Dental stem cells (DSCs), a distinct subset of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), are isolated from dental tissues, such as dental pulp, exfoliated deciduous teeth, periodontal ligament, and apical papilla. They have emerged as a promising source of stem cell therapy for tissue regeneration and autoimmune disorders. The main types of DSCs include dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs), stem cells from human exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED), periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs), and stem cells from apical papilla (SCAP). Each type exhibits distinct advantages: easy access via minimally invasive procedures, multi-lineage differentiation potential, and excellent ethical acceptability. DSCs have demonstrated outstanding clinical efficacy in oral and maxillofacial regeneration, and their long-term safety has been verified. In oral tissue regeneration, DSCs are highly effective in oral tissue regeneration for critical applications such as the restoration of dental pulp vitality and periodontal tissue repair. A defining advantage of DSCs lies in their ability to integrate with host tissues and promote physiological regeneration, which render them a better option for oral tissue regenerative therapies. Beyond oral applications, DSCs also exhibit promising potential in the treatment of systemic diseases, including type Ⅱ diabetes and autoimmune diseases due to their immunomodulatory effects. Moreover, extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from DSCs act as critical mediators for DSCs' paracrine functions. Possessing regulatory properties similar to their parental cells, EVs are extensively utilized in research targeting tissue repair, immunomodulation, and regenerative therapy-offering a "cell-free" strategy to mitigate the limitations associated with cell-based therapies. Despite these advancements, standardizing large-scale manufacturing, maintaining strict quality control, and clarifying the molecular mechanisms underlying the interaction of DSCs and their EVs with recipient tissues remain major obstacles to the clinical translation of these treatments into broad clinical use. Addressing these barriers will be critical to enhancing their clinical applicability and therapeutic efficacy. In conclusion, DSCs and their EVs represent a transformative approach in regenerative medicine, and increasing clinical evidence supports their application in oral and systemic diseases. Continuous innovation remains essential to unlocking the widespread clinical potential of DSCs.
Humans ; Dental Pulp/cytology* ; Translational Research, Biomedical ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/cytology* ; Periodontal Ligament/cytology* ; Stem Cells/cytology* ; Regeneration ; Tooth, Deciduous/cytology* ; Cell Differentiation ; Tissue Engineering/methods* ; Regenerative Medicine

The orofacial system, an intricate assembly of diverse tissues that underpin the unique biologic and morphological identity of an individual, presents a formidable challenge in the realm of tissue regeneration within oral and maxillofacial surgery. This review conducts a retrospective appraisal of advancements in the field of orofacial tissue regeneration, elucidating the current research landscape while critically addressing the persisting challenges. It underscores the pivotal roles of orofacial mesenchymal stem cells in orchestrating regenerative processes, offering an insightful outlook on future developments. The objective is to demarcate innovative therapeutic avenues and clinical implications by fostering a comprehensive understanding of this domain among dental practitioners. As such, it aspires to serve as a valuable reference for prospective investigations and to elevate the knowledge base pertaining to orofacial tissue regeneration.

BACKGROUND: Weather conditions are a possible contributing factor to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of irreversible loss of vision. The present study evaluated the joint effects of meteorological factors and fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) on AMD. METHODS: Data was extracted from a national cross-sectional survey conducted across 10 provinces in rural China. A total of 36,081 participants aged 40 and older were recruited. AMD was diagnosed clinically by slit-lamp ophthalmoscopy, fundus photography, and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). Meteorological data were calculated by European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) reanalysis and were matched to participants' home addresses by latitude and longitude. Participants' individual PM_2.5 exposure concentrations were calculated by a satellite-based model at a 1-km resolution level. Multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models paired with interaction analysis were performed to investigate the joint effects of meteorological factors and PM_2.5 on AMD. RESULTS: The prevalence of AMD in the study population was 2.6% (95% CI 2.42-2.76%). The average annual PM_2.5 level during the study period was 63.1 ± 15.3 µg/m³. A significant positive association was detected between AMD and PM_2.5 level, temperature (T), and relative humidity (RH), in both the independent and the combined effect models. For PM_2.5, compared with the lowest quartile, the odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) across increasing quartiles were 0.828 (0.674,1.018), 1.105 (0.799,1.528), and 2.602 (1.516,4.468). Positive associations were observed between AMD and temperature, with ORs (95% CI) of 1.625 (1.059,2.494), 1.619 (1.026,2.553), and 3.276 (1.841,5.830), across increasing quartiles. In the interaction analysis, the estimated relative excess risk due to interaction (RERI) and the attributable proportion (AP) for combined atmospheric pressure and PM_2.5 was 0.864 (0.586,1.141) and 1.180 (0.768,1.592), respectively, indicating a synergistic effect between PM_2.5 and atmospheric pressure. CONCLUSIONS This study is among the first to characterize the coordinated effects of meteorological factors and PM_2.5 on AMD. The findings warrant further investigation to elucidate the relationship between ambient environment and AMD.
Humans ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Air Pollutants/analysis* ; Particulate Matter/analysis* ; China/epidemiology* ; Macular Degeneration/etiology* ; Meteorological Concepts

