Cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses of three different gargles in the treatment of chronic periodontitis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the economics of three different gargles in the treatment of chronic periodontitis. METHODS: A total of 108 patients with periodontitis received one of the following three gargles: xipayi, compound chlorhexidine, or Kangfuxin gargle. The basic information of the patients, the costs of the gargles, the periodontal indexes before and after treatment, and the scores of the 3-level version of the EuroQol Five Dimensions Questionnaire were collected. The cost-effectiveness and cost-utility of the various gargles were determined. RESULTS: The cost-effectiveness ratios (CER) of the three groups after treatment were 1828.75, 1573.34, and 1876.92 RMB, respectively. The utility values before treatment were 0.92, 0.90, and 0.91, respectively, and the utility values after treatment were 0.98, 0.98, and 0.97, respectively. The cost-utility ratios (CURs) were 213.43, 195.61, and 301.53 RMB, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: For each increase in effective rate and quality-adjusted life years, the treatment cost of periodontitis patients was lower than the gross domestic product per capita of Jiangsu Province, indicating that the treatment cost is completely worth it. The CER and CUR results were the same, and the compound chlorhexidine group was the lowest, demonstrating that when the same therapeutic effect was achieved, it cost the least.

Application of sticky bone combined with concentrated growth factor (CGF) for horizontal alveolar ridge augmentation of anterior teeth: a randomized controlled clinical study.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to estimate the effect of sticky bone combined with concentrated growth factor (CGF) on anterior alveolar horizontal augmentation during implantation. METHODS: Twenty-eight patients were randomly assigned to either the test group (Group 1, n = 14) or the control group (Group 2, n = 14). Patients in Group 1 and Group 2 underwent GBR using sticky bone combined with CGF and bone powders mixed with saline, respectively. On postoperative Day 7, the patients completed the visual analogue scale (VAS). Three-dimensional models of maxillary alveolar bone were reconstructed from CBCT data at different periods, and the bone volume conversion rate was calculated with the assistance of a measurement marker guide. Labial bone thickness before and after trauma closure and bone density at six months postoperatively were also measured. RESULTS: The mean bone volume conversion rate for Group 1 (72.09 ± 12.18%) was greater than that for Group 2 (57.47 ± 9.62%, P = 0.002). The VAS score was lower for Group 1 than for Group 2 (P = 0.032). At six months postoperatively, greater bone density was found in patients in Group 1 than in those in Group 2, although the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The change in the thickness of the labial bone graft material in Group 1 was smaller than that in Group 2 (P = 0.025). CONCLUSION: Sticky bone combined with CGF was able to achieve better bone augmentation than conventional GBR. With excellent mechanical properties and the capacity to release growth factors, sticky bone is an ideal material for bone grafting. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on 10/04/2022 (Identification number: ChiCTR2200058500).

Characteristic comparison between canine and human dental mesenchymal stem cells for periodontal regeneration research in preclinical animal studies.

The effectiveness of stem cell-based periodontal tissue engineering need to be assessed by preclinical animal studies. Dog models are widely used animal models; however, there are not sufficient data on characterization of canine dental mesenchymal stem cells. Therefore, we aimed to compare the characteristics among canine and human periodontal ligament stem cells and canine and human dental pulp stem cells. Canine periodontal ligament stem cells and dental pulp stem cells showed significantly weaker clonogenic capability, and proliferation and migration capacity, and they displayed lower positive rates for CD90, CD73, CD105, and STRO-1. All of these canine and human cells showed multilineage differentiation potential. After osteogenic induction, the expression of alkaline phosphatase was obviously upregulated in human dental mesenchymal stem cells, but it was not upregulated in canine dental pulp stem cells. Other osteogenic genes, such as runt-related transcription factor 2 and bone morphogenetic protein 2, were upregulated in all induced canine and human cells, but their upregulation occurred later in canine cells. These results confirmed the stem cell properties of canine mesenchymal stem cells, but also suggested that more attention should be paid to the choice of appropriate research approaches, osteogenic gene markers, and time points for the utilization of canine dental mesenchymal stem cells due to their distinct characteristics.

Programmable Base Editing of the Sheep Genome Revealed No Genome-Wide Off-Target Mutations.

