Making clinical decisions for dental care: concepts to consider

Clinical decisions are often made with incomplete information, yet patient care decisions are made every day. Patients vary clinically, uncertainty exists in diagnostic and prognostic information, and many preventive and treatment alternatives have not been formally assessed for their effectiveness. Because scientific information will never answer all clinical questions, clinical decisions are partially based on probabilistic information.
This paper describes how to apply clinical decision making to diagnosing and managing dental caries and periodontal diseases. By using explicit information to quantify probabilities and outcomes, clinical decision making analyzes decisions made under uncertain conditions and the uncertain impact of clinical information.
Clinical decision making incorporates concepts for preventing, diagnosing and treating dental caries and periodontal diseases: risk assessment, evidence-based dentistry, and multiple oral health outcomes. This information can serve as a tool for clinicians to augment clinical judgment and expertise.     

Survivin在食管癌中的表达及其与bcl-2表达关系的相关研究

目的探讨Survivin在食管癌组织中的表达及其与bcl-2蛋白表达的相关性。方法应用免疫组织化学SP法,检测Survivin、bcl-2蛋白在68例食管癌组织和20例正常食管组织中的表达。结果Survivin蛋白在正常食管组织中低表达或不表达,68例食管癌组织中,49例表达阳性,占72.1%。Survivin蛋白表达与分化程度、淋巴结转移密切相关(P<0.05)。食管癌组织bcl-2蛋白表达阳性、阴性组中,Survivin蛋白阳性表达率分别为94.7%(36/38)和43.3%(13/30),两者比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。Survivin蛋白表达与bcl-2蛋白表达密切相关。结论Survivin在食管癌组织中表达上调,通过抑制细胞凋亡,在食管癌的发生中起到重要作用;凋亡相关基因bcl-2的上调与Survivin的表达可能在食管癌变中起协同作用。     

PTEN及Bcl-2蛋白在膀胱移行细胞癌中的表达及其意义

目的：探讨PTEN及Bcl-2蛋白在膀胱移行细胞癌的表达规律及其临床意义。方法：应用免疫组织化学链亲和素-生物素-霉复合物（SP）方法检测43例膀胱移行细胞癌和7例正常黏膜组织中PTEN及Bcl-2蛋白的表达．分析二者的表达与膀胱癌病理参数的关系。结果：（1）G1、G2、G3肿瘤PTEN表达阳性率分别为85．7％、80．4％、73．3％，浸润性肿瘤和表浅性肿瘤表达阳性率分别为70．4％和93．8％，说明PTEN表达阳性率与肿瘤病理分级、临床分期有关。（2）G。、G2、G3肿瘤Bcl-2表达阳性率分别为14．2％、57．14％、66．67％，浸润性肿瘤和表浅性肿瘤表达阳性率分别为59．3％和43．8％，说明Bcl-2表达阳性率与肿瘤病理分级、临床分期有关。（3）随着肿瘤恶性程度的增高和临床分期进展，PTEN蛋白阳性率呈下降，Bcl-2表达呈增高趋势，二者表达呈负相关关系。结论：PTEN的抑癌作用可能与Bcl-2有关．二者的异常表达在膀胱移行细胞癌的发生、发展过程中起重要作用。二者同时检测有助于判断预后。     

NEW DEVICE TO PERFORM COAGULATION AND IRRIGATION SIMULTANEOUSLY DURING ENDOSCOPIC SUBMUCOSAL DISSECTION USING AN INSULATION‐TIPPED ELECTROSURGICAL KNIFE

Background: Although bleeding is an unavoidable complication of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), endoscopic hemostasis using an insulation‐tipped electrosurgical knife (IT) knife is impossible because an insulator is mounted at the tip of the knife. We have developed a new type of hood which could perform both coagulation and irrigation simultaneously. Methods: Our new device was fabricated by drilling a side hole in the cap portion of a conventional transparent hood followed by attaching a machined papillotomy knife to the exterior surface of the hole. Results: Our new hood was useful for hemorrhage during ESD using IT knife. Conclusions: With this method, endoscopic hemostasis using IT knife is easy, as hemostatic procedure can be performed under irrigation and coagulation using conventional endoscopy.     

Localized Kaposi''s sarcoma in a patient with pemphigus vulgaris

We report the case of a patient with a 13-year history of pemphigus vulgaris (PV) treated with immunosuppressive agents, prednisone and mycophenolate mofetil who had developed lesions of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) on a sole plaque of PV that had been previously treated with intralesional injections of steroids. The lesions were surgically removed and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) demonstrated human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8) DNA. There were neither recurrences nor later dissemination of KS following gradual decrease of the immunosuppressive therapy. We suggest that the treatment with intralesional steroids may have influenced the local reactivation of a latent infection of the virus, determining the appearance of this localized KS.     

