Elevated Levels of a Disintegrin and Metalloproteinase 8 in Gingival Crevicular Fluid of Patients With Periodontal Diseases

Background: A disintegrin and metalloproteinase 8 (ADAM8) is involved in inflammation and is essential for osteoclastogenesis. Elevated ADAM8 levels are detected in human serum and other body fluids in several inflammatory conditions. Therefore, we hypothesized that ADAM8 levels are also raised in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of patients with periodontal diseases. Methods: Forty‐five patients with periodontal diseases (n = 15 for each group: the group of patients with gingivitis, the group with aggressive periodontitis [AgP], and the group with chronic periodontitis [CP]) and 15 volunteers who exhibited healthy gingiva were recruited. Four periodontal parameters, gingival index, plaque index, probing depth, and clinical attachment level, were recorded before GCF collection. The presence of ADAM8 in GCF was shown by immunoblotting using anti‐human ADAM8 polyclonal antibody against its prodomain, and the ADAM8 levels were measured by an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Four immunoreactive bands at 120, 70, 50, and <30 kDa were detected in the groups of patients with periodontitis, whose intensities were stronger than those in the group of patients with gingivitis, consistent with significantly greater ADAM8 levels in both groups of patients, with either CP or AgP, than those in the group of patients with gingivitis and in the group that was healthy (P <0.001). Moreover, the ADAM8 levels correlated significantly with the four periodontal parameters (P <0.001), indicating that ADAM8 levels are positively associated with the degree of periodontal tissue inflammation and destruction. Conclusions: The ADAM8 levels are elevated in the GCF of patients with periodontal diseases, including gingivitis, CP, and AgP, in comparison to control participants who are healthy, and they correlate with four clinical parameters that reflect the degree of disease severity.     

Does providing routine liver volume assessment add value when performing CT surveillance in cirrhotic patients?

Background

The measurement of liver volume (LV) is considered to be an effective prognosticator for postoperative liver failure in patients undergoing hepatectomy. It is unclear whether LV can be used to predict mortality in cirrhotic patients.

Methods

We enrolled 584 consecutive cirrhotic patients who underwent computerized topography (CT) of the abdomen for hepatocellular carcinoma surveillance and 50 age, gender, race, and BMI-matched controls without liver disease. Total LV (TLV), functional LV (FLV), and segmental liver volume (in cm³) were measured from CT imaging. Cirrhotic subjects were followed until death, liver transplantation, or study closure date of July 31, 2016. The survival data were assessed with log-rank statistics and independent predictors of survival were performed using Cox hazards model.

Results

Cirrhotic subjects had significantly lower TLV, FLV, and segmental (all except for segments 1, 6, 7) volume when compared to controls. Subjects presenting with hepatic encephalopathy had significantly lower TLV and FLV than those without HE (p = 0.002). During the median follow-up of 1145 days, 112 (19%) subjects were transplanted and 131 (23%) died. TLV and FLV for those who survived were significantly higher than those who were transplanted or dead (TLV:1740 vs. 1529 vs. 1486, FLV 1691 vs. 1487 vs. 1444, p < 0.0001). In the Cox regression model, age, MELD score, TLV, or FLV were independent predictors of mortality.

Conclusion

Baseline liver volume is an independent predictor of mortality in subjects with cirrhosis. Therefore, it may be useful to provide these data while performing routine surveillance CT scan as an important added value. Further studies are needed to validate these findings and to better understand their clinical utility.

     

Drug-induced Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis in children: 20 years study in a tertiary care hospital

Background:Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are severe life-threatening skin conditions.The most common cause of these manifestations is medications.Beside discontinued of the culprit drug,systemic corticosteroids were used as a primary treatment option among pediatric population.This study aimed to explore causative drugs (drug group/ latent period),treaments,complications,and treatment outcome (morbidity,mortality,length of hospital stay) of SJS and TEN in children.Methods:A retrospective chart was reviewed during the period of 1992 to 2012 at Srinagarind Hospital,Faculty of Medicine,Khon Kaen University,Thailand.SJS and TEN were clinically diagnosed and confirmed by pediatric dermatologists.Other possible causes other than drug-induced SJS and TEN were excluded.Results:A total of 30 patients was recorded,including 24 (80％) SJS patients and 6 (20％) TEN patients.The mean age was 6.9 years (SD 4.4).Male to female ratio was 1.5:1.Antiepileptic drug group was the most common causative drug (n=18,60％),followed by antibiotic drug group (n=8,26.6％),and others (n=4,13.3％) which included nonsteroidal antiinflammtory drugs (NSAIDs) and chemotherapy drugs.Systemic corticosteroids were used in 29 patients (96.6％).Intravenous immunoglobulin was used in one TEN patient (3.3％).There was a medium correlation between time to treatment (systemic corticosteroids) and the length of hospital stay (Spearman correlation coefficient=0.63,P=0.005).Two TEN patients (6.6％) died.Conclusions:Carbamazepine was the most common causative drug of SJS and TEN in our study.The severity of skin detachment is not correlated to severity of ocular findings.However,the persistent of ocular complications up to one year is suggested for promptly appropriate ocular treatment in all SJS and TEN patients.Our data suggested that early administration of systemic corticosteroid may reduce the length of hospital stay and should be considered for the treatment of pediatric drug-induced SJS and TEN.