Clinical and biochemical comparison of guided tissue regeneration versus guided tissue regeneration plus low-level laser therapy in the treatment of class II furcation defects: A clinical study.

OBJECTIVE: The present study was aimed to compare the clinical and biochemical effectiveness of guided tissue regeneration (GTR) alone and combined with low-level laser therapy (LLLT) application in the treatment of furcation II periodontal defects, over a period of 6 months. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty-three furcation defects were included in the study. Seventeen of these defects were treated with GTR plus LLLT, and sixteen of them were treated with GTR alone. Probing pocket depth (PPD), clinical attachment level (CAL), horizontal probing depth (HPD), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and osteocalcin (OC) levels in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) were recorded at baseline and at postoperative 3rd and 6th months. RESULTS: Healing was uneventful in all cases. At the 3rd and 6th months, both treatment modalities-GTR and GTR plus LLLT--showed improved PPD, CAL, and HPD values compared to their baseline values. ALP and OC levels in GCF increased after the treatment in both groups (p < 0.05). When compared the two groups, at the 6th month, PPD, CAL, HPD, and ALP values showed significantly more improvement in laser group than non-laser group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that both treatments led to significantly favorable clinical improvements in furcation periodontal defects. LLLT plus GTR may be a more effective treatment modality compared to GTR alone.

Measuring Oxidative DNA Damage With 8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine Levels in Patients With Laryngeal Cancer.

OBJECTIVES: 8-Hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine is a biomolecule associated with DNA damage. We evaluated oxidative stress and DNA damage in patients with laryngeal cancer by measuring 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine levels. METHODS: This study enrolled 117 subjects, including 64 controls and 53 patients who had benign vocal cord lesions or laryngeal cancer. The benign excised lesions, tumor tissue, noncancerous laryngeal tissue, blood, and urine were subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography, and 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine levels were compared between groups. RESULTS: Blood and urine 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine levels in patients with laryngeal carcinoma were significantly higher than in the controls ( P = .00002, P = .00001). The 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine level was significantly higher in tumor tissues than in non-tumor tissue and benign vocal cord lesion tissues ( P = .00002, P = .000001). CONCLUSIONS: We determined that laryngeal cancer was associated with oxidative stress, which may be quantified by measuring 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine. For a patient with a suspicious laryngeal lesion, 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine levels in blood and urine can provide advance information about the likely diagnosis.

Investigation of the prevalence of essential tremor in individuals aged 18-60 in Erzurum.

Essential tremor (ET) is one of the common neurological diseases and it is the most common movement disorder in adults. The main clinical finding in patients with ET is kinetic tremor in the arms. There is no adequate study investigating the prevalence of ET in Turkey. Therefore, this study was planned in the center of the city of Erzurum in order to determine the prevalence of essential tremor in our region. This study was performed door to door in the center of the city of Erzurum. ET screening questionnaires were administered to all participants between the ages of 18-60 at first stage. Those who answer yes to any of the first five questions of the questionnaire were evaluated. Patients without a clear differential diagnosis were called for examination to the neurology department and they were re-evaluated by a faculty member specializing in movement disorders. Patients were classified by using Washington Heights-Inwood Genetic Study of Essential Tremor diagnostic and clinical evaluation scale. The prevalence of ET was calculated as 1.60 % (64 out of 4,024 participants). 30 of the cases were male and 34 were female. First-degree relatives of 30 patients with ET had a history of tremor. While 52 patients had tremor only in their hands, 11 patients had in various organs including hands. There was isolated head tremor in one patient. ET prevalence was increasing with age. The prevalence of ET in people between the ages of 18 and 60 was calculated as 1.60 %. This value is compatible with other measurements of the prevalence of ET.