Expression of procollagen alpha1 type I and tenascin proteins induced by HEMA in human pulp fibroblasts.

In the dental pulp extracellular matrix, the main macromolecules are collagenous proteins, non-collagenous proteins and proteoglycans. Regulated synthesis of the interstitial collagens, in particular, type I collagen, is important during development and wound healing but also in a number of pathological conditions. Tenascin is also a matrix protein highly expressed during development while it decreases in mature organs.

Different crimp patterns in collagen fibrils relate to the subfibrillar arrangement.

Collagen fibril ultrastructure and course were examined in different connective tissues by PLM, SEM, TEM, and AFM. In tendons, collagen fibrils were large and heterogeneous with a straight subfibrillar arrangement. They ran densely packed, parallel, and straight changing their direction only in periodic crimps where fibrils showed a local deformation (fibrillar crimps).

[Neurologic inflammation and oral disease. An aetiopathogenic hypothesis].

The nervous system contributes to the pathophysiology of peripheral inflammation and a neurogenic component has been implicated in many inflammatory disease, including oral diseases. Neurogenic inflammation should be regarded as a protective mechanism wich forms the first line of defense and protects tissue integrity. However, prolonged noxius stimulation may result in the inflammatory response.

Immunohistochemical identification of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in human dentin: correlative FEI-SEM/TEM analysis.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of peptidases trapped within mineralized dentin matrix and involved with degradation of the extracellular matrix components in hybrid layers and caries. Despite their identification through indirect evidences and biochemical assays, MMP-2 and -9 have not been localized within the human dentin extracellular organic matrix. Thus, this study aimed to assess the localization and distribution of MMP-2 and -9 in human dentin organic matrix by employing a correlative field emission in-lens-scanning electron microscopy (FEI-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) immunohistochemical approach.

A novel method for the automatic grading of retinal vessel tortuosity.

Tortuosity is among the first alterations in the retinal vessel network to appear in many retinopathies, such as those due to hypertension. An automatic evaluation of retinal vessel tortuosity would help the early detection of such retinopathies. Quite a few techniques for tortuosity measurement and classification have been proposed, but they do not always match the clinical concept of tortuosity.

Decorin transfection induces proteomic and phenotypic modulation in breast cancer cells 8701-BC.

Decorin is a prototype member of the small leucine-rich proteoglycan family widely distributed in the extracellular matrices of many connective tissues, where it has been shown to play multiple important roles in the matrix assembly process, as well as in some cellular activities. A major interest for decorin function concerns its role in tumorigenesis, as growth-inhibitor of different neoplastic cells, and potential antimetastatic agent. The aim of our research was to investigate wide-ranged effects of transgenic decorin on breast cancer cells.

Clinical course of 771 patients with bilateral breast cancer: characteristics associated with overall and recurrence-free survival.

Purpose: Despite numerous retrospective and case-control studies, risk factors related to overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in bilateral breast cancer are still being defined. The aim of our study was to describe tumor properties, patient characteristics, and method of cancer detection for a large cohort of patients with bilateral breast cancer and to assess the associations of these factors with OS and RFS.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted at the University of Texas M.

Adhesion to chondroitinase ABC treated dentin.

Dentin bonding relies on complete resin impregnation throughout the demineralised hydrophilic collagen mesh. Chondroitin sulphate-glycosaminoglycans are claimed to regulate the three-dimensional arrangement of the dentin organic matrix and its hydrophilicity. The aim of this study was to investigate bond strength of two etch-and-rinse adhesives to chondroitinase ABC treated dentin.

Segmentation of candidate dark lesions in fundus images based on local thresholding and pixel density.

Due to its blood microcirculation, the retina is one of the first organs affected by hypertension and diabetes: retinal damages can lead to serious visual loss, that can be avoided by an early diagnosis. The most distinctive sign of diabetic retinopathy or severe hypertensive retinopathy are dark lesions such as haemorrhages and microaneurysms (HM), and bright lesions such as hard exudates (HE) and cotton wool spots (CWS). Automatic detection of their presence in the retina is thus of paramount importance for assessing the presence of retinopathy, and therefore relieve the burden of image examination by retinal experts.

An automatic system for the estimation of generalized arteriolar narrowing in retinal images.

Generalized arteriolar narrowing, an eye fundus sign often seen in patients affected by hypertensive or diabetic retinopathies, is usually expressed by the arteriolar-to-venular diameter ratio (AVR), a numerical parameter derived from caliber measurements on specific vessels. We developed a system to compute AVR in a totally automatic way. Images are at first enhanced to highlight the vessel network, which is then traced by a vessel tracking algorithm.

Corneal endothelium cell field analysis by means of interacting Bayesian shape models.

A new method is proposed for the automatic detection and analysis of cell field contours in images of corneal endothelium. The algorithm is based on a set of single-cell contour models (a cell field), individually described statistically in term of shape a-priori information and a-posteriori image representation. Each cell can be individually identified (Maximum A Posteriori estimation) on the available image given a starting point and an appropriate optimization algorithm.

Automatic segmentation of chromosomes in Q-band images.

Karyotype analysis is a widespread procedure in cytogenetics to assess the possible presence of genetics defects. The procedure is lengthy and repetitive, so that an automatic analysis would greatly help the cytogeneticist routine work. Still, automatic segmentation and full disentangling of chromosomes are open issues.

3-D retinal surface inference: stereo or monocular fundus camera?

Three-dimensional (3-D) imaging of the eye fundus, and in particular of the optic disc, is widely used to assess glaucoma progression over time. In the literature, 3-D images of the optic disc have been obtained from stereo and monocular fundus cameras. While stereo systems are the gold standard for optic disc examination, monocular systems are less expensive, and therefore of more practical use.

