Abstract Objective: To estimate possible differences in skeletal asymmetry between patients with skeletal Class I and skeletal Class II relationships. Materials and Methods: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images were examined from 70 consecutive patients who presented for orthodontic care and fit the inclusion criteria. Asymmetry was quantified using an ...

The corona phlebectatica (CP) is classically described as the presence of abnormally visible cutaneous blood vessels at the ankle with four components: "venous cups," blue and red telangiectases, and capillary "stasis spots." Previous studies showed that the presence of CP is strongly related to the clinical severity of chronic venous ...

BACKGROUND: Patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) perform limited physical activity. Surprisingly, there is a lack of research in COPD about the validity of physical activity questionnaires. Our aim was to validate the Yale Physical Activity Survey in COPD patients in order to quantify and classify their levels of ...

Background and Objectives: There is the recognition of a pattern of elevations of serum enzymes in hyperthyroid and hypothyroid patients. The aims of this study were to determine the activities of serum creatine kinase (CK) and lactate deydrogenase (LDH) in thyroid disorders, and to evaluate the relationship between CK, LDH ...

Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate telomerase activity in peripheral whole blood from head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients as a biomarker for diagnosis of HNSCC or detection of recurrence during follow-up. Materials and methods Telomerase activity was measured from peripheral whole blood extracts by ...

Association of CYP2E1 polymorphism with ALT activity increase was studied in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis receiving therapy by intermittent and daily protocols. The greatest increment of ALT activity in the group receiving therapy by intermittent protocol was seen in the patients with CYP2E1*7632TA genotype. In patients with wild homozygotic 1C/1C ...

The aim of this study is to characterize the significance of EEG findings during therapeutic hypothermia. The authors retrospectively reviewed continuous EEG monitoring data of every patient treated with therapeutic hypothermia after cardiac arrest from January 2008 to December 2009. EEG data were correlated with a functional outcome at the ...

INTRODUCTION: Choosing between the different indices of activity evaluation in RA is often difficult considering the very heterogeneous clinical expression of the disease. The objective of our study was to evaluate the level of similarity between SDAI, CDAI, DAS28-(ESR) and DAS28-(CRP) indices in the evaluation of RA activity. PATIENTS AND ...

Previous endocrine neck surgery (PENS) in patients with sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP) is considered a contraindication for minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP). The purpose of our study was to determine the effectiveness of MIP in such patients. From January 2004 to December 2009, 270 patients with PHP were treated in our ...

To compare three methods of localizing the source of epileptiform activity recorded with magnetoencephalography: equivalent current dipole, minimum current estimate, and dynamic statistical parametric mapping (dSPM), and to evaluate the solutions by comparison with clinical symptoms and other electrophysiological and neuroradiological findings. Fourteen children of 3 to 15 years were ...

Myelomatous pleural effusion (MPE) is rare in myeloma patients. We present a consecutive series of patients with MPE in a single institution. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 19 patients diagnosed with MPE between 1989 and 2008 at the Asan Medical Center. Diagnoses were confirmed by cytologic identification of ...

Cikitsa in Ayurveda is based on Karya-Karana Siddhanta. Satkaryavada is an independent view of Samkhyas regarding Karya-Karana. According to this principle, the Karya is present in Karana in subtle form before its manifestation. All the Karyas are possible only by the Sat Karana (existent cause). On this ground a hypothesis ...

One form of prolactin (PRL) is macroprolactin with high molecular mass. Many macroprolactinemic patients have no pituitary adenomas and no clinical symptoms of hyperprolactinemia, it is controversial whether macroprolactinemia is a benign condition that does not need further investigation and treatment. In this study, we aimed to compare macroprolactinemic patients ...

Although the etiology of multiple sclerosis (MS) is unknown, it is generally believed that genetic, immunologic, and environmental factors are involved. The objectives of this study were: 1. to analyze if a genetic control could explain why HHV-6 would be able to actively replicate in a subset of MS patients ...

The aim of this paper was to examine the amount and type of physical activity engaged in by people hospitalised after stroke. Method. We systematically reviewed the literature for observational studies describing the physical activity of stroke patients. Results. Behavioural mapping, video recording and therapist report are used to monitor ...

AIM: Prior studies have reported conflicting results on the yield of esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) in patients with a positive fecal occult blood test (FOBT). Our aim was to compare the yield between EGD and colonoscopy performed in a racially diverse population with a positive FOBT. METHODS: A retrospective, cross-sectional study of ...

BACKGROUND: The 24- and 48-hour tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) loading test (BLT) performed at a minimum baseline phenylalanine concentration of 400μmol/l is commonly used to test phenylketonuria patients for BH4 responsiveness. This study aimed to analyze differences between the 24- and 48-hour BLT and the necessity of the 400μmol/l minimum baseline phenylalanine ...