Since its emergence, CRISPR/Cas9-mediated base editors (BEs) with cytosine deaminase activity have been used to precisely and efficiently introduce single-base mutations in genomes, including those of human cells, mice, and crop species. Most production traits in livestock are induced by point mutations, and genome editing using BEs without homology-directed repair of double-strand breaks can directly alter single nucleotides. The p.96R > C variant of Suppressor cytokine signaling 2 (SOCS2) has profound effects on body weight, body size, and milk production in sheep. In the present study, we successfully obtained lambs with defined point mutations resulting in a p.96R > C substitution in SOCS2 by the co-injection of BE3 mRNA and a single guide RNA (sgRNA) into sheep zygotes. The observed efficiency of the single nucleotide exchange in newborn animals was as high as 25%. Observations of body size and body weight in the edited group showed that gene modification contributes to enhanced growth traits in sheep. Moreover, targeted deep sequencing and unbiased family trio-based whole genome sequencing revealed undetectable off-target mutations in the edited animals. This study demonstrates the potential for the application of BE-mediated point mutations in large animals for the improvement of production traits in livestock species.

Effects of Platelet Concentrates Used in Alveolar Ridge Preservation: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the review was to investigate the efficacy of platelet concentrates (containing pure platelet-rich plasma, leukocyte- and platelet-rich plasma, pure platelet-rich fibrin, and leukocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin) used in alveolar ridge preservation (ARP), especially the changes in alveolar width and height. DATA SOURCES: Randomized clinical trials that compared the efficiency of platelet concentrates used in ARP were searched till June 2017 in 6 databases: PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBOSE, EMBASE, Web of Sciences, and AMED. A meta-analysis would be performed if the heterogeneity was acceptable. RESULTS: Five articles were included in the qualitative analysis. A meaningful meta-analysis could not be performed because of the obvious heterogeneities among studies. Three studies showed that leukocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin had a benefit in preserving ridge width or height or both, whereas 2 studies showed that platelet-rich plasma had no significant benefit. CONCLUSION: The effects of different kinds of platelet concentrates used in ARP might be different. Leukocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin might have a more positive effect on alveolar width and height preservation than platelet-rich plasma. However, randomized clinical trials included in the review were few and the strong evidence on this topic was not yet enough.

Marginal bone loss around dental implants with and without microthreads in the neck: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: Whether microthreads in the crestal portion can reduce the amount of marginal bone loss (MBL) around implants has not yet been determined. PURPOSE: The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate the marginal bone loss around dental implants with and without microthreads in the neck. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This review was based on the PRISMA guidelines. An electronic search with no restrictions on language was performed from inception to August 19, 2015, in PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, Web of Sciences, and AMED (Ovid) databases. A manual search was also performed. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) that compared the MBL between implants with and without microthreads in the neck were included. Qualitative synthesis and meta-analysis were performed. MBL was measured by using the mean difference (MD). Review Manager v5.3 software was used for meta-analysis (α=.05). RESULTS: Five articles were included in the qualitative synthesis, and 3 articles were included in the meta-analysis. Four studies found that a microthread design can significantly reduce MBL under functional loading, whereas 1 study found no significant difference. The homogeneity test of meta-analysis confirmed acceptable heterogeneity among the 3 studies (I2=0.49). A random-effects model was used. The result shows that MBL around implants with microthread design can be reduced significantly (P=.030; MD: -0.09; CI: -0.18 to -0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Meta-analysis showed that microthread design in the implant neck can reduce the amount of MBL; however, RCTs included in the review were few and the difference was small. In clinical practice, an implant with a roughened surface and microthreaded neck could be selected to maintain bone level.

Multiplex gene editing via CRISPR/Cas9 exhibits desirable muscle hypertrophy without detectable off-target effects in sheep.

The CRISPR/Cas9 system provides a flexible approach for genome engineering of genetic loci. Here, we successfully achieved precise gene targeting in sheep by co-injecting one-cell-stage embryos with Cas9 mRNA and RNA guides targeting three genes (MSTN, ASIP, and BCO2). We carefully examined the sgRNAs:Cas9-mediated targeting effects in injected embryos, somatic tissues, as well as gonads via cloning and sequencing. The targeting efficiencies in these three genes were within the range of 27-33% in generated lambs, and that of simultaneously targeting the three genes was 5.6%, which demonstrated that micro-injection of zygotes is an efficient approach for generating gene-modified sheep. Interestingly, we observed that disruption of the MSTN gene resulted in the desired muscle hypertrophy that is characterized by enlarged myofibers, thereby providing the first detailed evidence supporting that gene modifications had occurred at both the genetic and morphological levels. In addition, prescreening for the off-target effect of sgRNAs was performed on fibroblasts before microinjection, to ensure that no detectable off-target mutations from founder animals existed. Our findings suggested that the CRISPR/Cas9 method can be exploited as a powerful tool for livestock improvement by simultaneously targeting multiple genes that are responsible for economically significant traits.

