The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of apical constriction (AC) diameter, irrigant flow rate, and needle tip design on apical pressure (AP) during the root canal irrigation. Five extracted human mandibular premolars were instrumented up to #35 (0.06 taper) using nickel-titanium rotary instruments. AC was determined at 1 mm from the apical foramen. Three needles with different tip designs (notched, side-vented, and flat) were placed 3 mm from AC. APs were measured with varying flow rates of 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 mL/s. The AC diameter of the teeth was enlarged to #40 and #45 (0.06 taper) successively, and the aforementioned measurement procedure was repeated (n=5). When the other conditions were controlled, AP increased with decreasing AC diameter or increasing irrigant flow rate, and the AP of flat needle was the highest, followed by notched, and side-vented needle (p<0.05). The APs with 0.05 mL/s flow rate were lower than central venous pressure (5.88 mmHg) for all conditions. Under the conditions of the present study, flat needle is not recommended in narrow AC (0.35 mm), as the value of the AP with a flow rate of 0.05 mL/s is similar to the central venous pressure. However, in AC diameter of >0.35 mm, open-end (notched or flat) needles can be used to improve irrigant replacement in the apical portion using a flow rate of 0.05 mL/s.
Bicuspid ; Central Venous Pressure ; Constriction ; Dental Pulp Cavity ; Humans ; Needles ; Tooth ; Tooth Apex

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of needle tip design and position, and irrigant flow rate on apical pressure (AP) during root canal irrigation. Five human mandibular premolars were instrumented up to #35 (0.06 taper) using nickel-titanium rotary instruments. Three different needles according to change of needle tip design (notched, side-vented, and flat) were positioned at the point of 1, 3, and 5 mm from the apical constriction (needle tip position). For each needle tip design and position, APs were measured with varying flow rates of 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 ml/s. When the other conditions were controlled, AP increased with decreasing needle tip position or increasing irrigant flow rate (p < 0.05). The AP of flat needle was the highest, followed by notched, side-vented needle for the same needle tip position and irrigant flow rate. The APs at needle tip position of 1 mm or with more than 0.1 ml/s flow rate were higher than central venous pressure (5.88 mmHg) for all conditions. Flat needle was not recommended for clinical use due to sharp increase of AP with changing needle tip position and irrigant flow rate. For safe and effective root canal irrigation, irrigant should be applied with the needle tip position of 3 mm and flow rate of less than 0.05 ml/s.
Bicuspid ; Central Venous Pressure ; Constriction ; Dental Pulp Cavity ; Humans ; Needles

