OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical and radiographic efficacy of micro crestal flap-alveolar ridge preservation following extraction of mandibular molars with severe periodontitis compared with natural healing, and to preliminarily propose the surgical indication. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on clinical data from patients with mandibular molars with severe periodontitis either receiving micro crestal flap-alveolar ridge preservation (MCF-ARP group) or undergoing natural healing in department of periodontology, Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology from September 2013 to June 2021. Cone-beam computed tomography scannings performed before/immediately after extraction (as baseline) and repeated before implantation (after the extraction socket healing) were used to measure the ridge width, height and volumetric changes of the sockets, and the proportion of guided bone regeneration (GBR) during implant therapy were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Between baseline and healing, significant differences in changes of MCF-ARP group [(8.34±2.81) mm] and natural healing group [(3.82±3.58) mm] in the distances from mandibular canal to center of the tooth socket were recorded (P < 0.001). The ridge width at 1 mm below the most coronal aspect of the crest increased by (3.50±4.88) mm in the MCF-ARP group but decreased by (0.16±5.70) mm in the natural healing group, respectively (P=0.019). After healing, the MCF-ARP group showed the distances from mandibular canal to center of the tooth socket >8 mm in all the cases, with 97.1% exceeding 10 mm. Natural healing group displayed 23.1% of the cases with center bone height < 8 mm and 61.5% exceeding 10 mm. Volume changes at the buccal and lingual aspect as well as the total socket were significantly greater in the MCF-ARP group compared with natural healing group (P < 0.001).At the time of implantation, GBR was performed in 5 out of 68 subjects (8.3%) in the MCF-ARP group, whereas 8 out of 26 subjects (30.8%) in the natural healing group required GBR, reflecting significant difference (P=0.003). CONCLUSION In the sites of mandibular molars with severe periodontitis, when the distances from mandibular canal to center of the tooth socket was not enough (less than 7 mm), clinicians could consider performing the micro crestal flap-alveolar ridge preservation to achieve augmentation for alveolar ridge and reduce the proportion of guided bone regeneration during implant therapy to reduce the difficulty and risk of injuries during implant therapy.
Humans ; Tooth Extraction ; Retrospective Studies ; Surgical Flaps ; Molar/surgery* ; Mandible/surgery* ; Female ; Periodontitis/surgery* ; Male ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Cone-Beam Computed Tomography ; Alveolar Ridge Augmentation/methods* ; Alveolar Process/surgery* ; Tooth Socket/diagnostic imaging* ; Dental Implantation, Endosseous/methods*

Allergic inflammation is closely related to the activation of mast cells (MCs), which is regulated by its intracellular Ca²⁺ level, but the intake and effects of the intracellular Ca²⁺ remain unclear. The Ca²⁺ influx is controlled by members of Ca²⁺ channels, among which calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha1 C (Ca_V1.2) is the most robust. This study aimed to reveal the role and underlying mechanism of MC Ca_V1.2 in allergic inflammation. We found that Ca_V1.2 participated in MC activation and allergic inflammation. Nimodipine (Nim), as a strong Ca_V1.2-specific antagonist, ameliorated allergic inflammation in mice. Further, Ca_V1.2 activation in MC was triggered by phosphatizing at its Ser1928 through protein kinase C (PKC), which calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) catalyzed. Overexpression or knockdown of MC Ca_V1.2 influenced MC activation. Importantly, Ca_V1.2 expression in MC had detrimental effects, while its deficiency ameliorated allergic pulmonary inflammation. Results provide novel insights into Ca_V1.2 function and a potential drug target for controlling allergic inflammation.

