Effects of the platelet rich plasma on apexogenesis in young monkeys: Radiological and hystologycal evaluation

Platelet-reach plasma (PRP) is an attractive tool in regenerative medicine due to its ability to stimulate proliferation and differentiation of stem cells. Since dental pulp derived stem cells are recognized as central in apexogenesis, the aim of the study was to evaluate radiologically and histologically effects of PRP on apexogenesis in teeth with immature roots. The study included eight monkeys (Cercopithecus Aethiops) divided in two equal groups for evaluation 3 and 12 months after treatment. All participants obtained the same treatment including pulpotomy and after-treatment with: hydroxiapatite (HA)-incisor and HA+canine PRP. Radiological evaluation was performed using the long cone paralleling technique for recording of defined parameters and histological evaluation was performed using tissue removed en block for the observation of parameters related to apexogenesis. The results obtained radiologically and histologically have shown increase in bridge formation in HA+PRP (75%) group after 3 months comparing to HA group (50%). Contrary to that, after 12 months there were no significant differences between groups. The root delay was not registered in the HA+PRP group contrary to HA group where it was registered in 25% after 12 months. Results of the study suggest that PRP is a powerful tool for intensive and rapid apexogenesis since it offers clear and comprehensive results (mostly in the first three months) which are early radiologically visible without any failure in the proposed requests

Polymerase chain reaction in the identification of periodontopathogens: A reliable and satisfactory method?

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is considered one of the bacterial species of etiological importance in periodontitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the serotype of A. actinomycetemcomitans in the subgingival biofilm in subjects with periodontal health and disease. Pooled samples of subgingival plaque were taken for culture-based identification of microorganisms. Colonies suspected to be A. actinomycetemcomitans were selected for molecular identification using either multiplex or conventional PCR in serotype-specific genotyping and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. In silico analysis showed that most selected colonies belong to the genus Campylobacter, although positive signals for serotypes of A. actinomycetemcomitans were obtained with these samples. Identification of A. actinomycetemcomitans by conventional PCR for 16S rRNA with one species-specific and one universal primer was inconclusive because an almost identical signal with Campylobacter gracilis was obtained. Although PCR-based methods for the identification of A. actinomycetemcomitans are more rapid, sequencing should not be omitted. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 41008 and br. 173048

Polymerase chain reaction in the identification of periodontopathogens: A reliable and satisfactory method?

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans is considered one of the bacterial species of etiological importance in periodontitis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the serotype of A. actinomycetemcomitans in the subgingival biofilm in subjects with periodontal health and disease. Pooled samples of subgingival plaque were taken for culture-based identification of microorganisms. Colonies suspected to be A. actinomycetemcomitans were selected for molecular identification using either multiplex or conventional PCR in serotype-specific genotyping and 16S rRNA gene sequencing. In silico analysis showed that most selected colonies belong to the genus Campylobacter, although positive signals for serotypes of A. actinomycetemcomitans were obtained with these samples. Identification of A. actinomycetemcomitans by conventional PCR for 16S rRNA with one species-specific and one universal primer was inconclusive because an almost identical signal with Campylobacter gracilis was obtained. Although PCR-based methods for the identification of A. actinomycetemcomitans are more rapid, sequencing should not be omitted

Microarray and Proteomic Analyses of Myeloproliferative Neoplasms with a Highlight on the mTOR Signaling Pathway

The gene and protein expression profiles in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) may reveal gene and protein markers of a potential clinical relevance in diagnosis, treatment and prediction of response to therapy. Using cDNA microarray analysis of 25,100 unique genes, we studied the gene expression profile of CD34(+) cells and granulocytes obtained from peripheral blood of subjects with essential thrombocythemia (ET), polycythemia vera (PV) and primary myelofibrosis (PMF). The microarray analyses of the CD34(+) cells and granulocytes were performed from 20 de novo MPN subjects: JAK2 positive ET, PV, PMF subjects, and JAK2 negative ET/PMF subjects. The granulocytes for proteomic studies were pooled in 4 groups: PV with JAK2 mutant allele burden above 80%, ET with JAK2 mutation, PMF with JAK2 mutation and ET/PMF with no JAK2 mutation. The number of differentially regulated genes was about two fold larger in CD34(+) cells compared to granulocytes. Thirty-six genes (including RUNX1, TNFRSF19) were persistently highly expressed, while 42 genes (including FOXD4, PDE4A) were underexpressed both in CD34(+) cells and granulocytes. Using proteomic studies, significant up-regulation was observed for MAPK and PI3K/AKT signaling regulators that control myeloid cell apoptosis and proliferation: RAC2, MNDA, S100A8/9, CORO1A, and GNAI2. When the status of the mTOR signaling pathway related genes was analyzed, PI3K/AKT regulators were preferentially up-regulated in CD34(+) cells of MPNs, with down-regulated major components of the protein complex EIF4F. Molecular profiling of CD34(+) cells and granulocytes of MPN determined gene expression patterns beyond their recognized function in disease pathogenesis that included dominant up-regulation of PI3K/AKT signaling

Divergence of barley and oat varieties according to their content of β-glucan

Barley and oat have been promoted for years as good sources of dietary fiber, especially β-glucan. Studies have shown a positive effect of barley and oat β-glucan on human health and as a result, there has been an increasing demand for β-glucans in the past decade. Thus, the variability of the β-glucan content was investigated in the grain of 10 barley and 10 oat varieties. The β-glucan contents were determined by the ICC Standard Method No 168. The content of β-glucan in the analyzed barley varieties were within the range 3.52–7.81% and in analyzed oat varieties, the content of β-glucan were within the range of 3.15–7.28%. Among analyzed barley varieties, Novosadski 314 contained the highest content of β-glucan (7.81%), while Tomba had the highest content of β-glucan (7.28%) in the analyzed oat varieties. Based on the results, it could be concluded that there is genetic diversity of oat and barley varieties with respect to their β-glucan content. This fact enables varieties with a high a nutritional capacity to be selected

Assessment of quality of life and physical and mental health in children and adolescents with coeliac disease compared to their healthy peers

© 2019, Serbia Medical Society. All rights reserved. Introduction/Objective Strict gluten-free diet for life is the only treatment for patients with coeliac disease. Limited selection of food options can affect their quality of life and cause problems in acceptance by their peers. The aim was to examine the subjective quality of life experience in children and adolescents with coeliac disease and to obtain a comprehensive representation of physical and mental impairments and social functioning compared to their healthy peers. Methods The study was conducted as a cross-sectional study. It included 116 respondents aged 5-18 years with coeliac disease and 116 healthy children of similar age and sex. A Serbian version of Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) was used to measure the quality of life in children. Descriptive statistics were calculated to analyze all results, while t-test was used to compare them. Results The mean value of total PedsQL score was lower in the coeliac disease patients (75.89 ± 20.35) than in the controls (86.35 ± 11.13). Additionally, the experimental group reported lower all PedsQL Scale scores than the control group in the domains of psychosocial, school, social, and emotional functioning. However, there was no statistically significant difference on the physical health scale. These results were the same in all age groups among both males and females. Conclusions The disturbance of health-related quality of life in children and adolescents with coeliac disease is significant and the quality of life is lower if compared to their healthy peers