Currently, little is known about the progression of an immune response against SARSCoV- 2 upon infection or sub-infection-exposure over time. We examined the serologic response in healthcare workers ...up to 12 weeks after a well-documented and contained outbreak and compared results with findings from earlier serologic testing in the same population.
This study followed 166 health care workers of the University Perinatal Care Center, Regensburg, Germany, for up to 12 weeks. 27 of the subjects had previously tested positive for the presence of SARS-CoV-2 by PCR testing and developed COVID-19. Serologic responses were tested with two independent commercially available test kits.
77.8 % of COVID-19 study subjects developed a specific IgG-response over the course of the 12-week study, while none of the COVID-19 contact groups had a detectable IgG response. Amongst most COVID-19 patients the values of detectable IgG-responses significantly increased over time as confirmed with both tests, while that of positive IgA responses decreased. Between the number of reported symptoms and antibody responses in COVID-19 patients no correlation was found and no new cases of seroconversion were identified in asymptomatic coworkers with negative PCR during the outbreak.
Immune response after COVID-19 increases significantly over time but still approximately 22 % of COVID-19 patients did not mount a measurable serologic immune response within 60 days. Exposed co-workers did not develop any relevant antibody levels at all. We conclude that immunity after infection increases over time, but the antibody response does not develop reliably in all infected people.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Oral cancer therapy is associated with a loss in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and can also lead to post-traumatic growth (PTG). The current study analyzed the relationship between HRQOL, ...PTG and influencing clinical factors after treatment. The coherent clinical data of 15 patients were retrospectively analyzed over a 1-year study period. HRQOL and PTG were studied using the University of Washington Quality of Life Version 4 (UW-QOL v4) and Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) questionnaires. The results revealed that HRQOL was significantly decreased in a pre- to postoperative manner (P=0.011). Sex demonstrated a nearly significant effect on HRQOL (P=0.058). PTG was experienced the most after surgery, and continuously decreased over the 1-year study period. Patient age had a significant effect on PTG (P=0.040). A significant correlation was also established between HRQOL and PTG (P<0.05). HRQOL and PTG are important influencing factors during postoperative tumor follow-up care and should be simultaneously recorded to address individual patient needs and improve quality of treatment.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Aim
To test the hypothesis that a synthetic hydroxyapatite/β‐tricalcium phosphate (HA/TCP) construct combined with polyethylene glycol (PEG) hydrogel including recombinant human bone morphogenetic ...proteins‐2 (rhBMP‐2) enhances new bone formation compared with bone morphogenetic proteins‐2 (BMP‐2) delivered using the HA/TCP construct alone.
Material and Methods
Bilateral mandibular partial thickness 20 × 8 × 8 mm (L × W × H) alveolar defects were surgically created in the edentulated posterior mandible in 18 female minipigs. Randomized into two groups of nine animals each, the alveolar defects either received HA/TCP or HA/TCP/PEG with or without BMP‐2 (105 μg/defect) in contra‐lateral sites using a split‐mouth design. Primary outcome, bone density (%) within four regions of interest, was evaluated following a 4‐week healing interval when the animals were killed for histometric analysis.
Results
Bone morphogenetic proteins‐2 loaded onto HA/TCP constructs significantly enhanced new bone formation compared with HA/TCP controls. Adding PEG apparently obstructed BMP‐2 induced bone formation.
Conclusion
Polyethylene glycol compromises the osteogenic effect of BMP‐2.
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BFBNIB, CMK, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Objectives
The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that recombinant human growth and differentiation factor‐5 (rhGDF‐5) induces an increased and homogenous distribution of new bone formation ...across the entire volume of sinus floor augmentation in 12 Goettingen Minipigs.
Material and Methods
In a randomized split‐mouth design, one maxillary sinus was augmented with the bone substitute β‐TCP, whereas a combination of β‐TCP and the osteoinductive growth factor rhGDF‐5 was used on the contralateral side. To evaluate the influence of dose and time on the effectiveness of the factor, two different concentrations of rhGDF‐5 (400 μg and 800 μg) and healing periods (4 and 12 weeks) were each analysed.
Results
After 4 weeks, a homogenous gradient of bone formation could be observed for all dosage groups, with decreasing bone density from the local bone towards the sinus membrane. Both test groups, however, achieved a higher total level of bone formation compared with the control group, which was only significant in the low‐dose group (P = 0.0184). After 12 weeks, the influence of the growth factor significantly depends on the region (P = 0.023). In the low‐dose group, the new bone formation did not differ significantly within the examined regions of the graft (P = 0.1118), suggesting a homogeneous bone formation over the entire augmentation. The gradient of the high‐dose group was similar to the control group with a decrease of local bone development.
Conclusions
rhGDF‐5 delivered on a β‐TCP scaffold material leads to an increase in homogeneous new bone formation across the entire volume of the sinus floor augmentation.
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BFBNIB, CMK, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The international-normalized-ratio (INR) is typically used to monitor patients on warfarin or related oral anticoagulant therapy. The aim of our study was to investigate the association of the INR ...with mortality in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients not on oral anticoagulant therapy.
Between 1997 to 2000 the LUdwigshafen RIsk and Cardiovascular Health (LURIC) study enrolled 3316 patients of German ancestry that had been referred for coronary angiography. We excluded patients on coumarin therapy (n = 222) and patients with an INR more than 5 standard deviations (SD) away from the mean (n = 30). During a median follow-up of 9.9 years, 884 patients died, 547 patients from cardiovascular causes. After adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors the INR was associated with all-cause mortality in all patients and the CAD positive group with HRs (95% CI) of 1.14(1.07-1.21) and 1.16(1.09-1.23) per 1-SD increase, respectively. Adjustment for NT-proBNP rendered the association insignificant.
