Evidence-based Update of Pediatric Dental Restorative Procedures: Dental Materials.

BACKGROUND: The science of dental materials and restorative care in children and adolescent is constantly evolving, and the ongoing search for ideal restorative materials has led to plethora of research. AIM: To provide an evidence base to assist dental practitioners choose appropriate restorative care for children and adolescents. STUDY DESIGN: This evidence-based review appraises this literature, primarily between the years 1995-2013, for efficacy of dental amalgam, composites, glass ionomer cements, compomers, preformed metal crowns and anterior esthetic restorations. The assessment of evidence for each dental material was based on a strong evidence, evidence in favor, expert opinion, and evidence against by consensus of the authors. RESULTS: There is varying level of evidence for the use of restorative materials like amalgam, composites, glass ionomers, resin-modified glass-ionomers, compomers, stainless steel crowns and anterior crowns for both primary and permanent teeth. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial amount data is available on restorative materials used in pediatric dentistry; however, there exists substantial evidence from systematic reviews and randomized clinical trials and clinicians need to examine and understand the available literature evidence carefully to aid them in clinical decision making.

Nerve growth factor-induced derepression of peripherin gene expression is associated with alterations in proteins binding to a negative regulatory element.

The peripherin gene, which encodes a neuronal-specific intermediate filament protein, is transcriptionally induced with a late time course when nerve growth factor (NGF) stimulates PC12 cells to differentiate into neurons. We have studied its transcriptional regulation in order to better understand the neuronal-specific end steps of the signal transduction pathway of NGF. By 5' deletion mapping of the peripherin promoter, we have localized two positive regulatory elements necessary for full induction by NGF: a distal positive element and a proximal constitutive element within 111 bp of the transcriptional start site. In addition, there is a negative regulatory element (NRE; -179 to -111), the deletion of which results in elevated basal expression of the gene. Methylation interference footprinting of the NRE defined a unique sequence, GGCAGGGCGCC, as the binding site for proteins present in nuclear extracts from both undifferentiated and differentiated PC12 cells. However, DNA mobility shift assays using an oligonucleotide probe containing the footprinted sequence demonstrate a prominent retarded complex in extracts from undifferentiated PC12 cells which migrates with slower mobility than do the complexes produced by using differentiated PC12 cell extract. Transfection experiments using peripherin-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase constructs in which the footprinted sequence has been mutated confirm that the NRE has a functional, though not exclusive, role in repressing peripherin expression in undifferentiated and nonneuronal cells. We propose a two-step model of activation of peripherin by NGF in which dissociation of a repressor from the protein complex at the NRE, coupled with a positive signal from the distal positive element, results in depression of the gene.

Transcriptional activators differ in their responses to overexpression of TATA-box-binding protein.

We investigated how overexpression of human TATA-box-binding protein (TBP) affects the action of estrogen receptor (ER) and compared the response with that of other activators. When ER activates a simple promoter, consisting of a response element and either the collagenase or tk TATA box, TBP overexpression potentiates transcription. TBP potentiates only estrogen-induced and not basal transcription and does so independent of spacing between response element and TATA box. TBP overexpression also reduces autoinhibition by overexpressed ER, suggesting that one target of the autoinhibition may be TBP itself. Both AF-1 and AF-2 domains of ER are potentiated by TBP, and each domain binds TBP in vitro. Like ER, chimeric GAL4/VP16 and GAL4/Tat activators are also potentiated by TBP, as is the synergistic activation by ER and GAL4/VP16 on a complex promoter. Unlike ER, GAL4/Sp1 and GAL4/NF-I become less potent when TBP is overexpressed. Furthermore, synergy between ER and Sp1 or between ER and NF-I, whether these are supplied by transfected GAL4 fusions or by the endogenous genes, is inhibited by TBP overexpression. Thus, ER resembles VP16 in response to TBP overexpression and is different from Sp1 and NF-I, which predominate over ER in setting the response on complex promoters.

Fos family members successively occupy the tyrosine hydroxylase gene AP-1 site after nerve growth factor or epidermal growth factor stimulation and can repress transcription.

