PurposeAntenatal hydronephrosis (AH) is found in 0.5%-1% of neonates. The aim of the study was to assess the urinary concentrations of 3 biomarkers, endothelin-1 (ET-1), monocyte chemotactic peptide-1 (MCP-1), and N-acetyl-glucosaminidase (NAG) in severely hydronephrotic neonates.Materials and MethodsNeonates with a history of prenatal hydronephrosis were enrolled in the prospective study in 2 groups. Group 1 included neonates with severe forms of obstruction requiring surgical intervention and group 2 included neonates with milder forms of obstruction without any functional impairment. Fresh voided urinary levels of ET-1, MCP-1, and NAG were measured and their ratios to urinary Cr were calculated.ResultsFourty-two neonates were enrolled into the 2 groups: group 1, 24 patients (21 male, 3 female); group 2, 18 neonates (16 male, 2 female). There were no statistically significant differences between urinary ET-1, NAG, MCP-1 values, and ET-1/Cr and NAG/Cr ratios in groups 1 and 2. The urinary MCP-1/Cr ratio was significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2. For comparison of groups 1 and 2, the cut-off values were measured as 0.5709 ng/mg (sensitivity, 75%; specificity, 67%; positive predictive value [PPV], 71%; negative predictive value [NPV], 71%), 0.927 ng/mg (sensitivity, 77%; specificity, 72%; PPV, 77%; NPV, 72%), and 1.1913 IU/mg (sensitivity, 62%; specificity, 67%; PPV, 68%; NPV, 60%) for ET-1/Cr, MCP-1/Cr, and NAG/Cr ratios, respectively.ConclusionsThe urinary MCP-1/Cr ratio is significantly elevated in neonates with severe obstruction requiring surgical intervention. Based upon these results, urinary MCP-1/Cr may be useful in identification of severe obstructive hydronephrosis in neonates.

We report on a case of AA as well as examine the literature to review a total of 32 cases. We note that AA is often misdiagnosed and tends to recur in the ischiorectal and retroperitoneal spaces. By means of immunohistochemical analysis, we conclude: the estrogen and progesterone receptor status was weakly positive, but could not be distinguished from the background-fibroblastic tissue, PCNA correlates well in this tumor with its low mitotic index; however, further similar studies are needed to characterize this tumor. This may aid in treatment.

Evaluation of the urinary KIM-1:Cr ratio may help identify neonates with severe obstructive hydronephrosis.

Ceramic implant abutments are becoming increasingly popular due to the growing esthetic demands of patients. Two-piece ceramic abutments have the advantages of both ceramic and titanium abutments. This study aimed to review the published articles regarding hybrid abutments and their characteristics.Published articles regarding two-piece abutments were retrieved by electronic search of PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Medline, and Google Scholar databases using certain keywords. Articles highly relevant to our topic of interest were selected and reviewed.The presence of titanium inserts in hybrid abutments can overcome the brittleness of ceramic, increase the overall fracture resistance, prevent the implant connection wear, and provide better marginal fit compared with one-piece zirconia abutments. Hybrid abutments enable the fabrication of monolithic metal-free implant restorations with optimal esthetics. Furthermore, the risk of porcelain chipping, which is a common complication of implant restorations, is eliminated due to the monolithic structure of these restorations.According to the available literature, hybrid implant abutments have shown promising results with regard to optimal esthetics in the rehabilitation of the esthetic zone. However, long-term clinical studies are required to assess the long-term durability of all-ceramic restorations supported by hybrid abutments.

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