Tag: statistics

J Sci Food Agric. 2022 Jul 22. doi: 10.1002/jsfa.12138. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In several countries, the cactus plant (Opuntia ficus-indica (L). Mill) knows renewed attention due to its ecological, socio-economic, and environmental role. In this study, prickly pear vinegar was produced employing two types of acetification processes: surface and submerged culture. Both acetification processes were performed at different temperatures (30 °C, 37 °C, 40 °C) by using two different species of thermo-tolerant acetic acid bacteria (Acetobacter malorum and Gluconobacter oxydans). Polyphenols and volatiles compounds analyzed by UPLC/DAD and SBSE-GC/MS, respectively, were considered as the main variables to determine the effect of the acetification process on the quality of the vinegar.

RESULTS: As a result, fifteen polyphenols and seventy volatile compounds were identified and quantified in the vinegar samples produced by both acetification processes. The results showed that the surface acetification method led to an increase in the concentration of phenolic components, which was higher than that in the submerged process. However, a significant increase of volatile compounds predominated by esters and acids was observed when submerged culture acetification was employed, whereas alcohols were predominant in surface culture vinegars. Moreover, the multivariate statistical analysis showed that the components that mostly contributed to the differentiation between all vinegar samples were the volatile compounds.

CONCLUSION: It has been proved that prickly pear vinegar could be successfully produced at higher temperatures than usual, by employing thermo-tolerant bacteria, and that the type of acetification method significantly affects the final quality of the vinegar produced. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PMID:35866440 | DOI:10.1002/jsfa.12138

Curr Med Res Opin. 2022 Jul 22:1-14. doi: 10.1080/03007995.2022.2101804. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To develop a claims-based algorithm identifying systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) flares using a linked claims-electronic medical record (EMR) dataset.

METHODS: This study was a retrospective analysis of linked administrative claims and EMR data spanning Jan-1-2003 to Mar-31-2019. Included were adult SLE patients with at least 12 months of continuous enrollment in claims data, 12 months of clinical activity in EMR, and an absence of malignancies excluding basal and squamous cell carcinoma. Patient follow-up was divided into 30-day windows, and a proxy SLEDAI-2K score based on the EMR data was calculated for each 30-day period. A flare was defined as an increase of at least 4 from the baseline score. A series of potential flare predictor variables identified in claims were based on a combination of established variables from a previous algorithm, with the addition of other SLE-related indicators based on clinical input. Logistic regression models were built to predict monthly SLE flares.

RESULTS: Inclusion criteria identified 2,427 patients. Results from a logistic model with forward selection capping the number of variables at 10 performed well with a c-statistic of 0.76 and Brier score of 0.07. The top 5 predictors were any inpatient admission (OR =4.76), outpatient office visit (OR =3.04), MRI (OR =2.26), ER visit (OR =2.25) and number of rheumatology visits (OR =1.75); p < 0.01 for all.

CONCLUSIONS: The final algorithm shows promise in providing an alternative and more streamlined way for identifying likely flares in administrative claims data that will advance the study of SLE within the context of flares.

PMID:35866412 | DOI:10.1080/03007995.2022.2101804

Front Biosci (Landmark Ed). 2022 Jun 27;27(7):202. doi: 10.31083/j.fbl2707202.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the treatment with eye-drops based on a combination of antioxidant and mucomimetic molecules, namely 0.1% alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) and 0.3% hydroxy-propyl-methylcellulose (HPMC) on the ocular surface of diabetic patients with dry eye symptoms.

METHODS: Seventy patients, 42 M and 28 F, aged from 50 to79 years (mean 62.1 ± 10.5), affected by type II diabetes mellitus, were enrolled and divided in two groups treated for 2 months as follows: Group 1 (35 patients), received topical ALA/HPMC three times a day, Group 2 (35 patients) received topical HPMC (0.3%) alone, three times a day. The main outcome measures were: Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), tear film break-up time (TBUT), corneal fluorescein staining, Schirmer I test, corneal sensitivity. An examination of tear film morphology with confocal microscopy was carried out in a subset of patients of each group at baseline and after two months. Statistical analysis was performed with t-test for the parametric data and Mann-Whitney U-test or chi-squared test for the nonparametric data.

