No genetic causal association between periodontitis and ankylosing spondylitis: a bidirectional two-sample mendelian randomization analysis.

BACKGROUND: Observational studies that reveal an association between periodontitis (PD) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) exist. However, observational research is prone to reverse causality and confounding factors, which make it challenging to infer cause-and-effect relationships. We conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study to examine the causal relationship between the genetic prediction of PD and AS. METHODS: In our study, single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were defined as instrumental variables (IVs). The genetic association with PD came from the Gene-Lifestyle Interactions and Dental Endpoints (GLIDE) consortium, wherein 17353 cases of European ancestry and 28210 controls of European ancestry were included in this study. The genetic association with AS from the Neale Laboratory Consortium included 337,159 individuals from the United Kingdom, with 968 cases and 336,191 controls. MR analysis was mainly performed using the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method. In addition, the robustness of the study findings was assessed using sensitivity, pleiotropy, and heterogeneity analyses. RESULTS: Eighteen independent SNPs with P-values significantly smaller than 1 × 10- 5 were used as IV SNPs for PD, while 39 independent SNPs with P-values significantly smaller than 1 × 10- 5 were used as IV SNPs for AS. The results of the IVW method revealed no causal association between PD and AS (odds ratio = 1.00, 95% confidence interval: 0.99953 to 1.00067, P = 0.72). The MR-Egger method did not support the causal association between PD and AS. It is unlikely that horizontal pleiotropy distorts causal estimates based on sensitivity analysis. No significant heterogeneity was observed in the Q test. The ''leave-one-out'' analysis demonstrated that the robustness of our results was unaffected by eliminating any of the IVs. Likewise, no significant causative effect for AS on PD was observed in the inverse MR analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The study results do not support shared heritability or a causal association between PD and AS.

Periodontal disease increases the severity of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: Recent research suggests that periodontitis can increase the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In this study, we performed two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) and investigated the causal effect of periodontitis (PD) on the genetic prediction of COPD. The study aimed to estimate how exposures affected outcomes. METHODS: Published data from the Gene-Lifestyle Interaction in the Dental Endpoints (GLIDE) Consortium's genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for periodontitis (17,353 cases and 28,210 controls) and COPD (16,488 cases and 169,688 controls) from European ancestry were utilized. This study employed a two-sample MR analysis approach and applied several complementary methods, including weighted median, inverse variance weighted (IVW), and MR-Egger regression. Multivariable Mendelian randomization (MVMR) analysis was further conducted to mitigate the influence of smoking on COPD. RESULTS: We chose five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) as instrumental variables for periodontitis. A strong genetically predicted causal link between periodontitis and COPD, that is, periodontitis as an independent risk factor for COPD was detected. PD (OR = 1.102951, 95% CI: 1.005-1.211, p = 0.039) MR-Egger regression and weighted median analysis results were coincident with those of the IVW method. According to the sensitivity analysis, horizontal pleiotropy's effect on causal estimations seemed unlikely. However, reverse MR analysis revealed no significant genetic causal association between COPD and periodontitis. IVW (OR = 1.048 > 1, 95%CI: 0.973-1.128, p = 0.2082) MR Egger (OR = 0.826, 95%CI:0.658-1.037, p = 0.1104) and weighted median (OR = 1.043, 95%CI: 0.941-1.156, p = 0.4239). The results of multivariable Mendelian randomization (MVMR) analysis, after adjusting for the confounding effect of smoking, suggest a potential causal relationship between periodontitis and COPD (P = 0.035). CONCLUSION: In this study, periodontitis was found to be independent of COPD and a significant risk factor, providing new insights into periodontitis-mediated mechanisms underlying COPD development.

A New Theranostic Platform Against Gram-Positive Bacteria Based on Near-Infrared-Emissive Aggregation-Induced Emission Nanoparticles.

