Advances in researches on enamel biomimetic mineralization / 中华口腔医学杂志

Dental enamel biomimetic mineralization is a process to form the enamel-like mineral structures, which possess unique microstructure and exceptional physic-chemical properties, by mimicking the mechanism of natural enamel formation and biomineralization. Varieties of techniques such as molecular mimetic synthesis and molecular self-assembling were used to accomplish the microenvironment and molecular conditions similar to that of natural tooth enamel within human body. Early remineralization and biomineralization is the future of restoration for enamel defect, research on such products have huge potential in clinical applications, with speedy advancement in recent two decades. This review summarizes the major advances in researches on enamel biomimetic mineralization in recent years.

Early diagnosis of female genital tuberculosis by phage amplified biological assay / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish an early diagnostic method for detecting female genital tuberculosis.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eighty-six women with genital tuberculosis during January 2005-September 2007 were examined by phage amplified biological assay, and the results were compared with those from leucorrhea culture, smear and PCR.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Forty-five patients were tuberculosis positive with 100% of specificity identified by phage amplified biological assay. Twenty patients were tuberculosis positive by PCR. Five patients were culture-positive tuberculosis and no case had smear-positive tuberculosis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Phage amplified biologically assay is sensitive and specific, which could be used for the early diagnosis of female genital tuberculosis.</p>

Value of coagulation function and fibrinolytic system assessment in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the clinical implications of changes of coagulation function and fibrinolytic system in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Twenty non-pregnant women, 20 with normal pregnancy and 46 with GDM were enrolled in this study for examinations of platelet alpha-granule membrane protein (GMP-140), Von Willebrand factor (vWF), antithrombin III activity (AT-III), plasminogen activity (PLG), activity of tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>vWF, GMP-140, PLG, D-dimer, PAI were obviously elevated while t-PA was lower in GDM patients as compared with the measurement in non-pregnant women and women with normal pregnancy (P<0.01). AT-III and ProC measurement showed no significant differences between GDM patients and women of the other two groups.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>GDM patients may have elevated platelet activation and fibrinolyic activity as well as vascular endothelial injuries, and antenatal assessment of the coagulation function can be of value for prevention and treatment of GDM.</p>