Preorthodontic functional long-term trial restoration of a worn dentition for optimizing outcomes: A clinical report.

Orthodontic tooth movement is often required before restorative treatment to maximize the esthetic and functional outcomes. Diagnostic waxing is a crucial step before active treatment to validate the optimal tooth position for future restorations. In this clinical report, a bonded prototype of the diagnostic waxing was used to guide and facilitate orthodontic treatment with the definitive restorations mind. The orthodontic treatment created the required space between the teeth for the ceramic restorations, improved dental and facial features, and restored appropriate incisal guidance.

HMGB2 is associated with pressure loading in chondrocytes of temporomandibular joint: In vitro and in vivo study.

High mobility group protein B2 (HMGB2) is an important protein attributed to tissue function and homeostasis in osteoarthritis (OA), however, its roles in the temporomandibular joint with mechanical pressure are unclear. This study investigated the expression patterns of HMGB2 in chondrocytes of TMJ on OA-related cellular and animal models. The transcriptional level and protein expression of HMGB2 as well as Col- II, MMP-13 and ß-catenin were examined in primary cultured chondrocytes from TMJs with hydrostatic pressures (HP). The immunohistochemistry of HMGB2, Col- II, MMP13 and ß-catenin in rabbits with surgical anterior disc displacement (ADD) were analyzed. The results indicated that HP decreased the mRNA expression of HMGB2, MMP-13, and ß-catenin. HMGB2 knockdown attenuated the sensitivity of chondrocytes response to pressure loading. Immunohistochemical results showed that the rabbits with ADD exhibited thinner condylar cartilage with disordered cell arrangement. The distribution of HMGB2 was chiefly in the fibrous layer and the proliferative layer of the condylar cartilage. In rabbit cartilage with ADD, the expression of HMGB2 and ß-catenin were elevated at 1 week followed by sustained decrease at 2 and 4 weeks. Our findings suggested that HMGB2 is necessary for TMJ chondrocytes to sense pressure loading, which plays an important role in the pathogenesis of chondrogenesis and TMJOA following mechanical loading.

Food allergy: what it is and what it is not?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Food allergy is defined as an adverse health effect arising from a specific immune response that occurs reproducibly on exposure to a given food. Food intolerance, certain gastrointestinal or systemic diseases are often confused with or mislabeled as food allergy because of symptomatic similarity and general improvement from food avoidance. The differences between these diseases are crucial. RECENT FINDINGS: Compared with many food-related diseases that are isolated to gastrointestinal organs, food allergy can affect not only local but the whole immune system and may lead to a life-threatening allergic reaction, known as anaphylaxis. In this review, the differentiation between food allergy, food intolerance, and other comparable diseases is discussed. SUMMARY: With recent medical advances reflecting on the importance of accurate diagnosis in food hypersensitivity, healthcare providers who are treating food hypersensitivity should familiarize with latest science progress, identify and treat active disease, and refer to appropriate specialists if needed.

Rapid Palatal Expansion with the Keles Keyless Expander.

Rapid palatal expansion (RPE) is commonly used in orthodontic treatment to correct maxillary transverse deficiency, increase arch length, indirectly widen the mandibular arch in some cases, and move the maxilla downward and forward.(1-5) Maxillary transverse deficiency is usually accompanied by posterior crossbite, unless there is constriction or lingual tipping of the mandibular teeth. Posterior crossbite occurs in about 7.1% of American children in the mixed dentition, and it usually does not self-correct as the patient transitions into the permanent dentition.(6) The Keles Keyless Expander(*) (KKE) offers an efficient new method to address the maxillary transverse deficiency issue.

Investigational new drugs for allergic rhinitis.

INTRODUCTION: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a multifactorial disease characterized by paroxysmal symptoms of sneezing, rhinorrhea, postnasal drip and nasal congestion. For over a century, subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy (SCIT) has been recognized as the most effective therapy to date that may modify the underlying disease course and provide long-term benefits for individuals refractory to pharmacotherapy. However, over the past 25 years, there has been substantial growth in developing alternative therapies to traditional SCIT. Areas covered: This article will review the most current literature focusing on advancements of AR therapies. Novel AR therapies that are currently under investigation include: the addition of omalizumab, an anti-immunoglobulin E (IgE) monoclonal antibody (mAb), to SCIT; altering the method of delivery of allergen immunotherapy (AIT) including sublingual (SLIT), epicutaneous (EIT), intralymphatic (ILIT), intranasal (INIT) and oral mucosal immunotherapy (OMIT); use of capsaicin spray; novel H3 and H4 antihistamines; activation of the innate immune system through Toll-like receptor agonists; and the use of chemically altered allergens, allergoids, recombinant allergens and relevant T-cell epitope peptides to improve the efficacy and safety of AIT. Expert opinion: These promising novel therapies may offer more effective and/or safer treatment options for AR patients, and in some instances, induce immunologic tolerance.

