Enhanced antimicrobial properties and bioactivity of 3D-printed titanium scaffolds by multilayer bioceramic coating for large bone defects

The restoration of large bone defects caused by trauma, tumor resection, or infection is a major clinical problem in orthopedics and dentistry because postoperative infections, corrosion, and limited osteointegration of metal implants can lead to loosening of the implant. The aim of this study was to improve the surface properties of a 3D-printed (electron beam melting) Ti6Al4V-based macroporous scaffold by multilayer coating with bioactive silicate glasses (BAGs) and hydroxyapatite doped with a silver (AgHAP) or AgHAP additionally sonochemically modified with ZnO (ZnO-AgHAP). The coated scaffolds AgHAP_BAGs_Ti and ZnO-AgHAP_BAGs_Ti enhanced cytocompatibility in L929 and MRC5 cell lines and expressed bioactivity in simulated body fluid. A lower release of vanadium ions in coated samples compared to bare Ti scaffold indicates decreased dissolution of Ti alloy in coated samples. The coated samples reduced growth ofEscherichia coliandStaphylococcus aureusfor 4-6 orders of magnitude. Therefore, the 3D-printed Ti-based scaffolds coated with BAGs and (ZnO-)AgHAP have great potential for application as a multifunctional implant with antibacterial properties for the restoration of defects in load-bearing bones.

Evaluation of osteopontin and CA125 in detection of epithelial ovarian carcinoma

The objective of this study was to determine the potential of osteopontin (OPN) and OPN + CA125 (cancer antigen 125) combination in differential diagnosis of the ovarian cancers and non-malignant ovarian disease. Serum and plasma samples were obtained preoperatively from 79 women undergoing surgery for pelvic mass; 48 of them had ovarian carcinoma, and 31 had benign cyst. The samples were analyzed for the levels of OPN and CA 125 (using ELISA and CMIA methods) and then compared with the final pathologic results. The median plasma level of OPN in patients with benign and malignant cysts was 356.33 ng/ml and 865.15 ng/ml, respectively (p < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis for plasma OPN revealed the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.838. At the predefined specificity of 90%, OPN showed sensitivity of 62.5%, whereas the combination of OPN + CA125 reached 74.9% at the same specificity.