Facial scanning technologies in the era of digital workflow: A systematic review and network meta-analysis.

PURPOSE The aim of this network meta-analysis is to evaluate the accuracy of various face-scanning technologies in the market, with respect to the different dimensions of space (x, y, and z axes). Furthermore, attention will be paid to the type of technologies currently used and to the best practices for high-quality scan acquisition. MATERIAL AND METHODS The review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines and its updates. A thorough search was performed using the digital databases MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials by entering research lines or various combinations of free words. The main keywords used during the search process were "photogrammetry", "laser scanner", "optical scanner", "3D, and "face". RESULTS None of the included technologies significantly deviated from direct anthropometry. The obtained mean differences in the distances between the considered landmarks range from 1.10 to -1.74 mm. CONCLUSION Limiting the movements of the patient and scanner allows for more accurate facial scans with all the technologies involved. Active technologies such as laser scanners (LS), structured light (SL), and infrared structured light (ISL) have accuracy comparable to that of static stereophotogrammetry while being more cost-effective and less time-consuming

Complete Molecular Response due to nilotinib as III line treatment in a patient with CML and F317L point mutation of the Bcr-Abl kinase domain

In 1997, a forty-three years old woman was diagnosed with CML and treated with alfa-Interferon, achieving complete haematological response (CHR). Three years later, patient was switched to hydroxiurea due to thyroid toxicity. For logistic reasons, therapy with imatinib 400 mg/die was initiated only in 2003, obtaining complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) and suboptimal molecular response in twelve months. CCyR and CHR were then lost three years later. Doubling imatinib dose to 800 mg/die gave no positive results. Mutational analysis performed in September 2007 showed F317L point mutation of the Bcr-Abl kinase domain. In October 2007 dasatinib was started and in April 2008 CCyR was reached with suboptimal molecular response. In March 2009 Bcr-Abl transcript progressively increased, and in August 2009 cytogenetic analysis showed loss of CCyR. Therapy with nilotinib 800 mg/die was started, and in October 2009 the patient obtained complete molecular response (CMR). Bcr-Abl kinase-domain point mutations, acquired during first line therapy, are a common cause of resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors. While several Bcr-Abl mutations have been identified, involvement of codon 317 has been reported in the literature following treatment with imatinib and dasatinib

Oral manifestations in chronic uremia patients

The incidence of chronic renal failure (CRF) is approximately 200 cases per million people in different Western countries. Recent data indicate that the incidences of these pathologies are increasing. Ninety percent of patients with CRF report oral signs and symptoms that affect both the bone and soft tissues. A broad range of lesions may be observed in chronic uratemia patients, including the following: gingival hyperplasia, enamel hypoplasia, petechiae, gingival bleeding, and others lesions. These patients require various types of treatment ranging from dietary and lifestyle changes to dialysis and kidney transplantation. CRF often leads to multiple oral manifestations that are difficult for dentists to manage. The present study examined the characteristics of this disease, the existing therapeutic options and the relevant considerations for dental professionals

Oral manifestations in chronic uremia patients

The incidence of chronic renal failure (CRF) is approximately 200 cases per million people in different Western countries. Recent data indicate that the incidences of these pathologies are increasing. Ninety percent of patients with CRF report oral signs and symptoms that affect both the bone and soft tissues. A broad range of lesions may be observed in chronic uratemia patients, including the following: gingival hyperplasia, enamel hypoplasia, petechiae, gingival bleeding, and others lesions. These patients require various types of treatment ranging from dietary and lifestyle changes to dialysis and kidney transplantation. CRF often leads to multiple oral manifestations that are difficult for dentists to manage. The present study examined the characteristics of this disease, the existing therapeutic options and the relevant considerations for dental professionals. The incidence of chronic renal failure (CRF) is approximately 200 cases per million people in different Western countries. Recent data indicate that the incidences of these pathologies are increasing. Ninety percent of patients with CRF report oral signs and symptoms that affect both the bone and soft tissues. A broad range of lesions may be observed in chronic uratemia patients, including the following: gingival hyperplasia, enamel hypoplasia, petechiae, gingival bleeding, and others lesions. These patients require various types of treatment ranging from dietary and lifestyle changes to dialysis and kidney transplantation. CRF often leads to multiple oral manifestations that are difficult for dentists to manage. The present study examined the characteristics of this disease, the existing therapeutic options and the relevant considerations for dental professionals

