Three dimensional finite element study of the stress induced deformation patterns during segmented canine retraction

This study makes use of the finite element method to determine the stresses induced in the periodontal ligament and hone in three dimensions when a maxillary canine was subjected to an orthodontic load of 100gm applied to the crown center in the mesiodistal direction. The 17 x 25 T loop spring was centered in position within the interbracket distance between the maxillary canine bracket and the first maxillary molar tube. The spring was constructed from two different materials TMA and Stainless Steel to compare the force system produced from each material and determine which material was more superior in clinical use in terms of optimal force magnitude per unite activation and lowest load deflection rate. The results showed that a centered T loop spring with a ratio between the activation force to the antirotation force to the antitipping force to be 100:27:2 for either material. Maintenance of such ratio would approximate translation of the canine. The stiffness of Stainless Steel was found to be 2.4 that of TMA that indicated TMA superiority. The distribution of the stresses was shown to be nonuniform, with a maximum stress at the cervical margin then gradually decreasing toward the apex

Study of the cytokine transforming growth factor beta-1 in patients with chronic virus hepatitis

This work was conducted on 40 patients with chronic virus hepatitis [21 patients with chronic hepatitis C with bilharzial periportal fibrosis, 2 patients with combined chronic hepatitis B and C and 17 patients with chronic hepatitis C alone] in addition to 10 healthy age and sex matched control subjects. The objective of this work was to study the status of TGF- beta-1 among patients with chronic virus hepatitis and its relation to age and sex and to evaluate the effect of colchicine and oral enzyme therapy on the level of TGF- beta-1. Patients were divided into 2 groups, group I who received oral enzyme therapy and group II who received colchicine, plasma level of TGF- beta-1 was estimated by ELISA with [MEDGENIX TGF- beta-1, ELISA kit] before and after receiving the treatment. It was found that plasma TGF- beta-1 level was significantly higher in patients with chronic virus hepatitis than control group and this level is not related to age or sex. The plasma TGF- beta-1 level was significantly higher in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection with bilharzial periportal fibrosis of liver than in patient with chronic hepatitis C alone, also it was significantly higher in patient with ultrasonographic findings of cirrhosis than those without cirrhosis. The plasma TGF- beta-1 level had no correlation with liver function tests but had positive correlation with serum procollagen III. Before treatment there was no significant difference in clinical picture, laboratory investigations, serum procollagen III and plasma TGF- beta-1 level between group I and group H but after treatment, there was improvement in clinical picture, liver function tests and significant reduction of serum procollagen III and plasma TGF- beta-1 level in group I but not in group II. So it can be concluded that plasma TGF- beta-1 level is a good marker of liver fibrogenesis and oral enzyme therapy is anti-TGF- beta-1 and can reduce the hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic viral hepatitis

Role of clinical hematological, biochemical and serological assays in management of brucellosis

Brucellosis is an infectious disease. Brucellosis can be suspected by clinical presentation and may produce hematological and biochemical changes of liver function. Ninety nine patients of brucellosis and twenty normal individuals were included in this study. The cases were classified into 4 subgroups [1, 2, 3 and 4] according to the regimen of therapy applied. The brucella organisms were isolated, and were presented by blood culture in 60 cases and were negative in 39 cases. The clinical, hematological, liver function and serological tests were investigated before and two weeks following treatment. The main symptoms of brucella patients were fever 100%, headache 68.6%, arthralgia 66.7%, myalgia 68.7%, anorexia 25.3%, sweating 58.6%, rigors 51.5%, abdominal discomfort 17.2%, cough 9.1% and dysuria in 31.3%. The main signs include fever with mean of 38.9C, hepatomegaly 31.3% and splenomegaly in 49.5%. Before treatment, anemia was presented in 63.6%, leucopenia in 58.6%, monocytosis 61.6%, and ESR was high in 97.9% of cases. Liver function tests were affected in brucellosis in which hyperbilirubinemia in 34.3%, alkaline phosphatase enzyme was raised in 30.3%, aspartate transaminase enzyme was high in 27.3% and alanine transaminase enzyme was elevated in 33.3%. There were significant difference in the blood picture and liver function tests between the cases of brucella and the normal control [P <0.0001]. Two weeks after treatment all symptoms and signs were improved and disappeared

Role of serological tests in diagnosis of brucellosis

The present study included one hundred and ninety nine cases. They were divided into two main groups, namely group of brucellosis [n= 99] and infectious group other than brucellosis [n= 80], in addition, there were twenty normal subjects [control group]. Every subject was subjected to thorough clinical and serological evaluations before and two weeks after therapy. In comparison of culture positive cases of brucellosis group [n= 60] with subgroups of infectious group other than brucellosis, namely, typhoid [n= 20], T.B. [n= 20], rheumatic fever [n= 20] and U.T. infection [n= 20] and control group [n= 20], the sensitivity for both IgG and IgM was 100%, with 96% specificity of the first and 62% of the second immunoglobulin. From the above data, it can be concluded that ELISA was rapid, sensitive, reliable and specific test for diagnosis of human brucellosis

Recent therapeutic studies on human brucellosis

The present study included ninety nine cases. They were diagnosed by clinical examination, serological estimation of both IgG and IgM antibodies against brucella antigen and /or positive blood culture specific for brucellosis. In addition, there were twenty normal subjects [control group]. The studied individuals divided into four groups according to the regimen of drug used. Rifampicin was considered the best monotherapy, by the data revealed that combination of two drugs, namely tetracycline orally and streptomycin by intramuscular injection was better than monotherapy

Management of helicobacter pylori in upper gastrointestinal dyspepsia

The present study included 60 patients who were CLO-test positive at the time of endoscopic examination and with compensated liver. They were divided into 4 groups, each of them comprised 15 patients. The first group received colloidal bismuth subcitrate 120 mg tablet twice daily before breakfast and dinner for 30 days, the second group received metronidazole 250 mg tablets t.d.s. after meals for 30 days, the third group received the previous two drugs also for 30 days, while the fourth group received symptomatic treatment for dyspepsia and they were considered as control group, according to the regimen of drug taken. All cases were subjected to full history taken, thorough clinical examination, laboratory investigations including urine and stool examination for detection of schistosoma ova, liver function tests including total serum bilirubin, SGPT and SGOT, in addition to sigmoidoscopy with fresh rectal biopsy for detection of bilharzial ova. Also, abdominal ultrasonography was performed for all subjects. Upper endoscopy was performed for all cases and the biopsies taken from the antrum were subjected to CLO test, then all cases re- endoscoped and investigated by CLO test 30 days after treatment. It was concluded that combined therapy by DE-Nol and metronidazole is highly effective to eradicate H. pylori colonies and improve the gastropathy and upper gartointestinal dyspeptic symptoms