I. Prevalence of crown fractures of permanent incisors in schoolchildren aged 7-11 years from Plovdiv

The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of crown fractures of permanent incisors in schoolchildren aged 7-11 years from the town of Plovdiv. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The present study included 2572 children (1287 boys and 1285 girls) at the age of 7 to 11 years from Plovdiv. A modification of the WHO classification for reporting crown fractures was used. Examinations were performed only of the upper and lower incisors, in the classrooms at daylight. Treatments of the fractured teeth after the trauma were also registered. The results were analysed statistically by calculating the chi-square to determine if there was any significant difference between the variables. RESULTS: The prevalence of crown fractures of permanent teeth in children aged 7-11 years from Plovdiv was 8.67 +/- 0.55%. The crown fracture prevalence in boys was significantly higher than that in the girls for all examined children. Most of the children had only one fractured tooth (82.96 +/- 2.52%). The prevalence of the incisor crown fractures by teeth was 1.28 +/- 0.08%. The greatest number of fractured teeth were located in the maxilla (88.20 +/- 1.99%). Most often the fractures involved only the enamel or the enamel and dentine while complicated crown fractures with pulpal exposure were found in 5.32 +/- 1.38%. Most of the fractured teeth were left untreated (84.79 +/- 2.40%). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of permanent incisor crown fractures in children aged 7-11 years from Plovdiv was 8.67 +/- 0.55%; and by teeth--1.28 +/- 0.08%. Children with only one fractured tooth were the greatest part of all injured children in the study. There were significantly more maxillary teeth fractures, with predominance of uncomplicated crown fractures in the permanent teeth. Treated fractured teeth were very few. Treatment was needed for 78.92 +/- 2.73% of all registered fractured incisors.     

Decreased frequencies of ABCA1 polymorphisms R219K and V771M in Hungarian patients with cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Genetic polymorphisms in ABC transporter A1 (ABCA1) may alter the regulation of plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL), promoting or protecting from vascular diseases. METHODS: We investigated 244 unrelated, consecutively enrolled patients with ischemic stroke, 150 patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and 193 blood donors for allele frequencies (AFs) of three common ABCA1 polymorphisms (R219K, V771M and I883M). RESULTS: Compared to controls (30.8 +/- 4.7 and 4.9 +/- 2.2%, respectively), decreased AFs were found in both patient groups for R219K and V771M (28.7 +/- 4.1 and 3.1 +/- 1.6% in stroke, and 25.7 +/- 5.0%; 1.3 +/- 1.3% in CHD patients, respectively). In a subset of stroke patients younger than 50, both variants occurred in significantly lower frequencies (22.4 +/- 5.5 and 1.8 +/- 1.7%, respectively). Similarly, among CHD patients younger than 60, AFs of R219K and V771M (22.6 +/- 7.5 and 0 +/- 1.6%, respectively) were decreased. V771M was almost exclusively (35/36) found in individuals carrying the R219K allele. CONCLUSIONS: Our data confirm earlier observations that ABCA1 R219K and V771M polymorphisms may be associated with a protective role against CHD and extend those to another important pathologic condition, namely stroke.     

The new oral adenosine A1 receptor agonist capadenoson in male patients with stable angina

Background

Anti-ischaemic effect of A1 adenosine receptor agonists was shown in animal and preclinical studies. The present proof-of-concept study aimed at evaluation of the efficacy and safety of a new adenosine A1 receptor agonist capadenoson in patients with stable angina.

Methods

This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single dose-escalating, multicenter trial comparing the effect of capadenoson at 1, 2.5, 5, 10, and 20?mg versus placebo. For each dose step patients were randomized to receive single doses of either capadenoson or matching placebo in a 5:1 ratio. The primary efficacy variable was the absolute difference in heart rate (HR) at maximum comparable level of workload between baseline and post dose exercise tolerance test at maximum concentration of capadenoson. Capadenoson effect on total exercise time and time to 1-mm ST-segment depression were also measured.

Results

Sixty-two male patients with stable angina were enrolled in the study. There was a consistent trend for HR reduction at comparable maximum work load in active treatment groups, with significant differences against placebo for 10 and 20?mg (HR reduction by 12.2 and 6.8 beats per min, p?=?0.0002 and p?=?0.032, respectively). A statistically significant trend (p?=?0.0003) for a reduction in HR with increasing doses of capadenoson was shown. Increases in total exercise time and time to 1-mm ST-segment depression were also observed.

Conclusions

In patients with stable angina capadenoson lowers exercise HR at comparable maximum workload, which is associated with improved total exercise time and prolongation of time to ischaemia.     

