Responses of peri-implant tissues to undisturbed plaque formation in dogs: clinical, radiographic, and microbiological findings.

The present investigation evaluated the clinical and microbiological effects of long-term undisturbed plaque formation on peri-implant tissues. Four mongrel dogs were used in the study. The mandibular 3rd and 4th premolars were extracted. Three months later, four Brånemark implants (BR, n = 8) or Integral implants (IN, n = 8) were placed in the edentulous area of each dog. After another 3 months, an abutment connection was performed. Plaque control regiment was maintained for 30 days until the superstructure was placed (Day 0: baseline). Then the plaque control program was terminated to allow gross plaque accumulation. Clinical, radiographical and microbiological data were recorded at the baseline, and at 90 and 180 days after the termination of the plaque control. Values for the clinical indices such as probing depth, plaque index and bleeding on probing increased at day 90 on both the implant and tooth sites, and remained unchanged at day 180. Significantly more implant sites showed bleeding on probing than did tooth sites. Neither implants nor tooth sites showed clinically significant changes in mobility. No distinct bone resorption was observed over time by radiography. In microscopic morphological observations, cocci dominated at the baseline, and decreased by day 180, while the proportion of motile bacteria increased. In a culture study, black-pigmented anaerobic rods, which consisted predominantly of Porphyromonas gingivalis-like bacteria, were consistently found from the baseline to day 180. No Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans-like organisms were isolated. These results indicate that, although the long-term plaque accumulation did not cause marked periodontal destruction, the peri-implant tissue may be more susceptible to plaque accumulation than the periodontal tissue, and that teeth may serve as a reservoir for the bacterial colonization of the implant sulcus.

Superoxide dismutase activity in arthropathy: its role and measurement in the joints.

The electron spin resonance (ESR) method was used to measure the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in synovial fluids from the knee joints of 73 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and the results were compared with those of 50 patients with osteoarthritis (OA) and posttraumatic arthritis (PA). The SOD activity in RA and OA knee joint fluids was higher than in the control patients with PA. Patients with moderate RA (grade III or IV according to Larsen's classification of rheumatoid knee radiographs) showed higher SOD activities in joint fluids than patients with early (grade I or II) and terminal (grade V) stages of RA. Our results suggest that the SOD activity in joint fluids is a valid index of articular destruction and repair.

Ultrastructure and X-ray microanalysis of epiphyseal growth cartilage of femoral head processed by rapid-freezing and freeze-substitution.

Epiphyseal growth cartilage of the femoral head obtained from Wistar rats was investigated after fixation by a rapid-freezing and freeze-substitution. Liquid helium was used in order to achieve a fast cooling rate without ice-crystal damage during the rapid freezing. Use of the rapid-freezing and freeze-substitution procedure provided better ultrastructural preservation of the chondrocyte than conventional chemical fixation methods. This procedure allowed a more reliable approach to electron probe analysis. X-ray microanalysis of the specimens confirmed that calcium is not detected in the initial matrix vesicles as a result of the freezing process. The results suggest that calcium release from precipitates occurs in the free state without any detectable formation of hydroxyapatite at the initial stage of calcification and that calcium is not tightly bound to the matrix vesicles.

Radiological long-term follow-up of grafted xenogeneic bone in patients with bone tumors.

Radiological findings on the fate of grafted Kiel bone implants for the treatment of bone tumors were evaluated in 25 lesions. The mean follow-up period was 14.8 years, ranging from 5 to 21.8 years. We classified the radiological findings into 4 grades; Excellent (4 lesions), Good (14 lesions), Fair (2 lesions), and Poor (5 lesions). All cases of the Poor grade were polyostotic fibrous dysplasia. The younger the patient at the time of the operation, the more rapidly Kiel bone grafts tended to be incorporated. The grafted bone can become enmeshed in the structure of the recipient bed (Good or Excellent grades) within 10 years in most cases, except in polyostotic fibrous dysplasia.

Unique features of monoclonal IgG2b in the cleavage reaction with pepsin.

Preparations of IgG2b purified from several mouse hybridoma clones were highly susceptible, compared to other subclasses, to peptic digestion under conditions usually used to prepare F (ab')2 fragments. Analyses of the digestion products revealed that no F (ab')2 was produced and that the main product was a Fab-like fragment. Demonstration of the hinge disulfides in the Fc portion clearly indicated that in IgG2b the primary peptic cleavage occurs on the NH2-terminal side of the inter-heavy chain disulfide bridge. The resulting Fab failed to bind with antigen, suggesting the importance of the CH1-hinge region in maintaining the native conformation of the antigen-binding site.

Amplification of both c-myc and c-raf-1 oncogenes in a human osteosarcoma.

Fourteen human bone and soft part tumor tissues were screened by Southern blot hybridization using five oncogene probes (c-myc, c-K-ras, c-fos, c-raf-1, and N-myc). Amplification of c-myc was found in two osteosarcomas and one malignant fibrous histiocytoma. One of these osteosarcomas had amplified c-raf-1 gene. Rearrangement of the amplified gene was not observed. This is the first report of c-raf-1 amplification in human cancer tissues.

Immunoelectron microscopic localization of the pX gene products in human T-cell leukemia virus type 1-producing cells.

The location of the pX gene products in human T-cell leukemia virus type 1-producing cells, MT-2 and HUT 102, was studied by immunoelectron microscopy using the direct and indirect peroxidase-labeled antibody methods. Fab'-peroxidase conjugates were prepared for the direct method with a maleimide compound from antisera to the carboxy-terminal region of the pX gene products. Positive immunostaining in MT-2 cells was detected in the endoplasmic reticulum, the outer and inner leaflets of the nuclear membrane, and inside their cisternae, but not in the plasma membrane and viral particles. Staining in the nucleus was faint. On the other hand, positive immunostaining in HUT 102 cells was detected diffusely in the euchromatin regions of the nucleus but not in the nucleoli, nuclear envelope, and cellular membrane systems. The location of the positive immunostaining in the HUT 102 nuclei was reconfirmed by the reaction in isolated nuclei. On the basis of both the immunoelectron microscopic and immunoblotting analyses of the pX gene products, it is suggested that the Mr 40,000 to 42,000 protein (p40x) is localized mainly in the euchromatin regions of the nuclei of human T-cell leukemia virus type 1-producing cells, and the Mr 68,000 protein (p68x) is localized mainly in the nuclear envelope and the endoplasmic reticulum of MT-2 cells. p68x detected in MT-2 cells with the anti-p40x serum was deduced to be a protein consisting of p40x and a part of env gene products and to share epitopes in common with p40x.