Nerve growth factor induces the neuronal-like differentiation of PC12 cells, and epidermal growth factor promotes PC12 viability and is weakly mitogenic. Despite these differences, both growth factors induce indistinguishable patterns of transient delayed transcription of the tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) gene and the expression of proteins encoded by Fos gene family members. Thus, TH expression is sensitive to signaling pathways common to these two growth factors. We show that c-fos and fosB successively occupy an AP-1 site-like element of the TH promoter after nerve growth factor treatment. Furthermore, under conditions of transient transfection, Fos family proteins may synergize with c-jun to transrepress TH gene transcription through the TH-fat-specific element. We show that the target of repression is the AP-1 site-like element that lies within the TH-fat-specific element. We demonstrate that this site is also a major positive acting site for TH control. These results suggest a model in which the long term effect of c-fos family protein expression is to limit the expression of the TH gene. We consider the novel properties of this element in providing temporal and cell type-specific regulation of TH transcription.

MRI signal hyperintensities in geriatric depression.

OBJECTIVE: The authors rated periventricular and subcortical signal hyperintensities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in elderly patients with depression and in normal subjects with similar demographic features to examine whether such changes discriminate patients with depression from normal subjects and whether they are associated with any clinical variables. METHOD: Two established hyperintensity rating systems were used to compare the MRI brain scans of 48 elderly patients with depression diagnosed according to DSM-III-R with the scans of 39 normal elderly subjects. RESULTS: Elderly depressed patients manifested significantly more severe hyperintensity ratings in the subcortical gray matter than age-matched comparison subjects. Significant differences were not identified between patients with similar current ages and cerebrovascular disease risk who had early-onset or late-onset depression. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support those of neuroimaging studies implicating the basal ganglia in depression and geriatric depression. The data suggest that the relationship observed in some reports between late-onset depression and MRI hyperintensities is most likely a function of cerebrovascular disease risk and age.

A longitudinal study of Alzheimer's disease: measurement, rate, and predictors of cognitive deterioration.

OBJECTIVE: This study measured the annual rate of cognitive change in patients with Alzheimer's disease and determined the effects of clinical variables on that rate. It also compared the ability of two cognitive scales to measure change over the entire range of dementia severity. METHOD: The cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale and the Blessed test for information memory and concentration were given to 111 patients with Alzheimer's disease and 72 nondemented elderly comparison subjects at 6-month intervals for up to 90 months. Longitudinal changes in scores on the cognitive subscale were measured with several different methods of data analysis. RESULTS: For the patients with Alzheimer's disease, the annual rate of change in cognitive subscale scores showed a quadratic relationship with dementia severity in which deterioration was slower for mildly and severely demented patients than for patients with moderate dementia. Gender, age at onset, and family history of dementia had no effect on the rate of cognitive deterioration. The comparison group showed a slight improvement in cognitive performance over time. All data analytic methods gave similar results. The cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale was more sensitive to change in both mild and severe dementia than was the Blessed test. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that cognitive deterioration is slow during the early and very late stages of Alzheimer's disease and more rapid during the middle stages. No clinical variables other than degree of cognitive impairment and previous rate of cognitive decline predicted rate of deterioration. These results have implications for treatment trials and attempts to identify subgroups.

Neuropsychological functioning and MRI signal hyperintensities in geriatric depression.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between signal hyperintensities--a probable marker of underlying pathology--on T2-weighted magnetic resonance brain scans and neuropsychological test findings in elderly depressed and normal subjects. METHOD: Elderly subjects with a DSM-III-R diagnosis of major depression (N=41) and normal elderly comparison subjects (N=38) participated in a magnetic resonance imaging study (1.0-T) of signal hyperintensities in periventricular, deep white matter, and subcortical gray matter. Hard copies of scans were rated in random order by research psychiatrists blind to diagnosis; the modified Fazekas hyperintensity rating scale was used. Cognitive performance was independently assessed with a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Clinical and demographic differences between groups were assessed by t tests and chi-square analysis. Relationships between neuropsychological performance and diagnosis and hyperintensities and their interaction were analyzed by using analysis of covariance, with adjustment for age and education. RESULTS: Elderly depressed subjects manifested poorer cognitive performance on several tests than normal comparison subjects. A significant interaction between hyperintensity location/severity and presence/absence of depression on cognitive performance was found: depressed patients with moderate-to-severe deep white matter hyperintensities demonstrated worse performance on general and delayed recall memory indices, executive functioning and language testing than depressed patients without such lesions and normal elderly subjects with or without deep white matter changes. CONCLUSIONS: Findings validate cognitive performance decrements in geriatric depression and suggest possible neuroanatomic vulnerabilities to developing particular neuropsychological dysfunction in depressed subjects.

