Odontogenic ameloblast-associated protein (ODAM) in gingival crevicular fluid for site-specific diagnostic value of periodontitis: a pilot study

Background Odontogenic Ameloblast-Associated Protein (ODAM) in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) can provide evidence of the detachment of junctional epithelium from the tooth surface by periodontitis. This study sought to investigate the ability of ODAM to reflect the severity of periodontitis at a site-specific level; thus whether there was a relationship between clinical diagnostic parameters and the value of ODAM in GCF was analyzed. Methods Eight periodontitis patients with various severities were enrolled, and the clinical parameters and samples of GCF were obtained from 44 to 60 sites of each subject. The ODAM concentration was quantified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Correlation analyses between clinical parameters and ODAM values and unadjusted and adjusted (linear) mixed model analyses were performed. The accuracy of ODAM to reflect sites having a probing depth (PD) ≥ 5 mm and a positive bleeding on probing (BOP) was evaluated by receiver-operating characteristic analysis. Results A total of 424 GCF samples were collected. The mean ODAM concentration from each patient varied from 0.2 to 1.52 ng/ml. Correlations between PD or clinical attachment level (CAL) and ODAM values were found (p <  0.0001). An adjusted linear mixed model showed that PD or CAL were associated with ODAM values (p <  0.05). The area under the curve of ODAM, which reflected sites with PD ≥ 5 mm and positive BOP, was 0.661 (p <  0.0001). Conclusion This result shows the possibility of GCF ODAM as a site-specific biomarker for periodontal tissue destruction.This research was supported by a grant from the Korean Health Technology R&D project, Ministry of Health & Welfare, Republic of Korea (HI16C0220). The funder had no role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data or in the writing of the manuscript

Effects of Gyejibongnyeong-hwan on dysmenorrhea caused by blood stagnation: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Gyejibongnyeong-hwan (GJBNH) is one of the most popular Korean medicine formulas for menstrual pain of dysmenorrhea. The concept of blood stagnation in Korean medicine is considered the main factor of causing abdominal pain, or cramps, during menstrual periods. To treat the symptoms, GJBNH is used to fluidify the stagnated blood and induce the blood flow to be smooth, reducing pain as the result. The purpose of this trial is to identify the efficacy of GJBNH in dysmenorrhea caused by blood stagnation.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>This study is a multi-centre, randomised, double-blind, controlled trial with two parallel arms: the group taking GJBNH and the group taking placebo. 100 patients (women from age 18 to 35) will be enrolled to the trial. Through randomization 50 patients will be in experiment arm, and the other 50 patients will be in control arm. At the second visit (baseline), all participants who were already screened that they fulfil both the inclusion and the exclusion criteria will be randomised into two groups. Each group will take the intervention three times per day during two menstrual cycles. After the treatment for two cycles, each patient will be followed up during their 3^rd, 4^thand 5^thmenstrual cycles. From the screening (Visit 1) through the second follow-up (Visit 6) the entire process will take 25 weeks.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This trial will provide evidence for the effectiveness of GJBNH in treating periodical pain due to dysmenorrhea that is caused by blood stagnation. The primary outcome between the two groups will be measured by changes in the Visual Analogue Score (VAS) of pain. The secondary outcome will be measured by the Blood Stagnation Scale, the Short-form McGill questionnaire and the COX menstrual symptom scale. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and repeated measured ANOVA will be used to analyze the data analysis.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Current Controlled Trials: <a href="http://www.controlled-trials.com/ISRCTN30426947">ISRCTN30426947</a></p

Traveltime calculations from frequency-domain downward-continuation algorithms

We present a new, fast 3D traveltime calculation algorithm that employs existing frequency-domain waveequation downward-continuation software. By modifying such software to solve for a few complex (rather than real) frequencies, we are able to calculate not only the first arrival and the approximately most energetic traveltimes at each depth point but also their corresponding amplitudes.We compute traveltimes by either taking the logarithm of displacements obtained by the oneway wave equation at a frequency or calculating derivatives of displacements numerically. Amplitudes are estimated from absolute value of the displacement at a frequency. By using the one-way downgoing wave equation, we also circumvent generating traveltimes corresponding to near-surface upcoming head waves not often needed in migration.We compare the traveltimes computed by our algorithm with those obtained by picking the most energetic arrivals from finite-difference solutions of the one-way wave equation, and show that our traveltime calculation method yields traveltimes comparable to solutions of the one-way wave equation. We illustrate the accuracy of our traveltime algorithm by migrating the 2D IFP Marmousi and the 3D SEG/EAGE salt models.This work was financially supported by National Laboratory Project of Ministry of Science and Technology, Brain Korea 21 project of theKorea Ministry of Education, and grant No. R03- 2000-000-00003-0 from the Basic Research Program of the Korea Science & Engineering Foundation

