Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the dental caries experience of children in Laos. Methods: Oral examinations were performed on a total of 1,540 students in 513 primary school students, 537 middle school students, and 490 high school students and the results analyzed. Results: The dft index (decayed-filled primary teeth index) of 6-year-old primary school children was 6.04. The DMFT index (decayed-filled-missing permanent teeth index) was 1.59 in 12-yearold middle school children and 2.04 in 15-year-old middle school children. Conclusions Caries experience in most of the age groups was on the high side. It is considered that in Laos, a treatment project to stop the progression of caries is necessary in parallel with a prevention project to lower the caries fatality rate.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the dental caries experience of children in Laos. Methods: Oral examinations were performed on a total of 1,540 students in 513 primary school students, 537 middle school students, and 490 high school students and the results analyzed. Results: The dft index (decayed-filled primary teeth index) of 6-year-old primary school children was 6.04. The DMFT index (decayed-filled-missing permanent teeth index) was 1.59 in 12-yearold middle school children and 2.04 in 15-year-old middle school children. Conclusions Caries experience in most of the age groups was on the high side. It is considered that in Laos, a treatment project to stop the progression of caries is necessary in parallel with a prevention project to lower the caries fatality rate.

Background: We investigated the changing patterns of insulin secretion and resistance and risk factors contributing to the development of post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) in kidney recipients under tacrolimus-based immunosuppression regimen during 1 year after transplantation. Methods: This was a multicenter prospective cohort study. Of the 168 subjects enrolled in this study, we analyzed a total 87 kidney transplant recipients without diabetes which was assessed by oral glucose tolerance test before transplantation. We evaluated the incidence of PTDM and followed up the index of insulin secretion (insulinogenic index [IGI]) and resistance (homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance [HOMA-IR]) at 3, 6, 9 months, and 1 year after transplantation by oral glucose tolerance test and diabetes treatment. We also assessed the risk factors for incident PTDM. Results: PTDM developed in 23 of 87 subjects (26.4%) during 1 year after transplantation. More than half of total PTDM (56.5%) occurred in the first 3 months after transplantation. During 1 year after transplantation, insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was increased in both PTDM and no PTDM group. In no PTDM group, the increase in insulin secretory function to overcome insulin resistance was also observed. However, PTDM group showed no increase in insulin secretion function (IGI). Old age, status of prediabetes and episode of acute rejection were significantly associated with the development of PTDM. Conclusion In tacrolimus-based immunosuppressive drugs regimen, impaired insulin secretory function for reduced insulin sensitivity contributed to the development of PTDM than insulin resistance during 1 year after transplantation.

Vacuolar protein sorting-associated protein 13B (VPS13B), also known as COH1, is one of the VPS13 family members which is involved in transmembrane transport, Golgi integrity, and neuritogenesis. Mutations in the VPS13B gene are associated with Cohen syndrome and other cognitive disorders such as intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the patho-physiology of VPS13B-associated cognitive deficits is unclear, in part, due to the lack of animal models. Here, we generated a Vps13b exon 2 deletion mutant mouse and analyzed the behavioral phenotypes. We found that Vps13b mutant mice showed reduced activity in open field test and significantly shorter latency to fall in the rotarod test, suggesting that the mutants have motor deficits. In addition, we found that Vps13b mutant mice showed deficits in spatial learning in the hidden platform version of the Morris water maze. The Vps13b mutant mice were normal in other behaviors such as anxiety-like behaviors, working memory and social behaviors. Our results suggest that Vps13b mutant mice may recapitulate key clinical symptoms in Cohen syndrome such as intellectual disability and hypotonia. Vps13b mutant mice may serve as a useful model to investigate the pathophysiology of VPS13B-associated disorders.
Animals ; Autism Spectrum Disorder ; Cognition Disorders ; Exons ; Humans ; Intellectual Disability ; Learning Disorders ; Memory, Short-Term ; Mice ; Models, Animal ; Muscle Hypotonia ; Phenotype ; Rotarod Performance Test ; Social Behavior ; Spatial Learning ; Water

