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Purpose: The IL-2 gene polymorphisms have been reported to be associated with the development of autoimmune disease. However, there are no published studies examining the influence of the IL-2 gene polymorphisms on the response of myasthenia gravis (MG) patients to tacrolimus (Tac). The goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between the polymorphisms of IL-2 and Tac response in MG patients., Methods: Ninety-two MG patients treated with Tac were studied, including 57 Tac-effective patients and 35 Tac-ineffective patients. Then, we selected four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs: rs2069776, rs2069772, rs2069762, rs2069763) in the IL-2 gene. Next, we analyzed the distribution of genotypes, allelic frequencies of SNPs, and haplotype frequencies among polymorphisms in the two groups of patients., Results: The distribution of the allelic frequency of the rs2069762 variant differed between the Tac-effective and Tac-ineffective patients (P = 0.02). Genotypes G/T and G/G of rs2069762 were differently distributed between the two groups when the wild genotype T/T was assigned as a reference (P < 0.001 for G/T; P = 0.003 for G/G). Patients with the TAGG haplotype tended to be Tac-ineffective (P < 0.001, OR: 0.15, 95% CI: 0.05-0.43)., Conclusion: Myasthenia gravis patients with the rs2069762 variant, rs2069762 G/T and G/G genotype, and TAGG haplotype for IL-2 tended to respond poorly to Tac treatment.

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to present a new method that combines the use of the fibular flap and a custom-made vertical distractor/dental implant device into 1 surgical procedure for simultaneous functional mandibular reconstruction., Patients and Methods: The present retrospective case series included 10 patients who were treated using the fibular flap and dental implant distractor (DID) in a single-stage procedure. These 10 patients were treated within a 3-year period (from 2005 to 2007)., Results: Of the 10 patients included in the study, 5 were males and 5 were females. The mean age of the sample was 33.8 years (range 17 to 48). The cumulative survival rate of the fibular flaps was 100%. The mean vertical bone height attained with the DID device was 11.4 mm. The mean period from the first operation to the start of dental implant loading was 6.3 months. The cumulative survival rate of the dental implants was 93.75%., Conclusions: The use of the DID in the fibular flap for mandibular reconstruction is advantageous because it combines vertical distraction osteogenesis of the fibular flap and dental implantation into a single procedure. Implants placed in the reconstructed areas were found to integrate normally, with survival rates comparable to those with 2-stage operations. As such, this novel DID technique can be used for single-stage reconstruction and rehabilitation of segmental mandibular defects in selected patients., (Copyright © 2012 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A large mandibular discontinuity defect is most often due to severe trauma, infection or resection for neoplasm. Reconstruction plates have been popularly applied to bridge mandibular defects without bone grafting. The esthetics and continuity of the mandible with segmental defects could be rehabilitated successfully. However, the function is difficult to reconstructed using this type of plate. Furthermore, skin or mucosa perforation, plate fracture and loss of screw retention were the serious complications resulting in reconstruction failure. In this paper, a lateral biomechanical titanium mandibular prosthesis (BMMP) with new retention structure has been design. Problems of masticatory muscle attachment and other soft tissue overlay on the prosthesis have been considered. The biomechanical effect of the BMMP has been analysed by the three-dimensional finite element method (FEM). And the analysis of biomechanical effects of the retention on the BMMP was performed comparing with that of traditional reconstruction plate. Analysis results have shown that the BMMP was of better load conductibility and reliable retention. The function, continuity and esthetics of the mandible bone with a lateral defect were reconstructed successfully using the BMMP.