Results of immediate loading for implant restoration in partially edentulous patients: a 6-month preliminary prospective study using SinusQuick™ EB implant system

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM. Many dental clinicians are concerned about immediate loading of inserted implants. However, there have been few clinical studies surveying the success rates of immediate loading, based on Korean implant systems. PURPOSE. The aim of this study was to evaluate the outcome of immediate functional loading of the implant (SinusQuickTM EB, Neobiotech Co., Seoul, Korea) in partially edentulous maxilla or mandible. MATERIAL AND METHODS. Total 15 implants were placed. Within 2 weeks after implant insertion, provisional implant-supported fixed partial dentures were delivered to the patients. Quantitatively, marginal bone loss was measured at the time of immediate loading, after 3-months of continued loading and at the last follow-up. The mean follow-up period was 4.8 months. RESULTS. Mean marginal bone loss from implant surgery to early loading, 3-months follow-up and last follow-up was 0.03 ± 0.07 mm, 0.16 ± 0.17 mm and 0.29 ± 0.19 mm. No implant failed up to 6 months after insertion, resulting in a 100% survival rate. CONCLUSION. Immediate loading exhibited high success rate in partial edentulism for up to 6 months. Well-controlled long term clinical studies with large sample size are necessary to confirm this finding

Whole Genome Analysis of the Red-Crowned Crane Provides Insight into Avian Longevity

The red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis) is an endangered, large-bodied crane native to East Asia. It is a traditional symbol of longevity and its long lifespan has been confirmed both in captivity and in the wild. Lifespan in birds is known to be positively correlated with body size and negatively correlated with metabolic rate, though the genetic mechanisms for the red-crowned crane's long lifespan have not previously been investigated. Using whole genome sequencing and comparative evolutionary analyses against the grey-crowned crane and other avian genomes, including the long-lived common ostrich, we identified red-crowned crane candidate genes with known associations with longevity. Among these are positively selected genes in metabolism and immunity pathways (NDUFA5, NDUFA8, NUDT12, SOD3, CTH, RPA1, PHAX, HNMT, HS2ST1, PPCDC, PSTK CD8B, GP9, IL-9R, and PTPRC). Our analyses provide genetic evidence for low metabolic rate and longevity, accompanied by possible convergent adaptation signatures among distantly related large and long-lived birds. Finally, we identified low genetic diversity in the red-crowned crane, consistent with its listing as an endangered species, and this genome should provide a useful genetic resource for future conservation studies of this rare and iconic species

Isolation and Characterization of a Defensin-Like Peptide (Coprisin) from the Dung Beetle, Copris tripartitus

The antibacterial activity of immune-related peptides, identified by a differential gene expression analysis, was investigated to suggest novel antibacterial peptides. A cDNA encoding a defensin-like peptide, Coprisin, was isolated from bacteria-immunized dung beetle, Copris tripartitus, by using differential dot blot hybridization. Northern blot analysis showed that Coprisin mRNA was up-regulated from 4 hours after bacteria injection and its expression level was reached a peak at 16 hours. The deduced amino acid sequence of Coprisin was composed of 80 amino acids with a predicted molecular weight of 8.6 kDa and a pI of 8.7. The amino acid sequence of mature Coprisin was found to be 79.1% and 67.4% identical to those of defensin-like peptides of Anomala cuprea and Allomyrina dichotoma, respectively. We also investigated active sequences of Coprisin by using amino acid modification. The result showed that the 9-mer peptide, LLCIALRKK-NH2, exhibited potent antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus

Corrected QTc interval combined with troponin value and mortality in acute ischemic stroke

Background and PurposeCardiac biomarkers including, elevated troponin (ET) and prolonged heart rate-corrected QT (PQTc) interval on electrocardiography are known to frequent and have a prognostic significance in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). However, it is still challenging to practically apply the results for appropriate risk stratification. This study evaluate whether combining ET and PQTc interval can better assess the long-term prognosis in AIS patients.MethodsIn this prospectively registered observational study between May 2007 and December 2011, ET was defined as serum troponin-I ≥ 0.04 ng/ml and PQTc interval was defined as the highest tertile of sex-specific QTc interval (men ≥ 469 ms or women ≥ 487 ms).ResultsAmong the 1,668 patients [1018 (61.0%) men; mean age 66.0 ± 12.4 years], patients were stratified into four groups according to the combination of ET and PQTc intervals. During a median follow-up of 33 months, ET (hazard ratio [HR]: 4.38, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.94–6.53) or PQTc interval (HR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.16–2.01) alone or both (HR: 1.77, 95% CI: 1.16–2.71) was associated with increased all-cause mortality. Furthermore, ET, PQTc interval alone or both was associated with vascular death, whereas only ET alone was associated with non-vascular death. Comorbidity burden, especially atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure, and stroke severity gradually increased both with troponin value and QTc-interval.ConclusionsIn patients with AIS, combining ET and PQTc interval on ECG enhances risk stratification for long-term mortality while facilitating the discerning ability for the burden of comorbidities and stroke severity

