Complex relation among Health Belief Model components in TB prevention and care.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore the relationships among components of the Health Belief Model, tuberculosis (TB) preventive behavior, and intention of seeking TB care. STUDY DESIGN: Cross section study. METHODS: Using convenience sampling, 1154 rural-to-urban migrant workers were selected between the ages of 18-50 years in six urban areas of three provinces in China. The survey was conducted by individual, face-to-face interviews with a standardized questionnaire. Lisrel 8.7 was used to conduct path analysis. RESULTS: The knowledge and benefits components of the Health Belief Model predicted preventive behaviors: cover nose/mouth when coughing or sneezing (ß = 0.24, 0.33 respectively), evade others' coughs (ß = 0.13, 0.25) and also predicted seeking TB care (ß = 0.27, 0.19). Susceptibility and severity also predicted seeking TB care (ß = 0.12, 0.16). There were also important relationships among model components. Knowledge of TB predicted both susceptibility (ß = 0.32-0.60) and severity (ß = 0.41-0.45). Further, each of susceptibility (ß = 0.30) and severity (ß = 0.41) predicted perceived benefits of preventive care. CONCLUSION: Thus, a path from knowledge, through severity and susceptibility, and then through benefits predicted prevention and TB care seeking behaviors.

[Observation on the effect of plasmatrix bone block applied on alveolar horizontal bone augmentation].

A retrospective case series was used to evaluate the effect of plasmatrix bone blocks on bone augmentation at the level of the alveolar ridge. From January 2021 to April 2022, a total of 25 patients who underwent horizontal alveolar ridge level bone augmentation in the Department of Implantology, Wuhan Dazhong Stomatological Hospital were included. Autologous bone chips, deproteinized bovine bone matrix and plasma matrix were used to make plasma matrix bone blocks, combined with absorbable collagen membrane and plasma matrix membrane for guided bone regeneration. Three-dimensional reconstruction was performed on the cone beam CT data before operation and 6 months after operation, and the bone width and alveolar bone volume at 2 and 8 mm from the alveolar crest were measured. The paired t test was used to compare the differences between two time points of the same measurement item. The results showed that compared with preoperative [(5.5±3.4) mm] bone width, the bone width [(9.5±2.5) mm] at 2 mm from the alveolar crest was significantly increased at 6 months after operation (t=3.40, P˂0.001); there was no significant difference in the bone width at the level of 8 mm from the alveolar crest between pre-and 6 months post-operation (t=3.13, P=0.050). The volumes of alveolar bone at 2 and 8 mm from the alveolar crest were (5 114±3 883) and (3 329±2 874) mm3 before operation, respectively, and these increased significantly to (5 999±4 318) and (4 042±3 260) mm3 (t=5.69, P˂0.001; t=5.689, P˂0.001) 6 month post-operation. The results from this study has shown that the use of plasmatrix bone blocks+absorbable collagen membrane+plasma matrix membrane for horizontal bone augmentation in guided bone regeneration has a promising bone augmentation outcome.

[Research progress on the role of extracellular vesicles in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic periodontitis].

Chronic periodontitis is a disease of periodontal supporting tissue infection caused by various causes. It was believed that the oral bacteria were the initiator of chronic periodontitis, and the host immune factors would affect the developing process and outcome of periodontitis, although the specific regulatory mechanism was not completely clear. Extracellular vesicles, subcellular components produced by cell paracrine, may carry a variety of genetic information to mediate intercellular communication. Extracellular vesicles have been found to be closely related to tumors and cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, neurological and immune system diseases and provide a research pathway for the early diagnosis, etiological therapy and vaccine design. Various extracellular vesicles are released from periodontal ligament stem cells, gingival mesenchymal stem cells, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, osteoblasts, osteoclasts, immune cells and periodontal pathogenic bacteria. These extracellular vesicles release for mutual communication and regulation, and further affect the pathogenesis of chronic periodontitis. In the present article, the characteristics of extracellular vesicles from periodontal tissues and periodontal pathogenic bacteria were introduced, the research progress of extracellular vesicles involved in the regulation of chronic periodontitis was reviewed and the potential value of extracellular vesicles in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic periodontitis was prospected.