MicroRNA-21 Expression as a Prognostic Biomarker in Oral Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Oral carcinoma represents one of the main carcinomas of the head and neck region, with a 5-year survival rate of less than 50%. Smoking and tobacco use are recognized risk factors. Prognostic survival biomarkers can be a valid tool for assessing a patient’s life expectancy and directing therapy towards specific targets. Among the biomarkers, the alteration of miR-21 expression in tumor tissues is increasingly reported as a valid prognostic biomarker of survival for oral cancer. The purpose of this meta-analysis was, therefore, to investigate and summarize the results in the literature concerning the potential prognostic expression of tissue miR-21 in patients with OSCC. Methods: The systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines using electronic databases, such as PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, with the use of combinations of keywords, such as miR-21 AND oral cancer, microRNA AND oral cancer, and miR-21. The meta- analysis was performed using the RevMan 5.41 software. Results: At the end of the article-selection process, 10 studies were included in the meta-analysis, and the result for the main outcome was a pooled HR per overall survival (OS) of 1.29 (1.16–1.44) between high and low expression of miR-21. Conclusions: The data in the literature and the results emerging from the systematic review indicate that miR-21 can provide a prognostic indication in oral cancer

Innate Immunity in Children and the Role of ACE2 Expression in SARS-CoV-2 Infection

COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) is an emerging viral disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), which leads to severe respiratory infections in humans. The first reports came in December 2019 from the city of Wuhan in the province of Hubei in China. It was immediately clear that children developed a milder disease than adults. The reasons for the milder course of the disease were attributed to several factors: innate immunity, difference in ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme II) receptor expression, and previous infections with other common coronaviruses (CovH). This literature review aims to summarize aspects of innate immunity by focusing on the role of ACE2 expression and viral infections in children in modulating the antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. This review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Articles deemed potentially eligible were considered, including those dealing with COVID-19 in children and providing more up-to-date and significant data in terms of epidemiology, prognosis, course, and symptoms, focusing on the etiopathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 disease in children. The bibliographic search was conducted using the search engines PubMed and Scopus. The following search terms were entered in PubMed and Scopus: COVID-19 AND ACE2 AND Children; COVID-19 AND Immunity innate AND children. The search identified 857 records, and 18 studies were applicable based on inclusion and exclusion criteria that addressed the issues of COVID-19 concerning the role of ACE2 expression in children. The scientific literature agrees that children develop milder COVID-19 disease than adults. Milder symptomatology could be attributed to innate immunity or previous CovH virus infections, while it is not yet fully understood how the differential expression of ACE2 in children could contribute to milder disease

From Bench to Bedside in Precision Medicine: Diabetes Mellitus and Peri-Implantitis Clinical Indices with a Short-Term Follow-Up: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background and objective: Diabetes mellitus (DM) refers to a group of metabolic disorders characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from impaired secretion or action of insulin. The high levels of glucose in the blood can negatively affect the healing processes through alterations in vascularization, bone remodeling, and with increased susceptibility to infections. Diabetes mellitus is therefore a risk factor not only for many systemic diseases, but also for localized problems such as peri-implantitis. The objective of this systematic review was to identify a clear relationship between peri-implant inflammation indices and glycemic levels, through the investigation of prospective studies that report data on a short-term follow-up period. Our hypothesis was that peri-implant inflammatory indices may already present themselves in a statistically significant way as altered in patients with DM compared to patients without DM. Materials and methods: This review was reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). Results: More than 992 records were identified in the PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trial electronic databases and only seven studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis report worse outcomes in patients with DM, even in the short period of six months, for peri-implatitis inflammation indices, such as Marginal bone loss (standardized (Std). mean difference (MD) 12 months 0.81 [0.45, 1.17].82 [0.53, 3.10]), Bleeding on probing (Std. MD 12 months 2.84 [1.34, 4.34].44 [1.41, 5.50]), Probing depth (Std. MD 12 months 1.14 [0.60, 1.68].24 [0.66, 3.83]), and the plaque index (Std. MD 12 months 2.83 [0.09, 5.57]). Conclusion: The literature linking glycaemic control to peri-implant disease is highly heterogeneous due to lack of consistency of the definition of peri-implantitis and its clinical indicators among studies. Therefore, interpretation of finding and relevance to clinical practice should be considered on individual bases. In the era of personalized medicine, the clinician should utilize individualized information from translational researches and analyze all risk factors to provide the patient with evidence-based treatment options