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the lost school days due to dental diseases among adolescents and to assess their oral health in relation to their socio-demographic characteristics. METHODS: A total of 881 adolescents (middle school: 453, high school: 428) were surveyed using a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was composed of questions relating to the subject's socio-demographic characteristics and lost school days due to dental diseases. The lost school days due to dental diseases included absence and early leave. The differences in the lost school days by socio-demographic characteristics were analyzed by chi-square test and t-test. RESULTS: In the past year, 2% of adolescents were absent from school (approximately 2 days of absence), 7.6% left school early (about 3 days of early leave), and 8.3% were absent from school or left school early (about 4 days of absence and early leave) because of dental diseases. The most common reason for absence from school was dental caries (31.8%), followed by malocclusion (9.3%), periodontal disease (7%), and maxillofacial trauma (2.3%). Dental caries was the most common reason (18%) for early leave, followed by malocclusion (8.8%), maxillofacial trauma (2.6%), and periodontal disease (1.8%). Absence from school was higher when the educational background of the respondent's father was middle-school graduate or lower (5.6%: middle-school graduates or lower, 1.6%: high-school graduates, 1.8%: college graduates or higher). High school students with dental diseases (11.7%) were absent or went on early leave to a greater extent than middle school students (5.1%). CONCLUSIONS: To reduce lost school days due to dental diseases among adolescents, different strategies are required including prevention and early treatment of dental caries and avoidance of maxillofacial trauma.
Adolescent ; Dental Caries ; Fathers ; Humans ; Malocclusion ; Oral Health ; Periodontal Diseases ; Stomatognathic Diseases

Alterations in sulfur amino acid metabolism are associated with an increased risk of a number of common late-life diseases, which raises the possibility that metabolism of sulfur amino acids may change with age. The present study was conducted to understand the age-related changes in hepatic metabolism of sulfur amino acids in 2-, 6-, 18- and 30-month-old male C57BL/6 mice. For this purpose, metabolite profiling of sulfur amino acids from methionine to taurine or glutathione (GSH) was performed. The levels of sulfur amino acids and their metabolites were not significantly different among 2-, 6- and 18-month-old mice, except for plasma GSH and hepatic homocysteine. Plasma total GSH and hepatic total homocysteine levels were significantly higher in 2-month-old mice than those in the other age groups. In contrast, 30-month-old mice exhibited increased hepatic methionine and cysteine, compared with all other groups, but decreased hepatic S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), S-adenosylhomocysteine and homocysteine, relative to 2-month-old mice. No differences in hepatic reduced GSH, GSH disulfide, or taurine were observed. The hepatic changes in homocysteine and cysteine may be attributed to upregulation of cystathionine β-synthase and down-regulation of γ-glutamylcysteine ligase in the aged mice. The elevation of hepatic cysteine levels may be involved in the maintenance of hepatic GSH levels. The opposite changes of methionine and SAM suggest that the regulatory role of SAM in hepatic sulfur amino acid metabolism may be impaired in 30-month-old mice.
Aging ; Amino Acids, Sulfur ; Animals ; Child, Preschool ; Cystathionine ; Cysteine ; Down-Regulation ; Glutathione ; Homocysteine ; Humans ; Infant ; Male* ; Metabolism* ; Metabolomics ; Methionine ; Mice* ; Plasma ; S-Adenosylhomocysteine ; S-Adenosylmethionine ; Sulfur* ; Taurine ; Up-Regulation

The purpose of this study was to investigate the application of various electroretinography (ERG) to the diagnosis of inner retinal dysfunction induced by mild intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation in a rat glaucoma model. For inner retinal function measurements, available photopic ERG protocols were applied under various light conditions including monochromatic combinations, which complement conventional scotopic ERG. Three episcleral veins in the right eyes of Sprague-Dawley rats were cauterized to induce an experimental model of glaucoma, leading to mild IOP elevation. ERG responses were measured before surgery and at 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks after cauterization. We first confirmed that the amplitude reduction in the standard photopic b-wave was almost comparable to the amplitudes of scotopic a- and b-waves in glaucomatous eyes over time. We have implemented additional photopic ERG protocols under different stimulus conditions, which consisted of a longer duration and different monochromatic combinations. Such a change in the stimulations resulted in more pronounced differences in response between the two groups. Especially in normal animals, blue stimulation on a green background produced the largest b-wave and photopic negative response (PhNR) amplitudes and caused more pronounced oscillatory potential (OP) wavelets (individual components). In glaucomatous eyes, blue stimulation on a green background significantly reduced PhNR amplitudes and abolished the robust OP components. These results, by providing the usefulness of blue on green combination, suggest the applicable photopic ERG protocol that complements the conventional ERG methods of accessing the progression of glaucomatous damage in the rat retina.
Animals ; Cautery ; Complement System Proteins ; Diagnosis ; Electroretinography ; Glaucoma* ; Intraocular Pressure ; Models, Theoretical ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Retina* ; Retinaldehyde ; Veins