Objective:To explore the diagnostic value of the toxicant and drug detection in clinical poisoning diseases and analyze the clinical characteristics of patients with positive poison test.Methods:This study was a multicenter retrospective cohort study. Sampling and clinical information data were collected between October 1, 2020 and September 30, 2022 from 41 tertiary hospitals in and around Jiangsu province. The clinical characteristics of patients with positive toxicology tests were analyzed, and the correlation between the drug sampling situation and the test results was analyzed..Results:A total of 895 patients with clinical diagnosis or suspected poisoning were enrolled in this study. Among them, 652 patients had positive results, accounting for 72.85%. Among all positive patients, 506 patients were exposed to a single poison and 147 patients were exposed to multiple poisons. The top three poisons were pesticide herbicides (202 cases, 30.98%), sedative and psychotropic drugs (151 cases, 23.16%), and pesticide insecticides (97 cases, 14.88%). Among 541 patients with clear exposure history, the positive rate was 78.19%, and among 354 patients with unclear exposure history, the positive rate was 64.69%. The top three poisons (drugs) of patients with unclear exposure history were sedative and psychotropic (82, 12.58%), herbicide (26, 3.99%), and rodenticide (22, 3.37%). Patients who admitted to hospital for unexplained consciousness disorder, abnormal blood coagulation function and multiple organ dysfunction were more likely to obtain positive poison test results.Conclusions:There is uncertainty in the exposure history of poisoning diseases, so it is necessary to improve the detection of toxic substances as soon as possible. Toxicant testing should be considered when patients have impaired consciousness, abnormal coagulation function and multiple organ dysfunction.

Objective: To evaluate the feasibility of expanded indication for endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) in undifferentiated early gastric cancer, to investigate the risk factors of lymph node metastasis (LNM), so as to provide the theoretical evidence for the choice of treatment. Methods: From June 2007 to December 2018, at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, the clinical and pathological data of 807 patients with undifferentiated early gastric cancer and undergoing gastrectomy plus lymphadenectomy were retrospectively analyzed. Chi-square test was performed to analyze the correlation between clinicopathologic characteristics of early gastric cancer and LNM. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to analyze the independent risk factor of LNM. Results: LNM was found in 17.2% (139/807) patients with undifferentiated early gastric cancer. And no LNM was detected in 110 patients who met the expanded indication of ESD. The results of univariate analysis indicated that LNM was significantly associated with increased carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), tumour size, gross type, ulcer, invasion depth, lymphovascular invasion and perineural invasion (χ²=4.500, 13.332, 16.611, 6.083, 51.064, 0.564 and 17.006, all P<0.05). The results of multivariate analysis demonstrated that the maximum diameter of tumor over 20 mm (odds ratio (OR)=1.606, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.021 to 2.526, P=0.040), lymphovascular invasion (OR=16.835, 95%CI 10.510 to 26.966, P<0.01), the depth of submucosal superficial invasion (≤500 μm ; OR=1.962, 95%CI 1.022 to 3.765, P=0.043) and the depth of submucosal deep invasion (>500 μm ; OR=3.014, 95%CI 1.753 to 5.181, P<0.01) were independent risk factors of LNM in early gastric cancer. Conclusions The expanded ESD indication of undifferentiated early gastric cancer is applicable for endoscopic treatment considering the low risk of LNM. In early undifferentiated gastric cancer, maximum diameter of tumor over 20 mm, lymphovascular invasion, submucosal superficial and deep invasion are the independent risk factors of LNM.

