Validation of panoramic tomography as a tool to diagnose maxillary sinus pathologies

ABSTRACT: La identificación de desigualdades en salud es un paso hacia el análisis de inequidades, tema que preocupa a diversos actores relacionados con la salud bucal. El objetivo del presente estudio consistió en identificar la distribución de los indicadores de experiencia de caries dental por superficies en la primera infancia. Métodos: estudio descriptivo a partir de los datos obtenidos en el estudio de línea de base de indicadores de salud en 623 niños y niñas menores de seis años de edad del municipio de Andes (Antioquia) en 2015. La presencia y severidad de las lesiones de caries dental se registró según el Sistema Internacional para la Detección y Evaluación de Caries (ICDAS). Se calcularon los índices de superficies cariadas, obturadas y perdidas por caries dental (cICDAS5-6 ops y cICDAS1-6 ops), las curvas de Lorenz y los coeficientes de Gini para las frecuencias acumuladas de ambos indicadores. Resultados: se encontró un c ICDAS5-6 ops promedio de 3,3 ± 7,4, así: 3,5 ± 8,0 en la zona rural y 2,7 ± 5,7 en la urbana. El promedio del c ICDAS1-6 ops fue 14,3 ± 15,1, con diferencias estadísticamente significativas por zona de residencia: 15,7 ± 15,8 en la rural y 11,3 ± 12,8 en la urbana. El análisis de la curva de Lorenz mostró desigualdad en la distribución de la experiencia de caries. Los coeficientes de Gini fueron 0,412 para el cICDAS5-6 ops y 0,284 para el cICDAS1-6 ops. Conclusión: los análisis evidencian una distribución sesgada de la caries dental en los niños y niñas menores de seis años, y una mayor desigualdad en los indicadores de experiencia de caries dental en su forma severa en el municipio de Andes.ABSTRACT: Introduction: identifying inequalities in health is a step towards inequity analysis, a topic that concerns various oral health stakeholders. The aim of the present study was to identify the distribution of indicators of early childhood caries experience. Methods: descriptive study based on data obtained from the baseline study on health indicators in 623 children under six years of age from the municipality of Andes (Antioquia) in 2015. The presence and severity of dental caries lesions were recorded following the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS), calculating the indexes of decayed, missing, and filled surfaces due to caries (dICDAS5-6mfs and dICDAS1-6 mfs), as well as Lorenz curves and Gini coefficients for the accumulated frequencies of both indicators. Results: an average dICDAS5-6 mfs of 3.3 ± 7.4 was found as follows: 3.5 ± 8.0 in the rural area and 2.7 ± 5.7 in the urban area. The average dICDAS1-6 mfs was 14.3 ± 15.1, with statistically significant differences by area of residence: 15.7 ± 15.8 in the rural area and 11.3 ± 12.8 in the urban area. The analysis with Lorenz curves showed inequality in distribution of caries experience. The Gini coefficients were 0.412 for d ICDAS5-6mfs and 0.284 for dICDAS1-6mfs. Conclusion: the analyses show a skewed distribution of dental caries in children under the age of six, and a greater inequality in terms of indicators of dental caries experience in its severe form in the municipality of Andes."Medical imaging is an important diagnostic resource and a useful tool for selecting the right procedure in patients with suspected maxillofacial pathology. Some of the most common maxillofacial imaging methods include panoramic radiography and cone beam computed tomography, which was developed as an alternative to conventional tomography and is currently considered the gold standard for imaging the oral and maxillofacial area. Methods: two previously calibrated evaluators analyzed 100 cone beam tomographies and 100 panoramic tomographies from randomly selected patients; the methods also included: univariate analysis, measurement of central tendency, and definition of sensitivity, specificity, and positive / negative predictive value on 2 x 2 specific tables using a validity test. Results: the results show that, as a diagnostic test, cone beam panoramic tomography, in comparison to cone beam computed tomography to evaluate images compatible with sinus pathology (polyps, cysts and mucosa thickening), offers variable sensitivity and specificity depending on the type of sinus pathology, with a confidence level of 95% and a kappa coefficient value of 1 for CAT scans.RESUMEN: La imaginología es importante en la valoración diagnóstica y una herramienta útil para la selección de procedimientos en pacientes de los que se sospecha patología maxilofacial. Entre las diferentes modalidades imaginológicas maxilofaciales se encuentran la radiografía panorámica y la tomografía computarizada Cone beam, desarrollada como alternativa a la tomografía convencional, actualmente descrita como Gold standard para imaginología del área oral y maxilofacial. Métodos: observación por dos evaluadores previamente calibrados de 100 tomografías Cone beam y 100 panorámicas tomográficas de pacientes seleccionados aleatoriamente; aplicación de análisis univariado, medidas de tendencia central, y definición de la sensibilidad, especificidad, valor predictivo positivo y negativo en tablas específicas de 2 x 2 aplicando el estudio prueba de una prueba. Resultados: los resultados obtenidos muestran que la panorámica tomográfica tipo Cone beam como prueba diagnóstica frente a la tomografía computarizada Cone beam para evaluar imágenes compatibles con patología sinusal (pólipo, quiste y engrosamiento mucoso) tiene sensibilidad y especificidad variable dependiendo del tipo de patología sinusal, con nivel de confianza del 95% y con coeficiente de kappa con valor de 1 para las tomografías axiales computarizadas y de 0,94-1,0 para la panorámica tomográfica tipo Cone beam. Conclusión: la panorámica tomográfica Cone beam es lo suficientemente sensible y específica para ser utilizada como herramienta diagnóstica en patología de seno maxilar

