Nos3 Gene Rs1799983 and Rs2070744 Polymorphisms in Patients with Periodontal Disease.

Periodontal disease is a common oral disease. Inflammatory and immune responses to oral microorganisms initiate the development of periodontitis. Cigarette smoking is an important environmental risk factor for periodontitis. Another important inflammatory mediator is nitric oxide (NO). NO modulates vascular tone, microvascular permeability, leukocyte migration and oxidative activity, contributing to the direct killing of microorganisms. Several polymorphisms of the NOS3 gene have been detected, which may alter gene expression and NO synthesis. The aim of this study was to examine the association between the NOS3 rs1799983 and rs2070744 polymorphisms and periodontal disease. This study enrolled 200 patients with periodontal diseases (130 were non-smokers and 70 were smokers) and 160 control subjects (126 were non-smokers and 34 were smokers). Among the patients with periodontal disease, we observed a statistically increased frequency of patients with the CT genotype (TC vs. TT; 95%CI 1.83, OR 1.16-2.88, P = 0.011). There was a statistically significant increased frequency of CT genotype carriers among non-smoking patients with periodontal disease as compared with non-smoking controls, whereas there were no statistically significant differences between smoking patients with periodontal disease and smoking control subjects. The results of our study suggest an association between the NOS3 rs2070744 polymorphism and periodontal disease.

[Percutaneous tracheotomy]. / Tracheotomia przezskórna.

The purpose of this study was to compare on the basis of up to date papers currently applied methods of the percutaneous tracheostomy (PT). There are four main PT methods by: Ciaglia, Schachner, Griggs and Fantoni. In these methods a wire is introduced into the trachea serving as a guide for special forceps or series of dilatators of increasing diameter to dilate the wall and allow cannulation of the trachea. In the literature authors found a low incidence of complications after PT. Acute complications were documented in 6-18% and late complications in 1-3% of the patients. Follow-up showed no late obstructive complications at the level of stomia and very low (0.3-0.36%) mortality risk. Translaryngeal tracheostomy (TLT) by Fantoni ensures minimal risk of complications and tissue trauma. In the TLT method through a needle inserted in to the trachea a guide wire is retrogradely pushed out of the mouth and attached to special flexible tracheostomy tube by flexible plastic cone with pointed metal tip. This device is then pulled back through larynx and outwards across the trachea and neck wall by traction on the wire. TLT can also be used in infants and children and in difficult patients in whom other techniques are riskier Review of the literature suggests that the PT can be safe and also cost-effective for properly selected patients in intensive care and other hospital units.