Objective To assess the value of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) in left atrial appendage (LAA) closer with Amplatzer Cardiac Plug (ACP).Methods Consecutive 32 atrial fibrillation patients (CHADS2≥1) with high risk bleeding underwent LAA occlusion with ACP LAA occlusion device under the guidance of TEE.Measurements of LAA anchoring area diameter (AAD) and LAA anatomical orifice diameter (AOD) including maximum,minimum values,and LAA depth on 2 dimentional TEE (2D TEE) were conducted before closer device implantation.The outcomes of LAA occlusion were analyzed.Results Among 32 patients,27 cases achieved successful LAA occlusion,including 2 cases with peripheral leakage ≤5 mm,and 5 cases failed occlusion.Among 5 failed closed patients,3 cases with LAA AAD≥ 30 mm,1 case with LAA of short depth,and 1 case with anatomical variation of LAA of low position that access sheath could not be positioned in the LAA.LAA AAD maximum,minimum and LAA depth were (25.9±4.9)mm,(20.0±3.8)mm,(31.0±5.6)mm,respectively,and LAA AOD maximum,minimum diameters were (26.2±6.2)mm,(19.4±4.3)mm,respectively.Among 10 cases with LAA AAD≥30 mm,7 cases achieved successful LAA occlusion,but 3 cases failed.The implanted device diameter was (26.4±3.8)mm,and device compression rate was (7.6±5.5)%.The coefficient of correlation between device diameter and large LAA AAD and AOD is 0.770 and 0.717,respectively.There was no complication but 1 case with pericardial effusion.Conclusions Two dimentional TEE measurements of LAA have clinical guiding significance in the selection of proper size of ACP LAA occluder.The AAD of 2D TEE has the good correlation with ACP occluder′s size,the AADs are important factors which affect the success of LAA occlusion.

Objective To evaluate the clinical application value of 2-dimentional transesophogeal echocardiography (2D-TEE) ,real-time 3-dimensional transesophogeal echocardiography(RT-3D TEE) and left atrial appendage CT angiography ( LAA CTA ) before percutaneous left atrial appendage closure ( LAAC) with the Watchman occluder . Methods Consecutive 50 atrial fibrillation ( AF) patients underwent 2D-TEE ,RT-3D TEE and LAA CTA examination before LAAC . The number of LAA lobes ,the diameter of landing zone (DLZ) and the depth of LAA were measured by using different methods . The correlation between LAA landing zone diameters measured by different methods and device size were calculated . Results Among 50 patients ,there was no significant difference in lobe nubmers between RT-3D TEE and LAA CTA ( P >0 .05) . The maximum diameter of landing zone(DLZ) from LAA CTA was greater than those from RT-3D TEE and 2D-TEE ( t =3 .977 ,5 .373 ,both P<0 .05) ,and DLZ from RT-3D TEE was greater than that from 2D-TEE ( t=2 .124 , P <0 .05) . The value measured by RT-3D TEE was greater than that by 2D-TEE for the LAA minimum DLZ ( t =2 .142 , P < 0 .05) . LAA depth:CTA value was greater than 2D-TEE and RT-3D TEE values( t =2 .674 ,4 .066 ,both P < 0 .05) ,and 2D-TEE value was greater than RT-3D TEE value( t =2 .114 , P <0 .05) . The correlation coefficient of LAA maximum ,minimum DLZ and LAA depth between 2D-TEE and RT-3D TEE were 0 .638 ,0 .734 ,0 .647 ( all P =0 .000) ,and 0 .517 ,0 .338 and 0 .591 between RT-3D TEE and LAA CTA ,respectively ( all P <0 .05) ,and 0 .503 ,0 .359 and 0 .610 between 2D-TEE and LAA CTA ,respectively ( all P < 0 .05) . LAA DLZ of LAA angiography ( LAA-A) was ( 22 .6 ± 3 .5 ) mm . Fourty-seven AF patients achieved successful LAA occlusion with Watchman device and the size of closure was ( 27 .5 ± 3 .3) mm . Correlation coefficient between the size of device and LAA maximum DLZ by RT-3D TEE ,2D-TEE and LAA CTA were 0 .693 ,0 .647 ,0 .586 , respectively (all P = 0 .000) . Correlation between LAA-A and the size of device was the closest ( r =0 .914 , P =0 .000) .Conclusions The difference in LAA size measured by TEE and LAA CTA could be significant ,and need to be considered before the LAAC . 2D-TEE , RT-3D TEE and CTA LAA measurements all could play important roles in the selection of proper Watchman device size ,and the maximum DLZ of RT-3D TEE has the closest correlation with Watchman device size .