The retinal degeneration resulting from elevated intraocular pressure was evaluated through functional and morphological analyses, for better understanding of the pathophysiology of glaucoma. Ocular hypertension was induced via unilateral episcleral venous cauterization in rats. Experimental time was set at 1 and 3 days, and 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks post-operation. Retinal function was analyzed using electroretinography. For morphological analysis, retinal tissues were processed for immunochemistry by using antibodies against the calcium-sensing receptor and calcium-binding proteins. Apoptosis was analyzed using the TUNEL method and electron microscopy. Amplitudes of a- and b-wave in scotopic and photopic responses were found to be reduced in all glaucomatous retinas. Photopic negative response for ganglion cell function significantly reduced from 1-day and more significantly reduced in 2-week glaucoma. Calcium-sensing receptor immunoreactivity in ganglion cells remarkably reduced at 8 weeks; conversely, protein amounts increased significantly. Calcium-binding proteins immunoreactivity in amacrine cells clearly reduced at 8 weeks, despite of uneven changes in protein amounts. Apoptosis appeared in both photoreceptors and ganglion cells in 8-week glaucomatous retina. Apoptotic feature of photoreceptors was typical, whereas that of ganglion cells was necrotic in nature. These findings suggest that elevated intraocular pressure affects the sensitivity of photoreceptors and retinal ganglion cells, and leads to apoptotic death. The calcium-sensing receptor may be a useful detector for alteration of extracellular calcium levels surrounding the ganglion cells.
Amacrine Cells ; Animals ; Antibodies ; Apoptosis ; Calcium ; Calcium-Binding Proteins ; Cautery ; Electroretinography ; Ganglion Cysts ; Glaucoma ; Immunochemistry ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Intraocular Pressure ; Methods ; Microscopy, Electron ; Ocular Hypertension ; Rats ; Receptors, Calcium-Sensing ; Retina ; Retinal Degeneration ; Retinal Ganglion Cells ; Retinaldehyde

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to (1) survey cases of maxillofacial trauma in adolescents and (2) analyze the relationship between maxillofacial trauma and activity restriction. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 881 participants selected using the convenience sampling method in the Jeollanam-do and Jeollabuk-do regions. Individual self-reporting questionnaire surveys were performed. RESULTS: It was found that 17.2% of adolescents experienced maxillofacial traumas, and 45.3% of them reported activity restrictions caused by the the traumas. The occurrence ratio of maxillofacial trauma was higher in male students (20.6%) than in female students (14.0%). Among the activity restrictions caused by maxillofacial traumas, chewing disturbance was the most frequent activity restriction type, showing an incidence of 54.6%, and taste disturbance was the least frequent, showing an incidence of 9.3%. All the activity restrictions in adolescents were found to have relationships with maxillofacial trauma occurring within the recent one year. Among the activity restrictions, chewing disturbance was most closely related with the trauma. CONCLUSIONS: Since maxillofacial traumas cause activity restrictions in adolescents, it is necessary to prepare policies for the prevention of maxillofacial trauma. Furthermore, it is necessary to intensify the education regarding treatment methods for maxillofacial trauma.
Adolescent* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Education ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Jeollabuk-do ; Jeollanam-do ; Male ; Mastication ; Oral Health

Ribes fasciculatum var. chinense MAX. (R. fasciculatum) has traditionally been used in Korea to treat inflammatory diseases. However, the exact mechanism that accounts for the anti-inflammatory effect of R. fasciculatum is not completely understood. We aimed to ascertain the pharmacological effects of R. fasciculatum on both compound 48/80- or histamine-induced scratching behaviors and 2, 4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB)-induced atopic dermatitis (AD) in mice. Additionally, to find a possible explanation for the anti-inflammatory effects of R. fasciculatum, we evaluated the effects of R. fasciculatum on the production of inflammatory mediators in LPS-stimulated macrophage cells. Treatment of R. fasciculatum significantly reduced compound 48/80- or histamine-induced the pruritus in mice. R. fasciculatum attenuated the AD symptoms such as eczematous, erythema and dryness and serum IgE levels in AD model. Additionally, R. fasciculatum inhibited the production of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). The maximal rates of TNF-alpha and IL-6 inhibition by R. fasciculatum (1 mg/ml) were approximately 32.12% and 46.24%, respectively. We also showed that R. fasciculatum inhibited the activation of nuclear factor-kappa B in LPS-stimulated macrophages. Collectively, the findings of this study provide us with novel insights into the pharmacological actions of R. fasciculatum as a potential molecule for use in the treatment of allergic inflammatory diseases.
Animals ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Erythema ; Immunoglobulin E ; Inflammation* ; Interleukin-6 ; Korea ; Macrophages ; Mice ; Pruritus ; Ribes* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha