Evaluation of toxicity and response to oxidative stress generated by orthodontic bands in human gingival fibroblasts.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the cytotoxicity of stainless-steel orthodontic bands and their influence on the expression of the antioxidant genes in human gingival fibroblasts. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten bands of each brand (Dentsply-Sirona, Dentaurum, TP Orthodontics, and Morelli) were conditioned in 0.2 g/mL culture medium at 37°C for 14 days, and the corresponding conditioned media were applied over the fibroblasts. Cell viability was assessed after 24, 48, and 72 hours of exposure to the conditioned media by trypan blue exclusion assay. Expression of the antioxidant defense genes peroxiredoxin 1 (PRDX1), superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), and glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1) were evaluated by quantitative polymerase chain reaction after 24 hours of exposure. These parameters were compared to those of the cells not exposed to the conditioned media of the bands (control). RESULTS: All bands promoted a reduction in the number of viable cells in the periods of 48 and 72 hours (P < .01). Analysis of gene expression showed a significant increase in the levels of PRDX1 transcripts caused by the conditioned media of the Dentsply-Sirona, TP Orthodontics, and Morelli bands (P < .01) as well as induction of SOD1 by the conditioned media of the Dentaurum and Morelli (P < .01). Expression of GPX1 was not influenced by the conditioned media. CONCLUSIONS: The orthodontic bands showed toxicity to fibroblasts and increased the expression of PRDX1 and SOD1 antioxidant genes, indicating induction of oxidative stress in the cells.

Multicomponent Exercise on Physical Function, Cognition and Hemodynamic Parameters of Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

This paper reports on a quasi-experimental study that aimed to identify changes in muscle function (i.e., mobility, maximal walking speed, lower limb muscle strength, balance, and transfer capacity), cognition (i.e., executive function) and hemodynamic parameters of community-dwelling Brazilian older adults during a six-month multicomponent exercise program (MCEP). A total of 436 community-dwelling older adults performed functional, cognitive and hemodynamic assessments before and after a six-month MCEP. The program of exercise was performed twice a week over 26 weeks at moderate intensity. Results indicate that balance, mobility (i.e., usual and maximal walking speeds) and transfer capacity (p < 0.05) were significantly improved after the MCEP. Moreover, all hemodynamic parameters (i.e., systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressures), except for heart rate (p > 0.05), were significantly reduced after the intervention. The current findings indicate that a six-month MCEP may provide physical and hemodynamic benefits in community-dwelling older adults. Nevertheless, our findings need to be confirmed in larger samples and better designed studies.

Three-dimensional upper-airway assessment in patients with bronchial asthma.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the upper airway (UAW) total volume (TV), the nasopharyngeal narrowest area (NNA), and the oropharyngeal narrowest area (ONA) in patients with bronchial asthma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 52 patients divided into two groups: the control group (n  =  26; mean age  =  14.85 years), which consisted of patients not suffering from bronchial asthma; and the asthmatic group (n  =  26; mean age  =  16.65 years), which consisted of patients with bronchial asthma. To assess UAW-related variables (TV, NNA, and ONA), cone-beam computed tomography scans of the patients were evaluated by means of the Dolphin Imaging software 11.5. All measurements were repeated after 30 days, and the results were submitted to reliability tests by means of the intraclass correlation coefficient and the Bland-Altman agreement test. The values obtained for TV, NNA, and ONA for each group were compared by using Student's t-test for independent samples (5% level of significance). RESULTS: The results showed that the groups were matched concerning gender, cephalometric characteristics, and type of malocclusion. The asthmatic group had significantly lower TV (P  =  .01) and ONA (P  =  .007) than the control group. However, no significant difference was observed for NNA between the groups (P  =  .54). CONCLUSIONS: Bronchial asthma may be a determining factor for the reduction of UAW dimensions, as patients with asthma showed significant reductions in TV and ONA dimensions.

Three-dimensional upper-airway assessment in patients with bronchial asthma.

Abstract Objective: To assess the upper airway (UAW) total volume (TV), the nasopharyngeal narrowest area (NNA), and the oropharyngeal narrowest area (ONA) in patients with bronchial asthma. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 52 patients divided into two groups: the control group (n  =  26; mean age  =  14.85 years), which consisted of patients not suffering from bronchial asthma; and the asthmatic group (n  =  26; mean age  =  16.65 years), which consisted of patients with bronchial asthma. To assess UAW-related variables (TV, NNA, and ONA), cone-beam computed tomography scans of the patients were evaluated by means of the Dolphin Imaging software 11.5. All measurements were repeated after 30 days, and the results were submitted to reliability tests by means of the intraclass correlation coefficient and the Bland-Altman agreement test. The values obtained for TV, NNA, and ONA for each group were compared by using Student's t-test for independent samples (5% level of significance). Results: The results showed that the groups were matched concerning gender, cephalometric characteristics, and type of malocclusion. The asthmatic group had significantly lower TV (P  =  .01) and ONA (P  =  .007) than the control group. However, no significant difference was observed for NNA between the groups (P  =  .54). Conclusions: Bronchial asthma may be a determining factor for the reduction of UAW dimensions, as patients with asthma showed significant reductions in TV and ONA dimensions.

Perfil clínico e avaliação de risco prognóstico dos pacientes com insuficiência cardíaca aguda com função sistólica preservada versus disfunção sistólica / Clinical profile and prognostic risk assessment of patients with acute heart failure with preserved systolic function versus systolic dysfunction

Objetivo: Comparar o perfil clínico e escala ADHERE na insuficiência cardíaca aguda (ICA) com (ICAD) e sem função sistólica (ICAS) preservada. Métodos: Avaliação retrospectiva da ICA na emergência, entre 04/2004 e 05/2005. 86 portadores de ICA submeteram-se a exames clínicos laboratoriais(BNP, sódio, hemoglobina, uréia e creatinina), classificação de ADHERE, e ecocardiograma com fração de ejeção (FE) maior que 40 por cento na ICAD e menor que 40 por cento na ICAS. Foram empregados os testes de Mann-Whitney e qui-quadrado. Resultados: 51 tinham ICAD e 35 ICAS, sem diferença quanto: sexo (p igual a 0,14), causa da IC (p igual a 0,48), diabetes (p igual a 0,36), DPOC (0,97), insuficiência renal (0,21) e infarto do miocárdio prévio (p igual a 0,92). Os pacientes com ICAD eram mais idosos (80 x 72 anos, p igual a 0,01), sem história (52 por cento x 20,5 por cento, p igual a 0,03) ou internações prévias por IC (37 por cento x 63 por cento, p igual a 0,018), tinham mais HAS (92 por cento vs 72 por cento, p igual a 0,01) e PAS admissional maior (150mmHg x 130mmHg, p igual a 0,0007)...