Efficacy and safety of pegylated interferon alpha-2a therapy for chronic hepatitis C in HIV-infected patients with haemophilia.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) alpha-2a monotherapy in a cohort of Chinese haemophilic patients co-infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/hepatitis C virus (HCV) and undergoing highly active antiretroviral drugs therapy. Twenty-two (n = 22) patients with CD4 lymphocyte counts over 200 cells microL(-1) were treated with 180 microg of PEG-IFN alpha-2a subcutaneously once in a week for 48 weeks. HCV load (HCV RNA), HIV load (HIV RNA) and CD4 lymphocyte counts were measured at baseline and 4, 12, 24, 48 and 72 weeks after initiation of anti-HCV therapy. Efficacy and safety were analysed according to baseline CD4 status (> or =350 cells microL(-1)). Significant HCV-RNA decreases (>1 log(10) copies mL(-1)) were observed through week 72 after PEG-INF alpha-2a monotherapy across both CD4 strata. CD4 status was not associated with treatment outcomes as evaluated using rapid viral response rate (P = 0.655), early viral response rate (P = 0.387), end-of-treatment viral response rate (P = 1.000) or sustained viral response rate (SVR, P = 0.674). A sustained virological response was achieved in nine patients (41%), five with genotype 2a (83%) and four with genotype 1b (25%, P = 0.023). SVR was HCV genotype dependent. Eleven patients required a dose reduction in PEG-IFN alpha-2a. PEG-IFN alpha-2a monotherapy could be considered as a safe and effective option for the treatment of HCV infection in HIV patients with haemophilia, particularly in resource-limited settings. While higher CD4 lymphocyte counts resulted in greater HCV-RNA reduction, HCV genotype was a predictor for sustained virological response.

[Evaluation of immediate implant in patients with limited buccal bone wall dehiscence in single upper anterior tooth].

Objective: To compare and evaluate the clinical outcome of immediate implant therapy in patients with limited buccal bone wall dehiscence and in patients with intact buccal bone wall. Methods: This prospective cohort study included patients intended to receive immediate implant treatment in upper anterior esthetic region in the Department of Implantology, Hospital of Stomatology, Wuhan University from August to December, 2018. Patients with buccal bone wall dehiscence limited to the coronal half were attributed to experimental group to conduct flap implant surgery (indicating to less than coronal half of the buccal bone wall length from the alveolar bone crest to the implant tip), whereas patients with intact buccal bone wall were attributed to control group to conduct flapless implant surgery. Buccal bone wall resorptions in height and thickness were evaluated 6 months after implant placement. Implant survival rate, pink/white esthetic score and post-operation complications were also analyzed 12 months after implant placement. Paired t-test and two-sample t-test were adopted to analyze the differences of different points within one group and differences between groups, respectively. Results: A total of 38 patients with the age of (39.2±5.8) years (range 19-45 years) and 38 upper anterior single tooth implants were included,in which 19 patients were attributed to experimental group [12 male and 7 female, the age was (37.6±5.3) years], and 19 patients were attributed to control group [9 male and 10 female, the age was (40.8±6.7) years]. Over the 12 months' observation after implant placement, the overall implant survival rate was 97% (37/38), and 18/19 in control group and 19/19 in experimental group. Only one implant lost in control group and no other complications were reported. Buccal bone resorption in thickness and height occurred in both groups within 6 months after implant placement. The thickness and height of buccal bone decreased significantly in both groups within 6 months after implant placement (P<0.05). Thickness decreases in experimental group were (1.32±0.74), (0.53±0.89) and (0.36±0.70) mm in coronal, middle and apical part of implant in experimental, and (1.24±0.57), (0.83±0.46) and (0.38±0.72) mm in coronal, middle and apical part of implant in control group. While the buccal bone height decreases were (0.24±0.15) mm in experimental group and (0.25±0.23) mm in control group. There were no statistical differences between the corresponding spots in the two groups (P>0.05). Upon the final restoration, both group got ideal pink esthetic scores [experimental group (10.92±1.13),control group (10.92±1.26)] and white esthetic scores [experimental group (7.61±0.78), control group (7.40±0.71)], the differences in both groups were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Conclusions: Clinical results of immediate implant to patients with buccal bone wall dehiscence limited to the coronal half are comparable to the results of patients with intact buccal bone wall.