Lack of early pattern stimulation prevents normal development of the alpha (Y) retinal ganglion cell population in the cat

Binocular deprivation of pattern vision (BD) early in life permanently impairs global motion perception. With the SMI-32 antibody against neurofilament protein (NFP) as a marker of the motion-sensitive Y-cell pathway (Van der Gucht et al. [2001] Cereb. Cortex 17:2805-2819), we analyzed the impact of early BD on the retinal circuitry in adult, perceptually characterized cats (Burnat et al. [2005] Neuroreport 16:751-754). In controls, large retinal ganglion cells exhibited a strong NFP signal in the soma and in the proximal parts of the dendritic arbors. The NFP-immunoreactive dendrites typically branched into sublamina a of the inner plexiform layer (IPL), i.e., the OFF inner plexiform sublamina. In the retina of adult BD cats, however, most of the NFP-immunoreactive ganglion cell dendrites branched throughout the entire IPL. The NFP-immunoreactive cell bodies were less regularly distributed, often appeared in pairs, and had a significantly larger diameter compared with NFP-expressing cells in control retinas. These remarkable differences in the immunoreactivity pattern were typically observed in temporal retina. In conclusion, we show that the anatomical organization typical of premature Y-type retinal ganglion cells persists into adulthood even if normal visual experience follows for years upon an initial 6-month period of BD. Binocular pattern deprivation possibly induces a lifelong OFF functional domination, normally apparent only during development, putting early high-quality vision forward as a premise for proper ON-OFF pathway segregation. These new observations for pattern-deprived animals provide an anatomical basis for the well-described motion perception deficits in congenital cataract patients.     

Spinal epidural hematoma in an infant as the initial presentation of severe hemophilia

We describe the clinical manifestations, radiographic features, and management options of an extensive spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma in a 7-month boy who had severe hemophilia that had not been previously diagnosed, despite a baseline factor VIII level less than 1% of normal. We believe this to be the youngest reported case of a symptomatic spontaneous spinal epidural hemorrhage in an infant subsequently initially establishing a diagnosis of hemophilia.     

Migraine is comorbid with multiple sclerosis and associated with a more symptomatic MS course

The objectives of this study were: (1) to assess relative frequency of migraine in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients using the validated self-administered diagnostic questionnaire, and to compare the migraine rates in MS outpatients to age- and gender-matched historical population controls; (2) to compare clinical and radiographic characteristics in MS patients with migraine and headache-free MS patients. We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the demographic profiles, headache features and clinical characteristics of MS patients attending a MS clinic using a questionnaire based on the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention (AMPP) study. We compared the relative frequency of migraine in MS clinic patients and AMPP cohort. We also compared clinical and radiographic features in MS patients with migraine to an MS control group without headache. Among 204 MS patients, the relative frequency of migraine was threefold higher than in population controls both for women [55.7 vs. 17.1%; prevalence ratio (PR) = 3.26, p < 0.001] and men (18.4 vs. 5.6%; PR = 3.29, p < 0.001). In a series of logistic regression models that controlled for age, gender, disease duration, β-interferon use, and depression, migraine in MS patients was significantly associated (p < 0.01) with trigeminal and occipital neuralgia, facial pain, Lhermitte’s sign, temporomandibular joint pain, non-headache pain and a past history of depression. Migraine status was not significantly associated with disability on patient-derived disability steps scale or T2 lesion burden on brain MRI. Migraine is three-times more common in MS clinic patients than in general population. MS–migraine group was more symptomatic than the MS–no headache group.     

A new immunological marker of atherosclerotic injury of arterial wall.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The atherosclerotic arterial injuries lead to many life threatening vascular incidents. It has been well documented that inflammatory processes play an important role in atherogenesis. Intensive studies are undertaken to find a serum marker of inflammatory reaction correlated with arterial injuries. METHODS: In our study we measured the level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in patients with dyslipidemia IIa and IIb biochemically confirmed. Control estimations were done in age-matched group. Arterial injuries were evaluated as a thickening of complex intima-media in common carotid arteries by means of Doppler ultrasonography. RESULTS: Levels of IL-6 were significantly higher in both groups of patients with dyslipidemia as compared with the healthy control persons (IIa vs control p<0.001, IIb vs control p<0.001). The plasma level of IL-6 is significantly correlated to intima-media complex thickness (r=0.68, p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: We conclude that increase of serum concentration of IL-6 may be related to arterial wall injuries in the course of the most atherogenic lipid disorders.