Objective To compare the efficacy, safety, and survivability of TCbHP versus AC-THP in the neoadjuvant therapy of HER2-positive breast cancer in real-world. Methods Clinical data of patients with HER2 positive breast cancer, who have received TCbHP or AC-THP as neoadjuvant therapy and completed surgery in 11 third-class hospitals in various cities of Hebei Province, were retrospectively collected.The total pathological complete remission (tpCR) rate, the incidence of grade 3 or higher adverse reactions and the completion rate of the given approaches were compared. Results A total of 110 cases were collected, including 78 cases in the TCbHP group and 32 cases in the AC-THP group.The tpCR rate of the TCbHP group was higher than that of the AC-THP group, but the difference was not statistically significant (64.10% vs. 56.25%, P=0.441).No significant difference was found in the breast pathologic complete response (bpCR) and axillary pathologic complete response (apCR) rates between the TCbHP group and the AC-THP group (70.51% vs. 56.25%, P=0.150;78.21% vs. 84.38%, P=0.462).Exploratory analysis revealed that the tpCR rate of the TCbHP group was significantly higher than that of the AC-THP group in patients with HR-positive breast cancer (51.11% vs. 22.22%, P=0.036).As for the patients with HR-negative breast cancer, the tpCR rate of the AC-THP group tended to be higher than that of the TCbHP group (100% vs. 81.82%, P=0.088).The incidence of grade 3 or higher adverse reactions in the TCbHP group was slightly higher than that in the AC-THP group (12.82% vs. 9.38%, P=0.753).No deaths occurred in the whole group.Moreover, no significant difference was observed in the completion rate of the given approaches between the TCbHP group and the AC-THP group (92.31% vs. 90.63%, P=0.718). Conclusion In real-world clinical practice, the neoadjuvant therapy of TCbHP and AC-THP are effective, safe, and well tolerated among patients with HER2-positive breast cancer.The tpCR rate between the two approaches was not significantly different.The AC-THP regimen could also be considered as one of the optimal regimens for HER2-positive breast cancer in neoadjuvant therapy.

Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a significant cause of the severe cognitive decline in the elderly population. There is no cure for iNPH, but cognitive symptoms can be partially alleviated through cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion. In the early stages of iNPH, cognitive deficits occur primarily in the executive functions and working memory supported by frontostriatal circuits. As the disease progresses, cognition declines continuously and globally, leading to poor quality of life and daily functioning. In this review, we present recent advances in understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of cognitive impairment in iNPH, focusing on (1) abnormal CSF dynamics, (2) dysfunction of frontostriatal and entorhinal-hippocampal circuits and the default mode network, (3) abnormal neuromodulation, and (4) the presence of amyloid-β and tau pathologies.
Aged ; Cognitive Dysfunction/etiology* ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure/diagnosis* ; Peptide Fragments ; Quality of Life ; tau Proteins

Objective:To discuss the diagnostic value of calcitonin(CT), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), pro-gastrin releasing peptide (Pro-GRP) and chromogranin A (CgA) in the identification of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC).Methods:The CT levels in 105 cases of MTC, 50 cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma, 10 cases of thyroid follicular carcinoma, 5 cases of undifferentiated thyroid carcinoma, 50 cases of benign thyroid diseases, 30 cases of non-thyroid malignant tumors and 50 cases of healthy controls were measured from February 2017 to August 2019 at the Department of Clinical Laboratory, Cancer Hospital affliated to Fudan University. Additionally, 79 cases of MTC, 30 cases of non-MTC thyroid malignant tumors and 30 healthy controls were selected for the measurement of CEA, NSE, Pro-GRP and CgA levels. The receiver operating curve was utilized to clarify the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity of each indicator to distinguish between different groups.Results:The medians of CT concentrations in the group of MTC patients was 607.2 (152.5,2 777.5)pg/ml, which was statistically significantly higher than that of the subjects in the group of papillary thyroid carcinoma 1.48 (0.5,2.91)pg/ml, follicular thyroid carcinoma 1.90 (0.82,2.99)pg/ml, undifferentiated thyroid carcinoma 0.50 (0.50,4.93)pg/ml, benign thyroid disease 1.30 (0.50,2.79)pg/ml, non-thyroid malignancies 1.36 (0.50,2.89)pg/ml and healthy controls 2.05 (0.89,3.18)pg/ml. The sensitivity, specificity and AUC of CT to distinguish MTC vs. non-MTC patients was 96.2%, 99.3% and 0.99, respectively. The maximum diameter (>1 cm, P=0.001, OR=15.74) and number (>1, P=0.04, OR=3.4) of nodules were two independent risk factors for elevated CT. CEA (AUC=0.94), NSE (AUC=0.65), Pro-GRP (AUC=0.94) and CgA (AUC=0.83) could all distinguish MTC vs. non-MTC thyroid malignancies. The AUC, sensitivity and specificity by combining CT, CEA, NSE, Pro-GRP and CgA to differentiate MTC vs. non-MTC thyroid malignancies was 1, 100% and 100%, respectively. Conclusions:CT, CEA, NSE, Pro-GRP and CgA may be helpful for the auxiliary diagnosis of MTC. The combination of these indicators in the diagnosis of MTC has high sensitivity and specificity.