RESULTS: Both treatments resulted in significant improvements of BUT, OSDI and tear film morphology, although the improvements observed in group 1 showed a higher trend than what observed for group 2. Moreover, only in group 1 a significant improvement was visible for corneal staining, and no significant improvements were observed in any group for Schirmer I and sensitivity.

CONCLUSIONS: These results confirmed the efficacy of HPMC in the treatment of diabetic dry eye and indicated that the addition of a strong self-regenerating antioxidant like ALA may give a distinctive advantage for the healing of corneal defects (as evidenced by corneal staining), beside improving HPMC efficacy on three other parameters (BUT, OSDI score, tear morphology). Therefore, the addition of a strong antioxidant like ALA can be helpful in preventing or treating ocular surface defects in diabetic patients, in which the oxidative damage is predominant.

PMID:35866400 | DOI:10.31083/j.fbl2707202

Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022 Jul 12;7:CD008766. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD008766.pub3.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer is the seventh most frequent cancer diagnosis worldwide, and the eighth leading cause of cancer mortality. Epithelial ovarian cancer is the most common kind, accounting for 90% of cases. First-line therapy for women with epithelial ovarian cancer consists of a combination of cytoreductive surgery and platinum and taxane-based chemotherapy. However, more than 50% of women with epithelial ovarian cancer will experience a relapse and require further chemotherapy and at some point develop resistance to platinum-based drugs. Currently, guidance on the use of most chemotherapy drugs, including taxanes, is unclear for women whose epithelial ovarian cancer has recurred. Paclitaxel, topotecan, pegylated liposomal doxorubicin hydrochloride, trabectedin and gemcitabine are all licensed for use in the UK at the discretion of clinicians, following discussion with the women as to potential adverse effects. Taxanes can be given in once-weekly regimens (at a lower dose) or three-weekly regimens (at a higher dose), which may have differences in the severity of side effects and effectiveness. As relapsed disease suggests incurable disease, it is all the more important to consider side effects and the impact of treatment schedules, as well as quality of life, and not only the life-prolonging effects of treatment.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy and toxicity of different taxane monotherapy regimens for women with recurrent epithelial ovarian, tubal or primary peritoneal cancer.

SEARCH METHODS: We searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE and Embase, up to 22 March 2022. Other related databases and trial registries were searched as well as grey literature and no additional studies were identified. A total of 1500 records were identified.

SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised controlled trials of taxane monotherapy for adult women diagnosed with recurrent epithelial ovarian, tubal or primary peritoneal cancer, previously treated with platinum-based chemotherapy. We included trials comparing two or more taxane monotherapy regimens. Participants could be experiencing their first recurrence of disease or any line of recurrence.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors screened, independently assessed studies, and extracted data from the included studies. The clinical outcomes we examined were overall survival, response rate, progression-free survival, neurotoxicity, neutropenia, alopecia, and quality of life. We performed statistical analyses using fixed-effect and random-effects models following standard Cochrane methodology. We rated the certainty of evidence according to the GRADE approach.

MAIN RESULTS: Our literature search yielded 1500 records of 1466 studies; no additional studies were identified by searching grey literature or handsearching. We uploaded the search results into Covidence. After the exclusion of 92 duplicates, we screened titles and abstracts of 1374 records. Of these, we identified 24 studies for full-text screening. We included four parallel-group randomised controlled trials (RCTs). All trials were multicentred and conducted in a hospital setting. The studies included 981 eligible participants with recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer, tubal or primary peritoneal cancer with a median age ranging between 56 to 62 years of age. All participants had a WHO (World Health Organization) performance status of between 0 to 2. The proportion of participants with serous histology ranged between 56% to 85%. Participants included women who had platinum-sensitive (71%) and platinum-resistant (29%) relapse. Some participants were taxane pre-treated (5.6%), whilst the majority were taxane-naive (94.4%). No studies were classified as having a high risk of bias for any of the domains in the Cochrane risk of bias tool. We found that there may be little or no difference in overall survival (OS) between weekly paclitaxel and three-weekly paclitaxel, but the evidence is very uncertain (risk ratio (RR) of 0.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.66 to 1.33, two studies, 263 participants, very low-certainty evidence). Similarly, there may be little or no difference in response rate (RR of 1.07, 95% CI 0.78 to 1.48, two studies, 263 participants, very low-certainty evidence) and progression-free survival (PFS) (RR of 0.83, 95% CI 0.46 to 1.52, two studies, 263 participants, very low-certainty evidence) between weekly and three-weekly paclitaxel, but the evidence is very uncertain. We found differences in the chemotherapy-associated adverse events between the weekly and three-weekly paclitaxel regimens. The weekly paclitaxel regimen may result in a reduction in neutropenia (RR 0.51, 95% 0.27 to 0.95, two studies, 260 participants, low-certainty evidence) and alopecia (RR 0.58, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.73, one study, 205 participants, low-certainty evidence). There may be little or no difference in neurotoxicity, but the evidence was very low-certainty and we cannot exclude an effect (RR 0.53, 95% CI 0.19 to 1.45, two studies, 260 participants). When examining the effect of paclitaxel dosage in the three-weekly regimen, the 250 mg/m² paclitaxel regimen probably causes more neurotoxicity compared to the 175 mg/m² regimen (RR 0.41, 95% CI 0.21 to 0.80, one study, 330 participants, moderate-certainty evidence). Quality-of-life data were not extractable from any of the included studies.