Gastric Syphilis Mimicking Adenocarcinoma: A Case Report

Syphilis is an unexpected diagnosis in the stomach, and the reduced incidence of syphilis has made its clinical presentation less widely appreciated. We report a 43-yr-old man suffering from epigastric tenderness with an initial diagnosis of gastric carcinoma; gastric syphilis was confirmed by demonstrating spirochetes in a gastric biopsy specimen by silver impregnation. Excessive lymphoplasmacytic infiltration with diffuse thickening of gastric rugae should raise suspicion of gastric syphilis, which should be considered in the differential diagnosis of diffuse erosive gastritis and infiltrative lesions of the stomach

Effects and Safety of Gyejibongnyeong-Hwan on Dysmenorrhea Caused by Blood Stagnation: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective. This study was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, and controlled trial with two parallel arms: the GJBNH group and the placebo group. This trial recruited 100 women aging 18 to 35 years with primary dysmenorrhea caused by blood stagnation. The investigational drugs, GJBNH or placebo, were administered for two menstrual periods (8 weeks) to the participants three times per day. The participants were followed up for two menstrual cycles after the administration. Results. The results were analyzed by the intention-to-treat (ITT) dataset and the per-protocol (PP) dataset. In the ITT dataset, the change of the average menstrual pain VAS score in the GJBNH group was statistically significantly lower than that in the control group. Significant difference was not observed in the SF-MPQ score change between the GJBNH group and the placebo group. No significant difference was observed in the PP analyses. In the follow-up phase, the VAS scores of the average menstrual pain and the maximum menstrual pain continually decreased in the placebo group, but they increased in the GJBNH group. Conclusion. GJBNH treatment for eight weeks improved the pain of the dysmenorrhea caused by blood stagnation, but it should be successively administered for more than two menstrual cycles. Trial Registration. This trial is registered with Current Controlled Trials no. ISRCTN30426947

Validation of Biomarker-Based ABCD Score in Atrial Fibrillation Patients with a Non-Gender CHA2DS2-VASc Score 0-1:A Korean Multi-Center Cohort

PURPOSE: Atrial fibrillation (AF) patients with low to intermediate risk, defined as non-gender CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc score of 0–1, are still at risk of stroke. This study verified the usefulness of ABCD score [age (≥60 years), B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) or N-terminal pro-BNP (≥300 pg/mL), creatinine clearance (<50 mL/min/1.73 m(2)), and dimension of the left atrium (≥45 mm)] for stroke risk stratification in non-gender CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc score 0–1. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This multi-center cohort study retrospectively analyzed AF patients with non-gender CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc score 0–1. The primary endpoint was the incidence of stroke with or without antithrombotic therapy (ATT). An ABCD score was validated. RESULTS: Overall, 2694 patients [56.3±9.5 years; female, 726 (26.9%)] were followed-up for 4.0±2.8 years. The overall stroke rate was 0.84/100 person-years (P-Y), stratified as follows: 0.46/100 P-Y for an ABCD score of 0; 1.02/100 P-Y for an ABCD score ≥1. The ABCD score was superior to non-gender CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc score in the stroke risk stratification (C-index=0.618, p=0.015; net reclassification improvement=0.576, p=0.040; integrated differential improvement=0.033, p=0.066). ATT was prescribed in 2353 patients (86.5%), and the stroke rate was significantly lower in patients receiving non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC) therapy and an ABCD score ≥1 than in those without ATT (0.44/100 P–Y vs. 1.55/100 P-Y; hazard ratio=0.26, 95% confidence interval 0.11–0.63, p=0.003). CONCLUSION: The biomarker-based ABCD score demonstrated improved stroke risk stratification in AF patients with non-gender CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc score 0–1. Furthermore, NOAC with an ABCD score ≥1 was associated with significantly lower stroke rate in AF patients with non-gender CHA(2)DS(2)-VASc score 0–1

Milk Intake and Its Association with Metabolic Syndrome in Korean: Analysis of the Third Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES III)

Although previous studies have shown that milk intake has some protective effects on metabolic syndrome (MS), there are few data on the relation between MS and milk consumption in Korean. To evaluate the association between milk intake frequency and MS, 4,890 subjects (2,052 men and 2,838 women) were included in the analysis, based on the national data from representative random sample of the third Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES III) in 2005. We conducted both univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis with adjustment for confounding factors associated with MS. Mean (±SD) age of subjects was 47.1±15.5 yr. In univariate analysis, the risk of MS was inversely associated with the frequency of milk intake, but this relation was attenuated in multivariate regression. In the individuals with BMI ≥23 kg/m2, those with highest quartile of milk consumption (once daily or more) had significantly lower risk of MS (OR [95% CI] 0.72 [0.57-0.92] compared with lowest quartile [those rarely consumed]) after adjustment, but not among leaner individuals (BMI <23 kg/m2). Korean overweight adults who drink milk more frequently may be protected against MS. But it seems that this relation is somewhat different among MS components