Periodontal ligament cells may have a role in the regulation of hard and soft periodontal tissues, but their specific function has not yet to be determined. To evaluate further their role in periodontal regeneration, they were examined for osteoblast-like behavior. Periodontal ligament cells and gingival fibroblasts were primarily cultured from extracted premolar with non-periodontal diseases. Cells were cultured with DMEM at 37degrees C, 5% CO2, 100% humidity incubator, and as a measure of cell characterization, it was examined that the morphology, alkaline phosphatase activity, collagen synthesis, and immunocytochemistry for osteonectin, osteocalcin, and collagen type I. Healthy periodontal ligament cells has more osteoblastic-like cell property in alkaline phosphatase activity, and collagen synthesis than gingival fibroblast. Immunocytochemistry localization explained that calcitonin were expressed in periodontal ligament cells only, and osteonectin and type I collagen were produced in both cells simultaneously. This results indicate that the growth characteristics of periodontal ligament cells and gingival fibroblasts exhibit some differences in proliferative rates and biochemical synthesis. The differences may help to calrify the role such cells play in the regenearation of periodontal tissues.
Alkaline Phosphatase ; Bicuspid ; Calcitonin ; Collagen ; Collagen Type I ; Fibroblasts ; Humans* ; Humidity ; Immunohistochemistry ; Incubators ; Osteocalcin ; Osteonectin ; Periodontal Ligament* ; Population Characteristics* ; Regeneration

The main goal for the treatment of periodontal diseases is the regeneration of lost cementum, bone and connective tissue. Clinical and histological research suggests that it is possible to restore periodontal structures. Seeds of Carthamus tinctorius L. has been used for the treatment of bone fracture and osteoporosis in traditional Korean medicine. The purpose of this study is to examine the effect of extract of seeds of Carthamus tinctorius L. on mineralization in periodontal ligament cells and osteoblastic cells. Periodontal ligament cells were primarily obtained from a extracted premolars with non-periodontal diseases. Osteoblastic cells were obtained from calvariae of a fetal rat. Cells were cultured with DMEM at 37degrees C with 5% CO2 in 100% humidity incubator. Alkaline phosphatase(ALP) level and the number of calcification nodules were examined and western blot analysis using osteonectin was performed. Measurements of ALP levels and calcification nodules showed that extract of seeds of Carthamus tinctorius L. had significantly higher activity than control in all of both cells. In western blot analysis, protein expression of osteonectin indicated that extract of seeds of Carthamus tinctorius L. showed an increased pattern than control in all of both cells. From the above results, it seems that extract of seeds of Carthamus tinctorius L. has excellent effect on mineralization in periodontal ligament cells and osteoblastic cells.
Animals ; Bicuspid ; Blotting, Western ; Carthamus tinctorius* ; Carthamus* ; Connective Tissue ; Dental Cementum ; Fractures, Bone ; Humidity ; Incubators ; Osteoblasts* ; Osteonectin ; Osteoporosis ; Periodontal Diseases ; Periodontal Ligament* ; Rats ; Regeneration ; Skull

Bone remodeling is characterized by the coupling of osteoclast-mediated bone resorption and osteoblast-mediated bone formation. The process is tightly regualted at the local level by an incompletely known netwotk of peptide and non-peptide fators. Nitric oxide(NO), synthesized by nitric oxide synthetase(NOS) from L-arginine, is becoming recognized as an important bioregualtory molecule in a variety of tissue, but little is known about its possible role in periodontal tissue. The purpose of this study is to investigate the expression of nitric oxide synthetase(NOS) in inflamed gingiva and the effects of cytokine on the expression of NOS protein. The expression of NOS in gingival tissue was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining for NOS1, NOS2, NOS3. The effect of cytokine on the expression of NOS in human periodontal ligament cells and osteoblast-like HOS cells by western blot analysis. Further, we studied that NO functions in periodontal ligment cells as a regulatory molecule. PDL cells incubated with NOS inhibitor and donor. The protein expression, type I collagen & non-collagenous protein, nitrate production and cell proliferation were evaluated The results were as follows. 1. NOS1, NOS2, NOS3 was rarely distributed in healthy gingiva, but stronger stained in gingival epithelium, endothelial cells, and mononuclear cells of inflammed gingiva. 2. The cytokine stimulated NOS1, and NOS3 protein were not inducing or inhibitory effect to compared with control in PDL and HOS cells. 3.Incubation of cells with combination of TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma, LPS result in a time dependant increase in NOS2 expression, reaching a maximal level after 24 hours of stimulation. 4. The osteonectin protein inhibitory effect of NMA, inhibitor of NOS, was reversed by Larginine in dose dependant manner. 5. NMA decreased cell proliferation and nitrate production, but the inhibitory efffect of NMA was also prevented by the NO donor, sodium nitropruiside. These results suggest that exogenously synthesized NO was playing a stimulating effect on cell proliferation or on non-collagenous protein expression. Therefore NO have an important role in mediation of localized bone destruction associated inflammatory bone disease such as periodontitis
Arginine ; Blotting, Western ; Bone Diseases ; Bone Remodeling ; Bone Resorption ; Cell Proliferation ; Collagen Type I ; Endothelial Cells ; Epithelium ; Gingiva ; Humans ; Negotiating ; Nitric Oxide Synthase* ; Nitric Oxide* ; Osteogenesis ; Osteonectin ; Periodontal Ligament ; Periodontitis ; Sensitivity and Specificity* ; Sodium ; Tissue Donors ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

