Efficacy of using erbium, chromium-doped: Yttrium scandium gallium garnet laser-treated dentine in a dentine barrier test device.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of using erbium, chromium-doped:yttrium scandium gallium garnet (Er,Cr:YSGG) laser-treated dentine in a dentine barrier test device. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The test materials (G-Bond™ and Vitrebond™) were applied onto laser-treated or laser-untreated dentine discs. After 24 h of exposure with perfusion of the test chamber, cell survival was evaluated based on enzyme activity and compared to a nontoxic control material. The mean of the control was set to 100% viability. Data were analyzed using the one-way analysis of variance and the Tukey's honest significant difference tests. RESULTS: The responses of bovine pulp-derived cells after exposure to G-Bond and Vitrebond on Er,Cr:YSGG laser-treated and laser-untreated dentin were statistically different from negative control group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Er,Cr:YSGG laser treatment was not successful enough in decreasing the cytotoxic effects of the dental materials. Different parameters of Er,Cr:YSGG laser or different laser types could be investigated as an alternative to minimizing the cytotoxic effects of dental materials.

Energy utilization and growth performance of chickens fed novel wheat inbred lines selected for different pentosan levels with and without xylanase supplementation.

Different F5 recombinant inbred lines from the cross Yumai 34×Ukrainka were grown in replicated trials on a single site in one harvest year at Rothamsted Research. A total of 10 samples from those lines were harvested and used in a broiler experiment. Twenty nutritionally complete meal-form diets that had 630 g/kg of wheat with different amounts of pentosan, with and without exogenous xylanase supplementation, were used to compare broiler growth performance and determine apparent metabolizable energy corrected for N retention (AMEn). We examined the relationship between the nutritive value of the wheat samples and their chemical compositions and results of quality tests. The amounts of total and water soluble pentosans in wheat samples ranged from 36.7 to 48.0 g/kg DM, and 6.7 to 11.6 g/kg DM, respectively. The mean crude oil and protein contents of the wheat samples were 10.5 and 143.9 g/kg DM, respectively. The average determined value for the kinematic viscosity was 0.0018 mPa.s, and 2.1 mPa.s for the dynamic viscosity. The AMEn of the wheat-based diets had a maximum range of 0.47 MJ/kg DM within the ten wheat samples that were tested. Xylanase supplementation improved (P<0.05) dietary AMEn, dry matter, and fat digestibility coefficients. There was a positive (P<0.05) relationship between in vitro kinematic viscosity of the wheat samples and the total pentosan content. There was a negative relationship between the total pentosan content in the wheat and broiler growth performance. An increase by 10 g of pentosan per kg of wheat reduced (P<0.001) daily feed intake and weight gain by 2.9 g and 3.5 g, respectively. The study shows that the feeding quality of wheat samples can be predicted by their total pentosan content. Supplementary xylanase improved energy and nutrient availability of all wheat samples that was independent of differences in pentosan content.

Comparison of the histopathological diagnoses of preoperative dilatation and curettage and Pipelle biopsy.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the accuracy of dilatation and curettage (D&C) and Pipelle biopsy for the diagnosis of endometrial pathologies and determine whether the amount of endometrial tissue obtained using these techniques is sufficient for further histopathology of hysterectomy specimens. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients undergoing hysterectomy for various indications were evaluated via Pipelle endometrial biopsy or D&C from 2009-2011. A total of 267 women were included with 78 women enrolled in the Pipelle group and 189 in the D&C group. Uterine findings were grouped as normal, hyperplasia, focal lesion, atypia, and atrophy. Histological sections from the Pipelle biopsy or D&C specimens were compared to each other and hysterectomy specimens. RESULTS: The concordance rate between Pipelle biopsy and hysterectomy was 62% and between D&C and hysterectomy was 67%. The sensitivity of Pipelle biopsy and D&C for detecting hyperplasia was 41.7% and 45%, respectively, and for detecting atypia was 71.4% for both techniques. The sensitivity of detecting atrophic endometrial tissue was significantly higher in the D&C group at 80% compared to 37.5% in the Pipelle biopsy group (p = 0.030). All other parameters were similar in both groups. CONCLUSION: Pipelle biopsy and D&C were equally successful for diagnosing endometrial pathologies. Neither Pipelle biopsy nor D&C was adequate for detecting focal endometrial pathologies and endometrial hyperplasia. In contrast, both techniques were sufficient for the diagnosis of atypia. The Pipelle biopsy technique is a reasonable pre-hysterectomy procedure that is more economical, less invasive, and can easily be performed in multiple clinics.

Cytotoxicity evaluation of dentin contacting materials with dentin barrier test device using erbium-doped yttrium, aluminum, and garnet laser-treated dentin.

OBJECTIVES: The effect of dentin contacting materials on three-dimensional cultures of pulp-derived cells was evaluated in a dentin barrier test device using erbium-doped yttrium, aluminum, and garnet (Er:YAG) laser-treated dentin. METHODS: The test materials (iBond(®), G-Bond™, and Vitrebond™) were applied on laser-treated or untreated dentin discs. After 24 h of exposure with perfusion of the test chamber, cell survival was evaluated by enzyme activity and related to a nontoxic control material. The mean values of control tissues were set to represent 100% viability. Data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: Vitrebond was the most toxic material for both laser-treated and untreated dentin. On untreated dentin, G-bond was cytotoxic to the pulp-derived cells (p < 0.05), and iBond was similar to the negative control group (p > 0.05). However, G-Bond and iBond were not cytotoxic when they were applied to Er:YAG laser-treated dentin (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Er:YAG laser treatment of dentin may protect the pulp cells from toxic substances of dentin contacting restorative materials; however, this effect is material related. Taking into consideration the limitations of this in vitro study, the Er:YAG laser treatment of dentin before restoration might be an option for decreasing the cytotoxic effects of the dental materials. Further research is required for clinical applications.

