Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common inherited heart muscle disease, with a prevalence of at least 1 in 500 in the general population. The disease is pleiotropic and is characterized by an increased stiffness of the myocardium, partly due to changes in the extracellular matrix (ECM), with elevated levels of interstitial fibrosis. Myocardial fibrosis is linked to impaired diastolic function and possibly phenotypic heterogeneity of HCM. The ECM consists of a very large number of proteins, which actively interact with each other as well as with myocardial cells. The role of other multiple components of the ECM in HCM has not been defined. Fibulin-2 is a glycoprotein component of the ECM, which plays an important role during embryogenesis of the heart; however, its role in adult myocardium has not been adequately studied. We here describe, for the first time, abnormal expression of fibulin-2 in the myocardium in patients with HCM as compared to normal controls. This abnormal expression was localized in the cytoplasm of myocardial cells and in the interstitial fibroblasts. In addition, fibulin-2 levels, measured by ELISA, were significantly elevated in the serum of patients with HCM as compared to normal controls.
Purpose: is to analyze histologically in a dog model how osseodensification (OD) implant site preparation method influence the bone area fraction (BAF), the bone implant contact (BIC) and bone mineral density (BMD) around dental implants compared to the conventional drilling method. Materials and Methods: this experimental study was conducted on four dogs using split mouth fashion so that each side received two implants with two different implant-site preparation technique. In the study group, Densah Burs were used to osseodensify the osteotomy site where conventional cutting drills were used in the control group. Light Microscope (LM) examination of HE-stained sections was used to evaluate BAF, while Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) was used to evaluate BIC and BMD. Results:osseointegration was almost similar in the control and experimental groups examined by both LM and SEM. There was no statistically significant difference between both groups in BAF, BIC and BMD. Conclusion: it can be concluded that OD technique using Densah Bur didn't show any significant difference in the BAF, BIC or BMD than the conventional drilling methods in the experimental duration used.
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