[Clinical efficacy and effects of CAD/CAM zirconia all-ceramic crown and metal-ceramic crown restoration on periodontal tissues].

PURPOSE: To investigate the clinical efficacy and effects of CAD/CAM zirconia all-ceramic crown, cobalt-chromium alloy and silver-palladium alloy porcelain-fused-to-metal crown restorations on periodontal tissues. METHODS: Forty-nine teeth with crowns in 46 patients were randomly assigned into CAD/CAM zirconia all-ceramic crown group, cobalt-chromium alloy porcelain-fused-to-metal crown group and silver-palladium alloy porcelain-fused-to-metal crown group. The amounts of GCF, TNF-α and IL-6 were analyzed before and 12 months after restorations, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated. RESULTS: Comparing the clinical efficacy within 3 groups, indicators such as color match and the status of gums in CAD/CAM zirconia all-ceramic crown group were significantly better than other 2 groups (P<0.05). The amounts of GCF, TNF-α and IL-6 in CAD/CAM zirconia all-ceramic crown group were also significantly better than other 2 groups (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: CAD/CAM zirconia all-ceramic crown restoration had better clinical efficacy than cobalt-chromium alloy and silver-palladium alloy porcelain-fused-to-metal crown restorations with no apparently damage to periodontal tissues.

[DREAM: a multifunctional transcriptional regulator].

DREAM (downstream regulatory element antagonist modulator), Calsenilin and KChIP3 (potassium channel interacting protein 3) belong to the neuronal calcium sensor (NCS) superfamily, which transduces the intracellular calcium signaling into a variety of activities. They are encoded by the same gene locus, but have distinct subcellular locations. DREAM was first found to interact with DRE (downstream regulatory element) site in the vicinity of the promoter of prodynorphin gene to suppress gene transcription. Calcium can disassemble this interaction by binding reversibly to DREAM protein on its four EF-hand motifs. Apart from having calcium dependent DRE site binding, DREAM can also interact with other transcription factors, such as cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB), CREB-binding protein (CBP) and cAMP responsive element modulator (CREM), by this concerted actions, DREAM extends the gene pool under its control. DREAM is predominantly expressed in central nervous system with its highest level in cerebellum, and accumulating evidence demonstrated that DREAM might play important roles in pain sensitivity. Novel findings have shown that DREAM is also involved in learning and memory processes, Alzheimer's disease and stroke. This mini-review provides a brief introduction of its discovery history and protein structure properties, focusing on the mechanism of DREAM nuclear translocation and gene transcription regulation functions.