AUTHORS’ CONCLUSIONS: Fewer people may experience neutropenia when given weekly rather than three-weekly paclitaxel (low-certainty evidence), although it may make little or no difference to the risk of developing neurotoxicity (very low-certainty evidence). This is based on the participants receiving lower doses of drug more often. However, our confidence in this result is low and the true effect may be substantially different from the estimate of the effect. Weekly paclitaxel probably reduces the risk of alopecia, although the rates in both arms were high (46% versus 79%) (low-certainty evidence). A change to weekly from three-weekly chemotherapy could be considered to reduce the likelihood of toxicity, as it may have little or no negative impact on response rate (very low-certainty evidence), PFS (very low-certainty evidence) or OS (very low-certainty evidence). Three-weekly paclitaxel, given at a dose of 175 mg/m² compared to a higher dose,probably reduces the risk of neurotoxicity.We are moderately confident in this result; the true effect is likely to be close to the estimate of the effect, but there is a possibility that it is substantially different. A change to 175 mg/m² paclitaxel (from a higher dose), if a three-weekly regimen is used, probably has little or no negative impact on PFS or OS (very low-certainty evidence).

PMID:35866378 | DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD008766.pub3

Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022 Jul 12;7:CD012432. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD012432.pub3.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is a severe adverse reaction experienced by some individuals to certain medicines commonly used in the treatment of cancer and osteoporosis (e.g. bisphosphonates, denosumab, and antiangiogenic agents), and involves the progressive destruction of bone in the mandible or maxilla. Depending on the drug, its dosage, and the duration of exposure, this adverse drug reaction may occur rarely (e.g. following the oral administration of bisphosphonate or denosumab treatments for osteoporosis, or antiangiogenic agent-targeted cancer treatment), or commonly (e.g. following intravenous bisphosphonate for cancer treatment). MRONJ is associated with significant morbidity, adversely affects quality of life (QoL), and is challenging to treat. This is an update of our review first published in 2017.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the effects of interventions versus no treatment, placebo, or an active control for the prophylaxis of MRONJ in people exposed to antiresorptive or antiangiogenic drugs. To assess the effects of non-surgical or surgical interventions (either singly or in combination) versus no treatment, placebo, or an active control for the treatment of people with manifest MRONJ.

SEARCH METHODS: Cochrane Oral Health’s Information Specialist searched four bibliographic databases up to 16 June 2021 and used additional search methods to identify published, unpublished, and ongoing studies. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) comparing one modality of intervention with another for the prevention or treatment of MRONJ. For ‘prophylaxis of MRONJ’, the primary outcome of interest was the incidence of MRONJ; secondary outcomes were QoL, time-to-event, and rate of complications and side effects of the intervention. For ‘treatment of established MRONJ’, the primary outcome of interest was healing of MRONJ; secondary outcomes were QoL, recurrence, and rate of complications and side effects of the intervention.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two review authors independently screened the search results, extracted the data, and assessed the risk of bias in the included studies. For dichotomous outcomes, we reported the risk ratio (RR) (or rate ratio) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