Helminth Excreted/Secreted Antigens Repress Expression of LPS-Induced Let-7i but Not miR-146a and miR-155 in Human Dendritic Cells

MicroRNAs have emerged as key regulators of immune responses. They influence immune cells' function and probably the outcome of several infections. Currently, it is largely unknown if helminth parasites and their antigens modify host microRNAs expression. The aim of this study was to explore if excreted/secreted antigens of Taenia crassiceps regulate LPS-induced miRNAs expression in human Dendritic Cells. We found that these antigens repressed LPS-let-7i induction but not mir-146a or mir-155 and this correlates with a diminished inflammatory response. This let-7i downregulation in Dendritic Cells constitutes a novel feature of the modulatory activity that helminth-derived antigens exert on their host

Interferon-gamma increases the ratio of matrix metalloproteinase-9/tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 in peripheral monocytes from patients with coronary artery disease.

Acute coronary syndromes (ACS) may be triggered by acute infections. Systemic production of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) is induced during infection and regulates the production of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their inhibitors (TIMPs), both important in plaque stability. This study evaluates the effect of IFN-γ on the MMPs/TIMP-1 ratio in cultured monocytes from 30 patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD), 30 with unstable angina (UA) or non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), and 30 healthy blood donors. Supernatant concentrations of MMP-1, -2, -9, and TIMP-1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunoassays. Basal concentration of MMP-1 and TIMP-1 was similar between groups, while MMP-2 was higher in healthy individuals and MMP-9 in patients with UA/NSTEMI. Upon IFN-γ stimulation, MMP-9 secretion increased in all groups, while TIMP-1 decreased only in patients with CAD, which in turn result in a strikingly elevation in their mean MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio. MMP-1/TIMP-1 and MMP-2/TIMP-1 ratios were <1.0 in basal conditions and after stimulation in all groups. Our results suggest that nonstimulated monocytes from patients with stable CAD show a similar behavior than those from healthy individuals. However, stimulation with IFN-γ induces an increase on the MMP-9/TIMP-1 ratio as high as that found in patients with ACS. Thus, it may bring biological plausibility to the association between acute infections and the development of ACS

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 / Tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases 1 (MMP-9/TIMP-1) ratio in the supernatants of unstimulated (black column) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) stimulated (white column) monocytes from healthy donors and patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) or unstable angina/non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (UA/NSTEMI).

