Cerebrospinal fluid analysis and the determination of oligoclonal bands.

This document presents the guidelines for the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis and the determination of oligoclonal bands (OCBs) as pivotal tests in neuroinflammatory pathologies of the central nervous system. The guidelines have been developed following a consensus process built on questionnaire-based surveys, internet contacts, and discussions at workshops of the sponsoring Italian Association of Neuroimmunology (AINI) congresses. Essential clinical information on the pathologies in which the CSF analysis is indicated, and, particularly, on those characterized by the presence of OCBs in the intrathecal compartment, indications and limits of CSF analysis and OCB determination, instructions for result interpretation, and agreed laboratory protocols (Appendix) are reported for the communicative community of neurologists and clinical pathologists.

A panel of macroautophagy markers in lymphomonocytes of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

A potential role for macroautophagy dysfunction in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was hypothesized after the demonstration that selected markers are up-regulated in post mortem samples obtained from both patients and animal models of disease. We hypothesized that a putative dysfunction of this catabolic pathway could be operative also in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained from ALS patients, since these cells represent an accessible model for studying molecular pathogenesis events in neuropsychiatric disorders. Beclin-1 and LC3II immunoreactivity were assessed in PBMC from 15 ALS patients and 15 controls by Western blot analysis.

Root resorption of replanted teeth: an SEM study.

Two replanted and subsequently expelled upper central incisors were observed under a scanning electron microscope to study the changes brought about by root resorption. The severity of resorption and the distribution of the affected areas were different in the two specimens. In the first case, large, deep excavations were found along a continuous bone defect which exposed the opposite root canal wall.

[Antibacterial activity of endodontic medications].

Background: The successful outcome of endodontic treatment depends on the elimination of bacteria present inside the root canal system. In the pulpal chronic infection, intracanal medicaments are necessary to obtain the sterilization. This study evaluated the antibacterial activities of some intracanal medicaments.

[Oromaxillofacial changes in thalassemia major].

Sixty patients (31 male and 29 female) with thalassemia major, aged between 6 and 26 years, 18 of which were splenectomized, were observed in this study evaluating the oro-maxillo-facial alterations and correlating them to transfusion indexes, serum ferritin levels, splenectomy and age. For each patient a haematologic and odontostomatologic card was filed with a view to report the medical and clinical history regarding: the haematologic picture, the prevention of caries and parodontal disease, the facies characteristics, the odonto-stomatologic examination, the orthodontic diagnosis, the skull X-rays and the orthopantomography. Poor oral hygiene as well as misknowledge of prevention were generally observed.

Salivary up-regulation of human polymorphonuclear leucocyte chemotaxis and adhesion-molecule expression.

Chemotaxis and adhesion molecules were investigated in peripheral blood neutrophils incubated with saliva collected from healthy donors. A salivary concentration of 20% increased chemotactic responses and CD11a/CD18 and CD11b/CD18 expression, but had no effect on formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine receptors.

[Dentinal lesions caused by the use of endodontic posts].

An endodontic treatment has been effected on 36 extracted teeth, using drills; certain endodontic posts presently on the market have been successively inserted inside 18 teeth: Flexipost (Essential Dental System); Parapost Plus (Whaledent); dentatus (Dentatus). The teeth have been sectionized and watched through a photomicroscope to check an eventual presence of dentinal damages.

[Integrated instrumental diagnosis in salivary gland pathology].

The role of instrumental practice, especially using pictures, in the diagnosis of salivary gland conditions has been examined. A number of remarks arise out of the evaluation of possibilities and limitations of the various techniques. In general, the aid these offer when clinical medicine alone fails to achieve accurate diagnosis; then need to proceed from the simpler, more innocuous techniques to other more complex, invasive ones only when the limitations of the former prevent a complete classification of the features of the lesion.

[Comparative evaluation of the retentive capacity of endodontic posts].

The retentive capacity of certain endodontic posts was assessed in terms of: pin design, pin diameter and cement employed. The following commercially products were examined: Flexipost (Essential Dental Systems), Parapost Plus (Whaledent) and Dentatus (Dentatus) posts; Phosphacap (Vivadent) and Bondalcap (Vivadent) cements.

[Primary oral peripheral chondrosarcoma. Anatomo-clinical aspects and presentation of 2 cases with periodontal onset].

After a brief analysis of the anatomoclinical aspects of chondrosarcoma in general and of the characteristic and particular aspects of the forms with maxillofacial onset (lower age of onset, elective sites of onset anterior in the maxillary and posterior in the mandible, often insignificant standard X-ray pictures, high percentage of error in clinical and histological diagnosis) two cases of peripheral periodontal onset, with low degree of malignity (grade 1), with aspecific clinical and radiological aspects, both locally recurrent several times after nonradical surgery are reported.

[Visco-elastic properties of various composites for the front teeth].

The rupture load, elasticity modulus and viscosity coefficient of certain composite currently on sale for the reconstruction of front teeth were calculated experimentally. The products examined were: Prismafil (Caulk), Helioprogress (Vivadent), Heliosit (Vivadent), Silux (3M), Concise (3M), Command Ultrafine (Kerr), P30 (3M). The figures obtained relate to 3 different time periods after the preparation of samples.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of DDAVP in surgery and in bleeding episodes in haemophilia and von Willebrand's disease. A study on 43 patients.

1-deamino-8-D-arginine-vasopressin (DDAVP), was used in a wide spectrum of clinical situations employing two different dosages (0.3 and 0.4 microgram/kg b.

[Reactions of the submandibular salivary gland caused by sialography. Experimental research in dogs].

In order to ascertain the damaging effects on the glandular parenchyma and excretory system of the major salivary glands of sialography using iodate contrast media in an oily vehicle, experiments have been carried out on a group of dogs. Among other compounds, Lipiodol UF and Urovison were used, the former oil-based and the latter water-based. Histological slides of the injected gland made three and four weeks afterwards showed in one animal only the presence of a periductal infiltrate and an intracanalicular formation of hyaline thrombotic type that was not easy to interpret.