MAIN RESULTS: We included 13 RCTs (1668 participants) in this updated review, of which eight were new additions. The studies were clinically diverse and examined very different interventions, so meta-analyses could not be performed. We have low or very low certainty about available evidence on interventions for the prophylaxis or treatment of MRONJ. Prophylaxis of MRONJ Five RCTs examined different interventions to prevent the occurrence of MRONJ. One RCT compared standard care with regular dental examinations at three-month intervals and preventive treatments (including antibiotics before dental extractions and the use of techniques for wound closure that avoid exposure and contamination of bone) in men with metastatic prostate cancer treated with zoledronic acid. The intervention seemed to lower the risk of MRONJ (RR 0.10, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.39, 253 participants). Secondary outcomes were not evaluated. Dentoalveolar surgery is considered a common predisposing event for developing MRONJ and five RCTs tested various preventive measures to reduce the risk of postoperative MRONJ. The studies evaluated plasma rich in growth factors inserted into the postextraction alveolus in addition to standardised medical and surgical care versus standardised medical and surgical care alone (RR 0.08, 95% CI 0.00 to 1.51, 176 participants); delicate surgery and closure by primary intention versus non-traumatic tooth avulsion and closure by secondary intention (no case of postoperative MRONJ in either group); primary closure of the extraction socket with a mucoperiosteal flap versus application of platelet-rich fibrin without primary wound closure (no case of postoperative MRONJ in either group); and subperiosteal wound closure versus epiperiosteal wound closure (RR 0.09, 95% CI 0.00 to 1.56, 132 participants). Treatment of MRONJ Eight RCTs examined different interventions for the treatment of established MRONJ; that is, the effect on MRONJ cure rates. One RCT analysed hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment used in addition to standard care (antiseptic rinses, antibiotics, and surgery) compared with standard care alone (at last follow-up: RR 1.56, 95% CI 0.77 to 3.18, 46 participants). Healing rates from MRONJ were not significantly different between autofluorescence-guided bone surgery and conventional bone surgery (RR 1.08, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.37, 30 participants). Another RCT that compared autofluorescence- with tetracycline fluorescence-guided sequestrectomy for the surgical treatment of MRONJ found no significant difference (at one-year follow-up: RR 1.05, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.30, 34 participants). Three RCTs investigated the effect of growth factors and autologous platelet concentrates on healing rates of MRONJ: platelet-rich fibrin after bone surgery versus surgery alone (RR 1.05, 95% CI 0.90 to 1.22, 47 participants), bone morphogenetic protein-2 together with platelet-rich fibrin versus platelet-rich fibrin alone (RR 1.10, 95% CI 0.94 to 1.29, 55 participants), and concentrated growth factor and primary wound closure versus primary wound closure only (RR 1.38, 95% CI 0.81 to 2.34, 28 participants). Two RCTs focused on pharmacological treatment with teriparatide: teriparatide 20 μg daily versus placebo in addition to standard care (RR 0.96, 95% CI 0.31 to 2.95, 33 participants) and teriparatide 56.5 μg weekly versus teriparatide 20 μg daily in addition to standard care (RR 1.60, 95% CI 0.25 to 1.44, 12 participants). AUTHORS’ CONCLUSIONS: Prophylaxis of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw One open-label RCT provided some evidence that dental examinations at three-month intervals and preventive treatments may be more effective than standard care for reducing the incidence of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) in individuals taking intravenous bisphosphonates for advanced cancer. We assessed the certainty of the evidence to be very low. There is insufficient evidence to either claim or refute a benefit of the interventions tested for prophylaxis of MRONJ in patients with antiresorptive therapy undergoing dentoalveolar surgery. Although some interventions suggested a potential large effect, the studies were underpowered to show statistical significance, and replication of the results in larger studies is pending. Treatment of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw The available evidence is insufficient to either claim or refute a benefit, in addition to standard care, of any of the interventions studied for the treatment of MRONJ.

