J Formos Med Assoc
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The objectives of this retrospective study are to analyze post-surgical gingival thickness after connective tissue grafting in the Asian population and to assess its tissue stability for up to approximately 3.5 years. ⋯ Connective tissue grafting is a predictable treatment modality for gingival phenotype conversion, even in Asians, achieving nearly 2 mm of gingival thickness on average, post-operation. Tissue stability after connective tissue grafting has been presented in our study. This quantitative assessment of the gingival thickness in Asians may encourage clinicians to deal with soft tissue architecture ahead of main surgical, restorative and orthodontic treatments in order to achieve pleasing treatment outcomes.
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Long non-coding RNA HOXA transcript at the distal tip (HOTTIP) has been reported to contribute to multiple carcinomas, but whether it involves in the progression of precancerous conditions remains to be determined. Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) has been known as an oral potentially malignant disorder and attributed to the persistent activation of the myofibroblast. ⋯ Collectively, our results suggest that HOTTIP plays a crucial role in the persistent activation of myofibroblasts as well as the chronic inflammation and collagen deposition.
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Prognostic factors remain unclear in patients undergoing transcatheter implantation of Venus P-valve for their severe pulmonary regurgitation associated with native right ventricular (RV) outflow tract. ⋯ In the small cohort with severe pulmonary regurgitation, implantation of a Venus P-valve led to promising reductions in RV volume. However, no definite improvement in cardiopulmonary exercise capacity or RV ejection fraction was achieved. Levels of NT-proBNP and LVEDP may be helpful for refining the indications of the Venus P-valve implantation.
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Review Meta Analysis
Gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance versus computed tomography angiography for renal artery stenosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and computed tomography angiography (CTA) are commonly used for diagnosing renal arterial stenosis (RAS); however, the diagnostic value is yet controversial. The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic values of both methods. Electronic databases, including PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library, were searched for studies, since inception until October 2017. ⋯ The summary of sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) (AUC) were 0.70, 0.82, 14.54, 0.29, 63.80, and 0.81 for MRA-based diagnosis of RAS, respectively. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, NLR, DOR, and AUC for CTA detecting RAS were 0.73, 0.96, 13.04, 0.29, 71.99, and 0.93, respectively. Gadolinium-enhanced MRA and CTA provide a satisfactory diagnostic accuracy, thereby playing a critical role in the diagnosis of RAS.