Fibroblast Insights into the Pathogenesis of Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Purpose of the Review: Emerging evidence has shown that ankylosing spondylitis fibroblasts (ASFs) act as crucial participants in inflammation and abnormal ossification in ankylosing spondylitis (AS). This review examines the investigations into ASFs and their pathological behavior, which contributes to inflammatory microenvironments and abnormal bone formation. The review spans the period from 2000 to 2023, with a primary focus on the most recent decade. Additionally, the review provides an in-depth discussion on studies on ASF ossification at the cellular level. Recent Findings: ASFs organize immune functions by recruiting immune cells and influencing their differentiation and activation, thus mediate the inflammatory response in the early phase of disease. ASFs promote joint destruction at sites of cartilage and actively promote abnormal ossification by recruiting osteoblasts, differentiation into myofibroblasts or ossification directly. Many signaling pathways and cytokines such as Wnt signaling and BMP/TGF-ß signaling are involved in ASF ossification. Summary: ASFs play a key role in AS inflammation and osteogenesis. Further studies are required to elucidate molecular mechanisms behind that and provide new targets and directions for AS diagnosis and treatment from a new perspective of fibroblasts.

Quantitative analysis of maxillary palatal masticatory mucosa thickness and anatomical morphology of palatal vault in Zhejiang province.

OBJECTIVE: To quantitatively analyze the maxillary palatal masticatory mucosa thickness and anatomical morphology of palatal vault in Zhejiang province. METHODS: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images of 146 adult patients were collected from outpatients in Department of Stomatology, the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine. The images were reconstructed by adjusting the reference line and analyzed on the sagittal plane of the measured teeth. The thickness of masticatory mucosa from maxillary canine to second molar area was measured at the level of 3, 6, 9, 12 mm from the gingival margin. At the same time, the height and width of the palatal vault were measured, the position of the greater palatal foramen relative to the second molar, and the distance from the greater palatal foramen to the mid-palatal suture and the alveolar crest were determined. Spearman correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis were used to explore the influencing factors of the maxillary masticatory mucosa thickness. One-way analysis of variance and LSD multiple comparisons were used to analyze the difference in palatal mucosal thickness of each tooth position in different age groups. The sample t-test was used to analyze the differences in the mucosal thickness of each tooth position and the distance from the greater palatal foramen to the mid-palatal suture and the alveolar crest in different anatomical forms of the palatal vault. RESULTS: The mean palatal masticatory mucosa thickness from maxillary canines, first premolars, second premolars, first molar and second molar areas were (2.94±0.48), (3.28±0.49), (3.43±0.53), (3.01±0.55), (3.49±0.70) mm, respectively. The mucosa thickness of canines, first premolars and second premolars areas showed increasing at first and then decreasing trend. The mucosal thickness of the canines area was greatest at 6 mm from the gingival margin, and the thickness of the first and second premolars areas was greatest at 9 mm from the gingival margin. Premolars are thickest at 9 mm from the gingival margin. The thickness of the mucosa of the first molars area increased with the increase of the distance from the gingival margin, and the thickness of the mucosa of the second molars area was the thinnest at 6 mm, and then increased with the increase of the distance from the gingival margin. The main influencing factors of the mucosal thickness of canines, first premolars and first molars areas were age and palatal vault aspect ratio, the main influencing factor of the mucosal thickness of second premolars area was age, and the main influencing factor of the mucosal thickness of second molars area was palatal vault aspect ratio. There was no significant colinearity among the variables ( VIF<10). The results of the further stratified analysis showed that the mucosal thickness of the maxillary canine to the first molar area was positively correlated with age, and mucosal thickening is more pronounced in people aged 45 years old and above. The thickness of the canine mucosa in the high palate vault group was greater than that in the low palate vault group ( P<0.05), and the thickness of the second molar mucosa was smaller than that in the low palate vault group ( P<0.05). The greater palatal foramen was mostly located in the distal region of the second molar crown. The distance from the greater palatal foramen to the alveolar crest in the high palatal vault group was greater than that in the low palatal vault group ( P<0.05), while there was no significant difference between the two groups in the distance from the foramen magnum to the mid-palatal suture ( P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The most suitable donor site for autologous soft tissue graft may be 3-9 mm from the gingival margin of the first and second premolars area.