New insights into an autoimmune mechanism, pharmacological treatment and relationship between multiple sclerosis and inflammatory bowel disease.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and multiple sclerosis (MS) are autoimmune diseases with a close relationship to their disease pattern and immunologic cascade with considerable morbidity and mortality. This article provides insight of why tumor necrosis factor blockers couldn't work in multiple sclerosis and why interferon-beta doesn't work in inflammatory bowel disease. In this article, we provide a detailed review of the linkage and potential interchangeable medication between IBD and MS in addition to Natalizumab, Trichuris suis egg therapy and vitamin D. Different treatment strategies may have potential in treating both diseases in the future.

Determination of enantiomerization barrier of thioridazine by dynamic capillary electrophoresis using sulfated cyclodextrins as chiral selectors.

The enantiomerization of thioridazine (THD) using sulfated beta-CDs (S-beta-CDs) as chiral selectors in a citrate buffer at pH 3.0 was investigated by dynamic CE. The enantiomers of THD were well separated with dual CD systems consisting of S-beta-CD and a neutral CD. The electropherograms featuring a plateau formation, which indicated the occurrence of the enantiomerization of THD were obtained. The unified equation implemented in the software program DCXplorer was employed to evaluate elution profiles and to determine rate constants of the enantiomerization of THD. Activation parameters were evaluated from temperature-dependent measurements between 15 and 25 degrees C with an increment of 2 degrees C. The enantiomerization barriers of THD in two different electrophoretic systems were determined. Comparative studies on enantioseparation of THD using S-beta-CDs with different degree of substitution and positions of sulfate substituent, such as randomly sulfate-substituted beta-CD, 18-sulfate-substituted beta-CD and heptakis(2,3-dihydroxy-6-O-sulfo)-beta-CD reveal that the interactions between chiral selectors and THD plays an important role in the enantioseparation and enantiomerization of THD.

Chiral separation of hydroxyflavanones in cyclodextrin-modified capillary zone electrophoresis using sulfated cyclodextrins as chiral selectors.

Chiral separations of three hydroxyflavanone aglycones, including 2'-, 3'-, and 4'-hydroxyflavanone, in capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) using randomly sulfate-substituted beta-cyclodextrin (S-beta-CD) or dual cyclodextrin (CD) systems consisting of S-beta-CD and a neutral CD at low pH were investigated. The results indicate that S-beta-CD is an excellent chiral selector for enantioseparation of 2'-hydroxyflavanone and is a good chiral selector for 3'-hydroxyflavanone. Depending on the concentration of S-beta-CD ranging from 2.0 to 0.75% (w/v), the enantioresolution values were 10.5-19.5 and 1.8-3.4 for 2'- and 3'-hydroxyflavanone, respectively. The enantiomers of 4'-hydroxyflavanone could be effectively separated with S-beta-CD at a concentration of 2.0% (w/v) within 20 min. The enantioselectivity and enantioresolution follow the order 2'-hydroxyflavanone>>3'-hydroxyflavanone>4'-hydroxyflavanone. Alternatively, with the addition of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) monomers at low concentrations in the electrophoretic system, enantioselectivity of these hydroxyflavanone aglycones could be enhanced with dual CD systems. In this case, SDS monomer acted as a complexing agent probably first with S-beta-CD and then subsequently with the analytes for increasing the effective electrophoretic mobility of the analytes towards the anode and as a selectivity controller for affecting the selectivity of hydroxyflavanones. Better enantioseparation between 2'-hydroxyflavanone and 3'-hydroxyflavanone could be achieved with a dual CD system consisting of S-beta-CD and gamma-CD than that with S-beta-CD and beta-CD. In addition, possible chiral recognition mechanisms of hydroxyflavanones are discussed.

Enantioseparation of phenothiazines in CD-modified CZE using single isomer sulfated CD as a chiral selector.

Enantioseparations of five chiral phenothiazines in CD-modified CZE using the single isomer sulfate-substituted beta-CD (heptakis(2,3-dihydroxy-6-O-sulfo)-beta-CD, SI-S-beta-CD) and dual CD systems consisting of SI-S-beta-CD and a neutral CD as chiral selectors in a citrate buffer at pH 3.0 were investigated. The results indicate that SI-S-beta-CD is an excellent chiral selector for enantioseparation of promethazine. The enantiomers of trimeprazine were well separated, while those of ethopropazine could also be baseline-resolved with SI-S-beta-CD. With dual CD systems, especially with hydroxypropyl-beta-CD (HP-beta-CD) as neutral CD, the enantioselectivity of thioridazine and ethopropazine was considerably enhanced. Effective enantioseparation of phenothiazines, except for methotrimeprazine, could thus be favorably and simultaneously achieved. Moreover, reversal of the enantiomer migration order of ethopropazine and thioridazine occurred by varying the concentration of gamma-CD in the presence of SI-S-beta-CD. These phenomena may be attributable to the opposite effects of sulfated beta-CD and gamma-CD on the mobility of the enantiomers of ethopropazine and of thioridazine. Comparative studies on the enantioseparations of phenothiazines with single CD and dual CD systems containing SI-S-beta-CD and randomly sulfate-substituted beta-CD (MI-S-beta-CD) were made.

