Histological assessment of the palatal mucosa and greater palatine artery with reference to subepithelial connective tissue grafting / 대한해부학회지

This study aimed to measure the thickness of the epithelium and lamina propria of the palatal mucosa and to elucidate the location of the greater palatine artery to provide the anatomical basis for subepithelial connective tissue grafting. Thirty-two maxillary specimens, taken from the canine distal area to the first molar distal area, were embedded in paraffin and stained with hematoxylin-eosin. The thickness of the epithelium and lamina propria of the palatal mucosa was measured at three positions on these specimens, starting from 3 mm below the alveolar crest and in 3-mm intervals. The location of the greater palatine artery was evaluated by using image-processing software. The mean epithelial thickness decreased significantly in the posterior teeth; it was 0.41, 0.36, 0.32, and 0.30 mm in the canine, first premolar, second premolar, and first molar distal areas, respectively. The lamina propria was significantly thicker in the canine distal; it was 1.36, 1.08, 1.09, and 1.05 mm, respectively. The mean length from the alveolar crest to the greater palatine artery increased toward the posterior molar; it was 7.76, 9.21, 10.93, and 11.28 mm, respectively. The mean depth from the surface of the palatal mucosa to the greater palatine artery decreased from the canine distal to the first premolar distal but increased again toward the posterior molar; it was 3.97, 3.09, 3.58, and 5.50 mm, respectively. Detailed histological assessments of the lamina propria of the palatal mucosa and the greater palatine artery are expected to provide useful anatomical guidelines for subepithelial connective tissue grafting.

The Association of Lumbosacral Sagittal Alignments and the Patterns of Lumbar Disc Degeneration

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review and radiological analysis. OBJECTIVES: We investigated whether the lumbosacral sagittal curvature have any relation to the patterns of lumbar disc degeneration. SUMMARY OF THE LITERATURE REVIEW: Recently, there have been many studies on the correlations between the changes of lumbar disc degeneration and associated factors, such as age, gender, weight, occupation, cigarette smoking, and genetics; but, it is hard to find research into lumbosacral sagittal alignments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study enrolled 117 young adult patients limited by age (18-35 years), BMD (<30kg/m2), no smoking, occupation except heavy worker, no prior lumbar surgery and no combined spinal deformity. By measuring the pelvic incidence, sacral slope, lumbar tilt angle, lumbar lordosis and lumbar axis indicating the parameters of sagittal alignments, we investigated the correlation between the number and severity of lumbar disc degeneration and the number of herniated intervertebral discs. RESULTS: This study found a moderate correlation between pelvic incidence, sacral slope, lumbar lordosis, and the number of lumbardegenerative disc (r=-0.451, p<0.001; r=-0.433, p<0.001; r=-0.425, p<0.001). We calculated the most proper cut-off value of pelvic incidence associated with more than three segments of multiple lumbar disc degeneration, using a minimum p-value approach. CONCLUSIONS: As pelvic incidence, sacral slope, and lumbar lordosis indicating the parameters of lumbosacral sagittal alignments get smaller, the numbers of lumbar disc degenerations and herniated intervertebral discs increase. When pelvic incidence is below 45.6 degrees, it is more likely for degenerative changes of lumbar disc to affect more than three segments.

MicroRNA Analysis in Normal Human Oral Keratinocytes and YD-38 Human Oral Cancer Cells

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that mediate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level by degrading or repressing targeted mRNAs. These molecules are about 21-25 nucleotides in length and exert their effects by binding to partially complementary sites in mRNAs, predominantly in the 3'-untranslated region (3'-UTR). Recent evidence has demonstrated that miRNAs can function as oncogenes or tumor suppressors through the modulation of multiple oncogenic cellular processes in cancer development, including initiation, cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and metastasis. In our present study, we examined the expression profile of miRNAs related to oral cancer cell growth inhibition using normal human oral keratinocytes (NHOK) and YD-38 human oral cancer cells. By miRNA microassay analysis, 40 and 31 miRNAs among the 1,769 examined were found to be up- and down-regulated in YD-38 cells compared with NHOK cells, respectively. Using qRT-PCR analysis, the expression levels of miR-30a and miR-1246 were found to be increased in YD-38 cells compared with NHOK cells, whereas miR-203 and miR-125a were observed to be decreased. Importantly, the overexpression of miR-203 and miR-125a significantly inhibited the growth of YD-38 cells. This finding and the microarray data indicate the involvement of specific miRNAs in the development and progression of oral cancer.

Effects of Chitosan on the Differentiation of MDPC-23 Cells

The effects of chitosan upon the experimentally induced differentiation of MDPC-23 cells, derived from mouse dental papilla cells, were investigated by RT-PCR, observations of cell morphology and Alizaline red-S staining. Chitosan was found to significantly increase and accelerate the expression of ALP mRNA but decrease the ColI transcript levels, as compared with the control, in a time-dependent manner during the differentiation of MDPC-23 cells. Chitosan also significantly downregulated ON mRNA expression and accelerated mineralization in differentiating MDPC-23 cells. These results suggest that chitosan facilitates odontoblast differentiation and mineralization and may have potential clinical applications as a dentin regeneration material.

