Alterations in kinematics of temporomandibular joint associated with chronic neck pain

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Alterations in kinematics of temporomandibular joint associated with chronic neck pain via Journal of Oral Rehabilitation Abstract Background Temporomandibular disorder (TMD) is an umbrella term for pain and dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and its associated structures. Patients with TMD show changes in TMJ kinematics and masticatory muscle activation. TMD is commonly comorbid with non-specific chronic neck pain (NCNP), which may be one of the risk factors for TMD. Objectives This study aimed to investigate whether patients with NCNP have altered TMJ kinematics and masticatory muscle activity. Methods This was a cross-sectional exploratory study including 19 healthy participants and 20 patients with NCNP but without TMD symptoms. TMJ kinematics was measured during mouth opening and closing, jaw protrusion and jaw lateral deviation. Surface electromyography was used to record the muscle activity of the anterior temporalis, masseter, sternocleidomastoid, and upper trapezius while clenching. Furthermore, cervical posture, cervical range of motion (ROM), and pressure pain threshold of the neck and masticatory muscles were measured. Results Compared with the healthy group, the NCNP group showed significantly reduced upper cervical rotation ROM (p=0.041), and increased condylar path length (p=0.02), condylar translation (opening p=0.034, closing p=0.011), and mechanical pain sensitivity of the upper trapezius (p=0.018). Increased condylar translation was significantly correlated with reduced upper cervical mobility and poor cervical posture (r=−0.322 to −0.397; p=0.012–0.046). Conclusion Increased condylar translation and path length in patients with NCNP may indicate poor control of TMJ articular movement, which may result from neck pain or may be a compensation for limited neck mobility. Evaluation of excessive TMJ translation may be considered in patients with NCNP. View on Web

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Correlation between the intensity of Helicobacter pylori colonization and severity of gastritis: Results of a prospective study

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Correlation between the intensity of Helicobacter pylori colonization and severity of gastritis: Results of a prospective study via Helicobacter Abstract Helicobacter pylori infection is strongly associated with chronic gastritis and is probably the main course of chronic inflammation in the gastric mucosa. Gradually, H. pylori gastritis will result in gastric atrophy and intestinal metaplasia. Identifying the relationship between intensity of colonization and activity of gastritis helps the clinician in more effective treatment and post-treatment follow-ups. The aim of our work was to analyze the relationship between the density of H. pylori colonization of the gastric mucosa and the severity of histological parameters of gastritis (inflammation activity, gastric atrophy, and intestinal metaplasia). This was a prospective monocentric study conducted from January 2020 to December 2020, collecting patients naive to any anti-H. pylori treatment and having a chronic H. pylori infection documented by histological examination. Epidemiological, endoscopic, and anathomopathological da ta were collected. Ninety-seven patients with a mean age of 42.6 years [18–65 years] and a sex ratio of M/F = 0.64 were included. The density of H. pylori colonization was mild (+) in 43.3% of patients, moderate (++) in 47.4% of patients, and significant (+++) in 9.3% of patients. Nearly, ten per cent of patients had no gastritis, 33% had mild gastritis, 50.5% had moderate gastritis, and 6.2% had severe gastritis. Gastric atrophy and intestinal metaplasia were found in 44.3% and 10.3% of our population, respectively. Patients with mild H. pylori colonization rates had the highest level of mild activity (59.5%). There was a statistically significant association between the severity of H. pylori infection and gastritis activity (p < .001). Gastric atrophy was significantly associated with the intensity of H. pylori colonization (p = .049). No significant relationship was found between the in tensity of colonization and metaplasia (p = .08). Our study shows that there is a statistically significant association between the density of H. pylori and histopathological findings including gastritis activity and intestinal atrophy. View on Web

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Fat Quantification in Dual-Layer Detector Spectral Computed Tomography: Experimental Development and First In-Patient Validation