OBJECTIVES: To analyse our results of gastric-emptying scintigraphy in relation to presenting symptoms, and examine in detail the clinical significance of rapid gastric emptying (RGE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Results of 642 consecutive patients who underwent a solid gastric-emptying scintigraphy in our department over an 11-year period were retrospectively reviewed with ...

PURPOSE: To evaluate the added value of 6-degree of freedom (DOF) patient positioning with a robotic couch compared with 4DOF positioning for intracranial lesions and to estimate the immobilization characteristics of the BrainLAB frameless mask (BrainLAB AG, Feldkirchen, Germany), more specifically, the setup errors and intrafraction motion. METHODS AND MATERIALS: ...

Gerodontology 2011; doi: 10.1111/j.1741-2358.2011.00538.x Effects of a denture adhesive in edentulous patients after maxillectomy Objective:  The objective of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of a denture adhesive in edentulous patients after maxillectomy. Background:  Maxillectomy patients suffer from functional impairments. Denture adhesives (DAs) are the solution in such patients. ...

Purpose:  This study aimed to analyze magnetoencephalography (MEG) localizations of epileptic clusters in different cortical regions of the frontal lobe and relate these findings to postoperative outcomes associated with frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE). Methods:  Thirty-nine patients from the Epilepsy Center of Erlangen-Nuremberg University with or without lesions on their magnetic ...

BACKGROUND: Although J wave elevation in the inferolateral leads could be related to idiopathic ventricular fibrillation (IVF), little is known about the pathophysiologic characteristics of J wave elevation in patients with IVF. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the relationship between augmentation of J wave elevation and changes in RR ...

Angiogenesis is a complex process essential for the growth, invasion, and metastasis of various malignant tumours, including multiple myeloma (MM). Various angiogenic cytokines have been implicated in the angiogenic process. Among them, platelet-derived growth factor-AB (PDGF-AB) has been reported to be a potent stimulator of angiogenesis in many solid tumours ...

An increased tendency towards thromboembolic events is observed in patients with Cushing's Syndrome. There are much fewer publications available about thromboembolic complications in patients with Subclinical Cushing's Syndrome (SCS). Therefore, a question arises whether haemostatic disturbances appear in this particular disease phase.Aim of study: Estimation of protein C (PC), free ...

The aim of the study was to test the hypothesis that the gene defect causing congenital absence of maxillary lateral incisors also causes narrowing of the dentition. A total of 81 patients with one or two congenitally missing lateral incisors were retrieved; 52 (64.2 per cent) patients presented bilateral agenesis, ...

Background: The DynaPort Activity Monitor (DAM) has been reported to be useful to evaluate the activity in healthy subjects and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, it is difficult to estimate the activity of COPD patients using DAM, because its battery works only for several hours and sensors ...

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether intra-thrombus enhancement on contrast-enhanced sonograms can predict the recanalization by anticoagulation for recent portal thrombosis. METHODS: This prospective study included 10 patients with a recent portal thrombosis and 20 controls (10 cirrhosis patients and 10 healthy subjects, all without thrombosis). The diagnosis of thrombosis was based ...

BACKGROUND: Celiac sprue is an underdiagnosed chronic intestinal inflammatory disease. Probe-based confocal laser microscopy (CLM) is a novel endoscopic technique for in vivo inspection of the intestinal mucosa that has not been evaluated in celiac sprue yet. AIMS: To develop CLM criteria most predictive of celiac pathology in a prospective ...

Abstract Few studies have examined the use of a short cognitive screening of ALS patients in order to establish which patients should undergo a more comprehensive neuropsychological assessment. We tested 20 patients with early ALS with four cognitive screening instruments and subsequently with an extensive neuropsychological assessment. Sixty percent of ...

The objective of the present study was to elucidate the association between glomerular complement depositions belonging to the alternative (AP) and lectin (LP) pathways, and clinical findings of lupus nephritis (LN). Immunofluorescence (IF) was performed on 17 LN patients using antibodies against factor B, factor H, properdin, mannose-binding lectin (MBL) ...

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to characterize the functional and clinical disturbances and screen the optimal functional tests in assessing Bietti's crystalline dystrophy (BCD) patients by a cross-sectional method. METHODS: The clinical characteristics of BCD were studied in 15 Chinese patients using fundoscopy, fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA), and ...

To observe the effect of voluntary hyperventilation on electroencephalographic activity during routine EEG recording on patients referred to a tertiary care hospital. This was an observational study conducted at Neurophysiology Lab, Department of Neurology at Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi from May 2007 to September 2007. Data of 326 patients was ...

