10 research outputs found

    Radiographic Evaluation of Osteoporosis Through Detection of Jaw Bone Changes: a Simplified Early Osteoporosis Detection Effort

    Full text link
    Osteoporosis has become a worldwide problem and has been known as a silence disease. Nowadays, there are a lot of diagnostic tools for detecting osteoporosis. Eighty eight postmenopausal were included and underwent digital panoramic, digital periapical, and conventional radiography. Ultrasound bone densitometry of os calcis used as gold standard. Correlation between stiffness index (SI) with a digital dental, digital panoramic and conventional dental radiography are 0.170 (p = 0.11), -0382 (p = 0.001) and 0.246 (p = 0.021) respectively. Significant relationship was found between the SI only with digital panoramic and conventional dental. The highest correlation was found between SI values with mandibular Inferior Cortex on digital panoramic (-0.382, Pearson Correlation Tests). Correlation between digital panoramic radiographs and the SI values was the highest of the three radiographic modalities in this study. This indicates that evaluation of cortical bone is more accurate than cancellous bone. Bone quality evaluation in patients at high risk for osteoporosis using panoramic and dental conventional radiograph by dentist, contributes in preventing further occurrence of osteoporosis which in turn could reduce mortality and morbidity of osteoporosis in Indonesia

    Pathogenesis of membranous nephropathy: recent advances and future challenges.

    No full text
    International audienceOver the past few years, considerable advances have been made in our understanding of the molecular pathomechanisms of human membranous nephropathy, inspired by studies of Heymann nephritis, a faithful experimental model of this disease. This research led to the identification of neutral endopeptidase, the M-type receptor for secretory phospholipase A(2) (PLA(2)R1) and cationic bovine serum albumin as target antigens of circulating and deposited antibodies in alloimmune neonatal, adult 'idiopathic' and early-childhood membranous nephropathy, respectively. A genome-wide association study has provided further evidence for a highly significant association between PLA2R1 and HLA-DQA1 loci and idiopathic membranous nephropathy in patients of white ancestry. Additional antibody specificities for cytoplasmic antigens have also been identified, but their pathogenic role is uncertain. The time has come to revisit the spectrum of membranous nephropathies based on the newly identified antigen-antibody systems that should be considered as molecular signatures of the disease and that challenge the uniform histological definition. These signatures will soon have a major impact on patient care

    Nicotine and Cardiovascular Function

    No full text
    Nicotine is a natural alkaloid of tobacco leaves that specifically interacts with a cholinergic receptor (AChR) population which is therefore AU4 pharmacologically identified as nicotinic (nAChR). By virtue of that, nicotine is able to affect the function of those tissues expressing nAChR, particularly the brain, where it develops substance dependence, and the heart. Effects on the heart depend on multiple mechanisms of action involving regulatory centers in the brainstem that control the sympathetic outflow, although most of the effects on heart rate and blood pressure depend upon the direct ganglionic stimulation leading to the release of catecholamines in blood by adrenal glands. Nonetheless, Nicotine is able to interact directly with ion channels of cardiomyocytes involved in the development of the action potential, as well as with inflammatory cells involved in cardiac fibrosis and remodeling. Understanding its multiple intimate relationships with human physiology is necessary in order to develop effective pharmacological strategies based on the use of partial agonists aimed at contrasting addiction, thereby preventing nicotine toxicity

    Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

    No full text
    Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US 92492millionusingapproach1and92 492 million using approach 1 and 73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was 95004millionusingapproach1and95 004 million using approach 1 and 75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially

    Global economic burden of unmet surgical need for appendicitis

    No full text
    Background There is a substantial gap in provision of adequate surgical care in many low- and middle-income countries. This study aimed to identify the economic burden of unmet surgical need for the common condition of appendicitis. Methods Data on the incidence of appendicitis from 170 countries and two different approaches were used to estimate numbers of patients who do not receive surgery: as a fixed proportion of the total unmet surgical need per country (approach 1); and based on country income status (approach 2). Indirect costs with current levels of access and local quality, and those if quality were at the standards of high-income countries, were estimated. A human capital approach was applied, focusing on the economic burden resulting from premature death and absenteeism. Results Excess mortality was 4185 per 100 000 cases of appendicitis using approach 1 and 3448 per 100 000 using approach 2. The economic burden of continuing current levels of access and local quality was US 92492millionusingapproach1and92 492 million using approach 1 and 73 141 million using approach 2. The economic burden of not providing surgical care to the standards of high-income countries was 95004millionusingapproach1and95 004 million using approach 1 and 75 666 million using approach 2. The largest share of these costs resulted from premature death (97.7 per cent) and lack of access (97.0 per cent) in contrast to lack of quality. Conclusion For a comparatively non-complex emergency condition such as appendicitis, increasing access to care should be prioritized. Although improving quality of care should not be neglected, increasing provision of care at current standards could reduce societal costs substantially
    corecore