[in Japanese]

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We evaluated influences of maturation, aging, sex difference and other clinical factors on red blood cell counts (RBC), hemoglobin concentrations (Hb), and hematocrits (Ht) in hospitalized patients at oral surgery divisions. Subjects included 4002 patients who were hospitalized from January 1992 to December 1997 at the First and Second Divisions of Oral Surgery, Kyushu Dental College Hospital, Kitakyushu, Japan. RBC, Hb, and Ht were apparently increased in men as compared with those in women. The indices of mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) also were higher in men than in women. RBC did not change during a period of growth, but Hb and Ht were increased, resulting increases in MCH and MCV. Aging decreased RBC, Hb, and Ht. Malnutrition, liver dysfunction, and inflammation also decreased Hb. These observations concerning the effects of maturation, aging and sex differences on RBC, Hb, and Ht obtained from dental inpatients seem identical with those from general populations. Inflammations in dental patients with oral inflammatory diseases or malignant tumors might induce anemia.

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We evaluated influences of maturation, aging, and sex difference on laboratory blood chemistry examination in hospitalized patients at oral surgery divisions. Subjects included 4001 patients who were hospitalized from January 1992 to December 1997 at the First and Second Divisions of Oral Surgery, Kyushu Dental College Hospital, Kitakyushu, Japan. Serum concentrations of total cholesterol (TC), fasting blood sugar (FBS), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine (Cr) were correlated positively with age, while calcium (Ca) and phosphate (P) concentrations were correlated inversely. The serum concentrations of total protein (TP), creatine phosphokinase (CPK), glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT), γ- glutamyl transpeptidase (γ-GTP), TC, FBS, BUN, Cr, Fe, Cu, Ca, P, sodium (Na), and potassium (K) varied significantly with different age groups. GPT and γ-GTP were higher in middle-aged patients than in younger or older subjects. The concentrations of TC, FBS, and BUN were increased in older patients compared with younger patients, whereas TP, Ca, P were decreased with aging. Men had significantly higher concentrations of CPK, GOT, GPT, γ-GTP, BUN, Cr, FBS, Fe, Ca, and K, while TP, TC, Cu, Cl and P were higher in women. The present observations indicate that maturation, aging and sex difference clearly influence the serum concentrations of these blood chemistry examinations in hospitalized dental patients.

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Because of the need to make dental records from the standpoint of patients, we tried to make a problem oriented dental records (PODR) for the patients with temporomandibular disorders according to the thought of problem oriented system (POS). This PODR is based on the TMD patients protocol made by TMD Team Approach, Kyushu Dental College and referred to the PODR of UCLA Pain Management Center and the PODR of Kyushu Dental College Hospital. This PODR consists of five parts such as data base, problem list, initial plan, progressive note and discharge summary. The data base consisits of seven different sheets such as patient profile, history 1 and 2, examination 1, 2 and 3 and X-ray. Examination sheets include nine items of examination such as posture and facial symmetry, palpation, range of motion, TMJ noise, bite maneuvers, joint play, occlusion, guidance and soft tissue. The X-ray sheet includes four items of findings such as pantomogram, transcranial, orbit-ramus and MR images. The problem list sheet is the record of patients problem list, current medications, concomitant treatment and allergies. The initial plan sheet is the record of assessment (A), diagnostic information required (DxI), plan (P) and patient education (PtEd). The progressive notes sheet is recorded in accordance with the SOAP, and a medication log sheet is added with this sheet. The discharge summary sheet is the record of data base, initial problem list, treatment, current problem list, treatment outcome and summary. We would appreciate readers comments and complete this PODR.

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[in Japanese]

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Owing to the rapid development of the computer-assisting systems, the digital data derived from various medical devices have been more useful in diagnosis and treatment planning. Recently 3D-CT system has been widely used, which can offer clear three-dimensional images with high quality in accuracy and reality. The system is not so generalized, however, that the practitioner can utilize it freely by himself at his convenience. In the present study, therefore, three-dimensional reconstruction of the digitalized medical images from CT data was tried using a standard personal computer in order to get concrete information of the internal structure of the body on the practitioner's display readily at any time needed. The sequence CT-images of human mandibles were prepared and converted into the standard image format for PC. The hardware configuration used consists of a NEC PC9821 with Pentium 133 MHz, 64 MB RAM. The software used for the 3D-reconstruction is Scion Image which is based on NIH Image for Macintosh image processing. The 3D-reconstructed model could realistically show a panoramic view of mandible body. At its any part, the shape of the bone surface as well as the anatomical landmarks was well observed. Besides, it could be rotated on the CRT display, and the morphological structure of the mandibles could be spatially examined. The digital image processing developed in this study was also found to be available for other applications such as the multi planer reconstruction and the interior analysis of windowed area.

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The accuracy of implant superstructure (three units fixed partial denture) was evaluated for four different fabrication methods : one-piece casting (OC), soldering after tacking (TS), conventional soldering (CS), and laser welding (LW). Ceramo metal (Herador H, Panasonic Heraeus) was cast onto the gold cylinder (DCB 141, Nobel Biocare), and then soldered or welded for three units fixed partial denture for implant superstructure frame work with three different methods except for one piece casting. After fabricating implant superstructure framework, porcelain (Super Porcelain AAA, Noritake) was fused to the framework. The degree of unfit was evaluated by measuring the vertical gap with one screw test between the margin of the gold cylinder of the each unit and the conical abutment replica (DCA 176, Nobel Biocare) on the clinical stone model during the fabricating procedure and after the porcelain firing. One-piece castings (OS) were in mesio-distally warped shape, when screwed at intermediate units. When they were screwed at the end, moment arm effect appeared with large gap at the opposite end. There was the tendency for TS and CS group to show better fit than OC group with no moment arm effect and resulting small standard deviation. When compared among four groups before porcelain firing, there was the tendency for CS to show least gap and for LW to show largest gap. Because of porcelain firing there was the tendency for one-piece casting (OC) to show improving the fit with distorting from mesio-distally warped to straight as original shape, After porcelain firing, soldering groups (TS, CS) were distorted to decrease the soldering space, resulting in increasing the gap. Overall the gap of soldering groups (TS, CS) increased in same as one-piece casting (OC). Average gap of both ends was 10μm when frameworks were screwed at intermediate units, and average gap of other two units was 20μm when screwed at the one end. Laser welding showed the increased gap after porcelain firing. It was 20μm and 70μm when frameworks were screwed at the intermediate unit and the one end, respectively.

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Protein phosphorylation and dephosphorylation has been recognized as a key mechanism in the regulation of cellular metabolism and functions in various tissues. Several lines of evidence indicate that protein phosphorylation is intimately related to cell proliferation and differentiation, including a biological end point, apoptosis. Apoptosis has been recognized to be of major importance for embryonic development, tissue homeostasis, neurodegeneration, autoimmune disease, carcinogenesis, cancer progression, and the killing of cancer cells by chemotherapeutic drugs. The characteristic morphological changes of apoptosis include cytoplasmic shrinkage, plasma membrane blebbing, chromatin condensation, and formation of apoptotic bodies containing well-preserved organelles. In addition, apoptotic cells undergo double strand cleavage of nuclear DNA at the linker regions between nucleosomes into fragments of multiples of about 185-200 bp resulting in a characteristic laddering pattern on agarose gel electrophoresis. In the present review, I demonstrate that the relationship between protein dephosphorylation and apoptotic processes in the cells including Saos-2 cells, MG63 cells, MC3T3-E1 cells, SCC-25 cells, SCCTF cells, SCCKN cells, HSG cells, and CHO cells studied in our laboratory.

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