Infections induced by Gram-positive bacteria pose a great threat to public health. Antibiotic therapy, as the first chosen strategy against Gram-positive bacteria, is inevitably associated with antibiotic resistance selection. Novel therapeutic strategies for the discrimination and inactivation of Gram-positive bacteria are thus needed. Here, a specific type of aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen) with near-infrared fluorescence emission as a novel antibiotic-free therapeutic strategy against Gram-positive bacteria is proposed. With the combination of a positively charged group into a highly twisted architecture, self-assembled AIEgens (AIE nanoparticles (NPs)) at a relatively low concentration (5 µm) exhibited specific binding and photothermal effect against living Gram-positive bacteria both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, toxicity assays demonstrated excellent biocompatibility of AIE NPs at this concentration. All these properties make the AIE NPs as a novel generation of theranostic platform for combating Gram-positive bacteria and highlight their promising potential for in vivo tracing of such bacteria.

Deciphering genetic causality between inflammatory bowel disease and periodontitis through bi-directional two-sample Mendelian randomization.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and periodontitis are reported to be closely associated; however, whether there is a causal association between them remains unclear. To explore the existence of this causality, this study applied a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR). The genetic variants were obtained from the summary statistics of genome-wide association studies of IBD, including its subtypes CD and UC, and periodontitis. 175, 148, 113, and six single-nucleotide polymorphisms were selected as instrumental variables for IBD, CD, UC, and periodontitis, respectively. In MR analysis, random-effects inverse-variance weighted was used as the primary method, and weighted median and MR Egger regression were applied as the complementary method. A series of sensitivity analyses were also conducted to ensure the reliability of the results. None of these analyses found a significant effect of genetically proxied IBD and its subtypes on periodontitis, and vice versa. Subsequent sensitivity analyses did not detect any horizontal pleiotropy and heterogeneity. Caution should be exerted when it comes to clinical relevance and further studies are needed to clarify the relationship between IBD and periodontitis.

Genetically predicted obstructive sleep apnea is causally associated with an increased risk for periodontitis.

BACKGROUND: Although obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and periodontitis are associated, whether this association is causative is uncertain. METHODS: We conducted a bidirectional Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis using data from publically accessible genome-wide association studies. The single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for OSA were derived from 16,761 cases and 201,194 controls. The pooled data of periodontitis association involved up to 17,353 individuals. Disease-associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms were selected as an instrumental variable at the genome-wide significance level (p < 5.0 × 10- 6). Subsequently, the causal effects were estimated using three different methods: inverse variance weighting (IVW), MR-Egger, and weighted median. Then, these causal estimates were expressed as dominance ratios [odds ratio (OR)]. RESULTS: The MR analysis revealed that genetically determined OSA promotes the development of periodontitis [ IVW OR = 1.117, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.001-1.246, p = 0.048). Furthermore, no causal effect of genetically predicted periodontitis on OSA was noted in the reverse MR analysis (IVW OR = 1, 95% CI: 0.95-1.06, p = 0.87). The trend in results from the MR-Egger regression and weighted median (WM) was consistent with that in results from the IVW method. The robustness of the results was confirmed by the sensitivity analysis. CONCLUSIONS: In summary, the results of our MR investigation suggest an association between OSA and periodontitis, proposing that early screening and treatment of OSA is beneficial for the prevention and prognosis of periodontitis.

Evaluation of bi-directional causal association between periodontal disease and erectile dysfunction: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study.

BACKGROUND: The association between periodontal disease (PD) and erectile dysfunction (ED) has been well-documented in observational studies. However, observational studies are vulnerable to reverse causality and confounding factors, making the inference of causal-effect relationships challenging. Contrary to the current belief, Mendelian randomization (MR) can be applied to comprehensively assess the bi-directional causal effects between PD and ED. METHODS: A two-sample MR analysis was performed using pooled statistics from genome-wide association studies involving European populations with PD (12,289 patients with PD and 22,326 controls) and ED (6,175 patients with clinically diagnosed ED and 217,630 controls). In this MR analysis, three methods--the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) average, weighted median, and MR-Egger regression methods--were used to evaluate the causal relationships between PD and ED. RESULTS: According to the IVW analysis results, genetically predicted PD did not have a causal effect on ED (odds ratio 1.07, 95% confidence interval 0.96-1.20, p = 0.22). Furthermore, there was no clear indication of a significant causal effect of ED on PD in the reverse MR analysis (odds ratio 0.98, 95% confidence interval 0.90-1.08, p = 0.74). The results of the MR-Egger regression and weighted median methods were consistent with those of the IVW method. Based on the sensitivity analysis results, a major bias from genetic pleiotropy was unlikely to distort the causal estimates. CONCLUSION: The present study does not support a causal effect between PD and ED. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: From the perspective of genetics, PD does not appear to be a risk factor for the development of ED.

