Activation of monocytes and cytokine production in patients with peripheral atherosclerosis obliterans

Background: Arterial peripheral disease is a condition caused by the blocked blood flow resulting from arterial cholesterol deposits within the arms, legs and aorta. Studies have shown that macrophages in atherosclerotic plaque are highly activated, which makes these cells important antigen-presenting cells that develop a specific immune response, in which LDLox is the inducing antigen. As functional changes of cells which participate in the atherogenesis process may occur in the peripheral blood, the objectives of the present study were to evaluate plasma levels of anti-inflammatory and inflammatory cytokines including TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-10 and TGF-beta in patients with peripheral arteriosclerosis obliterans, to assess the monocyte activation level in peripheral blood through the ability of these cells to release hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) and to develop fungicidal activity against Candida albicans (C. albicans) in vitro.Methods: TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, IL-6, IL-10 and TGF-beta from plasma of patients were detected by ELISA. Monocyte cultures activated in vitro with TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma were evaluated by fungicidal activity against C. albicans by culture plating and Colony Forming Unit (CFU) recovery, and by H(2)O(2) production.Results: Plasma levels of all cytokines were significantly higher in patients compared to those detected in control subjects. Control group monocytes did not release substantial levels of H(2)O(2) in vitro, but these levels were significantly increased after activation with IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha. Monocytes of patients, before and after activation, responded less than those of control subjects. Similar results were found when fungicidal activity was evaluated. The results seen in patients were always significantly smaller than among control subjects. Conclusions: The results revealed an unresponsiveness of patient monocytes in vitro probably due to the high activation process occurring in vivo as corroborated by high plasma cytokine levels.

Métodos de avaliação da eficácia dos tratamentos para a dor

Pain is a subjective condition and, thus, difficult to measure. The best tools to assess pain are the pain evaluation questionnaires, which provide either diagnostic, pain evolution or pain intensity information. To provide information which could help differentiate between nociceptive pain and neuropathic pain is one of the most important functions of these questionnaires. The questionnaires can measure pain intensity, quality of life, or sleep quality. Quality of life and sleep are two really important characteristics to assess the pain impact on patients' life. Pain intensity assessing questionnaires combine physical evaluations with questions, providing information either from the patient sensations or clinical assessment of pain manifestations as well as the underlying biological mechanisms (such as hyperalgesia or allodynia). For example, the Pain Detect questionnaire has two parts: the patient form (intuitive, with pictures and easy understandable) and the physician form. Thus, in this questionnaire, subjective information is provided by the patient and the objective one is provided by the physician. Other pain intensity questionnaires are NPSI, DN4, LANSS or StEP. Quality of life questionnaires are versatile (can be used in different pathologies). These questionnaires include functional self-evaluation questions, and other ones associated to physical and mental health. Two of such quality of life questionnaires are SF-36 and NHP. Sleep evaluation questionnaires include quantitative features such as the number of sleep interruptions, sleep latency or sleep duration as well as qualitative characteristics such as rest sensation, mood and dreams. One of the most used sleep evaluation questionnaires is PSQI, which includes patient questions and bed-partner questions, providing information from two points of view.

Correção da deficiência transversa da maxila por meio da expansão rápida da maxila cirurgicamente assistida

Fundamentation: The correction of maxillary transverse deficiencies involves orthodontic and surgical procedures that can be performed before or after skeletal maturity. The surgically assisted rapid maxillary expansion (SAR ME) is performed by osteotomies through the lateral walls of the maxilla, zygomatic and canines buttresses, palatal and pterygomaxillary sutures, causing the maxillary disjunction. Followed by activation of the expander to the desired over-expansion in order to correct intercuspal later. Objective: The purpose of this study was to discuss the issues involved in the diagnosis of maxillary atresia, SAR ME indications, as well as surgical technique, through a case study. Methods: The male patient, 19 years old, had severe transverse maxillary deficiency with facial pattern III , Class III , with great lip incompetence. The patient underwent general anesthesia in a hospital environment, the osteotomies was done according to the technique described by Epker and Wolford (1980). Postoperatively, the patient underwent activations daily for 15 days and after 6 months, the orthodontist installed fixed orthodontic appliance to prepare the patient to orthognathic surgery later. Conclusion: The diagnosis by clinical evaluation and models study is essential for the indication of SAR ME and this procedure provides good predictability in the correction of transverse deficiency, with minimal morbidity.

Combined therapy with mineral trioxide aggregate, and guided tissue regeneration for a large radicular cyst: a 13-year follow-u

Biomaterials such as membrane barriers and/or bone grafts are often used to enhance periapical new bone formation. A combination of apical surgery and these biomaterials is one of the latest treatment options for avoiding tooth extraction. In case of periapical lesions, guided tissue regeneration (GTR) is attempted to improve the self-regenerative healing process by excluding undesired proliferation of the gingival connective tissue or migration of the oral epithelial cells into osseous defects. In many cases, GTR is necessary for achieving periodontal tissue healing. This report describes the healing process after surgery in a challenging case with a long-term followup. In this case report, endodontic surgery was followed by retrograde sealing with mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) in the maxillary right central incisor and left lateral incisor. Apicectomy was performed in the maxillary left central incisor and a 1-mm filling was removed. The bone defect was filled with an anorganic bone graft and covered with a decalcified cortical osseous membrane. No intraoperative or postoperative complications were observed. After 13 years of follow-up, the patient showed no clinical signs or symptoms associated with the lesion and radiographic examination showed progressive resolution of radiolucency. In conclusion, the combination of apical surgery and regenerative techniques can successfully help the treatment of periapical lesions of endodontic origin and is suitable for the management of challenging cases