Strategies for enantioseparations of catecholamines and structurally related compounds by capillary zone electrophoresis using sulfated beta-cyclodextrins as chiral selectors.

Strategies for simultaneous enantioseparations of three catecholamines (DL-norepinephrine, DL-epinephrine, and DL-isoproterenol) and three structurally related compounds (DL-octopamine, DL-synephrine, and DL-norephedrine) by CZE using sulfated beta-CDs as chiral selectors were investigated. Four different separation modes were attempted: (I) using randomly sulfate-substituted beta-CD (MI-S-beta-CD) at relatively low concentrations in a high-concentration phosphate buffer at low pH in the normal polarity mode, (II) using MI-S-beta-CD at high concentrations at low pH in the reversed polarity mode, (III) using MI-S-beta-CD at moderately high concentrations in a phosphate buffer at neutral pH in the normal polarity mode, and (IV) using the single isomer heptakis(2,3-dihydroxy-6-O-sulfo)-beta-CD (SI-S-beta-CD) at low to moderately high concentrations in a high-concentration BGE at low pH in the normal polarity mode. Among them, enantioseparation of these cationic solutes was best achieved under the conditions of mode (II). In mode (II) and mode (III), temperature is an important factor affecting the enantioresolution of norepinephrine. In mode (I) and mode (IV), the use of a high-concentration BGE (150-200 mM) is crucial for effective enantioseparation of these cationic solutes with sulfated beta-CDs. Comparative studies of enantioseparations of these cationic solutes with MI-S-beta-CD and SI-S-beta-CD reveal that the sulfate substituents of MI-S-beta-CD located at the C(2)- position interact strongly with the diol moiety of catecholamines.

Enantioselectivity of basic analytes in CZE enantioseparation under reversed-polarity mode using sulfated beta-cyclodextrins as chiral selectors: An unusual temperature effect.

Temperature effects on the enantioselectivity of basic analytes in CZE enantioseparation were studied under reversed-polarity mode using randomly sulfate-substituted beta-CDs (MI-S-beta-CD) as chiral seletors. Two catecholamines (epinephrine and isoproterenol) and two structurally related compounds (octopamine and norephedrine) were selected as test compounds in an electrophoretic system at low pH. The mobility differences between the (+)-enantiomers and the (-)-enantiomers of the two catecholamines and dopamine at 40 degrees C are greater than those at 25 degrees C with MI-S-beta-CD, even at a concentration as low as 0.3% w/v. Thus the enantioselectivity of these three basic analytes increases with increasing temperature. This phenomenon results from the inequality of the temperature effect on the mobility of the two enantiomers. In contrast, norephedrine behaves differently. The (+)-enantiomers of these basic analytes were found to migrate faster than the (-)-enantiomers. Consequently, the unusual temperature effect on the enantioselectivity can be observed when the mobility difference of the (+)-enantiomer between 40 and 25 degrees C is greater than that of the (-)-enantiomer using MI-S-beta-CD at a concentration greater than about 0.7% w/v for enantioseparation of isoproterenol, 0.4% w/v for epinephrine, and 0.3% w/v for octopamine. This unusual temperature effect offers the advantages to enhance enantioselectivity, to improve enantioseparation, and to reduce migration times.

Use of beta-cyclodextrin bonded phase with s-triazine moiety in the spacer for separation of aromatic carboxylic acid isomers by high-performance liquid chromatography.

The separation and retention behavior of five aromatic carboxylic acid isomers was investigated by means of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using a beta-cyclodextrin bonded phase with s-triazine ring in the spacer. The influence of mobile phase pH on the retention was examined. The presence of s-triazine moiety in the spacer enhances greatly the selectivity of the isomers of aromatic carboxylic acids. Baseline separations of the five aromatic carboxylic acid isomers were achieved. In particular, the isomers of toluic, aminobenzoic, nitrobenzoic and hydroxybenzoic acid were successfully and effectively separated. The chromatographic results indicate that, in addition to inclusion complexation, pi-pi interaction and hydrogen bonding interaction between the bonded phase and analytes play significant roles in the retention of these acid isomers. Different elution orders were observed for these acidic solutes with different substituents. Possible retention mechanisms are discussed.