In vivo three-dimensional reconstruction of the cornea from confocal microscopy images.

Confocal microscopy can provide sequences of images from all cornea layers in a rapid, in vivo and non invasive way. These images are useful to extract important clinical information on cornea state of health. We address the problem of obtaining a 3-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of the cornea starting from a confocal microscope sequence, from endothelium to epithelium.

Biochemical remission and recurrence rate of secreting pituitary adenomas after transsphenoidal adenomectomy: long-term endocrinologic follow-up results.

Background: Transsphenoidal surgery is safe and effective in patients with secreting pituitary adenomas; however, variable outcomes have been reported according to the different criteria used to define the biochemical remission of hormone hypersecretion. We report the long-term endocrinologic follow-up results of a large cohort of patients who underwent TSS for secreting pituitary adenomas according to the most recent stringent criteria of cure.

Methods: Two hundred ten consecutive patients were operated on by TSS between 1995 and 2004 for a secreting pituitary adenoma (65 PRL-, 109 GH-, and 36 ACTH-secreting adenomas) and were considered for the study.

Detecting false vessel recognitions in retinal fundus analysis.

Automatic tracking of blood vessels in images of retinal fundus is an important and non-invasive procedure for the diagnosis of many diseases. Tracking techniques often present a high rate of false positives. This paper presents six methods to discriminate false detections from true positives, each based on a different model of the vessel.

Analysis of corneal images for the recognition of nerve structures.

The recognition of nerve structures in the cornea appears to be an important clinical issue, e.g. to investigate about damages from surgical interventions (LASIK/PRK) or severity of diabetic neuropathy.

No wavefront sensor adaptive optics system for compensation of primary aberrations by software analysis of a point source image. 1. Methods.

Adaptive optics (AO) has been recently used for the development of ophthalmic devices. Its main objective has been to obtain high-resolution images for diagnostic purposes or to estimate high-order eye aberrations. The core of every AO system is an optical device that is able to modify the wavefront shape of the light entering the system; if you know the shape of the incoming wavefront, it is possible to correct the aberrations introduced in the optical path from the source to the image.

No wavefront sensor adaptive optics system for compensation of primary aberrations by software analysis of a point source image. 2. Tests.

The description of an adaptive optics (AO) system with no wavefront sensor to correct primary aberrations is presented. This system is based on closed loop software that iteratively analyzes a point source target image on the instrument focal plane and suitably modifies the AO device. The performed tests with a pull-only deformable mirror (DM) have shown that the system works very well, reaching an optimal focusing condition in a few seconds using standard components.

Tendon crimps and peritendinous tissues responding to tensional forces.

Tendons transmit forces generated from muscle to bone making joint movements possible. Tendon collagen has a complex supramolecular structure forming many hierarchical levels of association; its main functional unit is the collagen fibril forming fibers and fascicles. Since tendons are enclosed by loose connective sheaths in continuity with muscle sheaths, it is likely that tendon sheaths could play a role in absorbing/transmitting the forces created by muscle contraction.

Immunohistochemical identification of type I and type III collagen and chondroitin sulphate in human pre-dentine: a correlative FEI-SEM/TEM study.

Aim: To identify type I- (I-CF) and type III-collagen fibrils (III-CF) and chondroitin 4/6 sulphate (CS) within human pre-dentine by means of a correlative analysis under field emission in-lens-scanning electron microscopy (FEI-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

Methodology: Human-extracted teeth were obtained and submitted to either a pre-embedding or a post-embedding immunolabelling procedure using monoclonal primary antibodies anti-I-CF, anti-III-CF and anti-CS. Gold-conjugated secondary antibodies were coupled to primary antibodies to visualize labelling under the electron beam.

Effects of heat deproteinate bone and polynucleotides on bone regeneration: an experimental study on rat.

This experimental study evaluated the effects of polynucleotides on bone regeneration on rats. Defects with a diameter of 2mm were prepared in the thickness of cortical bone of 32 rat tibiae and filled with different compounds: polynucleotide gel (PDRN), deproteinated porcine cortical bone (HDB) obtained by high temperature heating in the form of granules and a paste made of HDB granules and PDRN gel. Bone regeneration of the gaps was histologically analysed after a treatment time ranging from 1 to 12 weeks.

Immunohistochemical identification of decorin and biglycan in human dentin: a correlative field emission scanning electron microscopy/transmission electron microscopy study.

Decorin and biglycan, two small leucine-rich proteoglycans, have been proposed to play important roles in matrix-mediated formation of mineralized tissues, and their three-dimensional arrangement in human dentin is still not completely understood. The aim of this study was to immunohistochemically analyze the distribution of decorin and biglycan in human predentin/dentin organic matrix under a high-resolution field emission in-lens scanning electron microscope (FEI-SEM) and a transmission electron microscope (TEM). Tooth dentin specimens were submitted to either a preembedding or a postembedding immunolabeling technique using primary antibodies antidecorin and antibiglycan and gold-conjugated secondary antibodies.

Influence of different implant surfaces on peri-implant osteogenesis: histomorphometric analysis in sheep.

Background: The present study investigated peri-implant osteogenesis and implant biologic fixation in different zirconia sandblasted endosseous titanium surfaces (SLA-60 and SLA-120) and a turned titanium surface (T) 2 and 4 weeks after surgery.

Methods: Seventy-two implant screws were implanted in tibia of six sheep. Histologic sections of implants (2 and 4 weeks after surgery) were analyzed with light microscopy for histomorphometric analysis of bone-to-implant contact (BIC), bone ingrowth (BI), and bone surface (BS/BV).