Serum interleukin-6, interleukin-17A, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent aphthous stomatitis remains the most common disease of the oral mucosa. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of serum interleukin-6, interleukin-17A, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in recurrent aphthous stomatitis. METHODS: Using flow cytometry analysis, we detect the level of serum interleukin-2, interleukin-6, interleukin-17A, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interferon-gamma in 127 patients with recurrent aphthous stomatitis and 20 healthy control cases; compare; and analyze the correlation of each index. RESULTS: The levels of serum interleukin-2, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interferon-gamma in the recurrent aphthous stomatitis group were higher than in the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P < .05). There was no significant difference in interleukin-17A between the two groups. CONCLUSION: The levels of serum interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in recurrent aphthous stomatitis patients were significantly increased. Considering that serum TNF-α was mostly within the normal range, its role in the pathology of RAS needed to be further explored.

Investigation of an Improved Side-Vented Needle and Corresponding Irrigation Strategy for Root Canal Therapy with CFD Method.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to present an improved side-vented needle and explore its availability as well as the corresponding irrigation strategy. METHODS: A CFD model was used to simulate the irrigant flow in a simplified prepared round root canal with an apical delta respectively with different needles for irrigation. The needle types include flat end-tip needle, original side-vented needle, and improved side-vented needle. Different insertion depths and inlet velocities were contrastively studied, as well as the gap size between the bulb at the end tip of the improved side-vented needle and the root canal. The study includes a total of 13 schemes. Velocity, pressure, and shear stress in the root canal were measured to contrast the internal flow-field details and irrigation efficiencies between different schemes. RESULTS: Poor irrigation replacement appeared in the schemes without enough needle insertion no matter which kind of needle has been used, though relatively lower pressure emerged at the apical foramen. On the contrary, deepening needle insertion not only brings better irrigant replacement but also higher apical foramen pressure. The original side-vented needle tends to make lower pressure at the apical foramen and simultaneously worse irrigant replacement as compared to the flat end-tip needle. The fluid entering the apical anatomy part deceases a lot as the original side-vented needle was replaced by the improved one. The scheme using the improved side-vented needle with gap size ratio and inlet velocity respectively equaling 5.0% and 5.50m/s can be considered the best one. CONCLUSIONS: The improved side-vented needle can ensure acceptable irrigant replacement performance without leading to a high-pressure level at the apical foramen. The gap between the bulb and the wall of the root canal is very crucial for the pressure at the apical. The ideal irrigation strategy is ensuring the gap equals zero. However, it is a little hard to realize during the whole procedure of the root canal preparation except the final step. Consequently, another strategy that keeping the value of gap size ratio as small as possible such as less than 15% and simultaneously ensuring lower-velocity coming fluid, is necessary in the non-final irrigation.

Multiple superficial mucoceles concomitant with oral lichen planus: a case series.

Superficial mucoceles are a relatively rare variant of common mucoceles and have an unclear etiology. Clinically, they are small, translucent, subepithelial vesicles affecting the oral mucosa in the retromolar region, the lower labial and buccal regions, and the bilateral soft palate. Superficial mucocele is easily misdiagnosed as pemphigoid, bullous lichen planus, herpes lesion, or venous lake when it is concomitant with oral lichen planus (OLP) or lichenoid disorders on the basis of the initial impression. An inflammatory mechanism related to OLP has been hypothesized to induce the development of superficial mucoceles. It is essential to be familiar with this entity. This report presents 9 cases of multiple superficial mucoceles that occurred sequentially concomitant with OLP and with consistent clinical and histopathologic features. Relevant studies reported in the literature are also reviewed to provide additional clarification of the etiology, clinicopathologic characteristics, and differential diagnosis.