Background Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often associated with changes of the structure and the function of the right ventricle (RV). Therefore, the assessment of right ventricular function and myocardial mass (MM) is clinically important for the evaluation of the severity of COPD, which may provide an objective basis ...

Analysis of receptor-ligand interactions in the context of diseases necessitates to understand how HLA-KIR genotypes function in diseases. Although CD56+ lymphocytes are derived from multiple lineages, they share a functional association with immunosurviellance and antimicrobial responses. The present study aimed to determine whether KIR phenotype in CD56 lymphocytes and corresponding ...

The techniques used in the diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have insufficient specificity and sensitivity in diagnosing laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and laryngological examination in the diagnosis of LPR. A total of 684 diagnosed GERD and suspected ...

Aim and Objective: This study was carried out with the primary aim of correlating oral changes and general changes of HIV-infected patients with their CD4 count. Materials and Methods: 124 patients were selected, and after taking their informed consent, they were subjected to detailed history taking and thorough clinical examination. ...

The authors investigated the changes of cortical sensorimotor activity in functional MRI (fMRI) and functional recovery in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients who had been treated by bone marrow cell transplantation. Nineteen patients with SCI were included in this study; ten patients with clinical improvement and nine without. The cortical ...

The clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis (AA) in children is still problematic in status. To investigate the diagnostic value of mean platelet volume (MPV) in acute AA at childhood. One hundred patients diagnosed as AA patients and 100 healthy individuals. Laboratory tests were studied in the hematology laboratory of the ...

BACKGROUND: Contrast transcranial Doppler (c-TCD) has a high sensitivity for detecting right-to-left shunt (RLS), and is probably higher than transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and comparable with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of echocardiography (TTE and TEE) to detect RLS compared to c-TCD. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Observational study of ...

AIMS: Brugada syndrome (BrS) is an inherited channelopathy that can be characterized by mild right ventricular (RV) abnormalities that are not detectable with conventional echocardiography. The aim of this study was to evaluate the presence of RV abnormalities in BrS patients when compared with controls and a group of patients ...

In ankylosing spondylitis, inflammatory activity probably plays a key role in the pathophysiology of bone loss. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship of bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine and hip region with some measures of disease activity and functional ability in patients with ...

PURPOSE: In ulcerative colitis (UC), endoscopic methods are preferred for assessment of extent and activity of disease. Due to the invasive nature of endoscopical examinations, replacement by other, reliable imaging procedures would be helpful. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in combination with perfusion assessment using a specific quantification software might be such ...

Background/Objective: To assess whether abnormalities on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are related to cognitive function in patients at presentation with clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) suggestive of multiple sclerosis. Methods: Eighteen patients with CIS and 15 healthy controls (HCs) performed an adapted fMRI version of the Paced Auditory Serial Addition ...

Elevated factor (F)XI is associated with an increased risk for ischemic stroke. Activated FXI (FXIa) and tissue factor (TF) have not been studied following stroke. The aim of the current study was to evaluate circulating FXIa and TF in patients with prior cerebrovascular events. We studied 241 patients, including 162 ...

PURPOSE: The purpose of the present investigation was to evaluate the utility of a pitch elevation task in the assessment of oropharyngeal dysphagia. Methods This study was a pilot prospective cohort study including forty consecutive patients (16 male and 24 female) who were referred by their physician for a swallowing ...

Background To clarify the relationship between morphological characteristics and clinical features in epilepsy patients with unilateral hippocampal abnormality, morphological and morphometrical MR imaging studies were performed. Methods We selected a series of childhood onset epilepsy patients with unilateral hippocampal abnormality. The volume of hippocampal formation and anterior temporal lobe were ...

Purpose: We aimed to review all uveitis patients with a positive Borrelia serology to evaluate positve results in uveitis subtypes. Further we wanted to test a self-assembled Interferon gamma release assay (IGRA) as a possible supplement method in these patients. Methods: Patients where serology for Borrelia was ordered from September ...

OBJECTIVE. To retrospectively analyse the outcome of patients who underwent investigation by small bowel enema in a local centre. DESIGN. Case series. SETTING. Regional hospital, Hong Kong. PATIENTS. All patients referred for small bowel enema in a local hospital from 1 January 1999 to 31 December 2009 were identified; respective ...

The authors evaluated the spectra of EEG observations in elderly patients with new onset seizures and correlated it with clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings. This prospective study involved 201 elderly individuals (age: 68.0 ± 7.5 years; male:female = 1.8:1) who manifested with new onset seizures. Data regarding clinical, laboratory, routine ...

The objective of the study presented here was to examine the incidence of bruxism in patients suffering from temporomandibular disorders. Two cohorts of patients suffering from temporomandibular disorders were evaluated. One group, composed of 163 patients, was asked specifically about the occurrence of bruxism, while the other group, composed of ...