Long term therapeutic efficacy of a soft monobloc mandibular advancement device in adults with obstructive sleep apnea

To evaluate the long term (48 months) therapeutic efficacy of a soft monobloc mandibular advancement device in adult patients with mild or moderate obstructive sleep apnea

Treatment and posttreatment skeletal effects of rapid maxillary expansion studied with low-dose computed tomography in growing subjects

Introduction: The aim of this study was to apply low-dose computed tomography (CT) to evaluate treatment and posttreatment effects produced by rapid maxillary expansion (RME) at the levels of the midpalatal suture and the pterygoid processes. Methods: A sample of 17 subjects (7 boys, 10 girls; mean age, 11.2 years) was analyzed. Multi-slice CT scans were taken before RME, at the end of the active expansion phase, and after a retention period of 6 months. Statistical analysis was performed with ANOVA for repeated measures with post-hoc tests. Results: The amounts of opening of the midpalatal suture during the active phase of expansion were 3.01, 2.17, and 1.15 mm for the anterior, middle, and posterior suture widths, respectively. Pterygoid width also showed a statistically significant increase (1.49 mm). In the postretention period, all transverse measurements had significant decreases except for pterygoid width. Conclusions: At the end of the retention phase after RME therapy, the transverse width of the midpalatal suture was similar to the pretreatment width, whereas the width between the pterygoid processes was significantly increased

Intersession reliability of a posturo-stabilometric test, using a force platform

To evaluate the intersession reliability of a posturo-stabilometric examination. METHODS: Single blind clinical trial conducted in two sessions over two weeks. 44 healthy volunteers free from postural and temporomandibular disorders. All the subjects complied with the criteria for completing the study. All the subjects underwent two sessions of posturo-stabilometric examinations in different visual and mandibular conditions. Sway area, sway length and the coordinates of the center of pressure were evaluated and statistically analyzed using the Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). RESULTS: All the posturo-stabilometric parameters seemed to have an excellent reproducibility with overall ICCs higher than 70% and good confidence intervals except for the sway area (ICC 0.422 with CI 0.283-0.560 with open eyes and ICC 0.554 with CI 0.424-0.683 with closed eyes). CONCLUSIONS: The posturo-stabilometric examination carried out using a force platform has a good intrasession and intersession reliability, especially considering sway velocity, COP X and COP Y parameters. The force platform usefulness in analyzing static posture is confirmed in any medical field

Influence of activation protocol on perceived pain during rapid maxillary expansion

To investigate the influence of two different activation protocols on the timing and intensity of pain during rapid maxillary expansion (RME)

Gnathological features in growing subjects

Aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of temporomandibular disorders (TMD) in a sample of consecutive subjects

Restoration of peripheral blood natural killer and B cell levels in patients affected by rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis during etanercept treatment

Etanercept (ETN) is an anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α agent used in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Few studies focused on the effects of anti-TNF-α on peripheral blood cells. We aimed to evaluate peripheral blood cells in RA and PsA patients during ETN treatment and to explore their relationships with disease activity. RA (n = 82) and PsA (n = 32) patients who started ETN were included into the study and evaluated prospectively before the beginning of ETN therapy and after 14, 22, 54 and 102 weeks. Patients were studied in terms of disease activity score on 28 joints (DAS28), clinical response and laboratory findings. Natural killer (NK) cells, B cells and T cells were characterized by immunophenotyping. Both the RA and the PsA patients showed reduced NK and B cell count before ETN treatment compared with controls. A negative correlation was demonstrated between DAS28 and B cell count in RA patients at baseline. Sustained significant increase of NK and B cells up to normal levels was observed in RA and PsA patients along ETN treatment. Increase of NK cell count was associated with a good-moderate clinical response to ETN in both RA and PsA patients. During ETN treatment peripheral blood NK and B cells levels were restored in RA and PsA patients. Correlations between NK and B cells with disease activity were observed, suggesting that those effects could be mediated by ETN treatment.Etanercept (ETN) is an anti-tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α agent used in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Few studies focused on the effects of anti-TNF-α on peripheral blood cells. We aimed to evaluate peripheral blood cells in RA and PsA patients during ETN treatment and to explore their relationships with disease activity. RA (n = 82) and PsA (n = 32) patients who started ETN were included into the study and evaluated prospectively before the beginning of ETN therapy and after 14, 22, 54 and 102 weeks. Patients were studied in terms of disease activity score on 28 joints (DAS28), clinical response and laboratory findings. Natural killer (NK) cells, B cells and T cells were characterized by immunophenotyping. Both the RA and the PsA patients showed reduced NK and B cell count before ETN treatment compared with controls. A negative correlation was demonstrated between DAS28 and B cell count in RA patients at baseline. Sustained significant increase of NK and B cells up to normal levels was observed in RA and PsA patients along ETN treatment. Increase of NK cell count was associated with a good-moderate clinical response to ETN in both RA and PsA patients. During ETN treatment peripheral blood NK and B cells levels were restored in RA and PsA patients. Correlations between NK and B cells with disease activity were observed, suggesting that those effects could be mediated by ETN treatment

Carfilzomib, cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone for newly diagnosed, high-risk myeloma patients not eligible for transplant: A pooled analysis of two studies

Despite remarkable advances in the treatment of multiple myeloma (MM) in the last decades, the prognosis of patients harboring high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities remains dismal as compared to that of standard-risk patients. Proteasome inhibitors have been demonstrated to partially ameliorate the prognosis of high-risk patients. We pooled together data from two phase I/II trials on transplant-ineligible patients with MM receiving upfront carfilzomib cyclophosphamide and dexamethasone followed by carfilzomib maintenance. The aim of this analysis was to compare treatment outcomes in patients with standard-risk versus high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis. High risk was defined by the presence of at least one chromosomal abnormality, including t(4;14), del17p and t(14;16). Overall, 94 patients were included in the analysis: 57 (61%) in the standard-risk and 37 (39%) in the high-risk group. Median follow-up was 38 months. In standard-risk versus high-risk patients, we observed similar progression-free survival (PFS) (3-year PFS: 52% vs. 43%, respectively; P=0.50), overall survival (OS) (3-year OS: 78% vs. 73%; P=0.38), and overall response rate (88% vs. 95%; P=0.47), with no statistical differences between the two groups. No difference in terms of PFS was observed between patients with or without del17p. Carfilzomib, used both as induction and maintenance agent for transplant-ineligible newly diagnosed MM patients, mitigated the poor prognosis carried by high-risk cytogenetics and resulted in similar PFS and OS as in standard-risk patients