The serum amyloid A to C-reactive protein ratio is lower in men than in women because of higher-C-reactive protein concentrations in men.

Objectives: We previously found that discrepancy between serum amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels linked to the difference of SAA/CRP ratio in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis, and the ratio varied among different patients. This study aimed to determine why the SAA/CRP ratio differed among different patients.

Methods: The patients (n=466) with most of inflammatory diseases were enrolled.

Ratio of serum amyloid A to C-reactive protein is constant in the same patients but differs greatly between patients with inflammatory diseases.

C-reactive protein (CRP) is commonly monitored to track the activity of inflammation and has become the gold standard in the management of all inflammatory diseases. Indeed, serum amyloid A (SAA) have seemed to correlate moderately with CRP, but the discrepancy of CRP and SAA levels has often been reported, especially in rheumatoid arthritis. Then, we examined CRP reflects a real magnitude of inflammation in patients with rheumatic and infectious inflammatory diseases.

Discrepancy between SAA and CRP levels linked to the difference of SAA/CRP ratio in the patients with early rheumatoid arthritis.

Objectives: Indeed, serum amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) reportedly seem to have moderate correlation, but discrepancies between CRP and SAA levels have often been reported in patients with early rheumatoid arthritis (ERA). This study aimed to determine the reasons for this discrepancy.

Methods: ERA patients (n = 206) were enrolled and treated with anti-RA drugs.

Parathyroid Adenoma with Unusual Presentations of Rib Bone and Thoracic Vertebrae Fractures in a Premenopausal Female in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Parathyroid adenoma is the most common cause of primary hyperthyroidism which leads to abnormal calcium homeostasis, hypercalcemia, and reduction in bone density. A 37-year-old female referred from a private health facility with a 1-year history of upper back swelling and pain. The pain was worse when sitting down for long periods and with movement and relieved by rest.

Mothers' perspectives of newborn hearing screening programme.

Background: Newborn hearing screening programs identifies newborns with hearing loss. The early identification enables prompt intervention through hearing rehabilitation. Accurate knowledge of the program and its benefit will impact on the uptake of the program by the citizenry.

Efficacy and safety of extending intravenous tocilizumab intervals from 4 to 6 weeks in rheumatoid arthritis patients with good response to 4-week intervals.

A period of 4 weeks (w) has been recommended for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients as the interval between intravenous (IV) tocilizumab (TCZ, 8 mg/kg). In a previous paper, we showed the possibility that the interval between successive IV TCZ can be extended from 4 to 6 weeks in more than 60% of patients with low diseases activity (LDA) at 4-week intervals. Herein, we aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of extending the interval from 4 to 6 weeks.

Successful extension of tocilizumab infusion intervals from 4 weeks to 6 or 5 weeks in 90% of RA patients with good response to 4-week intervals.

Objectives: A period of 4 weeks (w) has been recommended as the interval between tocilizumab (TCZ) infusions for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, treating the patients with TCZ (8 mg/kg), we experienced that longer intervals were also effective. We conducted the study to investigate whether the intervals of TCZ infusions could extend from 4w to 5 or 6w.

Wear characteristics of polished and glazed lithium disilicate ceramics opposed to three ceramic materials.

This study compared the wear characteristics of a heat-pressed lithium disilicate ceramic material opposed to feldspathic porcelain, a lithium disilicate glass ceramic, and zirconia materials. Ceramic plate specimens were prepared from feldspathic porcelain (EX-3 nA1B), lithium disilicate glass ceramics (e.max CAD MO1/C14), and zirconia (Katana KT 10) and then ground or polished.

Surface roughness and gloss of current CAD/CAM resin composites before and after toothbrush abrasion.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the gloss and surface roughness behaviors of newly developed CAD/CAM composite blocks with different filler contents and characteristics. The gloss and surface roughness were quantified before and after a toothbrush dentifrice abrasion test; the results were compared to the gloss and surface roughness of a ceramic CAD/CAM block. Knoop hardness was determined before abrasion test.

Effect of a self-etching primer and phosphoric acid etching on the bond strength of 4-META/MMA-TBB resin to human enamel.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the shear bond strength and durability of 4-META/MMA-TBB resin to human enamel. A self-etching primer that contained 4-META (Teeth Primer, TP) and 35-45% or 60-65% concentrations of phosphoric acid (K-Etchant Gel, KE, and Super Bond C&B Red Activator, RA) were used as the surface treatment agents. A methyl methacrylate (MMA)-based self-polymerizing resin (Super-Bond C&B) was used as a luting agent.

Influence of ceramic surface texture on the wear of gold alloy and heat-pressed ceramics.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of ceramic surface texture on the wear of rounded rod specimens. Plate specimens were fabricated from zirconia (ZrO2), feldspathic porcelain, and lithium disilicate glass ceramics (LDG ceramics). Plate surfaces were either ground or polished.

Evaluation of lasting high levels of CRP among the patients with metabolic syndrome.

"Low-grade" systemic inflammation is common findings in patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS). When we assessed 256 MetS patients, we found eight patients who presented high levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) which are between 40 and 15 mg/L for more than 3 years. They have not satisfied any criteria of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and the area of visceral fat estimated by computed tomography was more than 200 cm(2).

Progression of viraemia during treatment with infliximab in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis and chronic hepatitis C infection.

