Patterns of Post-Endodontic Restoration: A Nationwide Survey of Dentists in Turkey

Developments in materials and techniques, geographical locations, age, specialty, and affiliations of dental practitioners affect the preference of post-endodontic restoration. Thus, this survey aimed to evaluate the trends of dentists in Turkey in terms of post-endodontic restorations. An anonymous survey containing 10 questions regarding demographics, post-endodontic restoration patterns, and factors affecting restoration selection was electronically delivered to the dentists registered in the database of the Turkish Dental Association. The data were analyzed using by a chi-square test and ordinal logistic regression analysis. A total of 1093 surveys from 20,564 participants were collected with a response rate of 5.3%. Half of the participants (52%) preferred composite resins for post-endodontic restorations. Usage of posts was less prevalent amongst prosthodontists and dentists with clinical experience of more than 20 years compared to endodontists (p < 0.001) and dentists with clinical experience of less than 5 years (p = 0.004). More than half of the participants (56%) utilized fiber posts. Composite resins and fiber posts were the most common preferences in post-endodontic restoration. Endodontists had a higher tendency to use posts than prosthodontists and general dental practitioners.

Significance of intestinal alkaline phosphatase in predicting histological activity of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease

BACKGROUND

Intestinal alkaline phosphatase (iAP) is an intestinal brush border enzyme that is one of the factors involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between iAP enzyme and histological inflammatory activity in patients with IBD.

METHODS

A total of 44 children were enrolled in this study including IBD patients (n=24; 12 Crohn`s disease [CD] and 12 ulcerative colitis [UC]) and controls (n=20). Anti-human iAP antibody stained ileocolonoscopic biopsy specimens were graded for the terminal ileum and each section of the colon. Hematoxylin-eosin stained sections were used to determine inflammatory activity. Histopathological findings were compared in pre- and post-treatment biopsies of each group and with the control group (CG).

RESULTS

A low grade of iAP staining was detected in IBD patients compared to the CG (p=0.02). iAP was remarkably concentrated in the terminal ileum (TI) and especially in region 1, which involved the apical surface, brush border, and epithelial cells. A significant negative correlation was found between the grade of iAP staining and inflammatory activity both in pre- and post-treatment biopsies (p=0.02, p=0.008, respectively) in the terminal ileum of CD patients. Likewise, pre-treatment biopsies of UC and CD patients and biopsies of the CG were compared with each other according to the grade of iAP staining. There were significant negative correlations for CD patients compared to UC and the CG in region1 of TI, and regions 1 and 2 (lamina propria and goblet cells) of the colon (p= 0.015, p= 0.006, p < 0.001, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

As a histological marker, iAP can be of value in monitoring the histological activity of IBD, particularly in remarkable inflammation in the small intestine.

Disease severity and poor mental health are the main predictors of stigmatization in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa

Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) causes significant psychological distress in patients. We aimed to investigate the stigmatization level of HS patients and to determine the related physical, social, and psychological factors. A questionnaire with 22 questions about the physical and psychosocial problems related to HS was administered to 29 male and 34 female patients between the ages of 18 and 66 to evaluate the thoughts, emotions, attitudes, and behaviors of patients. Each patient filled Dermatology Life Quality Index, Beck Depression Inventory, Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, Body Image Scale, and 6-item Stigmatization Scale. Hurley classification was used to assess severity of disease. Patients with HS feel stigmatized depending on physical and psychosocial problems caused by the disease. Higher stigmatization scores correlated with higher scores of depression (r: .437, P < .001), social anxiety (r: .263, P: .03), and worse life quality (r: .522, P < .001), and body image perception (r: .696, P < .001). The degree of stigmatization was closely associated with the presence of painful lesions and disruption of socializing (P: .021 and .033, respectively). Disease severity (β: 5.12, P: .003 for moderate disease) and reporting feeling psychologically negatively affected due to HS (β: 4.26 P: .007) were the two main predictors of stigmatization in patients with HS. Cross-sectional nature of the study is the limitation. In conclusion, the stigmatization level of patients with HS is strongly related to disease severity and poor mental health.

Association between benign prostate enlargement-related storage and voiding symptoms and systolic blood pressure: a single-center cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Lower urinary tract symptoms significantly worsen quality of life. The hypothesis that they might lead to serious systolic blood pressure alterations through inducing sympathetic nervous activity has not been studied so far.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the relationship between benign prostate enlargement-related storage and voiding symptoms and systolic blood pressure.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Cross-sectional single-center study on data from a hospital patient record system.

METHODS

We evaluated the medical records of all consecutive patients with benign prostate enlargement-related lower urinary tract symptoms admitted between January 2012 and December 2017. Storage and voiding symptoms were assessed separately. International Prostate Symptom Score, uroflowmetry, postvoiding residual urine volume and systolic blood pressure were recorded. Pearson correlation and linear regression analysis were used.

RESULTS

Positive correlations were found between systolic blood pressure and all of the storage symptoms. Among these, urgency had the most significant effect. There were 166 patients (41.4%) with urgency for urination, which increased mean systolic blood pressure from 124.88 mmHg (average value in elevated blood pressure group) to 132.28 mmHg (average value in stage-1 hypertension group). Hesitancy in urinating and feeling of incomplete bladder emptying had weak positive correlations with systolic blood pressure. There was a negative correlation between systolic blood pressure and intermittency of urination.

CONCLUSIONS

With increasing numbers of urine storage symptoms, systolic blood pressure also increases, while the opposite occurs for voiding symptoms in patients with benign prostate enlargement. We conjecture that storage symptoms may lead to this increase through inducing sympathetic hyperactivity. Further prospective studies with larger groups are needed to confirm these findings.