BACKGROUND: Hypercalcemia is an important metabolic emergency condition in cancer patients. Bisphosphonate is the treatment of choice for hypercalcemia, whereas calcitonin and hydration with furosemide are recommended for acute supportive therapy. However, data regarding real-world treatment patterns and outcomes of pharmacological treatments are limited. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the treatment patterns and clinical outcomes of hypercalcemia treatment in solid tumor patients. METHODS: Electronic medical records of 123 adults with solid cancers and albumin-corrected calcium levels >10.5 mg/dL or ionized calcium levels >1.35 mmol/L were reviewed. We retrospectively analyzed the pharmacological treatment and recovery rate according to the severity of hypercalcemia. RESULTS: A total of 177 cases were identified, of which 49 were not treated and 30 were treated with hydration only. In moderate-to-severe cases, 86.5% received pharmacological treatment. Thirty-four cases (19.2%) were treated with bisphosphonate alone and 58 cases (32.8%) were treated with bisphosphonate and calcitonin. In mild hypercalcemia cases, the recovery rate was higher for those receiving hydration only or pharmacological treatment (79.7%) than for those receiving no treatment (61.4%, p = 0.041). Most moderate-to-severe cases were treated with medication and of those treated, 56.3% recovered. The recovery rate was lower in those treated with bisphosphonate alone (38.2%) than in those who underwent calcitonin combination treatment (73.7%, p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Bisphosphonate combined with calcitonin was found to be more effective than bisphosphonate alone for the treatment of moderate-to-severe hypercalcemia. Considering the current shortage of calcitonin, further efforts are required to ensure its stable supply.
Adult ; Calcitonin ; Calcium ; Electronic Health Records ; Emergencies ; Furosemide ; Humans ; Hypercalcemia ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: Periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) share a similar inflammatory pathogenesis. Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) can induce anticyclic-citrullinated peptide autoantibodies (anti-CCP antibodies), a key factor in the development of RA. This study aimed at evaluating the relationships between the 2 diseases and identifying the clinical implications thereof, with a focus on periodontal pathogens in Korean adults. METHODS: A total of 260 RA patients and 86 age- and sex-matched control patients without arthritis were enrolled in this prospective cross-sectional study. Periodontal indices and the prevalence and amount of periodontal pathogens were compared between the groups. Correlations between periodontal and RA indices were examined, as were correlations between 9 periodontal pathogens and RA indices. RESULTS: The RA group had significantly higher values than the control group for all investigated periodontal indices (P < 0.05) except the number of teeth. The gingival index (GI) was correlated with the disease activity score 28 (DAS28) (r = 0.125, P = 0.049), RA disease duration (r = 0.253, P < 0.001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (r = 0.162, P = 0.010), and anti-CCP antibody titer (r = 0.205, P = 0.004). Probing pocket depth (PPD) was correlated with ESR (r = 0.139, P = 0.027) and anti-Pg antibody titer (r = 0.203, P = 0.001). Bleeding on probing (BOP) was correlated with DAS28 (r = 0.137, P = 0.030), RA disease duration (r = 0.202, P = 0.001), ESR (r = 0.136, P = 0.030), anti-Pg antibody titer (r = 0.177, P = 0.005), and anti-CCP antibody titer (r = 0.188, P = 0.007). Clinical attachment level (CAL) and periodontitis severity were correlated with anti-Pg antibody titer (the former r = 0.201, P = 0.002; the latter r = 0.175, P = 0.006). The quantity of Pg was positively correlated with the serum anti-Pg antibody titer (r = 0.148, P = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: The GI, BOP, and PPD showed positive relationships with several RA indices. The anti-Pg antibody titer had positive relationships with PPD, BOP, CAL, and periodontitis severity. Thus, increasing values of periodontal indices could be used as a risk indicator of disease development in RA patients, and an increasing anti-Pg antibody titer could be considered as a warning sign in RA patients suffering with periodontitis.
Adult ; Arthritis ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Autoantibodies ; Blood Sedimentation ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Periodontal Index ; Periodontitis ; Porphyromonas gingivalis ; Prevalence ; Prospective Studies ; Tooth

Background: The clinical implications of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein autoantibodies (MOG-Abs) are increasing. Establishing MOG-Ab assays is essential for effectively treating patients with MOG-Abs. We established an in-house cell-based assay (CBA) to detect MOG-Abs to identify correlations with patients’ clinical characteristics. Methods: We established the CBA using HEK 293 cells transiently overexpressing fulllength human MOG, tested it against 166 samples from a multicenter registry of central nervous system (CNS) inflammatory disorders, and compared the results with those of the Oxford MOG-Ab-based CBA and a commercial MOG-Ab CBA kit. We recruited additional patients with MOG-Abs and compared the clinical characteristics of MOG-Ab-associated disease (MOGAD) with those of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). Results: Of 166 samples tested, 10 tested positive for MOG-Abs, with optic neuritis (ON) being the most common manifestation (4/15, 26.7%). The in-house and Oxford MOG-Ab CBAs agreed for 164/166 (98.8%) samples (κ = 0.883, P < 0.001); two patients (2/166, 1.2%) were only positive in our in-house CBA, and the CBA scores of the two laboratories correlated well (r = 0.663, P < 0.001). The commercial MOG-Ab CBA kit showed one falsenegative and three false-positive results. The clinical presentation at disease onset differed between MOGAD and NMOSD; ON was the most frequent manifestation in MOGAD, and transverse myelitis was most frequent in NMOSD. Conclusions The in-house CBA for MOG-Abs demonstrated reliable results and can potentially be used to evaluate CNS inflammatory disorders. A comprehensive, long-term study with a large patient population would clarify the clinical significance of MOG-Abs.