Estrogen Receptor-1 Genetic Polymorphisms for the Risk of Premature Ovarian Failure and Early Menopause

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1) genetic polymorphisms for early menopause that was classified as premature ovarian failure (POF) and early menopause (EM) and to examine whether the associations of ESR1 genetic variants are different for POF and EM. Methods: We selected 100 POF cases and matched 100 EM cases and 200 normal menopause (NM) controls from the Korean Multi-Center Cohort. Among them, we restricted idiopathic POF and EM cases vs NM controls by excluding POF/EM cases with medical/surgical causes. The XbaI (rs9340799) and PvuII (rs2234693) in the ESR1 gene were genotyped. The single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and haplotype effects were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression and haplotype analysis. Also nominal polytomous logistic regression was used to find whether ESR1 genetic variants are differently associated with POF and EM. Results: The global p values for idiopathic POF and EM were 0.08 and 0.39 (SNP-based), and <0.001 and 0.12 (haplotype-based), respectively. The XbaI genetic variant containing the X allele was marginally significantly associated with a reduced risk of idiopathic POF (OR=0.6, 95% CI 0.3-1.0). The P-x haplotype and diplotypes significantly decreased the risk of idiopathic POF (OR=0.5, 95% CI 0.2-0.9; OR 0.4, 95% CI 0.2-0.9, respectively). In contrast from POF, the P-x haplotypes and diplotypes insignificantly increased the risk for both idiopathic EM (p(polytomous)=0.009 for P-x haplotype; p(polytomous)=0.02 for P-x diplotypes). Conclusion: Our results suggest that the ESR1 gene including PvuII and XbaI polymorphisms may modify the risk of idiopathic premature ovarian failure (POF) but not idiopathic early menopause (EM) risk.Bretherick KL, 2008, FERTIL STERIL, V89, P318, DOI 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2007.03.008Chang SH, 2007, MATURITAS, V58, P19, DOI 10.1016/j.maturitas.2007.04.001Kitamura I, 2007, BONE, V40, P1623, DOI 10.1016/j.bone.2007.02.016Molvarec A, 2007, HYPERTENS RES, V30, P205Hsieh YY, 2007, MOL HUM REPROD, V13, P117, DOI 10.1093/molehr/gal099Dvornyk V, 2006, MATURITAS, V54, P19, DOI 10.1016/j.maturitas.2005.08.005Onland-Moret NC, 2005, CANCER CAUSE CONTROL, V16, P1195, DOI 10.1007/s10552-005-0307-5Popat RA, 2005, NEUROLOGY, V65, P383Schuit SCE, 2005, EUR J ENDOCRINOL, V153, P327, DOI 10.1530/eje.1.01973Kok HS, 2005, HUM REPROD, V20, P536, DOI 10.1093/humrep/deh600Ioannidis JPA, 2004, JAMA-J AM MED ASSOC, V292, P2105van der Klift M, 2004, J BONE MINER RES, V19, P1172, DOI 10.1359/JBMR.040215Schuit SCE, 2004, JAMA-J AM MED ASSOC, V291, P2969Wasserman L, 2004, INT J OBESITY, V28, P49, DOI 10.1038/sj.ijo.0802481van Meurs JBJ, 2003, HUM MOL GENET, V12, P1745, DOI 10.1093/hmg/ddg176Gorai I, 2003, J CLIN ENDOCR METAB, V88, P799, DOI 10.1210/jc.2002-020353Laml T, 2002, HUM REPROD UPDATE, V8, P483Herrington DM, 2002, CIRCULATION, V105, P1879, DOI 10.1161/01.CIR.0000016173.98826.88Kobayashi N, 2002, MATURITAS, V41, P193YOO KY, 2002, ASIAN PAC J CANCER P, V3, P85de Bruin JP, 2001, HUM REPROD, V16, P2014Pelletier G, 2000, J CLIN ENDOCR METAB, V85, P4835Weiderpass E, 2000, CARCINOGENESIS, V21, P623Yan G, 2000, J WOMEN HEALTH GEN-B, V9, P275Lorentzon M, 1999, J CLIN ENDOCR METAB, V84, P4597Weel AEAM, 1999, J CLIN ENDOCR METAB, V84, P3146Drummond AE, 1999, MOL CELL ENDOCRINOL, V151, P57, DOI 10.1016/S0303-7207(99)00038-6Christin-Maitre S, 1998, MOL CELL ENDOCRINOL, V145, P75Torgerson DJ, 1997, EUR J OBSTET GYN R B, V74, P63vanderSchouw YT, 1996, LANCET, V347, P714Kobayashi S, 1996, J BONE MINER RES, V11, P306NELSON LM, 1996, REPROD ENDOCRINOLOGY, P1394KAPRIO J, 1995, HUM BIOL, V67, P739CRAMER DW, 1995, FERTIL STERIL, V64, P740EXCOFFIER L, 1995, MOL BIOL EVOL, V12, P921NELSON LM, 1994, J CLIN ENDOCR METAB, V79, P1470CAPLAN GA, 1994, J ROY SOC MED, V87, P200PALMER JR, 1992, AM J EPIDEMIOL, V136, P408BAGUR AC, 1992, CALCIFIED TISSUE INT, V51, P4FRANCESCHI S, 1991, INT J CANCER, V49, P57MEYER JM, 1991, AM J MED GENET, V39, P148TRELOAR SA, 1990, AM J HUM GENET, V47, P137SNOWDON DA, 1989, AM J PUBLIC HEALTH, V79, P709