The underlying molecular mechanisms and biomarkers between periodontitis and COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: Emerging evidence shows the clinical consequences of patient with COVID-19 and periodontitis are not promising, and periodontitis is a risk factor. Periodontitis and COVID-19 probably have a relationship. Hence, this study aimed to identify the common molecular mechanism that may help to devise potential therapeutic strategies in the future. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analyzed two RNA-seq datasets for differential expressed genes, enrichment of biological processes, transcription factors (TFs) and deconvolution-based immune cell types in periodontitis, COVID-19 and healthy controls. Relationships between TFs and mRNA were established by Pearson correlation analysis, and the common TFs-mRNA regulatory network and nine co-upregulated TFs of the two diseases was obtained. The RT-PCR detected the TFs. RESULTS: A total of 1616 and 10201 differentially expressed gene (DEGs) from periodontitis and COVID-19 are found. Moreover, nine shared TFs and common biological processes associated with lymphocyte activation involved in immune response were identified across periodontitis and COVID-19. The cell type enrichment revealed elevated plasma cells among two diseases. The RT-PCR further confirmed the nine TFs up-regulation in periodontitis. CONCLUSION: The pathogenesis of periodontitis and COVID-19 is closely related to the expression of TFs and lymphocyte activation, which can provide potential targets for treatment.

Immediate Implant Placement With or Without Immediate Provisionalization in the Maxillary Esthetic Zone: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To determine whether immediate implant placement and loading renders different outcomes from delayed loading with respect to midfacial mucosal level in the maxillary esthetic area. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A literature search was conducted in four electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane), identifying eligible clinical studies published prior to December 2021. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing immediate implant placement with or without immediate loading in the maxillary esthetic zone with a mean follow-up of at least 12 months were selected for qualitative analysis and meta-analysis. The Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was adopted to assess the quality of the evidence. The heterogeneity between the pooled literature was analyzed through the chi-square test (P < .05) and quantified by the I2 index. A mixed-effects model was applied if it appeared that there was noteworthy heterogeneity; otherwise, a random-effects model was chosen. For continuous outcomes, the estimate of relative effect was presented to display the standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% CIs. For dichotomous variables, the Mantel-Haenszel statistical method was applied with effect sizes expressed as risk ratios (RRs) and 95% CIs. This study is registered on PROSPERO with number CRD42017078611. RESULTS: Out of 5,553 records, 8 RCTs were involved, providing data for 324 immediately placed implants (immediate implants subjected to immediate loading [IPIL]: 163; immediate implants subjected to delayed loading [IPDL]: 161) that had been in function within 12 to 60 months. Meta-analyses revealed significantly lower midfacial mucosal level changes for IPIL compared with IPDL, pointing to 0.48 mm (95% CI: -0.84 to -0.12; P = .01), as well as more significant papillary recession after IPDL (SMD -0.16; 95% CI: -0.31 to 0.00; P = .04). The differences regarding implant survival and marginal bone loss between the two loading groups showed no statistical significance. The result of metaanalyses revealed similar plaque score (SMD 0.03; 95% CI: -0.22 to 0.29; P = .79) and probing depth (SMD -0.09; 95% CI: -0.23 to 0.05; P = .21) for IPIL and IPDL. On the other hand, IPIL induced a trend toward more bleeding on probing (SMD 0.22; 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.42; P = .04) and less change in facial ridge dimension (SMD 0.94; 95% CI: -1.49 to -0.39; P < .01). CONCLUSION: After a follow-up ranging from 12 to 60 months, midfacial mucosa level change was 0.48 mm lower following IPIL compared with IPDL. Immediate implant placement and loading is conducive to the preservation of physiologic soft and hard tissue architecture, appearing to offer considerable benefits in the anterior zone. In summary, IPIL should be considered in the esthetic zone if the primary implant stability permits. Int J Oral Maxillofac Implants 2023;38:422-434. doi: 10.11607/jomi.10112.

