Alleviate Periodontitis and Its Comorbidity Hypertension using a Nanoparticle-Embedded Functional Hydrogel System.

Periodontitis and hypertension often occur as comorbidities, which need to be treated at the same time. To resolve this issue, a controlled-release composite hydrogel approach is proposed with dual antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities as a resolution to achieve the goal of co-treatment of comorbidities. Specifically, chitosan (CS) with inherent antibacterial properties is cross-linked with antimicrobial peptide (AMP)-modified polyethylene glycol (PEG) to form a dual antibacterial hydrogel (CS-PA). Subsequently, curcumin loaded into biodegradable nanoparticles (CNP) are embedded in the hydrogel exhibiting high encapsulation efficiency and sustained release to achieve long-term anti-inflammatory activities. In a mouse model of periodontitis complicated with hypertension, CS-PA/CNP is applied to gingival sulcus and produced an optimal therapeutic effect on periodontitis and hypertension simultaneously. The therapeutic mechanisms are deeply studied and indicated that CS-PA/CNP exerted excellent immunoregulatory effects by suppressing the accumulation of lymphocytes and myeloid cells and enhanced the antioxidant capacity and thus the anti-inflammatory capacity of macrophages through the glutathione metabolism pathway. In conclusion, CS-PA/CNP has demonstrated its superior therapeutic effects and potential clinical translational value in the co-treatment of periodontitis and hypertension, and also serves as a drug delivery platform to provide combinatorial therapeutic options for periodontitis with complicated pathogenesis.

[Preliminary study on the effect of combined invisible orthodontic and orthognathic treatment in 24 skeletal Class â ¢ patients with facial asymmetry].

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical effect of combined orthodontic and orthognathic treatment with invisible aligner technique without brackets in skeletal Class Ⅲ patients with facial asymmetry. METHODS: A total of 24 skeletal Class Ⅲ patients with facial asymmetry treated with combined orthodontic and orthognathic treatment during the past 4 years were reviewed. Patients in the experimental group(n=12) were treated with invisible aligner technique without brackets, while patients in the control group(n=12) were treated with traditional fixed orthodontic technique for pre- and post-operative orthodontic treatment respectively. The cephalometric parameters and satisfaction questionnaire scores of the two groups before and after treatment were compared and analyzed with SPSS 20.0 software package for t test and Wilcoxon rank sum test, respectively. RESULTS: After treatment, the cephalometric parameters of SNA, SNB, ANB, U1-SN and L1-MP values were changed significantly(P＜0.05), but there was no significant difference between the values of experimental group and the control group(P＞0.05). The scores of aesthetics, comfort, portability, masticatory and speech function in the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group(P＜0.05). The satisfaction scores of the two groups were both 8.8±0.5(P＞0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Skeletal Class Ⅲ patients with facial asymmetry could obtain good clinical effect by using invisible aligner technique. The patients were satisfied with the aesthetics, comfort and the effect of combined invisible orthodontic and orthognathic treatment.