Dementia with coexistent major depression.

Eleven percent (N = 25) of 232 dementia patients seen in an active geropsychiatry service also met criteria for major depression. Ten patients with dementia/depression were prospectively compared with 10 non-depressed demented and 33 nondemented depressed patients on pretreatment and posttreatment ratings of depression and cognition/memory. Seventy percent (N = 7) of the dementia/depression group and 73% (N = 24) of the depression-only group responded to antidepressant therapy. Signs and symptoms of depression complicating dementia were similar to depressive phenomena in the depression-only group. Depression with dementia appeared to lower performance on cognitive tests. Following treatment, although cognitive impairment remained in the demented range, test performance improved.

Hypochondriasis in the elderly depressed.

The significance of hypochondriacal complaints in elderly depressives was explored. Sixty percent of patients had such symptoms on admission. Twelve percent were delusional. At discharge, hypochondriasis was present in 40% of the sample, with 0% delusional. Hypochondriasis was associated with anxiety (P less than .05) and somatic concerns (P less than .001), but not with complaints of depressed mood, suicidality, or short-term outcome. In dependent physical illness ratings did not correlate with hypochondriasis, however nonpsychotropic medication use did (P less than .01). Improvement in hypochondriacal complaints with treatment, yet persistence of less intense hypochondriacal concerns after remission suggests that these features may represent an admixture of state and trait phenomena in elderly depressives.

A controlled study of MRI signal hyperintensities in older depressed patients with and without hypertension.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the frequency/severity of signal hyperintensities--likely markers of cerebrovascular disease--in the subcortical gray and deep white matter on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of brains of hypertensive and normotensive older depressed and nondepressed comparison subjects. DESIGN: Between-groups comparison of cross-sectional MRI data employing analyses of covariance controlling for the effects of age, gender, and height. SETTING: A comprehensive inpatient-outpatient geriatric psychiatry service in a university hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Nondemented older depressed (n = 81) and nondepressed comparison (n = 70) subjects divided into four groups (hypertensive depressed (n = 40), hypertensive normals (n = 21), normotensive depressed (n = 41), normotensive normals (n = 49)). MEASUREMENTS: Signal hyperintensities were rated on T-2 weighted MRI scans blind to patient diagnoses employing two standardized hyperintensity rating systems (Fazekas, Boyko). RESULTS: Hypertensive depressives had significantly more- severe hyperintensity ratings in both subcortical gray and deep white matter than did normotensive depressives and controls (P < .05) and significantly more-severe hyperintensity ratings only in subcortical gray matter (P < .05) than did hypertensive controls. Hypertensive controls had significantly more-severe ratings in deep white matter than either normotensive group (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest a relationship between deep white matter hyperintensities and hypertension (regardless of depressive state), and a particular role of subcortical gray matter hyperintensities (possibly interacting with more-severe deep white matter lesions) in older depressed hypertensives, as compared with older depressed normotensives of similar ages and severity of depression. These data support possible heterogeneous pathogenic contributions in late-life depression subgroups, one of which appears to be influenced by cerebrovascular disease.

Age at onset in geriatric depression: relationship to clinical variables.