Tooth autotransplantation gives teeth a second chance at life: A case series.

Traditional transplantation, surgical extrusion and intentional replantation procedures are important treatment options that clinicians may consider performing in their daily clinical practice. There should be a well-constructed treatment plan for teeth with problems. In this paper, we present a series of case reports on three treatment methods used in autologous tooth transplantation and a literature review on the prevention of postoperative complications and the advantages of autologous tooth transplantation compared to dental implantation. The purpose of this study was to improve the understanding of autologous tooth transplantation.

Climate change mitigation potential of kitchen waste utilization in China for combined heat and power production.

Given the concerns about climate change, energy sustainability, and public health, the reuse of kitchen wastes (KW) is attracting increasing interest. In China, the municipal solid waste sorting scheme has increased the available KW. To assess the available KW and the climate change mitigation potential of KW utilization for bioenergy in China, three scenarios (base, conservative, and ambitious) were defined. A new framework was implemented to assess the climate change impacts of bioenergy. The annual available KW ranged from 11.450 million dry tons (in metric) under the conservative scenario to 22.898 million dry tons in the ambitious scenario, and had the potential to produce 12.37 × 106-24.74 × 106 MWh heat and 9.62 × 106-19.24 × 106 MWh power. The total potential climate change impacts of KW for combined heat and power were 3.339-6.717 million tons CO2 eq in China. The highest eight provinces and municipalities contributed over half of the national total. Among the three components of the new framework, fossil fuel-derived greenhouse gas emissions and biogenic CO2 emissions were positive. The difference in carbon sequestration was negative and ensured a lower integrated life-cycle climate change impacts than that of natural gas-derived combined heat and power. The mitigation effects of using KW as a substitute for natural gas and synthetic fertilizers were 2.477-8.080 million tons CO2 eq. These outcomes can inform relevant policymaking and benchmark climate change mitigation in China. The conceptual framework of this study can also be adapted for applications in other countries or regions worldwide.

Development of a Pathomics-Based Model for the Prediction of Malignant Transformation in Oral Leukoplakia.

Accurate prognostic stratification of oral leukoplakia (OLK) with risk of malignant transformation into oral squamous cell carcinoma is crucial. We developed an objective and powerful pathomics-based model for the prediction of malignant transformation in OLK using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained images. In total, 759 H&E-stained images from multicenter cohorts were included. A training set (n = 489), validation set (n = 196), and testing set (n = 74) were used for model development. Four deep learning methods were used to train and validate the model constructed using H&E-stained images. Pathomics features generated through deep learning combined with machine learning algorithms were used to develop a pathomics-based model. Immunohistochemical staining of Ki67, p53, and PD-L1 was used to interpret the black box of the model. Pathomics-based models predicted the malignant transformation of OLK (validation set area under curve [AUC], 0.899; testing set AUC, 0.813) and significantly identified high-risk and low-risk populations. The prediction performance of malignant transformation from dysplasia grading (validation set AUC, 0.743) was lower than that of the pathomics-based model. The expressions of Ki67, p53, and PD-L1 were correlated with various pathomics features. The pathomics-based model accurately predicted the malignant transformation of OLK and may be useful for the objective and rapid assessment of the prognosis of patients with OLK.

Genetic Predisposition to Periodontitis and Risk of Migraine: A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study.

INTRODUCTION: Previous observational studies have associated periodontitis (PD) with migraine; however, the results are inconclusive and the causality of the association between PD and migraine remains unclear. This two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study was performed to explore the bi-directional causal relationship between PD and migraine. METHODS: To investigate the relationship between PD (17,353 cases; 28,210 controls) and migraine (1072 cases; 360,122 controls), we used genetic tools from the largest available genome-wide association study of European descent. Inverse variance-weighted (IVW) and a series of sensitivity analyses were used to explore the association between migraine and PD. We performed an MR study using seven SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) as instrumental variables for PD to investigate the causal relationship between migraine and PD. RESULTS: We found no significant causal relationship between PD and migraine (odds ratio, OR = 1.000; 95% confidence interval, CI = 0.99-1.00; p = 0.65). Similarly, no evidence supported a causal relationship between migraine and PD (OR = 0.07; CI = 2.04 × 10-9-2.65 × 106; p = 0.77). A sensitivity analysis revealed that no potential polymorphic effect (p = 0.356) and heterogeneity (p = 0.652) exists for the variants used in constructing the genetic instrument. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results of our MR study, there is no causal relationship between PD and migraines or migraines and PD.

