Comparative study between the concentration of interleukin-6 in peritoneal fluid and in serum of patients with endometriosis

Our purpose was to compare the level of interleukin- 6 in peritoneal fluid with that in serum in patients with and without endometriosis undergoing laparoscopic procedures and to set a value for Interleukin 6 as a marker for endometriosis in the serum and peritoneal fluid of patients diagnosed laparoscopically to have endometriosis and correlate it with the stage of the disease. The present study was conducted at the period starting from March 2002 to October 2003 in the laparoscopy unit, Ain Shams University Maternity hospital. Fifty patients underwent laparoscopy were recruited in this case control cross-sectional study. These patients were divided into two groups. Group I included thirty patients diagnosed to have endometriotic lesions by means of laparoscopy and histopathologic confirmation. Group II included twenty patients diagnosed laparoscopically to have no visible gynecological lesions [e.g. women undergoing laparoscopic tubal ligation]. These patients were subjected to full history taking with special regard to symptoms suggestive of endometriosis, full general, abdominal and local examination for signs of endometriosis, laparoscopic visualization and staging of endometriosis according to the criteria of the revised American Fertility Society classification system, testing for serum and peritoneal fluid Interleukin-6 using the BioSource International ELISA. [Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay], and histopathologic confirmation of peritoneal endometriotic lesions. Interleukin- 6 was significantly higher among female patients diagnosed to have endometriosis than in control patients both in serum and peritoneal fluid. Also, our study revealed a highly significant direct correlation between the level of serum and peritoneal fluid IL-6 among women with endometriosis. A significant direct correlation between the level of IL-6 with the grade of endometriosis among cases was found both in serum and peritoneal fluid IL-6. However, no significant correlation was found between the grade of endometriosis and pain among the cases group. Increased peritoneal fluid levels of interleukin-6 in patients with active red endometriosis may relate to endometriosis-associated infertility and to the pathogenesis of endometriosis

Comparative evaluation of marginal microleakage around fluoride containing, traditional, and non-gamma-2 amalgam restorations in vitro

Marginal micro leakage occurring around a fluoride-containing amalgam was evaluated and compared to that occurring around other types of amalgam. Three types of amalgam alloys were studied, a fluoride - containing amalgam [Flour Alloy], a traditional amalgam [Solila Alloy] and a non-gamma-2 amalgam [Luxalloy]. Micro leakage was evaluated in vitro using a standardized class V restorations and dye penetration. Micro leakage scores were recorded after two days, two, four, and six months of storage in phosphate buffered saline[PH=6].The results of this study indicated that the sealing properties of fluoride containing amalgam were superior to that of the non-gamma-2 amalgam. However, the addition of fluoride to the amalgam alooy did not improve its sealing ability compared to that of the traditional amalgam

use of a dentin adhesive instead of enamel bonding agent to reduce the etching time of enamel in primary teeth

Forty exfoliated primary incisors were divided into four groups. In two groups, enamel bonding agent was applied after etching the enamel for either 60 or 120 seconds. In the other two groups, universal bonding agent was applied after etching for either 60 or 30 seconds. The shear bond strength was evaluated in the four groups. The use of the universal bonding agent after etching the enamel for 60 seconds showed the highest shear resin bond strength. This bond strength did not differ significantly from that obtained with etching for 120 seconds followed by the application of enamel bond. Also, there was no significant difference between etching for 60 or 120 seconds before using the enamel bonding agent. It could be concluded that etching the enamel for 60 seconds is adequate for primary teeth. Etching time could be reduced to 30 seconds when a dentin adhesive designed to bond to the inorganic component of the tooth is used for resin bonding