<p>Matrix metalloproteinase-9 / Tissue inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinases 1 (MMP-9/TIMP-1) ratio in the supernatants of unstimulated (black column) and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) stimulated (white column) monocytes from healthy donors and patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) or unstable angina/non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (UA/NSTEMI).</p

Early Meteorological Records from Latin-America and Caribbean during the 18th and 19th centuries, collection of data files

Early instrumental observations are an important tool to understand multidecadal climate variability or put in context specific extreme phenomena. This paper provides early instrumental data recovered in Latin-America and the Caribbean. Data have been retrieved from 20 countries (Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, British Guiana, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, France (Martinique and Guadalupe), Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, El Salvador and Suriname) and they cover the 18th and 19th centuries. The main meteorological variables retrieved are air temperature, atmospheric pressure and precipitation but other variables, such as humidity, wind direction, or state of the sky have been retrieved when possible. In total, more than 300 000 early instrumental observations have been rescued (96% with daily resolution). Special effort has been done to document all the available metadata (instruments, observers, methodology of observation...) in order to allow further post processing. The compilation is far from being exhaustive but the data set will contribute to a better understanding of the climate variability in the region and to enlarge the overlapping period between instrumental data and natural and documentary proxies

Early Meteorological Records from Latin-America and Caribbean during the 18th and 19th centuries (link to zip file)

This dataset provides early instrumental data recovered in Latin-America and the Caribbean. Data have been retrieved from 20 countries (Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Brazil, British Guiana, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, France (Martinique and Guadalupe), Guatemala, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Puerto Rico, El Salvador and Suriname) and they cover the 18th and 19th centuries. The main meteorological variables retrieved are air temperature, atmospheric pressure and precipitation but other variables, such as humidity, wind direction, or state of the sky have been retrieved when possible. In total, more than 300.000 early instrumental observations have been rescued. Each archive shows a headline with the following information: ID: 6 letters, the first three make reference to the country and the last three letters to the city/location of the observations. Country: Current name of the country where the observation were recorded. City: Current name of the city or location where the observation were recorded. Period: Time period covered by the series at monthly scale when possible. Resolution: Time resolution of the series. Observers: Name of the people that recorded the measurements. Location Observatory: Latitude and longitude of the observatory in WGS84, altitude when available. The name of the observatory or the street where it was is provided, when the location is exactly known. When the precise location is unknown a probable latitude and longitude is provided. Meteorological variables: Describe all the meteorological variables recorded, its units and the corresponding columns in the file. Data source: The complete reference of the documentary source in which the meteorological record was provided. Descriptive Name: A name of the archive that makes reference to the location and the period covered by the series. Other comments: All the metadata rescued about the observations or the observer. Also provides extreme or rare events recorded by the observer and any other information that could be useful to interpret the series. After the headline, the first columns give the temporal information of the record (year, season, month, day and hour) and the following columns show the measurements of each meteorological variable. Every column has a short descriptive title

SFRP5 hepatic expression is associated with non-alcoholic liver disease in morbidly obese women

Background and aims. Secreted frizzled-related protein 5 (SFRP5) was recently described as a new adipokine protective for hepatic steatosis and other obesity-related complications in the mouse model. To date, SFRP5 expression in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has not been fully assessed in humans. We measured circulating SFRP5 levels and its expression in liver and adipose tissue, and evaluated its association with NAFLD in morbidly obese women.Material and methods. Fifty-four morbidly obese women undergoing bariatric surgery were included in the study. Liver biopsies were used for histology and hepatic triglyceride content quantification. Circulating SFRP5 levels were measured through enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay, and SFRP5 expression was performed in hepatic and adipose tissue (subcutaneous and visceral).Results. Although circulating SFRP5 levels showed a tendency to decrease with NAFLD progression, no significant differences were observed among non-alcoholic steatosis, steatohepatitis, and control subjects. Hepatic SFRP5 expression showed a negative correlation with hepatic triglyceride content (r = -0.349, P = 0.016 for mRNA and r = -0.291, P = 0.040 for SRFP5 protein) and ALT serum levels (r = -0.437, P = 0.001 for SRFP5 protein). In addition, hepatic SFRP5 protein levels were significantly lower in NASH than in control subjects (P = 0.006). Conclusion. This is the first study reporting an association of hepatic SFRP5 expression with NAFLD in humans