Distribution of malocclusions in Middle East countries: A Systematic review.

High prevalence, multifactorial etiology and the effect on the esthetic, function and quality of life, make the malocclusions as a subject of debate for many years. Regarding the important role of malocclusion in treatment approaches, policy making in health organizations and understanding the etiology factors, this literature review was performed with the purpose of determining the prevalence and distribution of malocclusion in region of the Middle East

Orofacial clefts in the Middle Eastern countries – a systematic review

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of orofacial clefts (OFC) in the Middle East. Recent studies of etiology of OFC in populations of different countries characterized by a specific cultural, religious, or socioeconomic status revealed that different environmental and genetic factors may participate in their etiology

Effect of Glass Fiber Post Diameter on Fracture Resistance of Endodontically Treated Teeth

Objective: To determine the fracture resistance of endodontically treated teeth restored with three different diameters of glass fiber posts and metal-ceramic crowns. Material and Methods: Thirty human maxillary canines were selected and subjected to root canal therapy. The teeth were randomly divided into three groups of glass fiber posts with 1.4 mm diameter (Group I), 1.6 mm diameter (Group II), and 2.0 mm diameter (Group III). The teeth were restored with metal-ceramic crowns and subjected to the compressive load applied at 45° angle to the longitudinal axis until fracture. The mode of failure was determined. Data were analyzed using ANOVA, followed by Tukey's post hoc multiple comparisons test (p<0.05). Results: The mean fracture resistance of groups I, II and III was 574 ± 91.2 N, 617 ± 85.21 N and 467 ± 99.43 N, respectively. No significant difference was noted between groups I and II, while the fracture resistance was significantly different between groups I and III (p<0.05) and groups II and III (p<0.05). No case of post fracture alone occurred in any group. Conclusion: The diameter of glass fiber posts can affect the fracture resistance of teeth. Based on the results, increasing the diameter of the post up to 1.6 mm may increase the fracture resistance of root, although excessive diameters are not recommended

Socio-economic factors that may contribute to etiology of orofacial clefts.

Association of socio-economic status (SES) with congenital anomalies and diseases has been studied for many years. Under the umbrella of SES are several factors and they vary in different parts of the world due to differences in climate, ethnicity, and culture. The purpose of this systematic review was to determine associations between various risk factors related to SES and prevalence of orofacial clefts (OFC)

Biomarkers of Orthodontic Tooth Movement

Orthodontic tooth movement is made possible by remodeling of the alveolar bone process. Bone remodeling is carried out by cellular activities of osteoclasts, osteoblasts, and osteocytes. This in turn is regulated by a number of extracellular factors including growth factors, cytokines, chemokines, hormones and biomechanical force. This review is focused on chemical biomarkers characterizing orthodontic tooth movement

Recombinant production of Soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand (sTRAIL) as a therapeutic protein

Abstract:  Successfully cancer therapies aim to induce apoptosis in cancer cell lines. Recent advances in cancer therapy based on the use of some recombinant proteins such as tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL). TRAIL is a new member of the TNF superfamily. In this paper, we report the expression, purification, and  preparation of a recombinant form of the extracelluar domain of the TRAIL (sTRAIL) in Escherichia coli rosetta gami under the control of T7 promoter; which  may selectively induce apoptosis of tumor cells in vitro. To obtain recombinant sTRAIL protein, the encoding region for sTRAIL was cloned between Xho1 and BamHI in pET28a expression vector. The results showed that the recombinant sTRAIL was efficiently produced in Ecoli rosetta gami strain.                               Introduction: Apoptosis is an evolutionarily conserved and essential for maintenance of  tissue homeostasis and removal of unwanted cells. TRAIL belongs to the group of therapeutic agents selectively targeting a wide variety of cancer cells without affecting the normal cells .The therapeutic potential of TRAIL is attributed to its receptor expression in a variety of tissues; which initiates apoptosis in cancer cells through interaction with the death receptors DR4 and DR5. Due to its selective nature, it is considered as a significant therapeutic agent in cancer therapy. The purpose of this study was to produce recombinant human sTRAIL in Rosetta Gami2 E.coli strain and its functions on cancerous cells in vitro. Methods and results:  we optimized the coding sequence of this protein. The recombinant plasmid was transformed into Rosetta Gami2 E.coli strain for expression. The transformed bacteria which contain recombinant plasmid were cultured in 37ºC with 250 rpm in LB and in 20ºC in TB medium for 18 hours. TRAIL was purified by Ni sepharose column, and the presence of the recombinant protein was confirmed by SDS-PAGE. The concentration of purified protein was measured by Bradford assay. Our finding showed that the recombinant protein (34kD) has been successfully produced for next experiments, the purified protein was desalted and applied toward cancerous cells. Conclusions: In summary, TRAIL can be considered as a promising therapeutic agent for effective, targeted and less toxic agents for treatment of cancers

