Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Crohn's Disease (Influence of Surgical Operation-A Prospective Trial)

Improvement of health-related quality of life(HRQOL) is a major determinant in decisionmaking forsurgery in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). Thisstudy was designed to investigate the short- andlong-term effect of surgical resection for CD on HRQOL.Sixteen patients were investigated within one weekbefore surgery and 3, 6, and 24 months postoperatively.Besides the Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI), four instruments: the time trade-off technique(TTO), the direct questioning of objectives (DQO), therating form of inflammatory bowel disease patientsconcerns (RFIPC), and the Beck depression inventory-were used for assessment of HRQOL. CDAI decreasedsignificantly after operation and 10 patients remainedin remission for 24 months. Two patients hadpostoperative relapses and went into remission afterprednisolone treatment. Four patients developed chronicactive disease. HRQOL was significantly improved in allpatients three and six months postoperatively. Exceptfor the four patients with chronic active disease, all other patients (N = 12) had alsosignificantly improved HRQOL after 24 months. Inconclusion, surgical resections in CD lead to along-term improvement of HRQOL with the exception ofpatients with chronic active disease. This finding might be taken inconsideration for the indication of surgery inCD.     

Effect of Octreotide on Human Sphincter of Oddi Motility Following Liver Transplantation

The effect of octreotide on sphincter of Oddimotility was investigated in six liver transplantpatients, employing percutaneous (through the T-tubetract) manometry. Continuous and simultaneous sphincter of Oddi and duodenal motor activities wererecorded before and for 60 min after the administrationof octreotide (100 g subcutaneously) and after theinjection of cholecystokinin (0.02 g/kgintravenously). With octreotide, contraction frequency andbasal pressure significantly increased (P < 0.05).This effect lasted more than 60 min, long afteroctreotide-induced duodenal migrating motor complexphase III activity had ceased. Sphincter of Oddicontraction amplitude and duration were unaffected byoctreotide. Subsequent cholecystokinin administrationtransiently reduced sphincter of Oddi basal pressure and contraction frequency. We conclude thatoctreotide significantly increases sphincter of Oddibasal pressure and contraction frequency. This effect isdistinct from octreotide induction of migrating motor complex phase III activity, persists for aprolonged period, and is inhibited bycholecystokinin.     

组织工程化软骨修复软骨损伤

背景:目前临床上多采用自体或异体软骨移植、软骨膜或骨膜移植、软骨细胞移植等方法进行软骨损伤修复,但均因取材局限、免疫排斥等导致效果不佳。利用组织工程的方法再造软骨,为软骨缺损的临床修复提供了新的思路与途径。目的:利用SCI数据库文献检索和深度分析功能,对于组织工程软骨的文献资料趋势进行多层次探讨分析,根据检索文献结果分析组织工程软骨的发展趋势。方法:通过计算机检索SCI数据库中2001/2010有关组织工程软骨的文献,检索词为"软骨(cartilage);组织工程(tissueengineering);软骨细胞(chondrocyte/cartilage cell);软骨组织(cartilage tissue);支架材料(scaffold materials);种子细胞(seed cell)",以文字和图表的形式进行统计和结果分析,描述其分布特征。结果与结论:SCI数据库2001-01/2010-12收录组织工程软骨相关文献总计3137篇,中国在该领域的文献产出量逐渐增多,总体呈上升趋势,Biomaterials《生物材料》杂志发表文献量最多。美国在该领域文献产出量多于其他国家,对该领域研究起到重要作用,发表文献较多的机构集中在美国的哈佛大学,莱斯大学,麻省理工学院,哥伦比亚大学,加利福尼亚大学圣地亚哥分校等。     

Development of dentition: From initiation to occlusion and related diseases

BackgroundThe development of dentition begins in the embryonic oral cavity and progresses in the branchial arches and alveolar bone. Continuous cellular and molecular crosstalk occurs during crown formation, after which the tooth germ begins to migrate apically through the alveolar process into the oral cavity. It eventually comes in contact with its antagonist in the contralateral jaw to establish functional occlusion. Any defect in either step can result in delayed tooth development, the spectrum of which varies from a congenitally missing tooth to an impacted tooth (infraocclusion) with an eruption problem, both of which can impair oral function.HighlightCongenitally missing teeth or eruption problems may result from genetic mutations. Several different mutations have been identified, each causing a distinct phenotype. Thus, it is imperative that medical providers understand the fundamentals of these genetic principles that govern such dental diseases.ConclusionIn this review, we focus on several diseases, including congenitally missing teeth and tooth eruption problems. We review these diseases with aspect to their association with a particular syndrome, as well as independently in a non-syndromic capacity. We also review previously identified genetic mutations and discuss the possible mechanisms that cause individual phenotypes by analyzing previous investigations. We also discuss future prospects of how genetic diagnosis and precision medicine could impact the clinical environment in the field of dentistry.Ethical approvalPresent study has been carried out in accordance with The Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association and approved by Institutional Review Board of Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry.     

