• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.52 no.2
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• pp.116-126
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• 2022

Purpose: This study evaluated the efficacy of treating periodontitis using subgingival nano-hydroxyapatite powder with an air abrasion device (NHAPA) combined with scaling and root planing (SRP). Methods: A total of 28 patients with stage III periodontitis (grade B) were included in this study, although 1 was lost during follow-up and 3 used antibiotics. The patients were divided into a test group and a control group. All patients first received whole-mouth SRP using hand instruments, and a split-mouth approach was used for the second treatment. In the test group, the teeth were treated with NHAPA for 15 seconds at 70% power per pocket. Subgingival plaque samples were obtained from the 2 deepest pockets at the test and control sites before treatment (baseline) and 3 months after treatment. The full-mouth plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), papillary bleeding index (PBI), bleeding on probing (BOP), probing depth (PD) and clinical attachment level (CAL) were recorded at baseline and at 1- and 3-month post-treatment. Real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the colonisation of Treponema denticola (Td), Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans in the subgingival plaque. Results: From baseline to the first month, the test group showed significantly larger changes in BOP and CAL (43.705%±27.495% and 1.160±0.747 mm, respectively) than the control group (36.311%±27.599% and 0.947±0.635 mm, respectively). Periodontal parameters had improved in both groups at 3 months. The reductions of PI, GI, BOP, PD, and CAL in the test group at 3 months were greater and statistically significant. The total bacterial count and Td and Pg species had decreased significantly by the third month in both groups (P<0.05). Conclusions: Applying NHAPA in addition to SRP improves clinical periodontal parameters more than SRP alone. Subgingival NHAPA may encourage clot adhesion to tooth surfaces by increasing surface wettability.

• Journal of Periodontal and Implant Science
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.455-465
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• 2022

Purpose: Periodontal diseases are inflammatory conditions that alter the host's response to microbial pathogens. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a complex disease that affects the incidence and severity of periodontal diseases. This study investigated the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) levels of colony-stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) and interleukin-34 (IL-34) in patients with stage III grade C periodontitis (SIII-GC-P) and stage III grade C periodontitis with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes (SIII-GC-PD). Methods: In total, 72 individuals, including 24 periodontally healthy (PH), 24 SIII-GC-P, and 24 SIII-GC-PD patients, were recruited for this study. Periodontitis patients (stage III) had interdental attachment loss (AL) of 5 mm or more, probing depth (PD) of 6 mm or more, radiographic bone loss advancing to the middle or apical part of the root, and tooth loss (<5) due to periodontal disease. Radiographic bone loss in the teeth was also evaluated; grade C periodontitis was defined as a ratio of the percentage of root bone loss to age greater than 1.0. The plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), presence of bleeding on probing (BOP), PD, and clinical AL were used for clinical periodontal assessments. GCF samples were obtained and analyzed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: All clinical parameters-PD, AL, GI, BOP, and PI-were significantly higher in the SIII-GC-PD group than in the PH and SIII-GC-P groups for both the full mouth and each sampling site (P<0.05). The total IL-34 and CSF-1 levels were significantly higher in the SIII-GC-PD group than in the PH and SIII-GC-P groups (P<0.05), and there were significant differences between the periodontitis groups (P<0.05). Conclusions: These findings suggest that IL-34 and CSF-1 expression increases in patients with SIII-GC-PD. CSF-1 was associated with the inflammatory status of periodontal tissues and T2DM, while IL-34 was associated only with T2DM.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.57 no.3
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• pp.212-222
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• 2024

Objectives: Epilepsy is a chronic disease that requires long-term treatment and intervention from health workers. Medication adherence is a factor that influences the success of therapy for patients with epilepsy. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the role of pharmacists in improving the clinical outcomes of epilepsy patients, focusing on medication adherence. Methods: A scoping literature search was conducted through the ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases. The literature search included all original articles published in English until August 2023 for which the full text was available. This scoping review was carried out by a team consisting of pharmacists and neurologists following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Extension for Scoping Reviews and the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines, including 5 steps: identifying research questions, finding relevant articles, selecting articles, presenting data, and compiling the results. Results: The literature search yielded 10 studies that discussed pharmacist interventions for patients with epilepsy. Five articles described educational interventions involving drug-related counseling with pharmacists. Two articles focused on similar pharmacist interventions through patient education, both verbal and written. Three articles discussed an epilepsy review service, a multidisciplinary intervention program involving pharmacists and other health workers, and a mixed intervention combining education and training with therapy-based behavioral interventions. Conclusions: Pharmacist interventions have been shown to be effective in improving medication adherence in patients with epilepsy. Furthermore, these interventions play a crucial role in improving other therapeutic outcomes, including patients' knowledge of self-management, perceptions of illness, the efficacy of antiepileptic drugs in controlling seizures, and overall quality of life.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.11
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• pp.5735-5739
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• 2012