PMID:35866376 | DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD012432.pub3

FEBS Open Bio. 2022 Jul 22. doi: 10.1002/2211-5463.13467. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

B cells recognize antigens via membrane-expressed B cell receptors (BCR) and antibodies. Similar human BCR sequences are frequently found at a significantly higher frequency than that theoretically calculated. Patients infected with SARS-CoV2 and HIV or with autoimmune diseases share very similar BCRs. Therefore, in silico reconstitution of BCR repertoires and identification of stereotypical BCR sequences related to human pathology have diagnostic potential. Furthermore, monitoring changes of clinically-significant BCR sequences and isotype conversion has prognostic potential. For BCR repertoire analysis, peripheral blood (PB) is the most convenient source. However, the optimal human PB volume for in silico reconstitution of the BCR repertoire has not been studied in detail. Here, we sampled 5 mL, 10 mL, and 20 mL PB from the left arm and 40 mL PB from the right arm of two volunteers, reconstituted in silico PB BCR repertoires, and compared their composition. In both volunteers, PB sampling over 20 mL resulted in slight increases in functional unique sequences (FUS) or almost no increase in repertoire diversity. All FUSs with a frequency above 0.08% or 0.03% in the 40 mL PB BCR repertoire were detected even in the 5 mL PB BCR repertoire from each volunteer. FUSs with higher frequency were more likely to be found in BCR repertoires from reduced PB volume, and those co-existing in two repertoires showed a statistically-significant correlation in frequency irrespective of sampled anatomical site. The correlation was more significant in higher frequency FUSs. These observations support the potential of BCR repertoire analysis for diagnosis.

PMID:35866358 | DOI:10.1002/2211-5463.13467

Nanoscale. 2022 Jul 22. doi: 10.1039/d2nr02250h. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Quantum transport in multi-channel silicon nanowire transistors presents enhanced data capacity and driving ability by overlapping current, which are essential for constructing quantum logic platforms. However, the overlapping behavior of the quantum transport through multi-channels remains elusive. Herein, we demonstrated bias-dependent hole transport spectroscopy from zero-dimensional (0D) to one-dimensional (1D) features in a lightly boron-doped multi-channel silicon nanowire transistor. The evolution of the initial 0D conductance peak splitting with source/drain bias voltages reveals the statistically distributed positions of single dopant atoms in multi-channels relative to the source or drain side. Two sets of 1D subbands are determined separately for heavy and light holes with different effective masses by measuring the positions of transconductance valleys, which have a negative shift with increasing bias voltage. Our results will benefit the practical utilization of silicon-based devices with atomic-level functionality in the field of quantum computation.

PMID:35866357 | DOI:10.1039/d2nr02250h

ANZ J Surg. 2022 Jul 22. doi: 10.1111/ans.17913. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Diverticular disease remains one of the most common conditions in the western world. Up to 25% of patients with diverticular disease require hospitalization, 15-30% of those of which require surgical intervention. CT scoring systems have been proposed as means to drive assessment and stratify patients necessitating hospital intervention. To assess and correlate CT scoring systems with clinical and surgical outcomes.

METHODS: Retrospective cohort analysis at a single institution. Single institutional assessment with patients presenting to emergency with a CT diagnosed episode of acute diverticulitis. One hundred and eighty-nine patients were included in the study, 61% of which were male. Patient demographics, comorbidities, medications, biochemistry and inflammatory markers, type of complication following acute diverticulitis, operative/procedural intervention, hospital outcome and mortality were measured. CT scoring systems assessed included modified Hinchey, modified Neff, World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) and modified Siewert scoring systems.

RESULTS: Majority of patients had left-sided diverticulitis (91%) with localized air (88%) and pericolic abscess (49%) the most common radiological findings. 28% of patients required radiological and/or surgical management with 12% requiring intensive care unit (ICU) admission. There was a general trend for surgical/radiological intervention as the scores increased in severity. The four scoring systems were found to be statistically significant predictors of any intervention and of ICU admission with minimal statistical differences across the different scoring systems.

CONCLUSION: Radiological CT scores for complicated diverticulitis are at best, moderate predictors of clinical and surgical outcomes and may serve to guide management with minimal statistical differences across different scores.

PMID:35866354 | DOI:10.1111/ans.17913

Orthop Surg. 2022 Jul 22. doi: 10.1111/os.13409. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Although corrective osteotomy with volar or dorsal plate fixation can treat malunion of distal radius fractures, each has its own disadvantages. Little is currently known on whether dorsal fixation combined with volar fixation may further improve recovery. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical value of corrective osteotomy combined with volar and dorsal plate fixation in patients with malunion of intra-articular fractures of the distal radius.

