Usefulness of Absorbable Plate for Facial Bone Fracture Accompanying Malocclusion

At the present day, the metallic rigid fixation is used universally in facial bone fracture surgery. However, these metallic plating system have problems associated with growth restriction in pediatric patients, intracranial migration, increase risk of infection, palpability, and exposure. To overcome these problems, absorbable devices have been developed and used in the reconstruction of pediatric craniofacial deformities before early stages and in the facial bone fracture of adult recently. However, the usefulness of fixation for the force vector affecting region was not verified. From October 2000 to August 2001, absorbable fixation system(BiosorbFX(R) Bionix Implants inc.) was used in 10 open reduction of facial bone fracture with malocclusion; 5 patients with Le Fort I or Le Fort II fracture, 1 patient with maxillary-sagittal fracture, 4 patients with mandible fracture. All the patients, the malocclusion was corrected with no complications, and stabilized fixation was achieved after average 8 months follow up period. These results show usefulness of absorbable devices for fixation of force vector affecting region.

Immunostimulatory effects of anionic alkali mineral complex solution Barodon in porcine lymphocytes

The anionic alkali mineral complex solution, Barodon (Barodon-S.F. Corp., Korea), was evaluated for its effectiveness as a nonspecific immunostimulator in pigs. The effects of Barodon were determined by analysis of feed efficiency, growth rate, and phenotype of leukocyte subpopulations using monoclonal antibodies specific to porcine leukocyte differentiation antigens and flow cytometry (FC). The study was focused to investigate the change in proportion of the CD4+CD8+ double positive T lymphocyte subpopulation (dpp) which exists uniquely in pigs. In addition, the mitogen-stimulated lymphoproliferative response, tissue distribution in lymphoid organs and the adjuvant effect of Barodon on hog cholera vaccine efficiency were determined. The study has revealed the average daily gain rates and feed conversion rates were significantly (p<0.05) improved in either group of pigs fed with 0.05% Barodon-spray feed (Tx-1) or pigs fed with 3% Barodon-fermented feed (Tx-2) in comparison with group of pigs fed with feed containing no Barodon (control). The proportion of cells expressing CD4+ antigen in Barodon-treated group increased from 3 weeks posttreatment and was significantly higher (p<0.05) than that of control at 8 weeks posttreatment. Particularly, the significantly higher proportion was maintained from 8 weeks through 13 weeks posttreatment in Tx-1 group (p<0.05). The proportion of cells expressing CD8+ antigen was significantly higher at 3 weeks posttreatment in Tx-2 (p<0.01). Proportion of MHC class II-expressing cells was significantly higher in Tx-1 and Tx-2 group at 11 weeks and 8 weeks posttreatment (p<0.05), respectively. In addition, the proportion of Non T/Non B (N) cells was also significantly higher in Tx-2 at 3 weeks posttreatment (p<0.01) and maintained to 13 weeks posttreatment (p<0.1). Between Barodon-treated groups, the proportion of MHC class II-expressing cells was observed to be larger in Tx-2 than Tx-1 from 3 weeks to 8 weeks posttreatment (p<0.05). However, there were no significant difference in the proportions of CD2+ cells, B cells, monocytes and granulocytes between Barodon-treated and control group during the experiment. Dual-color FC analysis, study has revealed an increased proportion of dpp present in lymphocytes obtained from peripheral blood (PB) and mesenteric lymph node (MLN) of Barodon-treated group at 8 and 11 weeks posttreatment. The proportion of dpp in PB was 27.5% and 32.1% in Tx-1 and Tx-2, respectively, but only 2.2% in control group at 8 weeks posttreatment. In MLN, the proportion was 45.1% and 52.1% in Tx-1 and Tx-2, respectively, otherwise 16.5% in control group at 8 weeks posttreatment. The mitogen-stimulated activity was significantly higher in Tx-1 than in the control group at 11 weeks posttreatment when cells were stimulated with Con A and PHA, respectively (p<0.01). Also, Con A-, PHA and PWM-stimulated activity was significantly higher in Tx-2 than in the control group at the same time (p<0.05). The tissue distribution of CD4+, CD8+ and CD4+CD8+ dpp in MLN and spleen was significantly larger in Tx-1 and Tx-2 than in the control group (p<0.01). Also, a larger proportion of dpp was observed in Tx-2 than Tx-1 in spleen between Barodon-treated groups (p<0.01). In conclusion, the study has demonstrated that Barodon had an immunostimulatory effect on pigs through proliferation and activation of porcine immune cells, specially CD4+CD8+ dpp lymphocytes.