Prevalence of malocclusions and orthodontic treatment need in 8- to 12-year-old schoolchildren in Casablanca,Morocco

ObjectivesThe purpose of this work was to evaluate the prevalence of malocclusions and orthodontic treatment need among schoolchildren in Casablanca, Morocco.Materials and methodsA sample of 1000 children aged between 8 and 12 years, with no history of orthodontic treatment, was chosen at random in state schools in different administrative areas of the city of Casablanca. Data was registered using the method of Bjork et al. (1964). Orthodontic treatment need was assessed with the index used by the Swedish National Board of Health (SweNBH).ResultsWe found Angle Class I malocclusions in 61.4%, Class II in 24%, Class III in 10% and an indeterminate molar class with one or more missing molars in 4.6% of the children. Overjet was 1–4 mm in 63.8%, 4–6 mm in 17.2% and >6 mm in 10%. Bite was normal in 65.4%, 23.6% presented an overbite greater than 4 mm, 1.7% an anterior open bite ≤3 mm, 1.2% an anterior open bite >3 mm and 0.2% a bilateral open bite. Half of the sample presented anterior crowding, while only 2.5% presented posterior crowding. In all, 84.2% of the subjects needed some orthodontic treatment, and 15.8% needed no treatment. No statistically significant difference was found between sex or age and orthodontic treatment need (P>0.05).ConclusionsThis study found a strong need for orthodontic treatment, confirming the utility of implementing a programme of bucco-dental prevention and screening for malocclusion.     

Effect of Rehabilitation Program on Endocrinological Parameters in Patients with COPD and in Healthy Subjects

Background: Skeletal muscle wasting commonly occurs in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and has been associated with the presence of systemic inflammation and endocrinological disturbance. The aim of this study is to analyze the effect of rehabilitation program on the balance of anabolic versus catabolic hormone in patients with COPD and in healthy subjects. Methods: Nineteen patients with COPD and 16 age-matched healthy subjects undertooked exercise training 3 days/week for 8 weeks. Before and after the training program the concentration of growth hormone (GH), Insulin-Like Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1), Insulin-like Growth Factor-Binding Protein 3 (IGF-BP3), testosterone and cortisol in serum were determined. The exercise measurements included a 6-Minute Walking Test (6MWT). Results: After 8 weeks, there was no significant change in lung function in patients with COPD and healthy subjects. Growth hormone, Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 and Insulin-like Growth Factor-Binding Protein 3 increased significantly after rehabilitation training (p < 0.01). The rehabilitation program improves the testosterone/cortisol ratio (T/C ratio) in both groups. There is a significant improvement in the 6-Minute Walking distance (6MWD) in both groups (p < 0.01). Dyspnea and heart rate at rest and at the peak of the 6-Minute Walking Test (6MWT) decreased significantly after training program (p < 0.01). Conclusion: Pulmonary rehabilitation induces an improvement of the anabolic process and reduces proteine distruction by the modifications in endocrinological factors regulating skeletal muscle in patients with COPD.     

Prevalence of medical conditions among patients attending dental teaching clinics in northern Jordan

AIM: This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of self reported medical conditions among dental patients attending dental teaching clinics in north Jordan. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A total of 1,509 patients were included, of which 46.1% were males and 53.9% were females. All age groups were included and ranged between 14 and 78 years. The findings were analyzed in relation to age and gender. RESULTS: Overall, gastrointestinal disease was most prevalent (11.9%), followed by bleeding tendencies (9.3%), renal disorders (8.7%), respiratory disease (8.3%), and hypertension (6.4%). Only 3.2% of the participants reported having antibiotics prescribed for them prior to a dental procedure for prophylactic purposes. CONCLUSION: Due to the high frequency of medical conditions, thorough evaluation of patients' medical and dental care histories should be a mandatory first step in their management.     

