The relationship between the incisor position and lingual surface morphology in normal occlusion

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the morphological characteristics of maxillary incisors and the anterior occlusion. The study materials comprised dental casts and lateral cephalograms of 26 modern Mongolian females with Angle Class I normal occlusion (mean age, 21 years 5 months). Computed tomography (CT) images of the dental casts were taken with an X-ray micro-CT system (SMX-100CT, Shimadzu, Kyoto Japan). The thickness of the marginal ridges and incisal edges, and the overjet and overbite, was measured on the three-dimensional images of the dental casts. On the lateral cephalogram, maxillary incisor to sella–nasion plane angle (U1 to SN angle), maxillary incisor to nasion-point A plane distance (U1 to NA distance), mandibular incisor to nasion-point B plane distance (L1 to NB distance), incisor mandibular plane angle, and interincisal angle were measured by tracing the left incisors of the maxilla and mandible. Spearman’s single rank correlation coefficients were used to investigate any correlation between measurement items for each maxillary incisor. The thickness of the marginal ridges and incisal edges was positively correlated with the overbite. The thickness of the incisal edges was positively correlated with the irregularity index of the maxilla. There were significant negative correlations between overbite and U1 to SN angle, U1 to NA distance, and L1 to NB distance. Significant positive correlations were noted between the overbite and the overjet. In conclusion, there was no strong relationship between the morphological characteristics of maxillary incisors and the anterior occlusion.     

Immunomodulation of Fungal β-Glucan in Host Defense Signaling by Dectin-1

During the course of evolution, animals encountered the harmful effects of fungi, which are strong pathogens. Therefore, they have developed powerful mechanisms to protect themselves against these fungal invaders. β-Glucans are glucose polymers of a linear β(1,3)-glucan backbone with β(1,6)-linked side chains. The immunostimulatory and antitumor activities of β-glucans have been reported; however, their mechanisms have only begun to be elucidated. Fungal and particulate β-glucans, despite their large size, can be taken up by the M cells of Peyer''s patches, and interact with macrophages or dendritic cells (DCs) and activate systemic immune responses to overcome the fungal infection. The sampled β-glucans function as pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and are recognized by pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) on innate immune cells. Dectin-1 receptor systems have been incorporated as the PRRs of β-glucans in the innate immune cells of higher animal systems, which function on the front line against fungal infection, and have been exploited in cancer treatments to enhance systemic immune function. Dectin-1 on macrophages and DCs performs dual functions: internalization of β-glucan-containing particles and transmittance of its signals into the nucleus. This review will depict in detail how the physicochemical nature of β-glucan contributes to its immunostimulating effect in hosts and the potential uses of β-glucan by elucidating the dectin-1 signal transduction pathway. The elucidation of β-glucan and its signaling pathway will undoubtedly open a new research area on its potential therapeutic applications, including as immunostimulants for antifungal and anti-cancer regimens.     

High membrane expression of CMTM6 in hepatocellular carcinoma is associated with tumor recurrence

CKLF-like MARVEL transmembrane domain–containing protein 6 (CMTM6) maintains membrane PD-L1 expression by controlling its endosomal recycling. However, in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the correlation among CMTM6, B7 family ligands, and CD8-positive cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), and the molecular function of CMTM6 in HCC have not been established. We performed immunohistochemistry to evaluate the relationships among CMTM6 expression, clinicopathological factors, B7 family ligands expression, and CTL infiltration in HCC samples. Moreover, we established CMTM6-knockout human HCC cell lines to evaluate the function of human CMTM6 in immune regulation and tumor viability. CMTM6 expression was positively associated with membrane B7 family ligands expression and CTL infiltration in HCC samples. High CMTM6 expression in HCC tissues was associated with the expression of the proliferation marker Ki-67 and shorter recurrence-free survival. In vitro analysis showed the downregulation of membrane B7 family ligands and proliferation potency in the CMTM6-knockout human HCC cell line. High membrane CMTM6 expression was associated with tumor recurrence and proliferation via the regulation of membranous B7 family ligands expression. Thus, CMTM6 might be a biomarker to predict the risk of HCC recurrence and a therapeutic target to suppress tumor growth and increase CTL activity.     

Complications of locking and non-locking plate systems in mandibular fractures

This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed to critically assess the methodological quality of the existing systematic reviews, and to evaluate the postoperative complications of the mandibular fractures treated with locking and non-locking plate systems. An electronic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane library’s electronic databases and grey literate using a combination of Medical Subject Heading terms and key words, until September 2018. No restrictions were applied to the search strategy. In total, three relevant systematic reviews were included, and the quality of these studies was low. A total of 33 studies (20 randomized studies and 13 non-randomized studies) were included in this systematic review, and 16 of them were included in meta-analysis. Most of the included randomized studies had an unclear risk of bias (Cochrane Collaboration); the quality of non-randomized studies ranged between 6 and 17 (Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies ? MINORS). Based on the results of our meta-analysis, we conclude that locking plates are superior only with respect to the need for mandibulomaxillary fixation (MMF) in the early postoperative period.     

Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Patients for Whom First-Line Treatment Failed,Mongolia, 2010–2011

In Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) was diagnosed for more than a third of new sputum smear–positive tuberculosis patients for whom treatment had failed. This finding suggests a significant risk for community-acquired MDR TB and a need to make rapid molecular drug susceptibility testing available to more people.     

Migration of Whooper Swans and Outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Virus in Eastern Asia

Evaluating the potential involvement of wild avifauna in the emergence of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 (hereafter H5N1) requires detailed analyses of temporal and spatial relationships between wild bird movements and disease emergence. The death of wild swans (Cygnus spp.) has been the first indicator of the presence of H5N1 in various Asian and European countries; however their role in the geographic spread of the disease remains poorly understood. We marked 10 whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) with GPS transmitters in northeastern Mongolia during autumn 2006 and tracked their migratory movements in relation to H5N1 outbreaks. The prevalence of H5N1 outbreaks among poultry in eastern Asia during 2003–2007 peaked during winter, concurrent with whooper swan movements into regions of high poultry density. However outbreaks involving poultry were detected year round, indicating disease perpetuation independent of migratory waterbird presence. In contrast, H5N1 outbreaks involving whooper swans, as well as other migratory waterbirds that succumbed to the disease in eastern Asia, tended to occur during seasons (late spring and summer) and in habitats (areas of natural vegetation) where their potential for contact with poultry is very low to nonexistent. Given what is known about the susceptibility of swans to H5N1, and on the basis of the chronology and rates of whooper swan migration movements, we conclude that although there is broad spatial overlap between whooper swan distributions and H5N1 outbreak locations in eastern Asia, the likelihood of direct transmission between these groups is extremely low. Thus, our data support the hypothesis that swans are best viewed as sentinel species, and moreover, that in eastern Asia, it is most likely that their infections occurred through contact with asymptomatic migratory hosts (e.g., wild ducks) at or near their breeding grounds.