Surface and vertical dimensional changes of mineral trioxide aggregate and biodentine in different environmental conditions

OBJECTIVES

Surface changes in biological environments are critical for the evaluation of physical and biological activity of biomaterials. Objective: This study investigated surface alterations of calcium silicate-based cements after exposure to different environments.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Material and Methods: Forty-eight cylindrical cavities were prepared on root surfaces. The cavities were filled using ProRoot MTA or Biodentine and assigned to four subgroups (n=6): dry, wet, acidic, and blood. Surface topographies were evaluated using an optical profilometer for 28 days, and the roughness of the material surfaces was quantified. Vertical dimensional change was measured by determining the height difference between the material surface and the flat tooth surface. Data were compared with a two-way repeated measures ANOVA and Bonferroni tests.

RESULTS

Results: In dry condition, the surface roughness of MTA or Biodentine was constant up to 3 days (p>0.05) but decreased after 28 days (p<0.05). In dry condition, ProRoot MTA presented constant surface level through time, while Biodentine showed decreased surface level after 28 days. In wet condition, the roughness and the surface levels of both materials increased after 1 day (p<0.05). Neither the surface roughness nor the levels of the materials showed significant changes in acidic conditions (p>0.05). Both materials showed the highest roughness in blood conditions on the 1st day (p<0.05), while the surface roughness in blood decreased dramatically after 28 days. The roughness of Biodentine was higher in wet conditions up to 3 days compared with ProRoot MTA (p<0.05). Likewise, in blood condition, Biodentine showed higher roughness on the 28th day than ProRoot MTA (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

Conclusions: Dry, wet, and blood conditions had a time-dependent effect on the surface roughness and vertical dimensional changes of the materials. However, acidic conditions did not affect the roughness and the surface level of the materials.

The serum angiotensin converting enzyme and lysozyme levels in patients with ocular involvement of autoimmune and infectious diseases

Background

Increased serum levels of angiotensin converting enzyme and lysozyme are considered as inflammatory markers for diagnosis of sarcoidosis which is an autoimmune inflammatory disease. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the significance of differences in serum angiotensin converting enzyme and lysozyme levels of patients with ocular involvement of other autoimmune inflammatory and infectious diseases.

Methods

This is a prospective study involving patients with ankylosing spondylitis, behcet’s disease, presumed sarcoidosis, presumed latent tuberculosis, presumed latent syphilis, and control group. The serum levels of angiotensin converting enzyme and lysozyme were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Bonnferoni analysis was used to assess pairwise comparisons between the groups.

Results

There was a significant increase in serum angiotensin converting enzyme level in patients with presumed sarcoidosis compared to ankylosing spondylitis (p = 0.0001), behcet’s disease (p = 0.0001), presumed latent tuberculosis (p = 0.0001), presumed latent syphilis (p = 0.0001), and control group (p = 0.0001). The increase in serum lysozyme level was significant for patients with presumed sarcoidosis with respect to ankylosing spondylitis (p = 0.0001), behcet’s disease, (p = 0.0001) presumed latent tuberculosis (p = 0.001), presumed latent syphilis (p = 0.033), and control group (p = 0.0001).

Conclusion

Elevated serum angiotensin converting enzyme levels are significant for patients with presumed sarcoidosis compared to ocular involvement of other autoimmune diseases such as behcet’s disease and ankylosing spondylitis, and ocular involvement of infectious diseases such as presumed latent tuberculosis and presumed latent syphilis. However, elevated serum lysozyme level might be also detected in ocular involvement of infectious diseases such as presumed latent tuberculosis and presumed latent syphilis.

Trial registration

Trial Registration number: NCT02627209. Date of registration: 12/09/2015.

Validation of the Turkish version of the Celiac Disease Questionnaire (CDQ)

INTRODUCTION

The aim of the study was to translate, adapt and validate the Celiac Disease Questionnaire (CDQ), which was developed in Germany, for use in Turkey.

METHODS

The questionnaire was translated by a forward-backward translation method. Total CDQ score and four subscores (emotional state, gastrointestinal symptoms, worries, social problems) were calculated and their reliability assessed by internal consistency. Reliability of scales was evaluated by internal consistency. Test-retest reliability was assessed by means of a retest after 15 days. Face validity was assessed by patient volunteers and physicians and construct validity was assessed by means of confirmatory factor analysis. Convergent validity was determined by comparing responses to the CDQ with similar subscale scores of the Short Form-36 (SF-36) health survey. Discriminative concurrent criterion validity was determined by comparing the CDQ scores of patients with celiac disease (CD) on a gluten-free diet (GFD) with CD patients not on a GFD.

RESULTS

The Turkish version of the CDQ was completed by 205 patients with celiac disease (Female 146, mean age 31.1 year, ± 10.61). The Cronbach-α coefficent of the subscores ranged between 0.73 and 0.93. Test-retest reliability was 0.99 for all subscores. 42 patients with CD and five gastroenterologists assessed the items of the CDQ to be comprehensible and relevant to the health related quality of life (HRQOL) of CD patients. The confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated acceptable fit indices for the original four subscales of the CDQ. The correlations between the scales of the CDQ and the instrument for validation covering similar dimensions of the HRQOL ranged between 0.61 and 0.93. In all subscores and in the total score, patients not on a GFD showed a significantly reduced HRQOL (all p < 0.05) compared to patients on a GFD.

CONCLUSION

The Turkish version of the CDQ proved to be a reliable and valid instrument for measuring HRQOL in Turkish patients with celiac disease.