Impact of device-host interaction on paravalvular aortic regurgitation with different transcatheter heart valves

Aims

We sought to evaluate the interaction of different aortic root phenotypes with self-expanding (SEV), balloon-expandable (BEV) and mechanically expanded (MEV) and the impact on significant aortic regurgitation.

Thailand intensive external quality assessment schemes as dynamic tools for improving laboratory quality and standard

The term 'external quality assessment (EQA)' has been recommended by WHO consultative meeting in 1980. It has been using to run the retrospective and com-parative statistic tests' reliability among the EQA participants of their organizers. EQA schemes in all fields of laboratory pathology should provide objective information as tools to assist laboratory analysts ensuring the test result quality and on the contrary deciding error-eradicated actions, or more or less improving national test performance quality and standard. Scoring assessment has been designed in the EQA schemes to assist monitoring, and encouraging quality and standard of laboratory performance in the long run of consecutive trials. The Faculty of Medical Technology of Mahidol University now as a collaborating WHO:SEARO EQA organizers, has provided wider EQA schemes, servicing participants all around Thailand, including 400 labs in clinical chemistry of EQAC scheme, 150 labs in clinical hormone of EQAH scheme, 200 labs in clinical microscopy of EQAM scheme, and 190 labs in clinical immunology and serology of EQAI schemes. Regular EQA newsletters, and yearly summer-time seminar and training prove to be the essential education tools promoting both laboratory quality and standard intensively.     

Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal function in adolescent females with beta-thalassemia major.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in adolescent female patients with beta-thalassemia major. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study of the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis function of 31 beta-thalassemia major females aged between 13 and 22 years and in 12 control females aged between 12 and 22 years. All were treated at Princess Rahma Teaching Hospital, Irbid, Northern Jordan between April 2001 and April 2003. RESULTS: Of the 31 beta-thalassemia major females, 13 (41.9%) had delayed puberty. Hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis dysfunction was found in 15 patients (48.4%). Twelve patients (38.7%) had hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and 5 (16.1%) had ovarian failure. High levels of serum ferritin were significantly higher in patients with delayed puberty. CONCLUSION: Pituitary and ovarian dysfunction are common problems in beta-thalassemia major patients. The main possible cause is iron overload. This stresses the need for intensive and regular use of chelation therapy to prevent damage to the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis.     

Prognostic factors and management of rare cancers]

The management of rare cancers is controversial. The role of adjuvant therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy remains unclear. The limited number of patients included in the studies cannot generally allow any consistent statistical analysis to determine either prognostic factors or the impact of surgery and adjuvant therapies on local control and long-term survival. The Rare Cancer Network is a multi-institutional cooperative group created in 1993 to initiate large retrospective studies on rare cancers with the aim of improving our knowledge in terms of management, outcome, and prognostic factors of such tumors. The network gathers more than 70 institutions from 21 countries. So far, 32 projects have been carried out. In this report we will discuss the most significant data provided by our group in several investigated diseases.     

Congenital myasthenic syndromes: II. Syndrome attributed to abnormal interaction of acetylcholine with its receptor

A 21-year-old woman had myasthenic symptoms since birth that responded poorly to anticholinesterase therapy. Tests for acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibodies were negative. An intercostal muscle specimen was obtained to investigate the character of the neuromuscular transmission defect. There were no immune deposits at the endplates. The quantal content of the endplate potential was normal. Miniature endplate potentials and currents were very small, but the number of AChR per endplate was normal. On electron microscopy, the synaptic vesicles were of normal size, the junctional folds were intact, and the density and distribution of AChR on the folds was normal. The kinetic properties of AChR were studied by analysis of acetylcholine (ACh)-induced current noise. The mean single channel conductance was normal. The noise power spectrum was abnormal, containing two components of different time course. This could result from an abnormal interaction of ACh with AChR, or from two populations of AChR at the endplate. The second possibility is unlikely because if two populations of AChR were present at the endplate, then both would have to have low conductance to explain the small miniature endplate current, but the average conductance of the channels that did open was normal. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.