Fifty-six measurements of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) level, diffusing capacity (DLCO), and total lung capacity (TLC) were made in 18 sarcoid patients with a maximum of 25 months of follow-up ...observation. During spontaneous or corticosteroid-induced changes in disease activity, there was a significant inverse correlation between changes in ACE level and changes in DLCO and between changes in ACE level and changes in TLC. These observations suggest that ACE measurement may be a useful adjunct to pulmonary function tests to follow the course of sarcoidosis and to monitor the effects of corticosteroid therapy on the lung.
We examined blood lymphocyte subpopulations in 20 patients with sarcoidosis, 37 patients with other diseases, and 51 normal subjects. The B-lymphocytes were identified by the presence of surface ...immunoglobulin or B-lymphocyte-associated antigen. Lymphocytes were also centrifuged with sheep erythrocytes for 5 min at room temperature at 200 g, and rosette formation was assayed immediately (active E-rosette-forming T-lymphocytes) or after 60-min incubation at 4 degrees C (total T-lymphocytes). The B-lymphocytes counts did not differ among the groups. The proportions of total E-rosette-forming T-lymphocytes and active E-rosette-forming T-lymphocytes were increased in the sarcoid patients, whereas absolute counts of both types of E-rosette-forming T-lymphocytes were not different from control counts. Active E-rosette-forming T-lymphocytes showed an inverse correlation with serum concentration of angiotensin-1-converting enzyme, a probable indicator of the disease activity. Incubation of normal lymphocytes with sarcoid plasma increased the proportion of active E-rosette-forming T-lymphocytes. This plasma rosette enhancement was correlated with the number of active E-rosette-forming T-lymphocytes in the blood from which the plasma was separated. These results suggest that a factor in sarcoid plasma affects the number of active E-rosette-forming T-lymphocytes and that high numbers of these cells are associated with disease stability.
The incidence of cutaneous melanoma has increased significantly worldwide over the last several decades. The aim of this study is to determine clinical and morphology characteristics of primary ...melanoma, since some of them are important prognostic factors. This retrospective study included 172 patients. The data were collected by the Consulting team for malignant skin tumors in the Banja Luka Clinical Centre from 2009 to 2011. We did not use dermoscopy as a diagnostic tool in our investigation. We determined that melanoma occurs equally commonly in both sexes, in women in the sixth decade and the seventh in men. The most common sub-type was nodular melanoma (59.5%, P<0.05), followed by superficial spreading (27.8%) and acral lentiginous melanoma (11.4%). The most common localization was on the back in men (34.3%) and on the legs in women (P<0.05). More than half of our patients (55.8%) had melanoma thickness from 1.0 to 4.0 mm, and 38% had a melanoma thicker than 4.0 mm. The average Breslow thickness is 4.6 mm. More women than men had melanoma thicker than 4 mm (P<0.05). Spread of the primary tumor localization was found in 31.4% of patients, more frequently in men than in women (P<0.05). In most cases it was abstraction of lymph nodes (P<0.05). The average thickness of the melanoma in our patients is much higher than the average in the world and the countries of Europe. The results of this study indicate a need for better unique regional registry in this part of Bosnia and Herzegovina and improvement of preventive measures in the early diagnosis of melanoma.
Control and correction of occlusal relations are a constituent part of clinical and laboratory procedures of complete denture fabrication. Denture materials and fabrication procedures cannot ensure ...dimensionally correct complete dentures, and therefore it is necessary to check the occlusion. A remount procedure is carried out in order to establish correct occlusal contacts of denture teeth by
mounting the finished dentures back on the articulator. There are several reasons for remounting: changed volume of the acrylic resin during polymerisation, dimensional changes in the early days of wearing due to water absorption in the acrylic base and placement of denture bases to the denture foundation area. Remounting starts
with fabrication of transfer casts, determination and transfer of interarch relations to the articulator. When the dynamic concept of occlusion is chosen, priority is given to incisor or canine teeth guided occlusion. Remounting should be a constituent part of complete denture fabrication. Supported by Ministry of Science and Technology.
Republic of Croatia, Project No. 065010.
The significance of occlusal interference in the etiology of temporomandibular disorders has been questioned in numerous recent articles. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of the ...clinical signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders in a young male nonpatient population and to investigate a possible association between the signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders and occlusal interference. A questionnaire including data from history and clinical functional
examination was used in the study. All subjects (a total of 230) were male (army recruits), of 19 to 28 years of age (mean 21.3). Temporomandibular joint clicking was reported in 91 subjects, temporomandibular joint pain on palpation and functional loading in 78 subjects, masticatory muscle pain on palpation and functional loading in 58 subjects, tension type headache in 30 subjects, and
mandibular deviation on opening and closing movements greater than 2 mm in 43 subjects. The prevalence of occlusal interference in percentage in 230 young adults, 65% had no occlusal interference during examination of the functional state of occlusion, while 14%subjects had centric slide between centric relation and maximum intercuspation, 5% subjects had working side interference and
16% subjects had non-working side interference during lateral and protrusive mandibular movements. Clinical signs and symptoms were correlated with occlusal interference, although their correlation cannot be considered unique or dominant in definition of a temporomandibular disorder population.
