The possible role of heat shock protein-70 induction in collagen-induced arthritis in rats

Aim This study aimed to evaluate the possible role of heat shock protein-70 (HSP70) induction by 17-allylaminodemethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG) in collagen-induced arthritis in rats. Material and methods Male Wistar rats were divided into five groups (n = 10/group) and were treated intraperitoneally twice a week for 4 weeks, namely normal control (saline), arthritis control (AR; saline), AR + 17-AAG, AR + methotrexate (MTX), and AR + 17-AAG + MTX. At the end of the treatments, arthritic score was determined and then the animals were sacrificed. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), serum levels of HSP70, interleukin-17 (IL-17), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), rheumatic factor (RF), C-reactive protein (CRP), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) were determined. Results In the AR group, all parameters increased significantly, except for GPx, which showed a pronounced decrease. The 17-AAG and/or MTX treatments significantly reduced arthritic score, ESR, IL-17, TNF-α, RF, CRP, MDA, and MMP-9 with significant increase in GPx compared to the AR group. The HSP70 level was significantly higher in the AR + 17-AAG and the AR + 17-AAG + MTX groups but significantly lower in the AR + MTX group as compared to the AR group. Also, it was significantly lower in the AR + MTX group as compared to the AR + 17-AAG group. Conclusion We concluded that HSP70 induction by 17-AAG attenuated the inflammatory process in a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) model induced by collagen, which suggested that HSP70 inducers can be promising agents in the treatment of RA

Diabetes Mellitus Is Associated with Shortened Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time and Increased Fibrinogen Values

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to examine the relationship between shortened activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and increased fibrinogen values with diabetes mellitus. METHODS: APTT, prothrombin time (PT), fibrinogen, fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels were measured in 1,300 patients. Patients were divided into three groups according to their HbA1c and FPG levels. RESULTS: When participants were grouped according to their HbA1c levels, we found significantly shorter APTT values (26.9±5.6 s) and increased fibrinogen levels (3.1, 1.9-6.3 g/L) in the diabetes group when compared with the other two groups. When participants were grouped according to their FPG levels, we found significantly shorter APTT values (26.9±6.2 s) and increased fibrinogen levels (3.1, 1.8-6.2 g/L) in the diabetes group when compared with the euglycemic group. CONCLUSIONS: Shorter APTT and increased fibrinogen levels might be useful hemostatic markers in patients with diabetes and in patients at high risk for diabetes

Knowledge of dental academics about the COVID-19 pandemic: a multi-country online survey.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 is a global pandemic affecting all aspects of life in all countries. We assessed COVID-19 knowledge and associated factors among dental academics in 26 countries. METHODS: We invited dental academics to participate in a cross-sectional, multi-country, online survey from March to April 2020. The survey collected data on knowledge of COVID-19 regarding the mode of transmission, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, protection, and dental treatment precautions as well as participants' background variables. Multilevel linear models were used to assess the association between dental academics' knowledge of COVID-19 and individual level (personal and professional) and country-level (number of COVID-19 cases/ million population) factors accounting for random variation among countries. RESULTS: Two thousand forty-five academics participated in the survey (response rate 14.3%, with 54.7% female and 67% younger than 46 years of age). The mean (SD) knowledge percent score was 73.2 (11.2) %, and the score of knowledge of symptoms was significantly lower than the score of knowledge of diagnostic methods (53.1 and 85.4%, P <  0.0001). Knowledge score was significantly higher among those living with a partner/spouse than among those living alone (regression coefficient (B) = 0.48); higher among those with PhD degrees than among those with Bachelor of Dental Science degrees (B = 0.48); higher among those seeing 21 to 30 patients daily than among those seeing no patients (B = 0.65); and higher among those from countries with a higher number of COVID-19 cases/million population (B = 0.0007). CONCLUSIONS: Dental academics had poorer knowledge of COVID-19 symptoms than of COVID-19 diagnostic methods. Living arrangements, academic degrees, patient load, and magnitude of the epidemic in the country were associated with COVD-19 knowledge among dental academics. Training of dental academics on COVID-19 can be designed using these findings to recruit those with the greatest need

Behavior change due to COVID-19 among dental academics-The theory of planned behavior: Stresses, worries, training, and pandemic severity

Objective: COVID-19 pandemic led to major life changes. We assessed the psychological impact of COVID-19 on dental academics globally and on changes in their behaviors. Methods: We invited dental academics to complete a cross-sectional, online survey from March to May 2020. The survey was based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). The survey collected data on participants’ stress levels (using the Impact of Event Scale), attitude (fears, and worries because of COVID-19 extracted by Principal Component Analysis (PCA), perceived control (resulting from training on public health emergencies), norms (country-level COVID-19 fatality rate), and personal and professional backgrounds. We used multilevel regression models to assess the association between the study outcome variables (frequent handwashing and avoidance of crowded places) and explanatory variables (stress, attitude, perceived control and norms). Results: 1862 academics from 28 countries participated in the survey (response rate = 11.3%). Of those, 53.4% were female, 32.9% were <46 years old and 9.9% had severe stress. PCA extracted three main factors: fear of infection, worries because of professional responsibilities, and worries because of restricted mobility. These factors had significant dosedependent association with stress and were significantly associated with more frequent handwashing by dental academics (B = 0.56, 0.33, and 0.34) and avoiding crowded places (B = 0.55, 0.30, and 0.28). Low country fatality rates were significantly associated with more handwashing (B = -2.82) and avoiding crowded places (B = -6.61). Training on public health emergencies was not significantly associated with behavior change (B = -0.01 and -0.11). Conclusions: COVID-19 had a considerable psychological impact on dental academics. There was a direct, dose-dependent association between change in behaviors and worries but no association between these changes and training on public health emergencies. More change in behaviors was associated with lower country COVID-19 fatality rates. Fears and stresses were associated with greater adoption of preventive measures against the pandemic

Perceived Preparedness of Dental Academic Institutions to Cope with the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Multi-Country Survey

Dental academic institutions are affected by COVID-19. We assessed the perceived COVID-19 preparedness of these institutions and the characteristics of institutions with greater perceived preparedness. An international cross-sectional survey of dental academics was conducted from March to August 2020 to assess academics’ and institutional attributes, perceived preparedness, and availability of infection prevention and control (IPC) equipment. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified perceived preparedness components. Multilevel linear regression analysis assessed the association between perceived preparedness and fixed effect factors (academics’ and institutions’ attributes) with countries as random effect variable. Of the 1820 dental academics from 28 countries, 78.4% worked in public institutions and 75.2% reported temporary closure. PCA showed five components: clinic apparel, measures before and after patient care, institutional policies, and availability of IPC equipment. Significantly less perceived preparedness was reported in lower-middle income (LMICs) (B = −1.31, p = 0.006) and upper-middle income (UMICs) (B = −0.98, p = 0.02) countries than in high-income countries (HICs), in teaching only (B = −0.55, p &lt; 0.0001) and in research only (B = −1.22, p = 0.003) than teaching and research institutions and in institutions receiving ≤100 patients daily than those receiving &gt;100 patients (B = −0.38, p &lt; 0.0001). More perceived preparedness was reported by academics with administrative roles (B = 0.59, p &lt; 0.0001). Academics from low-income countries (LICs) and LMICs reported less availability of clinic apparel, IPC equipment, measures before patient care, and institutional policies but more measures during patient care. There was greater perceived preparedness in HICs and institutions with greater involvement in teaching, research, and patient care