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Fat Quantification in Dual-Layer Detector Spectral Computed Tomography: Experimental Development and First In-Patient Validation via Investigative Radiology - Current Issue Objectives Fat quantification by dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) provides contrast-independent objective results, for example, on hepatic steatosis or muscle quality as parameters of prognostic relevance. To date, fat quantification has only been developed and used for source-based DECT techniques as fast kVp-switching CT or dual-source CT, which require a prospective selection of the dual-energy imaging mode. It was the purpose of this study to develop a material decomposition algorithm for fat quantification in phantoms and validate it in vivo for patient liver and skeletal muscle using a dual-layer detector-based spectral CT (dlsCT), which automatically generates spectral information with every scan. Materials and Methods For this feasibility study, phantoms were created with 0%, 5%, 10%, 25%, and 40% fat and 0, 4.9, and 7.0 mg/mL iodine, respectively. Phantom scans were performed with the IQon spectral CT (Philips, the Netherlands) at 120 kV and 140 kV and 3 T magnetic resonance (MR) (Philips, the Netherlands) chemical-shift relaxometry (MRR) and MR spectroscopy (MRS). Based on maps of the photoelectric effect and Compton scattering, 3-material decomposition was done for fat, iodine, and phantom material in the image space. After written consent, 10 patients (mean age, 55 ± 18 years; 6 men) in need of a CT staging were prospectively included. All patients received contrast-enhanced abdominal dlsCT scans at 120 kV and MR imaging scans for MRR. As reference tissue for the liver and the skeletal muscle, retrospectively available non–contrast-enhanced spectral CT data sets were used. Agreement between dlsCT and MR was evaluated for the phantoms, 3 hepatic and 2 muscular regions of interest per patient by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and Bland-Altman analyses. Results The ICC was excellent in the phantoms for both 120 kV and 140 kV (dlsCT vs MRR 0.98 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.94–0.99]; dlsCT vs MRS 0.96 [95% CI, 0.87–0.99]) and in the skeletal muscle (0.96 [95% CI, 0.89–0.98]). For log-transformed liver fat values, the ICC was moderate (0.75 [95% CI, 0.48–0.88]). Bland-Altman analysis yielded a mean difference of −0.7% (95% CI, −4.5 to 3.1) for the liver and of 0.5% (95% CI, −4.3 to 5.3) for the skeletal muscle. Interobserver and intraobserver agreement were excellent (>0.9). Conclusions Fat quantification was developed for dlsCT and agreement with MR techniques demonstrated for patient liver and muscle. Hepatic steatosis and myosteatosis can be detected in dlsCT scans from clinical routine, which retrospectively provide spectral information independent of the imaging mode. View on Web

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Homoarginine Treatment of Rats Improves Cardiac Function and Remodeling in Response to Pressure Overload

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Homoarginine Treatment of Rats Improves Cardiac Function and Remodeling in Response to Pressure Overload via Fundamental & Clinical Pharmacology Abstract Background Low serum concentrations of the amino acid homoarginine (HA) are associated with increased cardiovascular mortality by incompletely understood mechanisms. Objectives This study sought to assess the influence of HA on cardiac remodeling in rats undergoing either transaortic banding or inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis by Nω-Nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME). Methods Male Wistar rats (n=136) underwent a sham operation (SH) or aortic banding (AB). Both groups were equally divided into fourteen subgroups, receiving different doses of HA alone or in combination with lisinopril, spironolactone, or L-NAME over 4 weeks. Results HA treatment in AB animals resulted in a dose-dependent improvement of cardiac function up to a concentration of 800 mg·kg-1·day-1. Combining 800 mg·kg-1·day-1 HA with spironolactone or lisinopril yielded additional effects, showing a positive correlation with LV ejection fraction (+33%, p=0.0002) and fractional shortening (+41%, p=0.0014). An inverse association was observed with collagen area fraction (-41%, p<0.0001), myocyte cross-sectional area (-22%, p<0.0001) and the molecular markers atrial natriuretic factor (-74%, p=0.0091), brain natriuretic peptide (-42%, p=0.0298), beta-myosin heavy chain (-46%, p=0.0411), and collagen type V alpha 1 chain (-73%, p=0.0257) compared to placebo-treated AB animals. Co-administration of HA and L-NAME was found to attenuate cardiac remodeling and prevent NO-deficient hypertension following AB. Conclusion HA treatment has led to a dose-dependent improvement of myocardial function and marked histological and molecular changes in cardiac remodeling following AB. Combining HA with standard heart failure medication resulted in additional beneficial effects boosting its direct impact on heart failure pathophysiology. View on Web

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Total thyroidectomy versus hemithyroidectomy with intraoperative radiofrequency ablation for unilateral thyroid cancer with contralateral nodules: A propensity score matching study

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Total thyroidectomy versus hemithyroidectomy with intraoperative radiofrequency ablation for unilateral thyroid cancer with contralateral nodules: A propensity score matching study via Most Recent Articles: Journal of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery For unilateral papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients with contralateral benign nodules, optimal treatment decisions are made according to patient preference and the disease's pathological features. This s... View on Web

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Isolated cerebral toxoplasmosis 17 years post renal transplant

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Isolated cerebral toxoplasmosis 17 years post renal transplant via Transplant Infectious Disease View on Web

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A novel nonsense PKD1L1 variant cause heterotaxy syndrome with congenital asplenia in a Han Chinese patient

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader A novel nonsense <i>PKD1L1</i> variant cause heterotaxy syndrome with congenital asplenia in a Han Chinese patient via Journal of Human Genetics - Issue - nature.com science feeds Journal of Human Genetics, Published online: 13 June 2022; doi:10.1038/s10038-022-01053-w A novel nonsense PKD1L1 variant cause heterotaxy syndrome with congenital asplenia in a Han Chinese patient View on Web

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