The aim of this study was to evaluate the dentoskeletal effects of early treatment in the primary or early mixed dentition with a removable appliance with expansion springs, assessed on postero-anterior (PA) cephalograms, in patients with a unilateral posterior crossbite when compared with untreated subjects. The treatment group consisted of 23 subjects, 8 males, and 15 females treated with a removable appliance for the expansion of the maxillary arch. The mean age at the start of expansion (T1) was 6 years 2 +/- 17 months, and 8 years +/- 18 months at the end of active therapy and after 1 year of retention (T2), with an observation interval of 22 +/- 7 months. The control group comprised 20 subjects (9 males and 11 females) with an untreated unilateral posterior crossbite. Their mean age was 5 years 9 +/- 15 months at the first observation and 7 years and 4 +/- 16 months at the second examination. The interval between the two observations was 18 +/- 7 months. Nine skeletal and two dental measurements on the transverse plane were assessed. The data from the two groups were compared by means of a Student's t-test for independent samples (P < 0.05). Positive dental and skeletal effects induced by the therapy were observed at T2. The width of the upper dental arch and that of the skeletal maxillary transverse dimension were significantly greater (P < 0.001) in the treatment group when compared with the controls.
The aim of the study was to test the prognostic value of the microvessel density (MVD) within the tumor and the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression on clinical response to chemotherapy, on brief disease-free interval, and on cause-specific survival in advanced ovarian serous carcinoma. We evaluated 83 ovarian carcinomas homogeneous for stage, type and grade histologic, surgical, and chemotherapeutic treatment. Brief disease-free interval and cause-specific survival rates (Kaplan–Meier method) were compared using the log-rank test. A multivariate analysis (Cox-proportional hazards model) was used to determine the independent effect of each variable on prognosis. Overall 60 and 120 months cause-specific survival rates were 27.7% and 2.4%, respectively. The brief disease-free interval rate was 66.2%. In univariate analysis, VEGF (P = 0.0001 and P = 0.016), MVD (P < 0.0005), and the FIGO stage IIIC even more than FIGO stage IIIA (P = 0.01 and P < 0.0005, respectively) were associated with survival and brief disease-free interval, and the residual tumor was associated with survival (P = 0.021). In multivariate analysis, the factors that were independent predictors of survival were MVD (P < 0.0005), VEGF (P = 0.027), and the FIGO stage IIIC even more than FIGO stage IIIA (P = 0.013). Moreover, MVD was an independent predictor also of brief disease relapse (P = 0.001). Both MVD and VEGF were correlated with clinical response to chemotherapy (P = 0.01 and P = 0.037). Our data suggest that MVD and VEGF may have prognostic significance in advanced ovarian serous carcinoma.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.