The form of furcation influence both the pathogenesis of periodontal destruction and therapeutic results. The present study was performed to evaluate the effect of root trunk length on clinical outcomes of guided tissue regeneration. Total 30 mandibular first molars were evaluated in this study. Probing pocket depth, clinical attachment level, vertical defect depth and horizontal defect depth were measured at baseline and 6 month after GTR. Correlation coefficients between root trunk length and other clinical measurement were analyzed. The results of this study were as follows 1. The mean root trunk length in lower 1st molar was 2.15 mm. 2. Probing pocket depth, clinical attachment level, vertical defect depth and horizontal defect depth were significantly reduced at 6 month postoperatively compared to values of baseline 3. Correlation coefficient between root trunk length and vertical defect depth at baseline was 0.406 showing the positive correlation 4. Correlation coefficient between root trunk length and horizontal defect depth at baseline was -0.463 showing the negative correlation. 5. Correlation coefficient between root trunk length and decrease of horizontal defect depth after GTR was 0.654 showing the positive correlation. In conclusion, the root trunk length maybe effector for clinical outcome after guided tissue regeneration.

Until recently, thoracic spinal stenosis has been thought to be an uncommon disease because the diagnosis has been obscured by its many different clinical manifestations and also there has been a lack of radiographic sensitivity and specificity in the evaluation of the thoracic spine. Fortunately, the significant advancements made in the radiographic evaluation of the thoracic spine has enabled a more accurate diagnosis and thus, there has been an increasing number of reports of thoracic spinal stenosis in the literature. The authors analyzed thirty cases of thoracic spinal stenosis over an 11-year period. These patients comprised 0.33% of all the spinal operations that were performed in our department during the same period. The patients in our series averaged 50.6 years of age(range 21~76) consisting of 2 men and 8 women who had been symptomatic for an average of 21 months. The common presenting symptoms were motor weakness(86.7%), sensory change(86.7%), bladder/bowel dysfunction(76.7%), and pain(70.0%). Diagnosis was made from plain x-rays, myelography, computerized tomography(CT), myelography-CT, and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI). The underlying causes of thoracic spinal stenosis were ossification of ligamentum flavum(OLF) (30.0%), hypertrophied facet(20.0%), herniated nucleus pulposus(13.3%), bony spur(10.0%), and mixed lesion(6.8%). Most instances of OLF were ound in the distal thoracic spinal canal and were degenerative in nature. All patients underwent operations and the surgical outcome was excellent in 36.7% and good in 40.0%. The results of our study suggest that the occurrence of thoracic spinal stenosis is more common than is currently recognized in the literature and that early diagnosis and proper surgical management is essential in obtaining a better surgical result.
Diagnosis ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Myelography ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Spinal Canal ; Spinal Stenosis* ; Spine

A 27-year-old woman with a clavicular fracture and post-traumatic hydrocephalus developed a subclavicular pseudomeningocele which was successfully treated by lumboperitoneal shunt. A brief review of the neurosurgical literature on the management of pseudomeningocele is presented.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus

The ultimate goal of periodontal treatment is the regeneration of periodontal tissues which have been lost due to periodontal disease. Recently, many natural medicines have been studied for their potential of anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory and regenerative effects in periodontal tissues. Safflower seeds have been traditionally used as a drug for treatment of fracture and blood stasis in oriental medicine. The objective of the present study is to examine the biologic effects of safflower seeds extract on bone formation and regeneration of rat calvarial defects. The calvarial defects were made with 8mm trephine bur and extract of safflower seeds were placed directly at these defects. 24 rats were divided into control and experimental groups, and each group was sacrificed at 1 week, 4 weeks and 8 weeks. To study a histopathology related to bone regeneration, Goldner's Masson Trichrome stain and histomorphologic measuring was done at each weeks. In the early phase of bone healing, less inflammatory infiltration and capillary proliferation was found in experimental group compared to control. Dense bony tissues and matured bone structures in defect areas were found in experimental groups. And area of new bone formation was significantly increased at 8 weeks in experimental group. These results indicate that direct local application of safflower seeds extract reduces the early inflammatory response and promotes the regeneration of new bone in calvarial defects of rats.
Animals ; Bone Regeneration* ; Capillaries ; Carthamus tinctorius* ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Osteogenesis ; Periodontal Diseases ; Rats* ; Regeneration