Background: Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is an insidious tumor with poor prognosis, arising from mesothelial surfaces such as pleura, peritoneum and pericardium. We here aimed to evaluate the demographic, clinical, and radiological features of patients with MM followed in our center as well as their survival. Methods: The study included 228 patients (131 male, 97 female) who were followed up in our institution between 1993 and 2010 with the diagnosis of MM. Results: The mean age was 59.1 years in men and 58.7 years in women and the sex ratio was 1.4:1 in favor of males. Environmental asbestos exposure was present in 86% of the patients for a mean duration of $40{\pm}20$ years (range: 3-70). Pleural effusion and thoracic/abdominal pain were the most common presenting signs and symptoms (70.2% and 57.8%, respectively). One hundred-thirteen (66%) patients were treated with platinum-based combination chemotherapy (PBCT) plus supportive care (SC) and 67 (34%) patients received SC alone. The median follow-up time was 10.0 months. The median overall survival was significantly improved with PBCT plus SC compared to SC alone (11.4 vs. 5.1 months; p=0.005). The 6, 12, 18, and 24-month survival rates were significantly improved with PBCT plus SC compared to SC alone (72%, 43%, 19%, and 2% vs. 49%, 31%, 11%, and 1%). Conclusion: The survival of patients with MM improved in patients treated with PBCT. The survival advantage continued 12- and 24-month after the initial time of combination chemotherapy.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.3555-3559
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• 2013

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and dietary exposure to aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) are major risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of HBV genetic variation and the R249S mutation of the p53 gene, a marker of AFB1-induced HCC, in Thai patients chronically infected with HBV. Sixty-five patients with and 89 patients without HCC were included. Viral mutations and R249S mutation were characterized by direct sequencing and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) in serum samples, respectively. The prevalences of T1753C/A/G and A1762T/G1764A mutations in the basal core promotor (BCP) region were significantly higher in the HCC group compared to the non-HCC group. R249S mutation was detected in 6.2% and 3.4% of the HCC and non-HCC groups, respectively, which was not significantly different. By multiple logistic regression analysis, the presence of A1762T/G1764A mutations was independently associated with the risk of HCC in Thai patients.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.146-153
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• 2020

Purpose: Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (A1ATD) in one of the most common genetic causes of liver disease in children. We aimed to analyze the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with A1ATD. Methods: This study included patients with A1ATD from five pediatric hepatology units. Demographics, clinical findings, genetics, and outcome of the patients were recorded (n=25). Results: Eight patients (32.0%) had homozygous PiZZ genotype while 17 (68.0%) had heterozygous genotype. Patients with PiZZ genotype had lower alpha-1 antitrypsin levels than patients with PiMZ genotype (37.6±7.7 mg/dL vs. 66.5±22.7 mg/dL, p=0.0001). Patients with PiZZ genotype were diagnosed earlier than patients with PiMZ genotype, but this was not significant (13±6.8 months vs. 23.7±30.1 months, p=0.192). Follow-up revealed the death of one patient (12.5%) with a homozygous mutation, and revealed that one patient had child A cirrhosis, five patients (62.5%) had chronic hepatitis, and one patient (12.5%) was asymptomatic. Nine of the 17 patients with a heterozygous mutation had chronic hepatitis (52.9%), two (11.7%) had child A cirrhosis, and six (35.2%) were asymptomatic. Overall, 18 (72%) of the 25 children had liver pathology in the long-term. Conclusion: Although prevalence is rare, patients with liver disorders should be checked for alpha-1 antitrypsin levels. Moreover, long-term follow-up is essential because most patients have a liver pathology.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.169-173
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• 2013

Renal ischemia-reperfusion (IR) causes remote liver damage. Oxytocin has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the protective function of oxytocin (OT) in remote liver damage triggered by renal IR in rats. Twenty four rats were randomly divided into four different groups, each containing 8 rats. The groups were as follows: (1) Sham operated group; (2) Sham operated+OT group (3) Renal IR group; (4) Renal IR+OT group. OT ($500{\mu}g/kg$) was administered subcutaneously 12 and 24 hours before and immediately after ischemia. At the end of experimental procedure, the rats were sacrificed, and liver specimens were taken for histological assessment or determination of malondialdehyde (MDA), total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), paraoxonase (PON-1) activity and nitric oxide (NO). The results showed that renal IR injury constituted a notable elevation in MDA, TOS, Oxidative stress index (OSI) and significantly decreased TAS, PON-1 actvity and NO in liver tissue (p<0.05). Additionally renal IR provoked significant augmentation in hepatic microscopic damage scores. However, alterations in these biochemical and histopathological indices due to IR injury were attenuated by OT treatment (p<0.05). These findings show that OT ameliorates remote liver damage triggered by renal ischemia-reperfusion and this preservation involves suppression of inflammation and regulation of oxidant-antioxidant status.