The numbers of Foxp3 + Treg cells are positively correlated with higher grade of infiltration at the salivary glands in primary Sjogren's syndrome.

This study was designed to investigate whether Foxp3( +) regulatory T (Treg) cells play a role in the histopathologic changes of primary Sjögren's Syndrome (pSS) and to evaluate other factors possibly associated with Foxp3(+) Treg cells in pSS patients. The number of FoxP3-expressing T cells in peripheral blood (PB) of 39 patients with pSS, 40 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and 28 healthy controls was measured by flow-cytometer analysis. FoxP3-expressing CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg cells were analyzed in minor salivary gland (SG) tissues of 39 pSS patients. Histopathologic changes were examined by light microscopy according to Chisholm's classification. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence were performed to assess the Foxp3(+) Treg in SG biopsy specim-ens. The numbers of CD4(+) T cells and FoxP3-expressing CD4(+) T cells in PB were similar in all groups. Expression of CD25 on CD4(+) T cells in PB of patients with pSS and RA was significantly higher than in healthy controls, especially for RA patients. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence showed that FoxP3(+) Treg were enriched in the SGs of pSS patients, with a positive correlation between the increase in FoxP3(+) Treg in SG and the Chisholm score in pSS (p < 0.001, r = +0.605). The increase of FoxP3( +) Treg cells in the SGs of pSS patients, which is correlated with gland infiltration, suggests that natural regulatory T cells play an important role in the pathogenesis of pSS. Further studies are required to explore the mechanisms that mediate the relationship between Treg and the pathogenesis of pSS.

CTLA-4 gene polymorphism of exon 1(+49 A/G) in Turkish systemic lupus erythematosus patients.

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte-associated antigen-4 is a cell-surface molecule providing a negative signal for T cell activation. CTLA-4 gene polymorphisms are known to be related with genetic susceptibility to various autoimmune diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, the effects of this polymorphism on clinical features of SLE have not been defined. We analysed the CTLA-4 gene +49 A/G polymorphisms in patients with SLE by using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and investigated the effect of polymorphisms on clinical outcomes. Blood was collected from 47 unrelated Turkish SLE patients, all fulfilling the American College of Rheumatology criteria for SLE, and 100 ethnically matched healthy volunteers. The AA genotype was a predominant genotype in the Turkish population and genotype frequencies of CTLA-4 AA were significantly higher in SLE patients (70%) than healthy controls (47%) (P = 0.015). There was a statistically significant difference in the AA genotype [odds ratio (OR): 2.66, confidence interval (CI) 95%: 1.27-5.56, P = 0.014] distribution among patients and controls. There was also an increase in A allele frequency in SLE and controls, but the difference was not statistically significant (81% vs. 70%, P = 0.068, OR = 1.8, CI 95%: 0.99-3.28). Interestingly, mean age and mean age of onset disease was higher in AA homozygote SLE patients compared to non-AA (39.2 +/- 11.5 vs. 31.6 +/- 10.6, P = 0.044; 32.38 vs. 24.31, P = 0.046, respectively). There was no association between genotype and the other clinical features of SLE. Our results suggested that CTLA-4 +49 AA genotype might be a risk factor for the development of SLE in Turkish population and G allele might be involved in early development of SLE. No association with clinical features was found for polymorphism of the promoter region in CTLA-4 +49.

Concurrent gene therapy strategies effectively destroy synoviocytes of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by the chronic inflammation of the synovial joints resulting from the hyperplasia of synovial cells and the infiltration of lymphocytes, macrophages and plasma cells. Currently, the aetiology of RA is not known, and new treatment modalities are needed to prevent the disease progression. Apoptosis induction of synovial cells through the use of death ligands has been explored as a treatment modality for RA. Thus, the primary objective of this study was the testing of the efficacy of adenovirus delivery of human TRAIL (Ad5hTRAIL) for the treatment of patients with RA. Methods. Primary synovial cell cultures were established from eight patients with RA. Adenovirus permissiveness of synovial cells was determined by the infection of synoviocytes with adenovirus vector encoding green fluorescent protein (AdEGFP). TRAIL sensitivity of synoviocytes was assessed through the infection with Ad5hTRAIL vector using Live/Death Cellular Viability/Toxicity kit from Molecular Probe. TRAIL receptor profiles of synoviocytes were revealed by real-time RT-PCR assays followed by flow cytometric analyses. Results. While the presence of TRAIL death receptors were necessary for the induction of cell death, high levels of TRAIL-R4 decoy receptor expression on surface were correlated with TRAIL resistance. A DcR2 siRNA approach in combination with Ad5hTRAIL infection eliminated apoptosis-resistant RA synovial fibroblasts. Conclusion. Because a DcR2 siRNA approach in combination with Ad5hTRAIL infection exterminated RA synoviocytes to a greater extent than Ad5hTRAIL alone, the modulation of TRAIL receptor expression might be a new gene therapy strategy to sensitize RA synoviocytes to TRAIL.

[The culture of Trichomonas vaginalis and its incidence in vaginitis]. / Trichomonas vaginalis kültürü ve vaginal akintili hastalarda arastirilmasi.

Direct microscopic and cultural examination of 151 cases of vaginitis have been applied. Trichomonas vaginalis observed in 22 cases by direct microscopic examination and isolated in 42 cases by cultural method. Candida sp isolated in 46 cases. All patients were treated.