Increase in serum and salivary neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin levels with increased periodontal inflammation.

Objective: This study aimed to determine serum and salivary levels of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) and evaluate NGAL correlation with key anti-interleukin 10 (IL-10) and pro-inflammatory (IL-1β) cytokines in different severities of periodontal diseases. We also calculated the systemic inflammation using the periodontal inflamed surface area (PISA) to evaluate its correlation with NGAL in the study groups.

Methodology: Eighty systemically healthy and non-smoking individuals were separated into four groups of 20: clinically healthy (Group 1), gingivitis (Group 2), stage I generalized periodontitis (Group 3, Grade A), and stage III generalized periodontitis (Group 4, Grade A).

Evaluation of the alignment efficiency of nickel-titanium and copper-nickel-titanium archwires in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment over a 12-week period: A single-center, randomized controlled clinical trial.

Objective: The aim of this trial was to compare the alignment efficiency and intermaxillary arch dimension changes of nickel-titanium (NiTi) or copper-nickel-titanium (CuNiTi) round archwires with increasing diameters applied sequentially to the mandibular arch.

Methods: The initial alignment phase of fixed orthodontic treatment with NiTi or CuNiTi round archwires was studied in a randomly allocated sample of 66 patients. The NiTi group comprised 26 women, 10 men, and the CuNiTi (27℃) group comprised 20 women, 10 men.

The effect of surface sealants with different filler content on microleakage of Class V resin composite restorations.

Objective: Microleakage is still one of the most cited reasons for failure of resin composite restorations. Alternative methods to prevent microleakage have been investigated increasingly. The aim of this study is to evaluate the microleakage in Class V resin composite restorations with or without application of surface sealants with different filler content.

Immunohistochemical expression of caspase-3, caspase-5, caspase-7 and apoptotic protease-activating factor-1 (APAF-1) in the liver and kidney of rats exposed to zoledronic acid (ZOL) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF).

Background: Bisphosphonates (BPs) like zoledronic acid (ZOL) are widely used for the treatment of different diseases such as osteoporosis, metastatic bone diseases and hypercalcaemia. However, the effects of BPs on apoptosis of the liver and kidney after treatment are unclear. Furthermore, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) is an angiogenic molecule, which plays an important role in angiogenesis and tissue repair.