Diabetes mellitus is a systemic disease with profound effects on oral health and periodontal wound healing. Uncontrolled diabetes adversely affects surgical wound healing and is often associated with abnormal proliferation of fibroblasts. Human gingival fibroblasts and PDL cells were chosen because they are intimately involved in periodontal therapy and are important for the success of surgical procedure such as guided tissue regeneration. The aim of the present study was to elucidate whether cellular activity and collagen synthesis by glucose pre-treated human gingival fibroblasts and PDL cells are influenced by insulin, and whether healthy cells differ from glucose treated cells. Cells were cultured with DMEM at 37degrees C, 5% CO2, 100% humidified incubator. To evaluate the effect of glucose on gingival fibroblasts and periodontal ligament cells, the cells were seeded at a cell density of 1x10(4) cells/well culture plates and treated with 20 and 50mM of glucose for 5 days. Then MTT assay was carried out. To evaluate the effect of insulin on glucose-pretreated cells, the cells were seeded at a cell density of 1x10(4) cells/well culture plates and treated with 20 and 50mM of glucose for 5 days. After incubation, 10(3), 10(4) and 10(5)mU/l of insulin were also added to the each well and incubated for 2 days, respectively. Then, MTT assay and collagen synthesis assay were carried out. The results indicate that cellular activity of gingival fibroblasts significantly increased by glucose while periodontal ligament cells were unaffected and cellular activity of gingival fibroblasts and periodontal ligament cells were unaffected by insulin. Collagen synthesis of gingival fibroblast with 20mM glucose and insulin unaffected, but 50mM glucose and insulin increased than control. Collagen synthesis of periodontal ligament cell with 20mM glucose and 10(5)mU/l insulin significantly increased than other groups and 50mM glucose pretreated PDL cells significantly increased at 10(3)mU/l insulin but decreased at 10(4)mU/l insulin. Our findings indicated that these cell types differed in their growth response to glucose, and the increase in collagen synthesis was significantly raised at insulin level of 10(3)mU/l in gingival fibroblasts and periodontal ligament cells except 20mM glucose pretreated periodontal ligament cells.
Cell Count ; Collagen ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Fibroblasts* ; Glucose* ; Guided Tissue Regeneration ; Humans* ; Incubators ; Insulin* ; Oral Health ; Periodontal Ligament* ; Wound Healing

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of smoking on adult periodontitis after non-surgical periodontal therapy. The study population consisted of 40 patients with moderate to advanced periodontitis. Smokers(n=20) were defined as individuals smoking at least twenty cigarettes per day at the time of the initial examination. The non-smoking group(n=20) second and the fourth weeks after periodontal non-surgical therapy. The results were as follows; 1. Clinical indices including plaque index, gingival index, and pocket depth were decreased in both smoking and non-smoking group at the first, the second, and the fourth weeks. Especially, clinical indices of non-smokers were more significantly decreased than those of smokers. 2. Non-motile rods were increaseed and motile rods were reduced at the fourth week. spirochetes were reduced significantly in the non-smoking group at the fourth week. These results suggest that smoking play a minor role in adult periodontitis after non-surgical periodontal therapy.
Adult* ; Chronic Periodontitis* ; Humans ; Periodontal Index ; Periodontitis ; Smoke* ; Smoking* ; Spirochaetales ; Tobacco Products

PURPOSE: Although adjuvant chemotherapy after resection of gastric cancer is a popular practice in Korea, there are still controversies about the effectiveness of the treatment. The fact that the relatively less effective drugs have been used and the rarity of large-scaled controlled studies may be partially responsible for the controversies. FP(5-FU, Cisplatin) combination is one of the most active regimen against advanced gastric cancer, consistently showing a response rate of 50~60%. We tried the FP chemotherapy as an adjuvant treatment for high-risk patients after curative resection of gastric cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between February 1992 and June 1996, 35 patients with completely resected high-risk gastric cancer(postoperative stage III or IV except thase with M1) received six courses of FP chemotherapy. Endpoints were toxicities of treatment, relapse free survival, and overall survival. RESULTS: With a median follow-up time of 17.1 months, Kaplan-Meier estimates of 2-year overall survival was 63.3% and relapse free survival estimates was 49%. There were no differences between stage III and IV patients in terms of overall survival or relapse free survival. Hematologic and non-hematologic toxicities were tolerable for most of the patients. CONCLUSION: Postoperative FP combination chemotherapy was tolerable for patients with high-risk(stage III and IV) gastric cancer. It is too early to determine the long term survival rates for this patients, but 2-year overall and relapse free survival were comparable to that of historical non-cisplatin containing regimens. Randomized phase III studies are warranted.
Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Cisplatin* ; Drug Therapy* ; Drug Therapy, Combination ; Fluorouracil* ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Korea ; Recurrence ; Stomach Neoplasms* ; Survival Rate