• Parasites, Hosts and Diseases
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.455-460
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• 2016

Blastocystis is a common zoonotic enteric protozoan that has been classified into 17 distinct subtypes (STs). A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence and subtype distributions of Blastocystis in villagers living along the Chao Phraya River, Ayutthaya Province, Thailand, and to assess the risk of zoonotic infection. In total, 220 stool samples were collected, and DNA was extracted. PCR and sequencing were performed with primers targeting the small-subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) genes. Blastocystis was present in 5.9% (13/220) of samples, and ST3 (5.0%; 11/220) was the predominant subtype, followed by ST2 (0.45%; 1/220) and ST6 (0.45%; 1/220). Phylogenetic trees were constructed with the maximum-likelihood method based on the Hasegawa-Kishino-Yano + G + I model, neighbor-joining, and maximum parsimony methods. The percentage of bootstrapped trees in which the associated taxa clustered together was relatively high. All the sequences of the Blastocystis-positive samples (KU051524-KU051536) were closely related to those from animals (pig, cattle, and chicken), indicating a zoonotic risk. Therefore, the villagers require proper health education, especially regarding the prevention of parasitic infection, to improve their personal hygiene and community health. Further studies are required to investigate the Blastocystis STs in the animals living in these villages.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.1177-1182
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• 2012

Protein kinase C (PKC) has been implicated in carcinogenesis and displays variable expression profiles during cancer progression. Studies of dietary phytochemicals on cancer signalling pathway regulation have been conducted to search for potent signalling regulatory agents. The present study was designed to evaluate any suppressive effect of maslinic acid on PKC expression in human B-lymphoblastoid cells (Raji cells), and to identify the PKC isoforms expressed. Effects of maslinic acid on PKC activity were determined using a PepTag$^{(R)}$ assay for non-radioactive detection of PKC. The highest expression in Raji cells was obtained at 20 nM PMA induced for 6 hours. Suppressive effects of maslinic acid were compared with those of four PKC inhibitors (H-7, rottlerin, sphingosine, staurosporine) and two triterpenes (oleanolic acid and ursolic acid). The $IC_{50}$ values achieved for maslinic acid, staurosporine, H-7, sphingosine, rottlerin, ursolic acid and oleanolic acid were 11.52, 0.011, 0.767, 2.45, 5.46, 27.93 and $39.29\;{\mu}M$, respectively. Four PKC isoforms, PKC ${\beta}I$, ${\beta}II$, ${\delta}$, and ${\zeta}$, were identified in Raji cells via western blotting. Maslinic acid suppressed the expression of PKC ${\beta}I$, ${\delta}$, and ${\zeta}$ in a concentration-dependent manner. These preliminary results suggest promising suppressive effects of maslinic acid on PKC activity in Raji cells. Maslinic acid could be a potent cancer chemopreventive agent that may be involved in regulating many downstream signalling pathways that are activated through PKC receptors.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.401-406
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• 2016

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma is relatively rare worldwide. Most previous reports collected only patients with pathological diagnosis. In fact, however, many patients coming to hospital are diagnosed by clinical suspicion with radiologic imaging and receive treatment without histological confirmation. Real survival data and outcome of each treatment, especially for patients that do not have histologic confirmation, are lacking. In this study, therefore, we aimed to analyze the survival rates of CCA patients and the proportions of patients receiving different treatments. Materials and Methods: A total of 270 patients clinically suspected of CCA and visiting Srinagarind Hospital in May-July 2010, were prospectively followed until December 2014. After checking their clinical records, 163 of 270 patients were finally diagnosed as having CCA, and the data of this group were analyzed for survival rate and received treatments. Results: Of the 163 patients, 96 (58.9%) had intrahepatic, 56 (34.4%) had perihilar and 11 (6.7%) had distal CCA. The majority [107 (65.6%, 95%CI, 57.8-73.0)] received only supportive care. Overall median survival was 4 months (95%CI, 3.3-4.7), and 2-years survival was only 8.1% (95%CI,4.5-12.9). However, the 4 year survival of the R0 resection group was 100%. Conclusions: The present results show that the prognosis of CCA is very poor in North-east Thailand. Most CCA patients receive only treatment to alleviate symptoms due to their advanced stage of disease. Complete surgical resection at the early stage is the only treatment that significantly improves patient survival.