[Patient satisfaction with removable implant-supported prostheses in the edentulous mandible].

The aim of the present study was to investigate patients' satisfaction with removable implant restorations with two or four implants compared to a complete denture (CD) in the edentulous mandible. 20 patients in each group were asked to fill out a questionnaire ("Patient satisfaction related to the prosthetic restoration") before treatment, after six months and three years. With implant restorations, either implant-retained (IRET) or implant-supported (ISUP), greater improvements in prostheses retention and pain reduction were achieved in comparison to complete dentures.

[Survey of treatment-seeking complete denture wearers concerning tooth loss, retention behavior and treatment expectations].

The aim of the current study was to gather information about time and etiology of tooth loss, and to analyze the reasons for treatment needs with a questionnaire used among edentulous patients. 60 patients (age 44-98 years) who requested dental treatment were included. More than half of the patients were edentulous before the age of 60, in almost all cases the maxilla was affected first.

The characterization of the invasion phenotype of uveal melanoma tumour cells shows the presence of MUC18 and HMG-1 metastasis markers and leads to the identification of DJ-1 as a potential serum biomarker.

Uveal malignant melanoma (UM) is the most frequent primary intraocular tumour in adult humans. Because the survival rate of patients with UM has changed little in the past few decades, a better understanding of the molecular events governing UM development and the identification of markers indicating the potential for metastasis at the time of diagnosis are necessary to design improved and more specific treatments. In this study, we investigated UM tumour development by comparing two recently established UM cultures with different invasion potential by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis.

Antiviral effect of alpha-glucosidase inhibitors on viral morphogenesis and binding properties of hepatitis C virus-like particles.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections are a major public-health concern. New antiviral drugs are needed urgently to complement and improve the efficacy of current chemotherapies. The morphogenesis of HCV represents an interesting, and still unexploited, novel molecular target.

[Fracture resistance of Procera Allceram depending on the framework design--an in vitro study].

Procera AllCeram is one of the all-ceramic systems with an aluminium-oxide core employing CAD/CAM technology. The aim of the current study was to investigate the fracture resistance of Procera AllCeram full-ceramic crowns with a reduced core design compared to the conventional method. In addition, a possible influence of the preparation form (molars or premolars) and the cementation material (glas-ionomer or composite) was analyzed.

Protein-protein interactions: modeling the hepatitis C virus ion channel p7.

The p7 protein is a small ion-channel-forming membrane polypeptide encoded by the hepatitis C virus which consists of two transmembrane alpha-helices, TM1 and TM2, and can be blocked by long-alkyl-chain iminosugar derivatives. The length of TM1 and TM2 was estimated by employing different secondary structure prediction algorithms and is proposed to span from Ala-10 to Leu-32 for TM1 and from Trp-36 to Pro-58 for TM2. A configurational search protocol based on simulated annealing combined with short restrained molecular dynamics simulations is used in addition to protein-protein docking to investigate the packing of TM1/TM2.

Nef-mediated lipid raft exclusion of UbcH7 inhibits Cbl activity in T cells to positively regulate signaling.

Lentiviral Nef increases T cell signaling activity, but the molecular nature of the stimulus involved is incompletely described. We explored CD4 T cell lipid raft composition in the presence and absence of Nef. Here, the E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UbcH7, which acts in conjunction with c-Cbl, is absent from lipid rafts.

Proteome analysis of a human uveal melanoma primary cell culture by 2-DE and MS.

We present here the first proteomics analysis of uveal melanoma (UM) cells. These cells represent a good model for the identification of polypeptide markers, which could be developed as diagnostic tools. UM is the most common primary intraocular tumour in adults.

Host response to microbial challenge following resective/non-resective periodontal therapy.

Background: The host response to microbial challenge depends on the recruitment of homing leucocytes and may be related to the experience to infectious insults over years.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the soft tissue reactions to de novo plaque formation at sites treated with either open flap debridement or with the use of resective means during periodontal therapy.

Material And Methods: Fifteen patients, who had been treated for periodontal disease (severe generalized chronic periodontitis), participated in the study.

A novel Syk-dependent mechanism of platelet activation by the C-type lectin receptor CLEC-2.

The snake venom rhodocytin has been reported to bind to integrin alpha2beta1 and glycoprotein (GP) Ibalpha on platelets, but it is also able to induce activation independent of the 2 receptors and of GPVI. Using rhodocytin affinity chromatography, we have identified a novel C-type lectin receptor, CLEC-2, in platelets that confers signaling responses to rhodocytin when expressed in a cell line. CLEC-2 has a single tyrosine residue in a YXXL motif in its cytosolic tail, which undergoes tyrosine phosphorylation upon platelet activation by rhodocytin or an antibody to CLEC-2, but not to collagen, thrombin receptor agonist peptide (TRAP), or convulxin.

