Search results for "prospective"
showing 10 items of 3738 documents
The Decreasing Prevalence of the Arcuate Foramen
2018
[Background]: The arcuate foramen (AF), or ponticulus posticus, is an anatomic variant of the first cervical vertebra that consists of a complete or partial osseous bridge over the groove for the vertebral artery and extends from the posterior aspect of the superior articular facet to the superior lateral border of the posterior arch. The AF has been associated with clinical symptoms, such as headache, migraine, neck pain, shoulder pain, arm pain, and vertebral artery dissection. We aimed to test whether the prevalence of the AF has decreased in the modern human population over the past centuries as a result of reduction in inbreeding and endogamy.
Unstimulated salivary flow rate, pH and buffer capacity of saliva in healthy volunteers
2004
Objectives: To assess the salivary flow rate, pH, and buffer capacity of healthy volunteers, and their relationships with age, gender, obesity, smoking, and alcohol consumption, and to establish the lower-end value of normal salivary flow (oligosialia). Methods: A prospective study was conducted in 159 healthy volunteers (age > 18 years, absence of medical conditions that could decrease salivary flow). Unstimulated whole saliva was collected during ten minutes, and salivary flow rate (ml/min), pH, and bicarbonate concentration (mmol/l) were measured using a Radiometer ABL 520. The 5 percentile of salivary flow rate and bicarbonate concentration was considered the lower limit of normality. R…
Salivary MMP-9 in the detection of oral squamous cell carcinoma
2017
Background Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common malignant tumour of the oral cavity. Detection of OSCC is currently based on clinical oral examination combined with histopathological evaluation of a biopsy sample. Direct contact between saliva and the oral cancer makes measurement of salivary metalloproteinase- 9 (MMP-9) an attractive alternative. Material and Methods In total, 30 OSCC patients and 30 healthy controls were included in this prospective study. Saliva samples from both groups were collected, centrifuged and supernatant fluid was subjected to ELISA for assessment of MMP-9. The median salivary MMP-9 values with interquartile range (IQR) of OSCC patients and the…
Autologous Iliac Bone Graft Compared with Biphasic Hydroxyapatite and Calcium Sulfate Cement for the Treatment of Bone Defects in Tibial Plateau Frac…
2019
Background Bone-graft substitutes are commonly used for the augmentation of traumatic bone defects in tibial plateau fractures. However, their clinical performance compared with that of autologous bone-grafting, the gold standard in bone defect reconstruction, still remains under debate. This study investigates the differences in quality of life, pain, and radiographic outcomes in the treatment of tibial plateau fracture-associated bone defects with either autologous bone grafts or a bioresorbable hydroxyapatite and calcium sulfate cement (CERAMENT BONE VOID FILLER [CBVF]; BONESUPPORT). Methods In this study, 135 patients with acute depression and split-depression fractures of the proximal …
Self-rated health and mortality: Could clinical and performance-based measures of health and functioning explain the association?
2005
It is well established that self-rated health (SRH) predicts mortality even when other indicators of health status are taken into account. It has been suggested that SRH measures a wide array of mortality-related physiological and pathological characteristics not captured by the covariates included in the analyses. Our aim was to test this hypothesis by examining the predictive value of SRH on mortality controlling for different measurements of body structure, performance-based functioning and diagnosed diseases with a population-based, prospective study over an 18-year follow-up. Subjects consisted of 257 male residents of the city of Jyväskylä, central Finland, aged 51-55 and 71-75 years.…
Comparison of CT and magnetic resonance mDIXON-Quant sequence in the diagnosis of mild hepatic steatosis
2018
Objective: To determine the diagnostic performance of CT in the assessment of mild hepatic steatosis by comparison with MR mDIXON-Quant as a reference standard, and to explore their clinical applications. Methods: In this prospective study 169 volunteers were included. Each subject underwent CT and MR mDIX-ON-Quant examinations. Hepatic steatosis evaluations were performed via liver attenuation alone (CT L), liver to spleen attenuation ratio (CT L/S), difference between liver and spleen attenuation (CT L-S), and MR mDIX-ON-Quant imaging. The effectiveness of CT L, CT L/S, and CT L-S in diagnosing hepatic steatosis severity of ≥5%, ≥10%, and ≥15% was compared, using mDIX-ON-Quant results as …
Autologous whole blood injections to patients with chronic urticaria and a positive autologous serum skin test: a placebo-controlled trial.
2005
<i>Background:</i> Patients with chronic urticaria (CU) frequently exhibit positive skin test reactions to autologous serum (ASST). Therapies aimed at inducing tolerance to circulating histamine-releasing factors in ASST+ CU patients, e.g. by treatment with autologous whole blood (AWB), have not yet been tested. <i>Objective:</i> To test whether ASST+ CU patients can benefit from repeated low-dose intramuscular injections of AWB. <i>Methods:</i> We characterized CU severity and duration, anti-Fc<sub>&#917;</sub>RI and anti-IgE expression, use of antihistamines, and quality of life in 56 CU patients (ASST+: 35, ASST–: 21) and assessed the t…
HCV genotypes in Sicily: is there any evidence of a shift?
2009
The distribution of HCV strains in any area is characterized by a relative prevalence of one genotype, and a number of less prevalent types. In some Western countries a change from the prevalent HCV genotype 1 to genotypes 3 and 4 has been reported in the last decade. In order to assess possible variations of the distribution of HCV genotypes in Sicily, a southern region of Italy, a hospital-based cohort, collected prospectively, of 3,209 subjects with chronic HCV infection was surveyed, comparing the distribution of HCV genotypes during two consecutive periods, from 1997 to 2002 and from 2003 to 2007, according to age and gender. The results show that genotype 1b, which has been historical…
Effectiveness of an educational leaflet on the prevention of external genital warts recurrences
2005
The study aims to assess the effectiveness of an educational leaflet in the prevention of external genital warts recurrences after achieving clearance with topical immune response modifiers treatment. A six-month follow-up, prospective, open, multi-centre randomized by centres study was conducted, which included a total of 216 patients. A total of 103 (47.7%) patients were given an educational leaflet. In all, 201 subjects (93.1%) came to the second follow-up visit, of which 62.7% achieved condyloma acuminatum (CA) clearance. During follow-up, 15% (confidence intervals [CI] 95%, 7.1–26.6%) of the patients who were given the educational leaflet, and 33.3% (CI 95%, 20.4–48.4%) of those who w…
Oral lichenoid lesions associated with amalgam restorations : a prospective pilot study addressing the adult population of the Basque Country
2011
Oral lichenoid lesions (OLLs) are linked to a heterogeneous group of pathologies involving the oral mucosa that cannot be distinguished from the oral lichen planus excepting the fact that direct causal factors such as silver amalgam restorations (SARs) can be allocated to them. Purpose: To analyze the prevalence of mucosal lesions associated with SAR in a group of SAR carrying patients in the Basque Country. Study D esign: A clinical prospective study was carried out on 100 adult patients over 30 years of age at the UPV/ EHU Clinical Odontology Service whose rear teeth had at least one SAR. Patients were identified and mucosal lesions and amalgam restorations were characterized. Patch tests…