Objective:To discuss the diagnostic value of calcitonin(CT), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), pro-gastrin releasing peptide (Pro-GRP) and chromogranin A (CgA) in the identification of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC).Methods:The CT levels in 105 cases of MTC, 50 cases of papillary thyroid carcinoma, 10 cases of thyroid follicular carcinoma, 5 cases of undifferentiated thyroid carcinoma, 50 cases of benign thyroid diseases, 30 cases of non-thyroid malignant tumors and 50 cases of healthy controls were measured from February 2017 to August 2019 at the Department of Clinical Laboratory, Cancer Hospital affliated to Fudan University. Additionally, 79 cases of MTC, 30 cases of non-MTC thyroid malignant tumors and 30 healthy controls were selected for the measurement of CEA, NSE, Pro-GRP and CgA levels. The receiver operating curve was utilized to clarify the area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity of each indicator to distinguish between different groups.Results:The medians of CT concentrations in the group of MTC patients was 607.2 (152.5,2 777.5)pg/ml, which was statistically significantly higher than that of the subjects in the group of papillary thyroid carcinoma 1.48 (0.5,2.91)pg/ml, follicular thyroid carcinoma 1.90 (0.82,2.99)pg/ml, undifferentiated thyroid carcinoma 0.50 (0.50,4.93)pg/ml, benign thyroid disease 1.30 (0.50,2.79)pg/ml, non-thyroid malignancies 1.36 (0.50,2.89)pg/ml and healthy controls 2.05 (0.89,3.18)pg/ml. The sensitivity, specificity and AUC of CT to distinguish MTC vs. non-MTC patients was 96.2%, 99.3% and 0.99, respectively. The maximum diameter (>1 cm, P=0.001, OR=15.74) and number (>1, P=0.04, OR=3.4) of nodules were two independent risk factors for elevated CT. CEA (AUC=0.94), NSE (AUC=0.65), Pro-GRP (AUC=0.94) and CgA (AUC=0.83) could all distinguish MTC vs. non-MTC thyroid malignancies. The AUC, sensitivity and specificity by combining CT, CEA, NSE, Pro-GRP and CgA to differentiate MTC vs. non-MTC thyroid malignancies was 1, 100% and 100%, respectively. Conclusions:CT, CEA, NSE, Pro-GRP and CgA may be helpful for the auxiliary diagnosis of MTC. The combination of these indicators in the diagnosis of MTC has high sensitivity and specificity.

Objective:To analyze the clinical manifestations and test results of brucellosis cases, provide basis for clinical and laboratory differential diagnosis of brucellosis.Methods:Using retrospective analysis method, the cases of brucellosis confirmed by the Microbiology Laboratory of the Laboratory of Shenzhen People's Hospital from December 2015 to August 2019 were selected as the survey subjects, and the clinical data of the survey subjects were collected, including epidemiological characteristics, clinical manifestations, laboratory test results, treatment and prognosis.Results:Of the 14 patients, 9 were males and 5 were females. The median age of the patients was 42 years old (ranged 23 - 62 years old). Seventy-eight point six percent (11/14) of the patients were firstly diagnosed from April to September; 78.6% (11/14) of the patients had a history of contact with raw beef, mutton, pork and sheep placenta. The main clinical symptoms of brucellosis were fever (100.0%, 14/14) and arthralgia (42.9%, 6/14). The most common complication was arthritis (3/7). Laboratory results showed that the white blood cell count in all patients was not increased. However, many patients presented with high C-reactive protein level (9 cases), abnormal liver function (9 cases) and high erythrocyte sedimentation rate (8 cases). The median detection time of positive blood culture was 69 h (ranged 48 - 110 h). Seven patients had good prognosis, 4 patients continued to receive treatment due to complications, 2 patients failed to follow-up, and 1 patient died before the diagnosis was confirmed of the 14 patients.Conclusions:The clinical manifestations of brucellosis are complex, and detailed epidemiological history should be documented during clinical diagnosis to avoid misdiagnosis or missed diagnosis. Microbiologists should master the microbiological characteristics of Brucella, and improve differential diagnosis capabilities.