An economic evaluation of implant treatment in edentulous patients-preliminary results.

Purpose: Edentulous patients with denture problems benefit from implant treatment with overdenture prostheses. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate a method of analyzing cost effectiveness in dentistry. As an example, overdenture treatment with two or four implants was compared to the conventional complete denture (CD).

Inflammatory lesions in the gingiva following resective/non-resective periodontal therapy.

Background: Findings from previous experiments have revealed that inflammatory cell infiltrates may remain in the gingiva following clinically successful non-surgical periodontal therapy.

Purpose: To investigate the presence of inflammatory lesions in the gingiva following a periodontal treatment procedure that included either soft-tissue resection [gingivectomy (GV)] or non-resective open-flap debridement (OFD).

Material And Methods: Fifteen patients with advanced generalized chronic periodontitis were recruited.

Abnormal cell cycle regulation in primary human uveal melanoma cultures.

Uveal malignant melanoma is the most frequent primary intraocular tumor in adult humans. The cellular events leading to neoplasic transformation of normal uveal melanocytes are not well known when compared to other cancers. In this study, we investigated the role of G1 and G1/S regulatory proteins of the cell cycle in human uveal melanoma (UM) primary cell cultures, since these proteins are common targets in tumor development.

Applying proteomics technology to platelet research.

Platelets are small enucleated cells that circulate in the blood, where they play a key role in hemostasis and contribute to the formation of vascular plugs. Pathologically, they are involved in thrombosis and heart disease. Because platelets do not have a nucleus, proteomics offers a powerful way to approach their biology.

Spontaneous progression of experimentally induced periimplantitis.

Background: Periimplantitis represents an inflammatory condition that is associated with the presence of a submarginal biofilm and with advanced breakdown of soft and mineralized tissues surrounding endosseous implants. Animal models have been used to describe mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis and treatment of the soft and hard tissue lesions of periimplantitis.

Objective: The aim of the present experiment was to study the presence and progression of inflammatory lesions in tissues surrounding implants exposed to "experimental periimplantitis".

Analyzing the platelet proteome.

During the last 10 years, mass spectrometry (MS) has become a key tool for protein analysis and has underpinned the emerging field of proteomics. Using high-throughput tandem MS/MS following protein separation, it is potentially possible to analyze hundreds to thousands of proteins in a sample at a time. This technology can be used to analyze the protein content (i.

Role of N-glycan trimming in the folding and secretion of the pestivirus protein E(rns).

N-glycosylation inhibitors have antiviral effect against bovine viral diarrhea virus. This effect is associated with inhibition of the productive folding pathway of E1 and E2 envelope glycoproteins. E(rns) is the third pestivirus envelope protein, essential for virus infectivity.

Extensive analysis of the human platelet proteome by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry.

Platelets play a key role in the control of bleeding and wound healing, contributing to the formation of vascular plugs. Under pathologic circumstances, they are involved in thrombotic disorders, including heart disease. Since platelets do not have a nucleus, proteomics offers a powerful alternative approach to provide data on protein expression in these cells, helping to address their biology.

Effects of interferon, ribavirin, and iminosugar derivatives on cells persistently infected with noncytopathic bovine viral diarrhea virus.

Persistent infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of chronic hepatitis in humans. In chronic carriers, the viral infection induces liver damage that predisposes the patient for cirrhosis and can lead to hepatocellular carcinoma. Current chemotherapies are limited to alpha interferon (IFN-alpha) used either alone or in combination with ribavirin (RBV).

Differential proteome analysis of TRAP-activated platelets: involvement of DOK-2 and phosphorylation of RGS proteins.

We have applied a proteomics approach to analyze signaling cascades in human platelets stimulated by thrombin receptor activating peptide (TRAP). By analyzing basal and TRAP-activated platelets using 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE), we detected 62 differentially regulated protein features. From these, 41 could be identified by liquid chromatography-coupled tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and were found to derive from 31 different genes, 8 of which had not previously been reported in platelets, including the adapter downstream of tyrosine kinase 2 (Dok-2).

The pestivirus E(rns) glycoprotein interacts with E2 in both infected cells and mature virions.

E(rns) is a pestivirus envelope glycoprotein indispensable for virus attachment and infection of target cells. Unlike the other two envelope proteins E1 and E2, E(rns) lacks a transmembrane domain and a vast quantity is secreted into the medium of infected cells. The protein is also present in fractions of pure pestivirus virions, raising the important and intriguing question regarding the mechanism of its attachment to the pestivirus envelope.