Association study of IFNAR2 and IL10RB genes with the susceptibility and interferon response in HBV infection.

A recent genome-wide association study discovered that two polymorphisms, interferon (IFN) alpha receptor 2 (IFNAR-2) F8S and interleukin 10 receptor (IL10RB) K47E, were associated with susceptibility to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Africa. Here, we reevaluate the effects of the two polymorphisms on HBV susceptibility in the Chinese Han population, and extended the study to look at their association with IFN response in chronic hepatitis B (CHB). We included 341 patients with CHB and 341 unrelated controls presenting with asymptotic HBV self-limited infection, who were well matched in age and sex. In the CHB group, 101 patients had been treated with peg-IFN-alpha-2a for 48 weeks and followed up for 24 weeks to determine the clinical response, resulting 34 individuals with sustained virological response (SVR) and 67 individuals with nonsustained response (NR). Subgroups in the CHB group were divided according to the viral loads, HBeAg and maternal HBsAg status. The association with the susceptibility to HBV infection was only observed for IL10RB K47E when we compared the individuals with persistent HBV infection through nonmaternal transmission to the controls with asymptomatic self-limited HBV infection. Further, we found that the IFNAR2-8SS genotype was associated with HBeAg negative patients (OR = 0.316, 95% CI: 0.121-0.825, P = 0.019) and that the IFNAR2-8F allele was associated with the risk to high viral loads (OR = 1.667, 95% CI: 1.148-2.420, P = 0.007). In addition, the IFNAR2-8FF genotype predisposed to higher MxA gene induction and correlated with sustained IFN response (OR = 0.348, 95% CI: 0.129-0.935, P = 0.036). Haplotype analysis based on polymorphisms of three single-nucleotide polymorphisms, MxA - 88 G/T, IFNAR-2 F8S and IL10RB K47E showed that the haplotype distribution was significantly different between the SVR and NR groups (P = 0.040). This study suggests that IFNAR2 may play an important role in determining IFN response and clinical phenotypes of HBV infection in the Chinese Han population.

Molecularly imprinted polymer doped with Hectorite for selective recognition of sinomenine hydrochloride.

In this work, a new and facile method was introduced to prepare molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) based on nano clay hectorite (Hec) for sinomenine hydrochloride (SM) analysis. Hec was firstly dissolved in distilled water in order to swell adequately, followed by a common precipitation polymerization with SM as the template, methacrylic acid as monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a crosslinker and 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator. Hec@SM-MIPs were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The maximum binding capacity of Hec@SM-MIPs, SM-MIPs and non-imprinted polymers (NIPs) (Hec@NIPs) was 57.4, 16.8 and 11.6 mg/g, respectively. The reason for this result may be that Hec@SM-MIPs have more binding sites and imprinted cavities for template molecule. Equilibrium data were described by the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models. The results showed that the Hec@SM-MIPs adsorption data correlated better with the Langmuir equation than the Freundlich equation under the studied concentration range. In vitro drug release experiment, Hec@SM-MIPs have a better ability to control SM release than SM-MIPs. Therefore, Hec@SM-MIPs were successfully applied to extraction of SM and used as the materials for drug delivery system.