Effect of various polishing systems on the surface roughness and phase transformation of zirconia and the durability of the polishing systems

Statement of problem

Although many systems are used to polish zirconia, a comparison of the performance of zirconia and feldspathic porcelain polishing systems is lacking.

Effect of Interferon-α Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C on Health-Related Quality of Life

Studies of interferon- (IFN-)therapy for chronic hepatitis C have focused on viralclearance; however, few have evaluated patient'shealth-related quality of life during therapy. Thisstudy evaluates health-related quality of life and theprevalence of anxiety and depression in patients withchronic hepatitis C before, during, and followingIFN- therapy. Patients undergoing IFN-therapy for chronic hepatitis C were asked to completehealth status measures as well as anxiety and depressioninventories before, during, and following IFN-therapy. These measures were compared to the results of healthy adults in the general US population.Thirty-eight of forty-eight eligible patients (79%) withchronic hepatitis C completed the questionnaires.Respondents demonstrated a significant increase in depression during the sixth month ofinterferon therapy in comparison to pretreatmentresults. Anxiety scores improved significantly after onemonth of IFN- in comparison to pretreatmentresults. Scores on the health status measures did notvary with IFN- therapy. Patient responses wereanalyzed with respect to biochemical response(normalized transaminases) to IFN-. IFN-responders, who were aware of their transaminase results,exhibited lower scores on anxiety subscales during andafter therapy (P = 0.02-0.04). Scores on the healthstatus subscale, role emotional, improved in IFN- responders compared to nonresponders during thesixth month of therapy (P = 0.02). Response toIFN- therapy was not associated with any otherdifferences on subscale analysis. Patients with chronichepatitis C exhibited health perceptions similar to thegeneral US population, and these were unchanged duringIFN- therapy. However, the incidence ofdepression significantly increased during the sixthmonth of IFN- therapy. IFN- respondersexhibited fewer emotional problems as well as a lowerincidence of anxiety during and followingtherapy.     

Periodontal disease and bisphosphonates induce osteonecrosis of the jaws in the rat

Bisphosphonates (BPs) are medications used commonly to treat primary and metastatic bone cancer, as well as osteoporosis. Although BPs improve bone mineral density, reduce fracture risk, and reduce hypercalcemia of malignancy, some patients develop BP‐related osteonecrosis of the jaws (BRONJ). This devastating complication is defined as clinically exposed bone in the maxillofacial region for more than 8 weeks. Despite an increasing number of BRONJ cases since first reported, the disease pathophysiology remains largely unknown. Since published studies suggest a significant role for dental disease in the pathophysiology of BRONJ, we developed a BRONJ animal model where aggressive periodontal disease is induced by ligature placement around the crown of the right maxillary first molar in the presence of vehicle (veh) or zoledronic acid (ZA), a potent BP. Ligature placement induced significant alveolar bone loss, which was attenuated by ZA treatment. Osteonecrosis was observed associated with ligature‐induced periodontitis in the ZA‐treated group. This was seen as sequestration and extensive periosteal alveolar bone formation on micro–computed tomography (µCT) in the ligated site of BP‐treated animals. Histologic examination confirmed these findings, seen as necrotic bone with diffuse loss of osteocytes and empty lacunae, rimming of the necrotic bone by squamous epithelium and inflammation, and exposure to the oral cavity. Importantly, the rat lesions were strikingly similar to those of BRONJ patients. Our data suggest that dental disease and potent BP therapy are sufficient for BRONJ development in the rat. © 2011 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research     

Quality of life of 6-year-old survivors from a regional neonatal unit

Objective: Quality of life (QOL) of children who required treatment in a national neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) during the first week of life was determined at 6 years of age. Method: QOL was assessed using a standardized questionnaire employing a multi-attribute scoring system including the functions: hearing, vision, speech, mobility, emotion, learning, self-care and pain. After excluding those with congenital neurodevelopmental disorders, questionnaire returns were analyzed from 177 children treated in the NICU in 1990 and a comparative age-matched group of 230 children who did not require neonatal care. Of these, returns were obtained from 143 (81%) cases and 171 (74%) of the non-treated group. Results: There was no difference in overall ability between the two groups, with 95 (66%) of cases and 126 (74%) of the comparison group reporting normal scores in all functions. Children treated in the NICU had decreased scores in individual functions including speech (p = 0.04), mobility (p = 0.009) and self-care (p = 0.006). For the study population, males had lower function in speech (p = 0.04) and learning (p = 0.001), with significantly worse function overall (p = 0.02) when compared with female cases. When compared with same-gender children who did not require NICU care, overall function was also significantly worse for male but not female cases (p = 0.0002), and this was largely contributed to by impairment in speech (p = 0.03), mobility (p = 0.04), learning abilities (p = 0.02) and self-care (p = 0.03). Eleven (7.7%) cases compared with just two (1.2%) children who were not treated in the NICU required assistance at school (p = 0.009). No difference was observed when QOL was assessed according to gestational age and birth weight. Conclusion: Using a simple scoring system this study has shown that, for survivors who required early neonatal intensive care, the QOL at 6 years compared favorably with that of children not treated in the NICU, especially for girls.