Tumour necrosis factor α (TNFα) antagonists are effective for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), but concerns remain about their safety in the presence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The influence of treatment with the TNFα antagonist infliximab on levels of HCV viraemia and serum transaminases in a 38-year-old patient with RA and HCV was examined to assess the safety of the drug. After starting infliximab treatment, the patient's clinical symptoms improved significantly (28-joint Disease Activity Score (DAS28) of less than 3) and levels of transaminases were normal.

Infliximab but not methotrexate induces extra-high levels of VLDL-triglyceride in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: Tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha), a pivotal inflammatory cytokine, is known to induce proatherogenic changes in the lipid profile and may increase the cardiovascular risk of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We examined the effects of anti-TNF-alpha antibody (infliximab, IFX) compared with methotrexate (MTX) on lipid profiles in patients with RA.

Methods: We selected retrospectively all patients with refractory RA (n = 32) who achieved a successful outcome (DAS-28 score < 2.

Two distinct clinical courses of renal involvement in rheumatoid patients with AA amyloidosis.

Objective: We conducted a prospective study to investigate whether a correlation exists between the clinical course of renal involvement and the pathological findings of renal amyloidosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods: Patients with RA of more than 5 years' duration and who did not show renal manifestations were selected and received a duodenal biopsy for the diagnosis of amyloidosis. After the diagnosis of AA amyloidosis, patients received a renal biopsy, and patterns of amyloid deposition were examined.

Nasopharyngeal intracavitary brachytherapy: the controversy of T2b disease.

Background: Locally persistent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) carries an increased risk of local failure if additional treatment is not given. It has been shown that intracavitary brachytherapy is effective in the treatment of patients with T1 and T2a NPC, although its role in the treatment of T2b disease had remained uncertain. The objectives of the current study were to evaluate the outcomes of patients with T2b, locally persistent NPC who were treated with high-dose-rate (HDR) intracavitary brachytherapy and to explore whether routine brachytherapy boost could improve the local control of patients who had T2b NPC at initial diagnosis.

Treatment results of 1070 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: an analysis of survival and failure patterns.

Background: The aim of this analysis was to evaluate the outcomes of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated primarily by external beam irradiation (ERT) and to explore for possible ways to improve the treatment results.

Methods: One thousand seventy patients with nonmetastatic NPC treated from 1990 to 1998 were retrospectively analyzed. The distribution according to the Union Internationale Contre le Cancer (UICC) (1997 edition) staging system at initial diagnosis was as follows: stage I, n = 113; stage IIA, n = 38; stage IIB, n = 360; stage III, n = 306; stage IVA, n = 136; stage IVB, n = 117; T1, n = 284; T2a, n = 88; T2b, n = 398; T3, n = 149; T4, n = 151; N0, n = 321; N1, n = 393; N2, n = 238; N3a, n = 29; N3b, n = 89.

Adult Still's disease reflects a Th2 rather than a Th1 cytokine profile.

Adult Still's disease (ASD) is a chronic multisystemic disease. Extraordinarily high serum levels of IL-18 in ASD patients have been described, whereas the mechanism remains to be clarified. This study aimed to evaluate proinflammatory cytokines and to consider their pathological roles.

Treatment results of high-dose-rate remote afterloading brachytherapy for cervical cancer and retrospective comparison of two regimens.

Purpose: To review the treatment results and complications of high-dose-rate (HDR) intracavitary brachytherapy for patients with carcinoma of the cervix in a single institute and to compare them with those of low-dose-rate (LDR) brachytherapy reported in the literature.

Methods And Materials: Two hundred twenty patients with carcinoma of the cervix were treated by primary radiotherapy between 1991 and 1998. The median age was 63 (range 24-84).

Expansion of a CD28-intermediate subset among CD8 T cells in patients with infectious mononucleosis.

Infectious mononucleosis (IM) is an acute sporadic infection that usually affects young adults, and during infection a massive expansion of CD8 T cells is generally considered to occur. However, CD28 expression of the expanded cells has not been characterized. When peripheral blood mononuclear cells of acute IM (AIM) patients were analyzed by flow cytometry, a continuous spectrum of CD28 intensity ranging from negative to high, which could be separated into CD28 negative, intermediate (int), and positive, was seen for CD8 T cells.

High dose rate brachytherapy for early stage oral tongue cancer.

Background: High dose rate (HDR) interstitial brachytherapy of the oral tongue is a new treatment modality. Our study evaluates the outcomes of patients with early stage oral tongue cancer as treated by HDR interstitial implant.

Methods: We reviewed the records of 19 patients who were seen between 1994 and 2000 with carcinoma of the oral tongue and whose primary tumors were treated solely with interstitial implant using HDR remote afterloading technique.

Identification of 142 single nucleotide polymorphisms in 41 candidate genes for rheumatoid arthritis in the Japanese population.

Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can make an important contribution to our understanding of genetic backgrounds that may influence medical conditions and ethnic diversity. We undertook a systematic survey of genomic DNA for SNPs located not only in coding sequences but also in non-coding regions (e.g.

Non-X-linked hyper-IgM syndrome with systemic lupus erythematosus.

A 24-year-old woman had suffered from recurrent bacterial infections and clinical manifestations of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Laboratory findings disclosed an elevated level of serum IgM, markedly decreased IgG, IgA, IgD and IgE levels, and low levels of serum complement. Both the CD40 and CD40 ligands appeared to be normally expressed.