Oral health in the Japan self-defense forces - a representative survey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The oral health of military populations is usually not very well characterized compared to civilian populations. The aim of this study was to investigate two physical oral health characteristics and one perceived oral health measure and their correlation in the Japan self-defense forces (JSDF).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Number of missing teeth, denture status, and OHRQoL as evaluated by the Japanese 14-item version of the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-J14) as well as the correlation between these oral health measures was investigated in 911 personnel in the JSDF.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Subjects did not have a substantial number of missing teeth and only 4% used removable dentures. The mean OHIP-J14 score was 4.6 ± 6.7 units. The magnitude of the correlation between the number of missing teeth with OHIP-J14 scores was small (r = 0.22, p < 0.001). Mean OHIP-J14 scores differed between subjects with and without dentures (8.6 and 4.4, p < 0.001).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Compared to Japanese civilian populations, personnel of the JSDF demonstrated good oral health. Two physical oral health characteristics were associated with perceived oral health.</p

Evaluation of high-throughput genomic assays for the Fc gamma receptor locus

Cancer immunotherapy has been revolutionised by the use of monoclonal antibodies (mAb) that function through their interaction with Fc gamma receptors (FcγRs). The low-affinity FcγR genes are highly homologous, map to a complex locus at 1p23 and harbour single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and copy number variation (CNV) that can impact on receptor function and response to therapeutic mAbs. This complexity can hinder accurate characterisation of the locus. We therefore evaluated and optimised a suite of assays for the genomic analysis of the FcγR locus amenable to peripheral blood mononuclear cells and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) material that can be employed in a high-throughput manner. Assessment of TaqMan genotyping for FCGR2A-131H/R, FCGR3A-158F/V and FCGR2B-232I/T SNPs demonstrated the need for additional methods to discriminate genotypes for the FCGR3A-158F/V and FCGR2B-232I/T SNPs due to sequence homology and CNV in the region. A multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification assay provided high quality SNP and CNV data in PBMC cases, but there was greater data variability in FFPE material in a manner that was predicted by the BIOMED-2 multiplex PCR protocol. In conclusion, we have evaluated a suite of assays for the genomic analysis of the FcγR locus that are scalable for application in large clinical trials of mAb therapy. These assays will ultimately help establish the importance of FcγR genetics in predicting response to antibody therapeutics

Comparison of 30 Cytokines in Human Breast Milk between 1989 and 2013 in Japan

Milk cytokines play a vital role in mucosal immunity during infancy by supporting immune development and functions. Although the maternal background characteristics influence milk cytokines, changes in cytokine levels across generations remain unclear. Colostrum (C, n = 48) and mature milk (MM, n = 49) samples were collected from lactating Japanese women in 1989 (2727 samples) and 2013 (1408 samples). Milk cytokines were comprehensively measured using a suspension array and immunosorbent assays. The positive rates and cytokine concentrations were compared between the two generations using logistic and multiple regression analyses. Twenty-eight cytokines tested positive in all sample groups (1989-C, 1989-MM, 2013-C, and 2013-MM). The median osteopontin (OPN) level was significantly higher in the 1989-C group than in the 2013-C group (318.1 vs. 137.5 μg/mL; p = 0.0016) but did not differ between the MM groups. The median TGF-β1 level was significantly lower in the 1989-MM group than in the 2013-MM group (1056.2 vs. 1330.8 pg/mL; p = 0.008) but did not differ between the C groups. Most cytokines were comparable between generations, except for potential variation in the C-OPN and TGF-β1 levels. Milk cytokine secretion may reflect temporal changes in maternal background characteristics; however, the results from the analysis of 30-year-old samples may have influenced the milk cytokine levels. Further studies are needed with a larger number of milk samples collected from the same individuals at multiple time points over a wide lactation period, with detailed data on the maternal and infant background characteristics and diets

Mammographic mass classification according to Bi‐RADS lexicon

The goal of this study is to propose a computer‐aided diagnosis system to differentiate between four breast imaging reporting and data system (Bi‐RADS) classes in digitised mammograms. This system is inspired by the approach of the doctor during the radiologic examination as it was agreed in BI‐RADS, where masses are described by their form, their boundary and their density. The segmentation of masses in the authors’ approach is manual because it is supposed that the detection is already made. When the segmented region is available, the features extraction process can be carried out. 22 visual characteristics are automatically computed from shape, edge and textural properties; only one human feature is used in this study, which is the patient's age. Classification is finally done using a multi‐layer perceptron according to two separate schemes; the first one consists of classify masses to distinguish between the four BI‐RADS classes (2, 3, 4 and 5). In the second one the authors classify abnormalities on two classes (benign and malign). The proposed approach has been evaluated on 480 mammographic masses extracted from the digital database for screening mammography, and the obtained results are encouraging