The relationship between labial soft tissue changes and jumping spaces after immediate implant placement and restoration in the anterior maxilla: A prospective study.

Oral implants have been increasingly used in the treatment of edentulous patients or those with dentition defects due to reliable treatment procedure and favorable long-term prognosis. We investigated the changes of labial soft tissue contours with different jumping spaces after immediate implant placement and restoration (IIPR) in the maxillary esthetic area and also provided a long-term stability measurement for the changing trend of soft tissue contour. All patients had been separated into three groups based on the jumping space: group A (horizontal defect dimension [HDD] 2 mm), group B (2 mm < HDD 3 mm), and group C (HDD > 3 mm) and the digital impressions were obtained in the first, third, and sixth month after the operation. The changes of gingival mucosa levels, the average thickness of soft tissue contour volume, and the linear change of submarginal level decreased gradually across the three groups, with the largest change of submarginal level being at 5mm. The size of the jumping space was moderately negatively correlated with the level and average thickness of gingival mucosa and the linear changes of 3 mm and 5 mm under gingival margin, while there was no significant correlation with pink esthetic score (PES) and the linear change of the 1 mm under the gingival margin. Generally, IIPR of upper anterior teeth can achieve esthetic satisfaction, and the level of soft tissue around the implant can be well preserved.

Does straw returning affect the root rot disease of crops in soil? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Straw returning is a sustainable way that does not destroy soil ecology in agronomic management. Some studies have found that straw returning may aggravate or reduce soilborne diseases in the past few decades. Despite the increasing number of independent studies investigated the effect of straw returning on root rot of crops, the quantitative analysis regarding the relationship between straw returning and crop root rot is still undefined. In this study, keywords co-occurrence matrix was extracted from 2489 published studies (published from 2000 to 2022, the same below) on controlling soilborne diseases of crops. The methods used for soilborne diseases prevention have shifted from chemical to biological and agricultural control since 2010. As root rot is the soilborne disease with the largest weight in keyword co-occurrence according to statistics, we further collected 531 articles focusing on crop root rot. Notably, the 531 studies are mainly distributed in the United States, Canada, China and other countries in Europe and the south and southeast of Asia, and focus on the root rot of soybean, tomato, wheat and other important grain crops or economic crops. Based on the meta-analysis of 534 measurements in 47 previous studies, we explored how 10 management factors (soil pH/texture, type/size of straw, depth/rate/cumulative amount of application, days after application, beneficial/pathogenic microorganism inoculated before application and annual N-fertilizer input) during straw returning affect root rot onset worldwide. The results showed that straw size and microorganisms inoculated before straw returning are the key factors affecting the incidence of root rot. In combination with actual agricultural production, detailed advice applicable to traditional farming system on the optimization management of straw returning was given. This study emphasized the significance of straw pretreatment and farmland management to reduce soilborne diseases during straw returning.

The effect of APN, hs-CRP and APN/hs-CRP in periodontitis with DAA.