Potential Role of miR-196a and miR-196b as Prognostic Biomarkers of Survival in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis

The etiopathogenetic mechanisms involving tumor genesis, including alteration of cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration, and death, may lead to alterations in microRNAs (miR) expression. The hypothesis is that with the presence in the literature of recent studies conducted on miR-196a and miR-196b, it is possible to clearly determine, by aggregating the results, whether miR-196 upregulation in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) tissues can represent a prognostic biomarker of survival through hazard ratio (HR) analysis. The systematic review was conducted following the indications of the PRISMA, and four electronic databases were used (Science Direct, SCOPUS, PubMed, and Cochrane Central), with the addition of gray literature. Combinations of keywords were used, such as miR-196, miR-196 AND HNSCC, microRNA AND HNSCC, LSCC AND miR-196, OSCC AND miR-196, OPSCC AND miR-196, HSCC AND miR-196. The meta-analysis and trial sequential analysis (TSA) were performed using RevMan 5.41 software and Stata 13 (StataCorp, College Station, TX, USA) with the implementation of the R 4.2 software. This search identified 1593 reports and, at the end of the selection, five articles were inserted. The results of the meta-analysis report an aggregate HR for overall survival (OS), between the highest and lowest miR-196 expression of 1.67, 95% CI: [1.16, 2.49]. In this meta-analysis, we found that the forest plot is in favor of higher OS in HNSCC patients, compared with the control, with low miR-196 expression, correlating this data with a favorable prognosis, which indicated the potential role of this miRNA in strengthening the therapy sensitiveness of the HNSCC patients. Consequently, the present systematic review places itself, together with other systematic reviews on this topic, in a key role to the finding of Phase 3 clinical trials studies, in search for a prognostic model of miR-196 for HNSCC. In conclusion, with the limitations of the meta-analysis, it can be argued that miRs of the miR-196 family could be independent prognostic biomarkers of survival for HNSCC

Endodontic Re-treatment of a Tooth with a Floor Perforation in a Patient in Treatment with Oral Bisphosphonate

Prevention of bisphosphonate related osteonecrosis of the jaws (BRONJ) represents an important challenge for clinicians. Dent alveolar surgery is usually performed to reduce the risk local and systemic complications, In fact, removing the tooth that is the source of the infectious outbreak, brings to the removal of the infected tissue and determines a correct healing of the disease. However, in patients are undergoing bisphosphonate this procedure expose patients to an increased risk of BRONJ. However, in patients who are in treatment with systemic bisphosphonates, this procedure exposes them to an increased risk of BRONJ. When possible, avoid the surgical interventions in favors of endodontic treatment could be an important clinical options in reducing the possibility of BRONJ occurrence. In this paper, we report a case of endodontic re-treatment in a tooth with a floor perforation in a patient was assuming oral alendronate. Limits and advantages of performing endodontic retreatment for the prevention of BRONJ development have still not well elucidated. Due to the very low power of this study, no conclusions should be made to perform an endodontic retreatment instead of performing a tooth extraction. However, this case report support the execution of future studies related to the calculation of BRONJ incidence after surgical extraction vs endodontic retreatment

Centering Ability of ProTaper Next and WaveOne Classic in J-Shape Simulated Root Canals

Introduction. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the shaping and centering ability of ProTaper Next (PTN; Dentsply Maillefer, Ballaigues, Switzerland) and WaveOne Classic systems (Dentsply Maillefer) in simulated root canals. Methods. Forty J-shaped canals in resin blocks were assigned to two groups (n=20 for each group). Photographic method was used to record pre- and postinstrumentation images. After superimposition, centering and shaping ability were recorded at 9 different levels from the apex using the software Autocad 2013 (Autodesk Inc., San Rafael, USA). Results. Shaping procedures with ProTaper Next resulted in a lower amount of resin removed at each reference point level. In addition, the pattern of centering ability improved after the use of ProTaper Next in 8 of 9 measurement points. Conclusions. Within the limitations of this study, shaping procedures with ProTaper Next instruments demonstrated a lower amount of resin removed and a better centering ability than WaveOne Classic system