The significance of age at onset of first depressive episode was evaluated in an elderly depressed population. A prospective study of 71 consecutively admitted inpatients with a diagnosis of major unipolar depression examined the relationship between age at onset of illness and several clinical variables. Subjects divided into early-onset (EO) and late-onset (LO) groups, matched for current age, did not significantly differ in terms of symptomatology, cognitive impairment, physical illness, family history or treatment responsivity. These findings do not support a nosologic separation of EO and LO depression in geriatric patients.

Surgical treatment of cardiac echinococcosis: report of nine cases.

We reviewed the results in eight patients followed from 10 months to 22 years after one-stage surgery for removal of primary and secondary myocardial and pericardial hydatid cysts. The results were satisfactory in eight patients who survived the operation. One patient, however, with recurrent myocardial echinococcosis, pulmonary embolization, and sepsis died at reoperation. The series was analyzed with reference to the surgical treatment and world-wide experience of complicated cardiac echinococcosis.

Mother-child conversation in different social classes and communicative settings.

30 working-class and 33 upper-middle-class mothers were videotaped in dyadic interaction with their 18-29-month-old children in 4 settings--mealtime, dressing, book reading, and toy play. Samples of the mothers' adult-directed speech also were collected. There were significant social class differences in the mothers' child-directed speech and some parallel social class differences in the mothers' adult-directed speech. These findings suggested that some social class differences in child-directed speech may be instances of more general class differences in language use. There also were main effects of communicative setting on mothers' child-directed speech and interaction effects in which setting moderated the size of the class differences in maternal speech. These findings suggested that the amount of time mothers spend interacting with their children in different contexts may be at least as important an influence on children's linguistic experience as are average characteristics of their mothers' speech.

Maternal speech and the child's development of syntax: a further look.

The present study compared four categories of maternal utterances that were found in a previous study (Hoff-Ginsberg, 1986) to predict children's rates of syntax development to a category of maternal utterances that was unrelated to syntax development. The comparisons were designed to test the hypotheses that maternal utterances which benefit syntax development do so by providing syntactically rich data or by eliciting conversation from the child. Data-providing and conversation-eliciting characteristics of the selected categories of maternal utterances were assessed from the same transcripts of 22 mothers interacting with their 2 1/2-year-old children that had provided the database for the earlier study of predictive relations. Each of the three positive predictor categories of maternal utterances differed from the unrelated category--in more frequently illustrating the affected aspect of syntax development, in eliciting more speech from the child, or both. Neither of these characteristics was true of the negative predictor category. The pattern of results suggested that maternal speech supports the child's development of syntax by engaging the child in linguistic interaction and also by providing illustrations of the structures the child acquires.

Thyroid adenocarcinoma in a dog.

A 13-year-old male German Shepherd had polydipsia, polyuria, polyphagia, weight loss, listlessness, elevated serum T, and gamma globulin levels, and a palpable thyroid mass. Examination of the resected mass revealed an adenocarcinoma. The dog recovered without further treatment.

Expression of the proopiomelanocortin gene is developmentally regulated and affected by germ cells in the male mouse reproductive system.

Proopiomelanocortin (POMC), a major pituitary product, is also present in the adult mouse testis. We have shown previously that POMC mRNAs are most abundant in a subpopulation of Leydig cells associated with tubules in specific stages of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium. In the present study, we examined the expression of the gene encoding POMC during testicular development and in other tissues of the male reproductive system. We also analyzed the effects of cellular interactions on POMC gene expression in the testis. Blot-hybridization analysis revealed that POMC transcripts of approximately equal to 800 nucleotides were present in enriched populations of meiotic prophase spermatocytes and in caput epididymis but were absent in cauda epididymis and vas deferens. POMC transcripts were present in fetal testis (day 17 of gestation to newborn), could not be detected in prepuberal testis (days 7-8 postpartum), but reappeared in the adult testis. No difference in the size or abundance of POMC transcripts was seen in testes from mouse mutant strains in which spermatogenesis is arrested in early spermiogenesis. In contrast, POMC transcripts were virtually undetectable in testes that are devoid of germ cells. These results emphasize the importance of interactions between germ cells and interstitial cells and the regulation of the POMC gene in the mammalian testis.