Multidetector row computed tomography evaluation of the micropig kidney as a potential renal donor

Multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) provides anatomical information about the kidney and other internal organs. Presently, the suitability of 64-channel MDCT to assess the kidney of healthy micropigs was evaluated. Morphological evaluations of the kidney and the major renal vessels of six healthy micropigs were carried out using MDCT, recording kidney volume and the diameter and length of renal arteries and veins. The mean diameters and lengths of the renal artery were 0.44 ± 0.05 and 4.51 ± 0.55 cm on the right side and 0.46 ± 0.06 and 3.36 ± 0.27 cm on the left side, respectively. The mean diameters and lengths of the renal vein were 1.44 ± 0.52 and 4.22 ± 1.29 cm on the right side and 1.38 ± 0.17 and 5.15 ± 0.87 cm on the left side, respectively. The mean volume of the right kidney was 79.3 ± 14.5 mL and of the left kidney was 78.0 ± 13.9 mL. The data presented in this study suggest that the MDCT offers a noninvasive, rapid, and accurate method for the evaluation of the renal anatomy in living kidney donors. It also provides sufficient information about extra-renal anatomy important for donor surgery and determination of organ suitability

64-Channel multi-detector row CT angiographic evaluation of the micropigs for potential living donor lung transplantation

Micropigs are the most likely source animals for xenotransplantation. However, an appropriate method for evaluating the lung of micropigs had not been established. Therefore, this study was performed to evaluate the feasibility of 64-channel multi-detector row computed tomography (MDCT) to measure the diameter of the pulmonary arteries and the lung volume in micropigs. The mean diameters of the trachea, and left and right bronchi were 1.6 ± 0.17, 1.18 ± 0.14, and 1.1 ± 0.11 cm, respectively. The mean diameters of the main, right, and left pulmonary arteries were 1.38 ± 0.09, 1.07 ± 0.26, and 0.98 ± 0.13 cm and the diameters of right, left, and common inferior pulmonary veins were 0.97 ± 0.20, 0.76 ± 0.20, and 1.99 ± 0.26 cm, respectively. The mean lung volume was 820.3 ± 77.11 mL. The data presented in this study suggest that the MDCT may be a noninvasive, rapid, and accurate investigational method for pulmonary anatomy in living lung donors

Randomized Trial of Stents Versus Bypass Surgery for Left Main Coronary Artery Disease 5-Year Outcomes of the PRECOMBAT Study

AbstractBackgroundIn a previous randomized trial, we found that percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was not inferior to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) for the treatment of unprotected left main coronary artery stenosis at 1 year.ObjectivesThis study sought to determine the 5-year outcomes of PCI compared with CABG for the treatment of unprotected left main coronary artery stenosis.MethodsWe randomly assigned 600 patients with unprotected left main coronary artery stenosis to undergo PCI with a sirolimus-eluting stent (n = 300) or CABG (n = 300). The primary endpoint was a major adverse cardiac or cerebrovascular event (MACCE: a composite of death from any cause, myocardial infarction, stroke, or ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization) and compared on an intention-to-treat basis.ResultsAt 5 years, MACCE occurred in 52 patients in the PCI group and 42 patients in the CABG group (cumulative event rates of 17.5% and 14.3%, respectively; hazard ratio [HR]: 1.27; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.84 to 1.90; p = 0.26). The 2 groups did not differ significantly in terms of death from any cause, myocardial infarction, or stroke as well as their composite (8.4% and 9.6%; HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.52 to 1.52; p = 0.66). Ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization occurred more frequently in the PCI group than in the CABG group (11.4% and 5.5%, respectively; HR: 2.11; 95% CI: 1.16 to 3.84; p = 0.012).ConclusionsDuring 5 years of follow-up, our study did not show significant difference regarding the rate of MACCE between patients who underwent PCI with a sirolimus-eluting stent and those who underwent CABG. However, considering the limited power of our study, our results should be interpreted with caution. (Bypass Surgery Versus Angioplasty Using Sirolimus-Eluting Stent in Patients With Left Main Coronary Artery Disease [PRECOMBAT]; NCT00422968