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Transplanting cell/hydrogel constructs into a bone defect site is an effective strategy to repair the damaged tissues. However, before transplantation, there are various methods to culture cell/hydrogel constructs. Especially, the preferred pre-osteogenic differentiation period to achieve satisfied bone regeneration should be determined. To this end, Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) were firstly photo-encapsulated into poly(ethylene glycol)-diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogel. Then the constructs were implanted in rat calvarial defects after being osteogenically induced for 0, 7, 14, and 21 days. In vitro experiments demonstrated that the proliferation of BMSCs in the hydrogels deceased significantly from 0 day to 7 days. The activity and the gene expression of alkaline phosphatase, besides the gene expression of bone morphogenetic protein-2 peaked at day 14, whereas the gene expression of osteocalcin and the formation of calcium nodules increased with the prolongation of differentiation time. In vivo results showed that limited areas of newly formed bone were found in the day0 and day21 groups. In the day7 group, obvious new bone with bone marrow space was found, while the day14 group nearly achieved complete bone healing. Our data suggested that the period of in vitro pre-osteogenic differentiation played a crucial role for the osteogenesis of BMSCs/PEGDA hydrogels. Furthermore, we found that a pre-differentiation for 14 days is preferable for bone regeneration in the rat cranial defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Materials and Methods Results Conclusion This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and their association with clinical and pathological features.12 TLS‐related chemokines in TCGA database were analyzed to investigate the TLSs in OSCC. The density, maturity, and location of TLSs in a large cohort of 189 OSCC patients (114 of which had clinical and prognostic information) were assessed. And the significance between TLSs and clinicopathologic characteristics was analyzed.Bioinformatics and analysis showed that TLSs were associated with better clinical outcomes in OSCC. Histological staining and analysis showed that the overall survival rate of the high‐density group (71/112, 63.4%) was significantly higher (p < 0.0001) than that of the low‐density group (41/112, 36.6%), and the high‐density group had fewer lymph node metastases (50.0%/68.3%, p = 0.021). And TLSs were divided into 4 types according to the maturity and location. Different types of TLSs are associated with prognosis (OS, p < 0.0001), clinical features (T stage, p = 0.028; degree of differentiation, p = 0.043), and precancerous lesion types (OSF, p = 0.049) of OSCC patients.TLSs were closely associated with better OSCC prognosis, and a more systematic classification may better guide the formulation of further treatment options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We investigated the association of severely damaged endodontically infected tooth with carotid artery plaque and abnormal mean carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) ≥ 1.0 mm. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 1502 control participants and 1552 participants with severely damaged endodontically infected tooth who received routine medical and dental checkup in Health Management Center, Xiangya Hospital was performed. Carotid plaque and CIMT were measured with B-mode tomographic ultrasound. Data were analyzed using logistic and linear regression. Results: Severely damaged endodontically infected tooth group had a significantly higher prevalence of carotid plaque (41.62%) compared to 32.22% of carotid plaque in control group. Participants with severely damaged endodontically infected tooth had a significantly higher prevalence of abnormal CIMT (16.17%) and a significantly increased level of CIMT (0.79 ± 0.16 mm) in comparison to 10.79% of abnormal CIMT and 0.77 ± 0.14 mm CIMT in control participants. Severely damaged endodontically infected tooth was significantly related with formation of carotid plaque [1.37(1.18–1.60), P < 0.001], top quartile length [1.21(1.02–1.44), P = 0.029] and top quartile thickness [1.27(1.08–1.51), P = 0.005] of carotid plaque and abnormal CIMT [1.47(1.18–1.83), P < 0.001]. Severely damaged endodontically infected tooth was significantly associated with both single [1.277(1.056–1.546), P = 0.012] and multiple carotid plaques [1.488(1.214–1.825), P < 0.001] and instable carotid plaques [1.380(1.167–1.632), P < 0.001]. Presence of severely damaged endodontically infected tooth increased 0.588 mm of carotid plaque length (P = 0.001), 0.157 mm of carotid plaque thickness (P < 0.001) and 0.015 mm of CIMT (P = 0.005). Conclusion: Severely damaged endodontically infected tooth was associated with carotid plaque and abnormal CIMT. Clinical relevance: Early treatment of endodontically infected tooth is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]