Alveolar crest contour changes after guided bone regeneration using different biomaterials: an experimental in vivo investigation

To evaluate the changes in alveolar contour after guided bone regeneration (GBR) with two different combinations of biomaterials in dehiscence defects arou     

Results From a Large,Multicenter, Retrospective Analysis On Radium223 Use in Metastatic Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC) in the Triveneto Italian Region

Background

Radium 223 was introduced for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer based on the results of a randomized controlled trial showing risk reduction for death and skeletal events. Our aim was to evaluate the outcome of patients receiving radium 223 in a real-world setting.

Classification and cyclic fatigue evaluation of new kinematics for endodontic instruments

This study evaluated the effect of new motions of the motor TriAuto ZX2 on the cyclic fatigue of endodontic instruments. Vortex Blue 35.06 instruments were divided into four groups (n = 10) and tested for fatigue in a curved artificial canal (90° and 2 mm radius) using the following motions: continuous rotation (CR), Optimum Torque Reverse (OTR) set at 180° and the Optimum Glide Path (OGP), which was tested at 90° and 240°. The time to fracture (TTF) and the lengths of the fractured fragments were recorded. The mean TTF was significantly different among the groups (anova , P < 0.05): OGP 90° (213.39 ± 27.45), OTR 180° (121.24 ± 17.03), OGP 240° (45.24 ± 5.61) and CR (8.43 ± 1.27). Weibull analysis confirmed the shortest life expectancy for CR and the longest survival for OGP at 90°. The resistance to fatigue was affected by motions and pre‐set angles. The proprietary movements that are currently available for endodontic instruments were classified according to their kinematics.     

Chromogenic ionophore-based methods for spectrophotometric assay of sodium and potassium in serum and plasma

We report spectrophotometric methods for quantifying sodium and potassium in serum and plasma without sample pretreatment or solvent-extraction steps. The methods are based on novel chromogenic ionophores characterized by molecular structures highly preorganized for binding, which result in exceptionally high sensitivity and selectivity (negligible responses to sodium at 80 to 200 mmol/L in the potassium assay and to potassium at 0 to 10 mmol/L in the sodium assay). The within-run imprecisions are comparable with those for ion-selective electrodes (for K, 1.0% at 4.5 mmol/L; for Na, 1.1% at 136 mmol/L); the analytical range is 2-10 mmol/L for potassium, 80-170 mmol/L for sodium. The results for greater than 100 patients' samples correlated well with results obtained with ion-selective electrodes (r = 0.99 for K, 0.97 for Na). The ready-to-use aqueous reagents will be available under the trade name of ChromoLyte for use with Technicon's RA family of clinical analyzers.     

Hemolytic anemia during pegylated IFN-alpha2b plus ribavirin treatment for chronic hepatitis C: ribavirin is not always the culprit.

A 53-year-old woman admitted to our department for histologically proven chronic hepatitis C had previously been treated with pegylated interferon-alpha2b (PEG-IFN) plus ribavirin. Combination therapy had been withdrawn after 5 weeks because of severe anemia (hemoglobin 8.2 g/dl) despite a reduction in ribavirin dose. A second liver biopsy showed moderate chronic hepatitis with portoportal and portocentral bridges (Ishak score: grading 14/18, staging 4-5/6). Consequently, the patient was retreated with 1.5 microg/kg body weight weekly PEG-IFN and 1000 mg/day ribavirin. Ribavirin was withdrawn about 3 months later because of anemia. After 1 month of PEG-IFN alone, hemoglobin had decreased further to reach 7.9 g/dl; consequently IFN was stopped. An elevated reticulocyte count, indirect bilirubin concentration, and lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) concentration, and a positive direct Coombs test (IgG3, C3d also for panagglutinant irregular antibodies on eluate) led us to diagnose autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AHA). The patient received 1 mg/kg body weight/day prednisone, and all parameters normalized within 20 days. This is the first case of IFN-related AHA during PEG-IFN plus ribavirin therapy. Physicians should be aware that PEG-IFN can be the cause of AHA during a ribavirin-containing regimen for chronic hepatitis C.     

Factor Xa-activated whole blood clotting time (Xa-ACT) for bedside monitoring of dalteparin anticoagulation during haemodialysis.

BACKGROUND: Low molecular weight heparins (LMWH) like dalteparin are increasingly used for anticoagulation during haemodialysis (HD). The available laboratory tests for monitoring LMWH anticoagulation are time-consuming and expensive, and the suitability of the conventional activated clotting time (ACT) is controversial. A simple and cheap bedside test would be useful. METHODS: We studied the factor Xa-activated whole blood clotting time (Xa-ACT) in vitro and in vivo in nine patients undergoing chronic HD with i.v. dalteparin bolus anticoagulation and compared it with the conventional ACT. Plasma anti-factor Xa (antiXa) activity was determined with a chromogenic assay. Thrombin-antithrombin complexes were measured to detect coagulation activation. RESULTS: Xa-ACT and ACT were prolonged with rising dalteparin concentration. In vitro, both clotting times were strongly correlated with the antiXa levels (r = 0.94 and 0.89, respectively). Nevertheless, compared with the ACT, the Xa-ACT was considerably more sensitive to the LMWH in vitro (healthy blood: Xa-ACT 90 s/U vs ACT 26 s/U; uraemic blood: Xa-ACT 96 s/U vs ACT 31 s/U) as well as in vivo (Xa-ACT 81 s/U vs ACT 22 s/U) and reflected different intensities of anticoagulation. An initial dalteparin bolus of 80+/-11 U/kg body weight was able to prevent coagulation activation for up to 4 h of HD. CONCLUSION: For monitoring LMWH anticoagulation the Xa-ACT was superior to the conventional ACT in vitro as well as in vivo during HD. The Xa-ACT can be useful as a LMWH bedside test. The ACT was not sensitive enough to serve as a LMWH monitoring tool.