In LURIC, the INR was positively associated with mortality in patients with prevalent CAD not on oral anticoagulant therapy as well as in patients without CAD. Adjustment for NT-proBNP abolished the association suggesting clinical or subclinical heart failure strongly contributing to increased INR and higher mortality.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Abstract The aim of the present study was to test the hypothesis that human recombinant bone morphogenic protein 2 (rhBMP-2) implanted in a slow release carrier of polylactic acid (PLA) can repair a ...non-healing defect in the rat mandible and maintain the thickness of an augmented volume. p- dl -lactic acid discs were produced and loaded with 48 and 96 μg rhBMP-2 and inserted into non-healing defects of the mandible of 45 wistar rats. Fifteen rats received implants with 96 μg rhBMP-2 (Group 2), 48 μg rhBMP-2 (Group 1) and blank implants without BMP (Group 0) each on one side of the mandible. Unfilled defects of the same size on the contralateral sides of the mandibles served as empty controls. After 6, 13 and 26 weeks, implants of each group were retrieved from five animals each and submitted to flat panel detector computed tomography. Bone formation and thickness of augmentation was assessed by computer-assisted histomorphometry. In Group 2 significantly more bone was produced than in Group 1. Implants of Group 1 induced significantly more bone than the blank controls only after 6 weeks, whereas the difference was not significant after 13 and 26 weeks. Differences between Group 2 and Group 1 were clearly significant after 26 weeks. The thickness of bone tissue was maintained in Group 2 whereas it decreased in Group 1 and was negligible in Group 0. It is concluded that the PLA implants with 96 μg rhBMP-2 were able to bridge a non-healing defect in the rat mandible and maintained the thickness of an augmented volume. However, continuous supply of osteogenic signals appears to be required to compensate for adverse effects during polymer degradation.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
More than 80% of all cancers are caused by solid malignancies. More than 90% of these tumours are of epithelial origin. The main principles in tumour treatment are surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy ...or combinations of these. Complete surgical removal of the tumour is the most effective therapy for solid malignancies. Recent advances in early cancer detection led to a higher rate of resectable primary tumours and therefore prognosis will be determined especially by metastasis. Even in early stages some tumour cells may disseminate for example into the bone marrow. If these occult metastasis get evident they are mostly incurable by surgery and often highly resistant to chemotherapy. Developing new therapeutic agents to destroy these resting cells is a major challenge for the improvement of cancer therapy in the future. Advances to reach these goals were made in immunological therapies with monoclonal antibodies (MABs). These MABs are for example directed against tumor-associated antigens (TAAs). By binding selectively on tumor cells they can activate immunological effector mechanisms, e.g. antibody dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC) or complement mediated lysis. Other mechanisms are the blocking of inhibiting molecules to re-activate anergic tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Furthermore growing tumours depend on oxygen supply, i.e. on effective neovascularisation. Antibodies against VEGF are able to inhibit neovascularisation and are therefore used successfully in tumour therapy.
Infections and immunological processes are likely to be involved in the pathogenesis of Tourette's syndrome (TS). To determine possible common underlying immunological mechanisms, we focused on ...innate immunity and studied markers of inflammation, monocytes, and monocyte-derived cytokines.
In a cross-sectional study, we used current methods to determine the number of monocytes and levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in 46 children, adolescents, and adult patients suffering from TS and in 43 healthy controls matched for age and sex. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha), interleukin 6 (IL-6), soluble CD14 (sCD14), IL1-receptor antagonist (IL1-ra), and serum neopterin were detected by immunoassays.
We found that CRP and neopterin levels and the number of monocytes were significantly higher in TS patients than in healthy controls. Serum concentrations of TNF-alpha, sIL1-ra, and sCD14 were significantly lower in TS patients. All measured values were within normal ranges and often close to detection limits.
The present results point to a monocyte dysregulation in TS. This possible dysbalance in innate immunity could predispose to infections or autoimmune reactions.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Statement of problem Although composite resin materials are used for posterior crown restorations, the influence of preparation design, material thickness, convergence angle, and method of ...cementation on fracture resistance remains unclear. Purpose The purpose of this in vitro study was to test the hypothesis that minimal preparation designs provide an acceptable level of fracture resistance for posterior composite resin crowns. Material and methods Nonreinforced Artglass composite resin crowns (n=128) were fabricated on human molars in 16 test groups (n=8). Axial tooth preparation included a 1-mm-deep shoulder or a 0.5-mm chamfer preparation, whereas occlusal reduction was either 0.5 mm or 1.3 mm. The total angle of convergence was 4 or 11 degrees and the crowns were cemented either with glass ionomer cement (Ketac Cem) or resin cement (2bond2). After 10,000 thermal cycles, crowns were vertically loaded until failure occurred; load was measured in newtons. Statistical analysis was performed by a 4-way ANOVA (α=.05). Results Statistical analysis revealed significant effects of occlusal thickness ( P <.001), cement ( P <.001), preparation design ( P =.011), and convergence angle ( P =.001) on the fracture resistance of the composite crowns. For composite resin crowns with an occlusal thickness of 0.5 mm, the resistance to fracture was lower than for crowns with a 1.3-mm thickness. Fracture resistance was greater when resin cement was used, and greater for the chamfer finish line than for the shoulder finish line. Use of a greater total convergence angle reduced fracture resistance. Conclusions Fracture resistance of composite resin crowns was significantly improved by increasing the occlusal thickness of the crowns, by using resin cement, and by reducing the total convergence angle. (J Prosthet Dent 2008;100:211-219)
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
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