METHODS: Seventeen patients with malunion of intra-articular fractures of the distal radius treated with corrective osteotomy with volar and dorsal plate fixation from 1 January 2016 to 31 November 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The enrolled patients included seven males and 10 females with an average age of 54.9 years (range: 36-70 years). The radiographic parameters, including the radial length, the radial inclination angle, the ulnar variance, and the volar tilt, as well as clinical outcomes, including wrist and forearm range of motion (ROM), grip strength, the Mayo Modified Wrist Score (MMWS), and the disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score, were examined at 3 months and 18 months after operation and compared with the preoperative state. The paired t-test was used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS: After corrective osteotomy combined with volar and dorsal plate fixation, all included patients were followed up for 18 months, and there was no surgical site infection. Patients reported postoperative pain due to the irritation of extensor tendon (two cases) and wrist arthritis (two cases). The radial length increased from 1.34 ± 2.34 mm to 9.25 ± 2.65 mm and 9.03 ± 2.47 mm at 3 months and 18 months postoperatively (t = 8.257, 7.954, all p < 0.05). The radial inclination angle increased from 6.45° ± 0.76° to 19.35° ± 3.43° and 19.03° ± 3.63° at 3 and 18 months (t = 12.517, 12.122, all p < 0.05). The ulnar variance decreased from 5.11 ± 0.23 mm to 1.32 ± 0.31 mm and 1.54 ± 0.62 mm at 3 and 18 months (t = 4.214, 4.895, all p < 0.05). The volar tilt was corrected from 4.47° ± 3.46° to 15.51° ± 2.72° and 14.12° ± 2.41°, respectively (t = 11.247, 10.432, all p < 0.05). Moreover, wrist ROM increased from 42.53° ± 8.99° to 98.70° ± 7.61° and 101.24° ± 7.66° (t = 41.433, 46.627, all p < 0.05), while forearm ROM was increased from 94.82° ± 6.54° to 134.47° ± 5.06° and 137.24° ± 5.52°, respectively (t = 31.507, 32.584, all p < 0.05). Similarly, grip strength, MMWS, and DASH were also remarkably improved. There were no significant differences in the wrist and forearm ROM, grip strength, MMWS, and DASH scores between follow-up at 3 and 18 months (all p > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: Corrective osteotomy with volar and dorsal fixation can improve recovery of volar tilt, relieve wrist pain, restore wrist and forearm function, and increase grip strength of patients with malunion of intra-articular fractures of the distal radius.

PMID:35866348 | DOI:10.1111/os.13409

J Cosmet Dermatol. 2022 Jul 22. doi: 10.1111/jocd.15257. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Tear trough deformity, hyperpigmentation and skin laxity of the lower eyelid makes individuals appear fatigued and elderly. Many patients prefer less invasive, cosmetic correction of the aged lower eyelid. PDO barbed threads introduced braided fine threads design, which works as a template for attraction the regenerative factors and for cells’ migration and proliferation. The purpose of this study to estimate the outcomes of simultaneous additional application of braided type PDO threads’ N-scaffold for aged lower eyelids’ rejuvenation in patients, who underwent the midface PDO thread lifting.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total thirty patients with mildly loose skin in the facial area, who underwent the thread lifting using PDO threads, were included in this study. Patients were divided into two groups, 15 patients per group. First group underwent the midface thread lifting using PDO threads (“non-SCA” group). The second group underwent midface thread lifting in combination with braided PDO threads for tear trough deformity improvement (“SCA” group). Results were evaluated subjectively, based on the patients’ satisfaction rates, and objectively, by photographs’ evaluation.

RESULTS: According to Barton’s grading system: seven months after the treatment, there was statistical significant difference between the two groups: 1.733±0.74 in the non-SCA group and 0.733±0.83 in the SCA group (p<0.05). Based on patients’ self-assessment: there was significant difference at 7 month after the treatment: 2.86±0.84 in “non-SCA” group and 3.76±0.90 in “SCA” group, p<0.05. Complications such as persistent swelling, hematoma, skin irregularity, and infection were not observed during follow-up assessments.

CONCLUSION: The application of PDO braided type threads (N-scaffold) as a part of the midface thread lifting, for aged lower eyelids rejuvenation appears to be effective and safe within a period. This study suggests that PDO threads insertion may be a useful additional, non-invasive tool for the aged lower eyelids rejuvenation.

PMID:35866335 | DOI:10.1111/jocd.15257