Versatility of transmucosal implants with zirconium ring. Case report.

Utiling zirconium characteristics, a biomaterial with high affinity with bone and gum, we have positioned in the same patient 2 transmucosal implants in titanium with a coronal ring in zirconium in 2 different manners. The first fixture was positioned with the ring in zirconium at the same level of the gum in order to obtain a good periodontal healing and esthetic without metallic transparencies. The second postestractive implant was positioned with the zirconium ring at the level of the crestal bone in order to reduce the gap between the fixture and the alveolar bone and to avoid the use of a resorbable barrier relying on the osteointegrative properties of zirconium.

Cutaneous bioavailability in hairless rats of tretinoin in liposomes or gel.

Topical bioavailability of drugs incorporated in liposomes is not well known. We compared the skin penetration of tretinoin in liposomes and in a classical alcoholic gel. [3H]Phosphatidylcholine dipalmitoyl (DPPC) and [14C]tretinoin (0.14%) were incorporated in the phospholipidic phase of the liposomes, and [14C]tretinoin was incorporated in a gel for comparison. Skin absorption was studied in vitro with Franz cells. In vivo distribution in cutaneous structures was studied according to Schaefer's method. Liposomes impregnated the stratum corneum, with a partial dissociation between tretinoin and phosphatidyl-choline dipalmitoyl. In dermis, tretinoin diffused alone. Tretinoin release seemed to be controlled, and steady state was reached later with liposomes than with gel. This phenomenon was linked with a significantly reduced absorption (1.60% for liposomes versus 3.09% for the gel) and higher retention in epidermis (mainly stratum corneum) and dermis (41 and 13%, respectively, with liposomal form versus 18 and 8%, respectively, with gel form). This study clearly shows that, compared with the gel, the liposome formulation tends to improve the local effect of tretinoin in the skin and decrease the systemic absorption.

Free-radical damage by UV or hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase in cultured human skin fibroblasts: Protective effects of two human plasma fractions.

Two in vitro methods to investigate free radical damage to cultured human skin fibroblasts have been used: irradiation with UVA or UVB, producing intracellular free radicals and DNA damage, or free radical production by the enzymatic system hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase, releasing free radicals into the culture medium. These methods differ not only in the location of the free radicals generated but also in their nature and kinetics. The antioxidant properties of two human plasma extracts A and B (derived from Cohn's fraction IV and Cohn's fraction I + III) were investigated before, during and/or after the oxidative stress. Protection was observed when the fractions were added concomitantly with the enzymatic system (at 5 g/litre, fractions A and B exhibited, respectively, 77 and 50% activity) or during UVB irradiation (37 and 68% activity for fractions A and B, respectively at 5 g/litre). A small degree of protection was observed against UVA damage. No preventive or restorative effect was observed with the UVB system. The two fractions prevented UVA damage (at 2.5 g/litre, fraction A and B elicited 22 and 23% activity, respectively) but only fraction A also exhibited a restorative effect (at 5 g/litre, activity was 26%). One of the protective mechanisms could be the enhancement of intracellular antioxidant enzyme activity by incubation of cells with fractions A and B (after 24 hr of contact with fraction B, total glutathione peroxidase and glutathione peroxidase Se-dependent activities were significantly increased by 60 and 42%, respectively, compared with control values).

[Health education: general concepts]. / Educazione sanitaria. Concetti generali.

A short history of the birth and evolution of the concept and present definition of Health Education is presented. As the purpose of the Health Education is to change the individual and collective attitude to health, and since it is an active educational process, it is necessary to act on the cognitive and operative sphere. Health Education should be inserted in all the programs of the Social and Health Services including hospitals. Hospital cardiological units should also fulfil this important role with regard to the largest group of social illnesses: Cardiovascular Diseases.

[Psychological and occupational repercussions of myocardial infarct]. / Rilievi sui riflessi psicologici e lavorativi dell'infarto miocardico.

The AA. studied the psychological and working consequences of the myocardial infarction in a group of 147 patients outlived more than two years. 50% of them showed mood disturbances, 40% did not restarted of work and 20 worked again moderately. The interruption of the work had psychological reason in 32% of cases and economic reasons in 26%. The 38% of the subjects was pensioned and the 25% received a pension through work foult. According to the INPS data, in Italy, every year, 1000,000 pension claims, for arteriosclerotic cardiopathy or myocardial infarct are made. Pensions are granted in 99% of cases. The pension claims diminish from the North to the South of Italy and are lower among traders and farmers. The importance of psychological rehabilitation is confirmed by the resumption of work in 92% of the cases among the railway workers, that have a good medical assistance.

[A study of the natural evolution of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy. Analysis of 100 cases (authors' transl)]. / Evoluzione naturale della cardiomiopatia ipertrofica ostruttiva. Analisi di 100 casi.

The authors present a study of the course of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (C.I.O.), diagnosed both through noninvasive (52) and invasive (48 cases) techniques, in 100 patients. The average period of observation (prospective and retrospective) was 8.2 years; in 68 cases prospective inquiries were carried out over an average period of 4.6 years. In 80% of the cases the first symptoms occurred when the patient was under 40, while the first diagnosis and period of observation usually took place between the ages of 20 and 50. The results of this study confirm that CIO is an illness with a slow evolution; the following facts emerge: a) considerable stability of the symptoms; b) low yearly mortality rate (1.8%); c) high rate of survival 10 years after the first onset of the symptoms. The most frequent cause of death is usually sudden, which leads to the supposition that one of the most important elements for prognosis is the identification and treatment of arrhythmias.