Statistical analysis of pathologic risk factors for intramyometrial lymphvascular space involvement in myoinvasive endometrial carcinoma

In a retrospective study using univariate analysis, we identified tumor type (nonendometrioid vs endometrioid), depth of myoinvasion (MI), mode of MI (infiltrative vs cohesive), and direct anatomic invasion of the cervical wall from the isthmus as significant positive risk factors for intramyometrial lymphvascular space involvement (LVSI). On multivariate analysis, tumor grade, depth of MI, and mode of MI retained their significance. We created a grid for the relative risks of LVSI with respect to these variables individually or in combination. We suggest that our indirect estimate of the risk of LVSI can help in assessing prognosis and determining the need for adjuvant therapy whenever LVSI is important in clinical decision making, but its pathologic diagnosis is uncertain.     

1,25(OH)2Vitamin D3 induces elevated expression of the cell cycle inhibitor p18 in a squamous cell carcinoma cell line of the head and neck

BACKGROUND: 1Alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) [1,25(OH)(2) Vitamin D(3)] induces growth inhibition in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cell lines of the head and neck by arresting the cells in the G0/G1 phase of the cell cycle, probably due to an enhanced expression of p21, which could be demonstrated in other cell lines (JPPA, SCC9) before. In SCC25, a SCC cell line isolated from tongue, growth inhibition but no overexpression of p21 was detected. The retinoblastoma gene, as a direct target of G1 cyclin-CDK complexes, showed an obvious shift from the hyperphosphorylated to the hypophosphorylated form under 1,25(OH)(2)Vitamin D(3), which indicates that the growth inhibition takes place in the G0/G1 phase. To explore the possible pathway of growth inhibition in SCC25 we investigated other cell cycle inhibitors (p18, p19, p27). METHODS: Synchronized cells were treated with 1,25(OH)(2)Vitamin D(3) over 96 h. The cell cycle status and expression of cell cycle-regulating proteins was determined by fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) and Western blotting. An overexpression of p18 in 1,25(OH)(2)Vitamin D(3) vs. ethanol-treated cells was determined until 30 h in SCC25. No influence was detectable on the expression of p27 and p19. CONCLUSION: One mechanism by which 1,25(OH)(2)Vitamin D(3) controls cell growth might be the upregulation of p21. As p21 was unsusceptible to 1,25(OH)(2)Vitamin D(3) in SCC25, other inhibiting proteins were necessary to be tested. The proven upregulation of p18 seems to be the responsible step for growth inhibition of 1,25(OH)(2)Vitamin D(3) in SCC25.     

Clinical features of hepatocellular carcinoma that occur after sustained virological response to interferon for chronic hepatitis C

Background and Aim: This study investigated the clinical features of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with sustained virological response to interferon for hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection. Methods: A total of 7715 patients with HCV infection were treated with interferon and followed up for more than 1 year after withdrawal of interferon in 64 Japanese hospitals and clinics between July 1988 and August 2001. Sustained virological response was obtained in 2515 (32.6%) patients. Of these 2515 patients, clinical data were collected for 38 patients in whom hepatocellular carcinoma developed. Sustained virological response was defined as HCV RNA negativity more than 6 months after the termination of interferon. Results: All patients were HCV RNA negative at the time of diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. The median period until the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma was 4.7 years (range 1.4–9.0 years). There were significant improvements in hepatic function including serum albumin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, indocyanine green test, platelet count and histological activity grade in comparison with those before interferon therapy and at the onset of hepatocellular carcinoma. The maximum tumor size in patients without medical follow‐up for 1 year or more (median: 60 mm) was significantly larger than in patients who were periodically followed up for 6 months or less (median: 25 mm) (P = 0.002). Conclusions: The present findings emphasize the importance of regular medical follow up of patients with HCV infection, as even patients showing a sustained virological response to interferon and in whom hepatic function has improved have the potential to develop hepatocellular carcinoma.     

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis: the importance of early magnetic resonance imaging

The diagnosis of acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is frequently missed or delayed with consequent delay in instituting therapy in the crucial phase of the illness. The role of MRI in the diagnosis of ADEM is well established, however, the value of its early utilization of treatment on the outcome of patients has not been adequately stressed. Three patients with ADEM are described. Delay in the diagnosis of the first was associated with severe sequelae, while in the other two early diagnosis and institution of corticosteroid therapy which was facilitated by MRI, was associated with a better outcome. MRI should be carried out early once the diagosis of ADEM is entertained.