BACKGROUND: Common chronic infections induced low-grade inflammation has been correlated with atherosclerosis as supported by strong evidence. The balance between pro-and anti-inflammatory factors was exploited to elucidate the effects of chronic periodontitis on diabetes-associated atherosclerosis. METHODS: Study subjects encompassed 30 SPF male rats randomly divided into four groups: A group (NC), B group (T2DM), C group (CP), D group (DM + CP). After developing the model, blood samples were collected from the angular vein analyze serum APN, hs-CRP, and blood lipid. the carotid artery was isolated for HE staining. RESULT: Compared with group A, the serum APN in group B, C and D decreased gradually with the progression of the disease. Serum hs-CRP in group B, C and D was significantly increased. At T3, T4 and T5 in group B, C and D, APN/hs-CRP significantly decreased. TC, LDL and TG significantly increased in group B, D; HDL significantly decreased in group C. Carotid artery HE staining showed: compared with group A, different degrees of endothelial defect, destruction of elastic fibers in the middle membrane, disorder of smooth muscle arrangement, and partial dissolution 、 fragmentation and Calcium salt deposition necrosis occurred in group B, C and D. CONCLUSION: Enhanced systemic inflammation, decreased adiponectin level, and disorganized lipid metabolism with or without type 2 diabetes attributed to local inflammation of periodontitis can result in an imbalance of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory effects. Therefore, it's more meaningful to predict the progression of DAA with anti-inflammatory/pro-inflammatory variation.

Differential Expression of α-Enolase in Clinical Gastric Tissues and Cultured Normal/Cancer Cells in Response to Helicobacter pylori Infection and cagA Transfection.

Background and Objectives: The role of α-enolase (ENO1) in Helicobacter pylori-related gastric lesions might be a critical factor in the pathogenesis, but remains undefined. Materials and Methods: This study investigated the differential expression of α-enolase in clinical gastric specimens and cultured normal/cancer cells in response to H. pylori (cagA+) infection and cagA transfection using qPCR, Western blots and histochemical methods. Results: A total of 172 gastric specimens were collected from 142 patients, the former comprising chronic superficial gastritis (CSG), precancerous diseases (PCDs, including atrophic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia) and gastric cancer (GC) cases. Among the CSG and PCD cases, the H. pylori-infected group had significantly elevated ENO1 mRNA levels compared with the uninfected group. In the GC cases, differential ENO1 expressions were detected between the cancer tissues and the paracancerous tissues. Notably, significant difference was first detected between the GC cell (AGS) and the normal cell (GES-1) as a response of ENO1 to H. pylori infection and cagA transfection. Conclusions: This report reveals that ENO1 expression is associated with H. pylori infection, cagA transfection, co-culture duration, multiplicity of infection, gastric normal/cancerous cell lines and cellular differentiation. The findings may be crucial bases for further ascertaining H. pylori pathogenic mechanism and formulating novel therapeutic and diagnostic strategies.

The underlying molecular mechanisms and biomarkers of plaque vulnerability based on bioinformatics analysis.

AIM: The study aimed to identify the underlying differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and mechanism of unstable atherosclerotic plaque using bioinformatics methods. METHODS: GSE120521, which includes four unstable samples and four stable atherosclerotic samples, was downloaded from the GEO database. DEGs were identified using LIMMA. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses of DEGs were performed using the Database for metascape Visualization online tool. Based on the STRING database, protein-protein interactions (PPIs) network among DEGs were constructed. Regulatory networks were visualized using Cytoscape. We use the xCell to analyze the different immune cell subtypes. RESULTS: A total of 1626 DEGs (1034 up-regulated and 592 down-regulated DEGs) were identified between unstable and stable samples. I pulled 62 transcription factors (34 up-regulated TFs and 28 down-regulated TFs) from the Trust database. The up-regulated TFs were mainly enrichment in positive regulation of myeloid leukocyte differentiation, and the down-regulated TFs were mainly enrichment in connective tissue development. In the PPI network, RB1, CEBPA, PPARG, BATF was the most significantly up-regulated gene in ruptured atherosclerotic samples. The immune cell composition enriched in CD cells and macrophages in the unstable carotid plaque. CONCLUSIONS: Upregulated RB1, CEBPA, PPARG, BATF and down-regulated SRF, MYOCD, HEY2, GATA6 might perform critical promotional roles in atherosclerotic plaque rupture, furthermore, number and polarization of macrophages may play an important role in vulnerable plaques.