Factors Related to Psychosocial Distress and Fatigue Symptoms among Clerical Public Officers / 農村醫學 地域保健

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the level of psychosocial stresses and fatigue symptoms among clerical public officers and its related factors. METHODS: The self-administered questionnaires were performed, during the period between Dec. 5th, 2005 and Jan. 31st, 2006, to 1,005 individuals in the service of general administration located in Daejeon Metropolitan City. The survey items included subjects' socio-demographic and job-related characteristics, health-related behavior, degree of job demand, job autonomy, social support in work, type A behavior pattern, locus of control, sense of self-esteem, psychosocial distress and degree of fatigue. RESULTS: The study results indicated that the level of stress or fatigue is so complicatedly influenced by variable factors as well as job-related characteristics such as socio-demographic characteristics, rank in work, or job career, to a greater extent, by job specifications and personality traits(type A) like whether performing health-related behavior or not, job demand, job autonomy, social support in work, or sense of self-esteem. CONCLUSIONS: Thus the effective strategy for psychosocial distress and fatigue symptoms reduction among governmental employees requires additional programs focusing on innovated job specifications and managed personality trait.

Synthesis and evaluation of PDLs22 recombinant protein / 대한치주과학회지

Periodontal ligament (PDL) is the connective tissue located between the tooth root and alveolar bone. In a previous study, PDLs22 was isolated as a PDL-specific gene by using subtractive hybridization between cultured PDL fibroblasts and gingival fibroblasts. It was also suggested that PDLs22 plays important roles in the development, differentiation and maintenance of periodontal tissues. However, little is known about functional study of PDLs22 using recombinant protein in PDL fibroblast differentiation and periodontium formation. In this study, in order to produce the PDLs22 recombinat protein, PDLs22-expression vector were constructed and expressed its protein in various host cell and temperature conditions. The results were as follows: 1. PDLs22 protein was not strongly expressed in the induction system using pRSET-PDLs22 construct. 2. When the BL21(DE3) pLysS was used as a expression host, PDLS22 protein was strongly expressed in the induction system using pHCEIIBNd-PDLs22 construct. 3. The PDLs22 protein was recognized at a molecular weight of 28 kDa in western blots. 4. Almost of the expressed PDLs22 protein was not soluble and observed like as inclusion body. 5. The protein solubility was not improved after modification of induction time and temperature during PDLs22 protein production. In this study, the system for the PDLs22 protein production was connstructed. However, the results suggest that further studies will be needed to produce the considerable amount of PDLs22 recombinat protein, which can use for the periodontal regeneration.

Psychosocial Distress and Its Related Factors among Clerical Public Officers / 대한산업의학회지

OBJECTIVES: This study was performed to determine the levels of psychosocial distress among clerical public officers to reveal the various related factors. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaires was administered between Dec. 5th, 2005 and Jan. 31st, 2006, to 1,005 individuals in the service of general administration located in Daejeon City. The survey items included the subjects'socio-demographic and job-related characteristics, health-related behavior, degree of job demand, job autonomy, social support in work, type A behavior pattern, locus of control, sense of self-esteem, and psychosocial distress. RESULTS: The results showed that 24.8% of subjects were categorized as high risk stress, 64.9% as latent stress, and 10.3% as normal. The level of psychosocial distress was influenced by various sociodemographic characteristics, such as personality traits (type A behavior pattern, locus of control, selfesteem) and whether performing health-related behavior or not, as well as according to job-related characteristics such as rank in work, job career, job specifications, job demand, job autonomy, social support in work. CONCLUSIONS: The effective strategy for stress reduction among governmental employees requires additional programs focusing on innovated job specifications and managed personality traits.

Kaposi Sarcoma Developed During Corticosteroid Therapy in Patient with Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura / 대한혈액학회지

Kaposi sarcoma (KS) has attracted much attention recently because of its high incidence among patients with acquired immune deficiency syndrome. Other groups with a high risk of developing KS are renal transplant recipients treated with immunosuppressive drugs and, to a lesser extent, patients with autoimmune diseases. We report the case of a patient who developed KS during corticosteroid therapy for idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, which subsequently regressed with combination chemotherapy.

Clinical Characteristics of Non-B, Non-C Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Detection of HBV, HCV and TTV Viremia / 대한간학회지

BACKGROUND/AIMS: About 15% of Korean hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are negative both of Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti-hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV) in their sera. They can be classified as a non-B, non-C hepatocellular carcinoma group (NBNC group). The aims of our study were, firstly, to describe the clinical characteristics of Korean NBNC HCC and compare them with those of HBsAg-positive HCC (HBV group) and anti-HCV-positive HCC (HCV group). Secondly we wanted to assess the frequency of viremia of HBV, HCV and transfusion-transmitted virus (TTV) in NBNC HCC patients. METHODS: We prospectively collected clinical data and sera from 113 NBNC HCC patients and performed PCR for HBV DNA, HCV RNA and TTV DNA. We also collected clinical data from 125 HBsAg-positive HCC patients and 61 anti-HCV-positive HCC patients during a similar period. RESULTS: The mean age of the NBNC HCC group was 59 years, in-between that of the HBV and the HCV groups. A History of heavy alcohol drinking was found in 48% of the NBNC HCC group. This was significantly higher than that of the HBV group, but similar to that of the HCV group. Serum alphaFP level in the NBNC HCC group was more frequently in the normal range compared to that in the HBV and HCV groups. The detection rates of HBV DNA, HCV RNA and TTV DNA in the NBNC HCC group were 17%, 13%, and 67% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The NBNC HCC patients seemed to comprise a heterogeneous group of various etiologies and clinical presentations. About one third of these patients displayed evidence of viremia of HBV or HCV.