mRNA transcription and protein expression of PPARgamma, FAS, and HSL in different parts of the carcass between fat-tailed and thin-tailed sheep

Background The objective of this study was to compare the level differences of mRNA transcription and protein expression of PPARγ, FAS and HSL in different parts of the carcass in different tail-type sheep. Six Tan sheep and six Shaanbei fine-wool sheep aged 9 months were slaughtered and samples were collected from the tail adipose, subcutaneous adipose, and longissimus dorsi muscle. The levels of mRNA transcription and protein expression of the target genes in these tissues were determined by real-time quantitative PCR and western blot analyses. Results The results showed that PPARγ, FAS, and HSL were expressed with spatial differences in tail adipose, subcutaneous adipose and longissimus dorsi muscle of Tan sheep and Shaanbei fine-wool sheep. Differences were also observed between the two breeds. The mRNA transcription levels of these genes were somewhat consistent with their protein expression levels. Conclusion The present results indicated that PPARγ, FAS and HSL are correlated with fat deposition, especially for the regulating of adipose deposition in intramuscular fat, and that the mRNA expression patterns are similar to the protein expression patterns. The mechanism requires clarification in further studies.

PPARgamma FAS, HSL mRNA and protein expression during Tan sheep fat-tail development

Background The objective of this study was to investigate proliferator-activated receptor (PPARγ), fatty acid synthase (FAS) and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) mRNA and protein expression in fat tails of Tan sheep. Rams from different developmental stages (aged 3, 6, 9, 12, 15 and 18 months) were selected, and their tail measurements including length (L), width (W) and girth (G) were recorded. The mRNA and protein expressions of PPARγ, FAS and HSL were examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and Western blot. Results The tail measurements increased with age. We observed no significant differences (P > 0.05) of PPARγ mRNA expression between ages 9 and 15 months, and between 12 and 15 months; FAS mRNA expression levels at each developmental stage were observed significantly in Tan sheep (P < 0.05); HSL mRNA expression with no significant differences were only observed between 6 and 15 months (P > 0.05). Significant differences (P < 0.05) of PPARγ, FAS and HSL protein expressions at each developmental stage were observed in Tan sheep. Conclusion We observed that the mRNA expression patterns of PPARγ and FAS decreased first before they increased again and then this process repeated. Conversely, the mRNA expression patterns of HSL increased first before they decreased and then this process repeated. The protein expression patterns of PPARγ and FAS decreased first before they increased again and then this process repeated. Conversely, the protein expression pattern of HSL increased first before it decreased again and then increased again.

[The application of problem-based learning and case-based study in the practice teaching of clinical prosthodontics courses].

PURPOSE: To study the effect of problem-based learning(PBL) and case-based study(CBS) for knowledge acquisition and clinical performance in the practice teaching of clinical prosthodontics courses. METHODS: Consecutive cohorts of year 2 clinical students taught using a traditional prosthodontics curriculum (students who practiced in Xuzhou Stomatological Hospital from June 2007 to June 2008, n=30) and a PBL and CBS curriculum (who practiced in Xuzhou Stomatology hospital from June 2008 to June 2009, n=30) were compared.Students completed an end-of-attachment examination and a questionnaire in which students were requested to rate themselves on 7 competencies. The data was analyzed with CS10.34 software package. RESULTS: The PBL and CBS curriculum resulted in significantly better examination performance than did the traditional teaching curriculum (P<0.05). The excellent rate was 46.7% in the PBL and CBS curriculum while 23.3% in the traditional teaching curriculum. It was found that most students considered PBL and CBS useful for them. CONCLUSIONS: Examination performance indicates that the PBL and CBS curriculum is more successful than the previous course. PBL and CBS can be used to stimulate and underpin the acquisition of knowledge, skill and attitudes, and is worthy of generalization in clinical prosthodontics courses.