Effect of vitamin E and supragingival scaling on salivary gland function in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer treated with 131I.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of vitamin E and supragingival scaling with vitamin C on the salivary glands of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma after 131I treatment. METHODS: A total of 89 prospective patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma were enrolled and randomly divided into the following groups: vitamin E group (n = 30, group A), vitamin C group (n = 30, group B) and supragingival scaling with vitamin C group (n = 29, group C). Using functional indices (e.g. maximum uptake fraction, uptake index, excretion fraction, secretion time and excretion rate), changes in the salivary gland functions before and a month after 131I treatment were assessed by dynamic imaging of salivary gland. RESULTS: We compared the before and after 131I therapy results of the three groups. In group A (P < 0.05), the excretion fraction and excretion rate of the left parotid gland were significantly higher, and the uptake index of the bilateral submandibular glands was significantly lower. No significant changes in salivary gland functional parameters were observed in group B (P > 0.05). The uptake index of the bilateral parotid glands and the excretion rate of the left parotid gland were significantly higher in group C (P < 0.05). The degree of serum amylase level reduction decreased significantly in group C (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Vitamin E showed a protective effect on parotid excretion function in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma who underwent 131I treatment. Supragingival scaling may be a promising radiation protector because it is associated with a protective effect on the salivary gland functions.

Evaluation of staff satisfaction after the implementation of a daily goals sheet in the routine work of an oral outpatient department and its influence on work efficiency.

BACKGROUND: In March 2021, the supervision group of our hospital inspected the daily work of the outpatient department in the branch and found many problems in the process, such as an excessive number of daily check-up forms, nurses' confusion regarding the daily check-up process, and the omission of daily check-up items. Therefore, focusing on these problem, our hospital established a quality improvement team to conduct a status survey and perform this study. This study evaluated the feasibility, availability and sustainability of using a daily goals sheet in the routine work of a stomatological outpatient department and investigated the satisfaction of the nursing staff with the sheet. METHODS: After determining the theme of this study through the status survey, 60 nurses were randomly selected and divided into an experimental group and a control group by a random grouping method. Then, the study was divided into two stages: Applying the PDCA cycle method and following the MECE (Mad Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive) principle to design, manufacture and apply the daily goals sheet. After the expert group performed Stage one, an analysis of work efficiency and routine omissions and a staff satisfaction survey were carried out. The results of the groups either using the daily goals sheet (n = 30) or not (n = 30) were analysed and compared. RESULTS: The average work time of the daily goals sheet group was 15.20 ± 1.70 min, and that of the nondaily goals sheet group was 25.30 ± 2.70 min (P < 0.001). The omission rate was 0% in the daily goals sheet group and 16.67% in the nondaily goals sheet group. Staff satisfaction with the use of the daily goals sheet was high. CONCLUSION: The daily goals sheet can make routine work more efficient and convenient in a stomatological outpatient department. It is recommended for use in stomatological outpatient departments or hospitals.

Periodontitis exacerbates endothelial dysfunctions partly via endothelial-mesenchymal transition in streptozotocin-induced diabetes rats.

OBJECTIVES: Periodontal infections are related to the expansion of diabetes cardiovascular problems. However, the pathological process and probable mechanism remain unexplained. This study investigated the impact of periodontitis on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes rats' carotid artery. METHODS: We randomized 24 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats into four groups: control, chronic periodontitis (CP), diabetes mellitus (DM), and DM +CP groups. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) and hemoglobin A1c (HBA1c ) were measured to verify the establishment of the DM model. After euthanasia, the maxillary was collected for further studies like hematoxylin-eosin (HE), Masson staining, and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) analysis. Immunofluorescence (IF) staining was used to detect endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT)-related markers in carotid artery wall. We further used ELISA and quantitative real-time PCR to investigate the effect of high glucose (HG) and Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide (P.g-LPS) on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). RESULTS: Compared with DM and CP groups, bone resorption and pathological changes of the vascular wall were the most serious in the DM+CP group. The vascular wall of the DM+CP group had a higher level of interleukin (IL)-6 and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1). The carotid artery vascular wall of the DM+CP group contained more cells that expressed both mesenchymal and endothelial cell markers, along with elevated transcription factor levels. Furthermore, P.g-LPS and HG upregulated the inflammatory cytokines expression and caused phenotypic changes of HUVECs in vitro. CONCLUSION: Periodontitis exacerbates endothelial dysfunctions partly via endothelial-mesenchymal transition in STZ-induced diabetes rats.