoscopy both adnexa were covered with adhesions and were adherent to the posterior wall of the uterus. Following adhesiolysis, calcified nodules were removed from both ovaries with biopsy forceps. Endometrial bone tissue was removed by hysteroscopic resection. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of osseous metaplasia of both the endometrium and ovaries since all cases described to date in the literature involved only the uterine cavity. Conservative management with endoscopic surgery is effective.     

Horticultural Therapy May Reduce Psychological and Physiological Stress in Adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa: A Pilot Study

Studies in psychiatric populations have found a positive effect of Horticultural therapy (HCT) on reductions in stress levels. The main objective of the present pilot study was to evaluate the impact of the addition of HCT to conventional clinical treatment (Treatment as Usual, TaU) in a sample of six female adolescents with anorexia nervosa restricting type (AN-R), as compared to six AN-R patients, matched for sex and age, under TaU only. This is a prospective, non-profit, pilot study on patients with a previous diagnosis of AN-R and BMI < 16, recruited in 2020 in clinical settings. At enrolment (T0) and after treatment completion (TF), psychiatric assessment was performed. At T0, all the patients underwent: baseline electrocardiogram acquisition with a wearable chest strap for recording heart rate and its variability; skin conductance registration and thermal mapping of the individual’s face. An olfactory identification test was administered both to evaluate the olfactory sensoriality and to assess the induced stress. One-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were performed to analyze modifications in clinical and physiological variables, considering time (T0, TF) as a within-subjects factor and group (experimental vs. control) as between-subjects factors. When the ANOVA was significant, post hoc analysis was performed by Paired Sample T-tests. Only in the HCT group, stress response levels, as measured by the biological parameters, improved over time. The body uneasiness level and the affective problem measures displayed a significant improvement in the HCT subjects. HCT seems to have a positive influence on stress levels in AN-R.     

儿科过敏的个案报道

Introduction Allergic diseases are unfortunately on the increase. This is due to the massive exposure to chemicals and pollutants contained in the air we breathe, in the food we eat and in the water we drink. This is also due both to the stressful life we lead nowadays, which causes energetical unbalances in our immune system, and to the contact with unfamiliar allergens coming from foreign Countries.     

Comparison of assays for anti-HBc in blood donors

Testing for anti-HBc has been recommended for use as a paradoxical or surrogate marker of carriers of non-A, non-B hepatitis. Serial sampling on a pool of 35,600 donors was done and those donors found to be repeatedly reactive by EIA method were rested using RIA methodology. Of 1367 donors found to be repeatedly reactive by EIA method, only 984 were confirmed by RIA. Those found to be reactive by EIA only were allowed to donate blood again, with only three of them becoming positive by both EIA and RIA on subsequent donations. The majority of these donors (107 out of 151) reverted to EIA negative status. Therefore, the finding of a positive anti-HBc by EIA method that could not be repeated by RIA method is not an early reproducible sign of anti-HBc reactive status.