Publications by authors named "Tom Wierzbicki"

Background: Peri-implant and gingival tissues provide important sealing and protective functions around implants and teeth, but comparisons of the immunologic responses of these tissues after implant placement have not been conducted. Cytokine levels were measured in peri-implant crevicular fluid (PICF) and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) as surrogate measures of immune function at subcrestally placed dental implants and healthy periodontal sites during a 1-year monitoring period.

Methods: A total of 27 dental implants were placed subcrestally in 21 periodontally healthy patients (mean age: 49.

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Objective: To establish a protocol for assessing orthodontically induced tooth root resorption (OITRR) in human premolars using micro-computed tomography.

Materials And Methods: Ten extracted maxillary first premolars were obtained from eight healthy adolescent patients; five of these premolars were extracted before any orthodontic movement was applied to them, and the other five premolars were involved in nonextraction orthodontic treatment for 1 year before treatment plan modification lead to extraction treatment. Using reconstructed scanned images, we measured several key resorption lacunae parameters, including the number, volume, and depth on each surface, as well as its extension coronoapically.

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Interleukin-4 (IL-4) is a multifunctional cytokine, which is involved in numerous disease states, including atopic asthma. IL-4 not only induces direct responses in cells but can also prime for secondary responses to stimuli. Little is known about the priming effects of IL-4 on endothelial cells; therefore, we chose to examine the ability of IL-4 to prime endothelial cells for platelet-activating factor (PAF) synthesis and prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) release.

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