A mechanistic linkage between oral lichen planus and autoimmune thyroid disease

ObjectiveTo determine the levels of antithyroid antibodies and thyroid hormones in the sera of patients with oral lichen planus (OLP), and to quantify the expression of thyroid proteins in OLP lesions. Subjects and MethodsVenous blood samples were drawn from 110 patients with OLP who had no history of thyroid disease or levothyroxine supplementation (OLP+/LT4-). A random population sample of 657 healthy subjects was used as the control group. Two additional groups were used as comparators. Immunohistochemical and qPCR analyses were performed on tissue specimens collected from the patients with OLP and thyroid disease and healthy subjects. ResultsNo association was found between the presence of antithyroid antibodies and OLP. More patients in the OLP+/LT4- group showed high levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone and low levels of free thyroxine than were seen in the control group. Thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor was more highly expressed in the OLP lesions of patients with thyroid disease than in the healthy oral mucosa. ConclusionsA significant number of patients with OLP who are not previously diagnosed with thyroid disease have thyroid parameters that are compatible with hypothyroidism. The expression of thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor in OLP lesions suggests that mechanisms related to autoimmune thyroid disease are involved in the aetiology of OLP

Applications of electrokinetic phenomena in materials science

The discovery of electrokinetic phenomena by Reuss in 1808 and further investigations that gave rise to the concept of the electrical double layer have played an important role in the understanding of colloidal stability. Electrokinetic phenomena are a family of effects in which a liquid moves tangentially to a charged surface. Well-known phenomena of this kind are electrophoresis, electro-osmosis, streaming potential, and sedimentation potential. A review of parameters involved in the electrochemistry of suspensions is made. The practical applications of these phenomena have become widespread in a broad range of research fields such as biomaterials, biofilms, electrokinetic waste remediation, membranes, nuclear and fossil-fired power plants, adhesive and sealant science, and concrete science. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of electrokinetic phenomena and their application to surface modification and characterization in a large number of research fields such as corrosion and protection processes, environmental remediation (soil and sediments, transport processes, inorganic pollutants, solid particle surfaces, filter membranes, and biosorption phenomena), cement-based systems, and biological systems. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.Peer Reviewe