[Evaluation and comparison of apical leakage following root canal dressing with different calcium hydroxide preparations]

The use of calcium hydroxide as an intra-canal medication can lead to leakage of permanent obturation of the canal and failure of the treatment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the rate of the remained calcium hydroxide in radiographic views and their effect on apical leakage. For this study, 75 human extracted premolar teeth were divided into 5 groups randomly. All the teeth were prepared by step back technique and apical foramen enlarged to number 30 file. Aria dent calcium hydroxide was introduced into the canal in group 1. In group 2, Barium sulfate was added to calcium hydroxide powered in 1 to 9 proportion and the methods was gone on the same as in group 1. Dentsply calcium hydroxide was mixed with glycerin-based aqueous and introduced into the canal in group 3. Calcium Hydroxide paste [Pulpdent] was introduced into the canal with its special needle. In group 4 and 5, there was no calcium hydroxide as a control group. The canals were prepared with one sixe larger than master apical file, MAF [35 file size] to remove calcium hydroxide. The remaining of calcium hydroxide was accessed radiographically and compared using Kruskal Wallis test. Dye leakage in the 5 groups was compared, using ANOVA and Tukey tests. There was no significant difference between the five groups when dye leakage was compared, but calcium hydroxide paste [Pulpdent] shows more remained material when evaluated radiographically. The use of calcium hydroxide paste with methyl cellulose base for intra-canal medicament is not recommended

Pharmaceutical care of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: could gags be useful as a diagnostic and prognostic tumor marker?

Despite the very high incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC] in Egypt, surgery is considered as the only curative treatment option. However, most patients are diagnosed at advanced stages thereby surgery will be of little value. The aim of the current study was to provide a pharmaceutical care for patients with HCC who were treated with the investigational drug mistletoe as well as to assess whether glycosaminoglycans [GAGs] could be useful as an effective screening tumor marker for early diagnosis and to investigate the significance of total GAGs serum concentrations in patients with HCC. Blood samples were collected from three groups: the first group [n=50] with HCC, the second with cirrhosis [n=15] and the third was a control [n=15]. Liver and kidney functions laboratory tests and total GAGs concentrations were measured. Only 23% of the patients achieved objective responses to the investigational drug but monitoring of the supportive treatments as well as drug side effects and toxicities were strongly recommended. Patients with HCC showed a significant increase in serum GAGs as compared with the control group [p<0.01]. However, there were no significant differences between cirrhotic group with HCC group or with control group. A significant positive correlation between serum level of GAGs and tumor size [r=0.39, p<0.005] was observed, however there are no correlations between serum concentration of GAGs with other patients or with tumor characteristics. No significant relationship was found between serum level of GAGs and overall survival. We could conclude that pharmaceutical care is very important in patients with HCC to improve their quality of life and serum level of GAGs may have a role in HCC, and their serum level may be related to a high tumor burden

Excitatory aminoacid neurotransmitters in schizophrenia.

The study presents for the first time the blood level of glutamate and aspartate in schizophrenic patients and in normal subjects in Bangladeshi population. The serum level of glutamate and aspartate were measured in thirty newly diagnosed schizophrenic patients and the same number of subjects matching age was taken from non-schizophrenic control. The age group of the patient was between 15 and 45 years and the male female ratio was 2.7:1. Serum concentration of glutamate (598.83 +/- 574.48 nmol/ml) was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in schizophrenic group compared to control (196.16 +/- 171.31 nmol/ ml). The serum asparate concentration was also significantly higher in schizophrenic cases (282.91 +/- 299.94 nmol/ml) as compared to control (33.89 +/- 42.68 nmol/ml, p < 0.001). The correlation coefficient between serum glutamate and asparate was significant (p < 0.001). The increased serum glutamate and asparate levels may be the causative or contributing factor in the pathogenesis and progression of schizophrenia.