Background: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, patients with myasthenia gravis (MG) were more susceptible to poor outcomes owing to respiratory muscle weakness and immunotherapy. Several studies conducted in the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic reported higher mortality in patients with MG compared to the general population. This study aimed to investigate the clinical course and prognosis of COVID-19 in patients with MG and to compare these parameters between vaccinated and unvaccinated patients in South Korea. Methods: This multicenter, retrospective study, which was conducted at 14 tertiary hospitals in South Korea, reviewed the medical records and identified MG patients who contracted COVID-19 between February 2022 and April 2022. The demographic and clinical characteristics associated with MG and vaccination status were collected. The clinical outcomes of COVID-19 infection and MG were investigated and compared between the vaccinated and unvaccinated patients. Results: Ninety-two patients with MG contracted COVID-19 during the study. Nine (9.8%) patients required hospitalization, 4 (4.3%) of whom were admitted to the intensive care unit. Seventy-five of 92 patients were vaccinated before contracting COVID-19 infection, and 17 were not. During the COVID-19 infection, 6 of 17 (35.3%) unvaccinated patients were hospitalized, whereas 3 of 75 (4.0%) vaccinated patients were hospitalized (P < 0.001). The frequencies of ICU admission and mechanical ventilation were significantly lower in the vaccinated patients than in the unvaccinated patients (P = 0.019 and P = 0.032, respectively). The rate of MG deterioration was significantly lower in the vaccinated patients than in the unvaccinated patients (P = 0.041). Logistic regression after weighting revealed that the risk of hospitalization and MG deterioration after COVID-19 infection was significantly lower in the vaccinated patients than in the unvaccinated patients. Conclusion This study suggests that the clinical course and prognosis of patients with MG who contracted COVID-19 during the dominance of the omicron variant of COVID-19 may be milder than those at the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic when vaccination was unavailable. Vaccination may reduce the morbidity of COVID-19 in patients with MG and effectively prevent MG deterioration induced by COVID-19 infection.

OBJECTIVES: We estimated the population prevalence of antibodies to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), including unreported infections, through a Korea Seroprevalence Study of Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Retention and Transmission (K-SEROSMART) in 258 communities throughout Korea. METHODS: In August 2022, a survey was conducted among 10,000 household members aged 5 years and older, in households selected through two stage probability random sampling. During face-to-face household interviews, participants self-reported their health status, COVID-19 diagnosis and vaccination history, and general characteristics. Subsequently, participants visited a community health center or medical clinic for blood sampling. Blood samples were analyzed for the presence of antibodies to spike proteins (anti-S) and antibodies to nucleocapsid proteins (anti-N) SARS-CoV-2 proteins using an electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. To estimate the population prevalence, the PROC SURVEYMEANS statistical procedure was employed, with weighting to reflect demographic data from July 2022. RESULTS: In total, 9,945 individuals from 5,041 households were surveyed across 258 communities, representing all basic local governments in Korea. The overall population-adjusted prevalence rates of anti-S and anti-N were 97.6% and 57.1%, respectively. Since the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency has reported a cumulative incidence of confirmed cases of 37.8% through July 31, 2022, the proportion of unreported infections among all COVID-19 infection was suggested to be 33.9%. CONCLUSIONS The K-SEROSMART represents the first nationwide, community-based seroepidemiologic survey of COVID-19, confirming that most individuals possess antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 and that a significant number of unreported cases existed. Furthermore, this study lays the foundation for a surveillance system to continuously monitor transmission at the community level and the response to COVID-19.