The effect of Carvacrol on Enterococcus faecalis as a final irrigant

INTRODUCTION: Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is an effective antimicrobial irrigant, however its toxic effects and deterrent odor are not ideal. Carvacrol is an edible plant extract with anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties that is effective against Enterococcus (E) faecalis. The aim of this study was to evaluate Carvacrol's antibacterial efficacy against E. faecalis bacteria as a final irrigant. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty extracted single-rooted human teeth were utilized. After mechanical preparations, samples were randomly divided into three experimental (A, B and C) and two control groups. E. faecalis was cultured in both experimental and positive control groups. After bacterial counting in all canals, 5.25% NaOCl, 0.6% Carvacrol emulsion and MTAD were used as final irrigants in groups A, B and C respectively. Data were analyzed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. RESULTS: There was no meaningful difference in bacterial reduction between groups A and B; however, group C showed significantly lower efficacy compared to other groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The 0.6% Carvacrol disinfects root canals effectively. It also has anti-inflammatory qualities and therefore may be an acceptable alternative for NaOCl

Head and Neck Lymphoma in an Iranian Population

Introduction: This study is aimed to assess the prevalence and characteristics of head and neck lymphoma in a defined group of an Iranian population.   Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study, 126,450 biopsy reports from two referral Pathology Departments, (Tehran, the capital of Iran) were evaluated. In cases with head and neck lymphoma, other variables such as age, sex, specific location of lesions, and histopathological findings were recorded. Descriptive statistics were used to measure the prevalence and characteristics of head and neck lymphoma by means of SPSS soft ware, version 18.   Results: In total, 513 (0.4%) cases had head and neck lymphoma (46.9% male, 27.1% female) with a mean age of 46±6.2. Of the total lesions, 200 (0.15%) were Hodgkin lymphoma and 313 (0.25%) were non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Nodular sclerosis was the most common (62.5%) histopathological subtype among Hodgkin lymphoma. In non-Hodgkin lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (62.3%) had the highest frequency.  In Hodgkin disease, classic Hodgkin lymphocytic rich, mixed cellularity, and lymphocyte depletion were only seen in the neck compartment. Bone involvement was only found in Hodgkin nodular lymphocytic predominant variation. In non-Hodgkin lymphoma, the tongue, palate, and vestibular mucosa were affected only by diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. Jaw bones were only involved with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma compared to other bony structures. T-cell lymphoma and mucosal associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma were also found.   Conclusion: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the most common subtype of non-Hodgkin lymphoma especially in the tongue, palate, vestibular mucosa, and jaw bones

Hepatoprotective and antifibrotic effects of trans-chalcone against bile duct ligation-induced liver fibrosis in rats

Objective(s): Several lines of research have shown that hepatic fibrosis is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Trans-chalcone is a flavonoid precursor with anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. The present study was conducted to examine the antifibrotic properties of trans-chalcone on bile duct ligation (BDL)-induced liver cholestasis in rats. Materials and Methods: Following the BDL operation, trans-chalcone at doses of 12, 24, and 50 mg/kg was administered orally once a day for 45 consecutive days. Serum levels of liver indices, including alkaline phosphatase (ALP), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), total and direct bilirubin, and lipid profile in addition to blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine, were measured. Additionally, catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were assessed in liver homogenates. Histopathological evaluations were performed using Masson trichrome (MT) and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. Results: The elevated levels of liver enzymes, total and direct bilirubin, BUN, creatinine, cholesterol, triglyceride, and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) induced by BDL were significantly reduced following trans-chalcone administration; while serum level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) increased. Besides, treatment with trans-chalcone elevated the activities of CAT and SOD in the liver tissues of the animals with BDL surgery. According to MT and H&E staining, BDL-induced histopathological changes, including infiltration of inflammatory cells, hepatocyte necrosis, ductal hyperplasia, and collagen deposition were ameliorated using trans-chalcone administration. Conclusion: It can be concluded from the present study that trans-chalcone, possibly by its anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, may exert hepatoprotective and antifibrotic effects in BDL-induced liver fibrosis.