Total cerebral, temporal lobe, hippocampal, caudate, and lenticular nuclei volumes were quantified from magnetic resonance images of 21 patients with left temporal lobe epilepsy and medically ...intractable complex partial seizures. These regional brain volumes were compared with the same measures in 19 controls. No significant differences in total cerebral, left temporal lobe, right temporal lobe, or total temporal lobe volumes were found. As expected, left hippocampal volumes were significantly smaller in the patients with epilepsy than in control subjects. The left hippocampus‐to‐right hippocampus volume ratio was significantly lower in patients than in control subjects. In addition to left hippocampal volumes, mean left thalamic, left caudate, and bilateral lenticular volumes were significantly smaller in the patients with epilepsy than in control subjects. The left‐to‐right thalamic volume ratio was also significantly lower in the patients with epilepsy compared with control subjects, but there were no significant group differences in caudate or lenticular ratios. These results show that medically intractable temporal lobe epilepsy is associated with volume loss in brain structures outside the presumably involved hippocampus. The pathophysiological significance of our findings is uncertain. They could be related to the underlying cause of the disorder. However, volume loss also may reflect damage due to involvement of these structures in recurrent seizure activity.
Purpose: Dentistry has undergone a shift in caries management toward prevention and improved oral hygiene and diagnosis. Caries prevention now represents one of the most important aspects of modern ...dental practice. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to demonstrate
the use of adenosine triphosphate- (ATP-) driven bioluminescence as an innovative tool for the rapid chairside enumeration of oral bacteria (including plague streptococci) and assessment of oral hygiene and caries risk. Methods: Thirty-three pediatric patients (7- to 12-year-old males
and females) were examined, and plague specimens, in addition to stimulated saliva, were collected from representative teeth within each quadrant. Oral specimens (n=150 specimens) were assessed by plating on enriched and selective agars, to enumerate total bacteria and streptococci, and subjected
to adenosine triphosphate- (ATP-) driven bioluminescence determinations using a luciferase-based assay system. Results: Statistical correlations, linking ATP values to numbers of total bacteria, oral streptococci and mutans streptococci, yielded highly significant r values of 0.854,
0.840, and 0.796, respectively Conclusions: Our clinical data is consistent with the hypothesis that ATP measurements have a strong statistical association with bacterial number in plague and saliva specimens, including numbers for oral streptococci, and may be used as a potential assessment
tool for oral hygiene and caries risk in children.
Evidence suggests hypovitaminosis D is associated with increased risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) and its extent and related risk factors. However, some investigations have produced contrary ...results. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the association between serum vitamin D levels and the severity of premature coronary artery involvement.
This randomized prospective, case-control study was conducted in Babol from April 2013 to June 2017. We collected the demographic data and measured serum 25-OH-D levels of 294 patients (age≤50 years) diagnosed with CAD with coronary angiography as case group as well as 438 age and sex-matched controls. CAD severity was assessed using the Gensini score. Statistical analyses were used to assess the associations and p<0.05 was considered as significant.
The mean serum level of 25-OH-D was 13.12±11.13 and 18.28±8.34 in case and control groups, respectively (P=0.036). In the case group, mean serum vitamin D levels were significantly lower among hypertensives (P=0.018), those with a family history of CVD (P=0.016) and those who used aspirin (P=0.036). The mean Gensini score of patients in the case group was 45.02±23.62 and was higher among men (P=0.022). There was a weak significant correlation between the serum vitamin D levels and the Gensini score (P=0.001 & R=-0.543). The mean Gensini score was not significantly different between patients with deficient (47.02±22.78), insufficient (26.0±21.72) and sufficient (39.0±43.84) vitamin D levels (P>0.05).
The results showed that the lower levels of vitamin D is associated with increased risk and extent of coronary artery involvement as well as some of the risk factors of CAD, including male gender, hypertension and positive family history for CVD.
