Oral lichen planus and dental implants--a retrospective study.

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether oral lichen planus (OLP) affects the success rate of dental implants and if the manifestations of OLP are altered by implant-borne prostheses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: OLP patients, treated in the oral medicine department, with (the study group) and without (control group) dental implants were included. Pocket depth, mobility, bleeding on probing, erythema, pain and radiolucency around the implants, as well as clinical findings and OLP symptoms were recorded. Follow-up ranged from 12-24 months. Ordinal variables and visual analog scale score were compared using the Mann-Whitney test. The significance of the trend within each of the groups was assed using the Friedman test. Categorical variables were compared using Pearson chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: Fourteen patients in the study group with 1-15 implants per patient and 15 in the control group were included. No implant failures were recorded. Comparison between the clinical manifestations of OLP in both groups did not reveal any significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: Success of implant rehabilitation among treated OLP patients does not seem to be different from the success rate in the general population. Nor does implant placement influence the disease manifestations.

Sinus floor augmentation using large (1-2 mm) or small (0.25-1 mm) bovine bone mineral particles: a prospective, intra-individual controlled clinical, micro-computerized tomography and histomorphometric study.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the amount of newly formed bone after sinus floor augmentation with two different particle sizes of bovine bone mineral (BBM) using clinical, micro-computerized tomography (CT) and histological techniques. METHODS: Bilateral sinus floor augmentations were performed in 10 patients. Six to 9 months later, bone samples were retrieved and analyzed. RESULTS: Results: Both groups were not different in vertical bone height achieved after augmentation, post-operative complications and maximal torque for the insertion of implants. Micro-CT measurements could not detect a statistically significant difference in bone volume between the groups (with a tendency for new more bone in the small granules group). Histomorphometric analysis revealed that both granule sizes produced the same pattern of bone formation, surrounding the graft granules, and producing a shape of a network, "bridging" between the BBM particles. Multi-nucleated giant cells, probably osteoclasts, were observed directly on the BBM particle surface in both groups. The osteoclast-like cells preferred the small-size BBM particles and not the large particles both in the small-size and the large-size granules group. CONCLUSION: Both sizes of BBM granules preformed equally and achieved the aim of the sinus floor augmentation procedure clinically and histologically.

Serum cytokine tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6 associated with the severity of coronary artery disease: indicators of an active inflammatory burden?

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerosis is a chronic inflammatory process resulting in coronary artery disease. OBJECTIVES: To determine the relationship between inflammatory markers and the angiographic severity of CAD. METHODS: We measured inflammatory markers in consecutive patients undergoing coronary angiography. This included C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, serum cytokines (interleukin-1 beta, IL-1 receptor antagonist, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha), all measured by high sensitivity enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between TNFalpha and the severity of CAD as assessed by the number of obstructed coronary vessels and the Gensini severity score, which is based on the proximity and severity of the lesions. Patients had more coronary vessel disease (> 70% stenosis) with increasing tertiles of serum TNFalpha; the mean number of vessels affected was 1.15, 1.33, and 2.00 respectively (P< 0.001). IL-6 correlated with the Gensini severity score and coronary vessel disease (> 70% stenosis). A weaker correlation was present with IL-1 receptor antagonist. A significant correlation was not found with the other inflammatory markers. After adjustment for major risk factors, multivariate analyses showed that significant independent predictors of CAD vessel disease were TNFalpha (P< 0.05) and combined levels of TNFalpha and IL-6 (P< 0.05). IL-6 levels were independently predictive of Gensini coronary score (P< 0.05). CONCLUSION: TNFalpha and IL-6 are significant predictors of the severity of coronary artery disease. This association is likely an indicator of the chronic inflammatory burden and an important marker of increased atherosclerosis risk.

Tetracycline conditioning augments the in vivo inflammatory response induced by cementum extracts.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that extracts of cementum from periodontally involved teeth stimulated cytokine secretion from cultured human monocytes and that this stimulatory effect is inhibited by conditioning of the cementum with tetracycline. Using the subcutaneous chamber model in mice, the present study was designed to test the ability of cementum extracts from periodontally diseased teeth to induce an inflammatory response in vivo and to evaluate the effect of cementum conditioning with tetracycline. METHODS: Subcutaneous chambers were implanted in 24 mice. Two weeks later, the animals received intrachamber injection of one of the following: diseased-cementum extract, healthy-cementum extract, diseased-cementum extract preconditioned with tetracycline, or medium alone. Chamber exudates were harvested and analyzed for leukocyte levels, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, interferon (IFN)-gamma, and interleukin-10 (IL-10). RESULTS: Injection of healthy- or diseased-cementum extracts increased the intrachamber levels of leukocytes. Extracts of diseased cementum were found to significantly increase the levels of TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, and IL-10, compared with extracts of healthy cementum or media alone. Peak cytokine levels were observed 2 hours postinjection. Conditioning of diseased cementum with tetracycline before extraction resulted in augmented levels of TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma, and reduced levels of IL-10, compared with untreated diseased cementum. CONCLUSIONS: The present results demonstrate that conditioning of diseased cementum with tetracycline may induce an intense inflammatory response in a mouse model, and they suggest that local application of tetracycline for root conditioning should be carefully reinvestigated.