Current status, crisis and trends in Chinese dental technicians.

BACKGROUND: Chinese dental technicians play a significant role in the globalised market of dental prosthesis fabrication, but this subject has not been investigated in detail. The demand for dental prostheses increases as individuals pay increasing attention to their oral health. Therefore, it is important to investigate the status of Chinese dental technicians. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the current status of Chinese dental technicians. METHODS: Dental technicians' resumés, which reveal information regarding dental technician manpower, degrees, working age and salary, etc., were analysed and compared with those abroad. We also estimated the future demands of dental technician manpower, and discussed some potential solutions. RESULTS: There are fewer dental technicians in China than in other developed countries; they are also of a lower standard. Male technicians outnumber females. The education level of technicians is insufficient, and the education programme is still in its exploratory stage. CONCLUSIONS: The development of dental technician teams in China represents both an opportunity and a challenge. It is important to move forward from the current situation to yield long-term development. This article provides information on the Chinese dental technology industry, identifies the problems and offers solutions for its development.

Tocilizumab therapy for persistent high-grade fever in systemic lupus erythematosus: two cases and a literature review.

Tocilizumab (TCZ) is a humanized immunoglobulin (Ig) G1 monoclonal antibody directed against the interleukin (IL)-6 receptor. We report on two patients with persistent high-grade fever and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who were treated with TCZ. Two female Chinese patients presented with SLE and high-grade fever, with raised inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and IL-6, but no signs of opportunistic infections. Their fever and other symptoms responded poorly to broad-spectrum antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, and glucocorticoids. They were both treated with TCZ. Their body temperatures returned to normal after treatment with TCZ, and other symptoms, including arthralgia, gradually improved. Both patients were followed-up and their conditions remained steady to date. TCZ may thus be an alternative treatment for patients with SLE and persistent high-grade fever who fail to respond to initial antibiotics and high-dose glucocorticoids.

Paridis saponins inhibiting carcinoma growth and metastasis in vitro and in vivo.

Paris polyphylla Smith var. yunnanensis extracts, Rhizoma Paridis saponins (RPS) have been found to show strong antitumor activity. However, few studies have yet investigated pulmonary metastasis treatment with this herb. To detail the effective components in RPS and discuss the preliminary mechanism of antitumor effects in vivo and in vitro, a mixture isolated from RPS was investigated. The main constituents were identified as polyphyllin D, formosanin C, dioscin, Paris H, Paris VII and pennogennin 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1→4)-[ß-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1→2)]-ß-D-glucopyranoside. In our experiments, LA795 cells were exposed to the mixed compounds. Migration inhibition was evaluated by wound healing assay and migration assay in non-cytotoxic dose which was determined by MTT assay. The results demonstrated that the constituent in varying degrees inhibited the migration of the tumor cells in vitro. The mixture also showed antitumor effects on carcinoma in vivo. In conclusion, the mixture is a potent anticancer agent that elicits programmed cell death and inhibits the migration in murine lung adenocarcinoma, both in vitro and in vivo.