Environmental risk factors analysis in paediatric oral health: a cross-sectional study

AIM

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between environmental risk factors [adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD), eating habits, hygiene habits, body mass index (BMI)] with the presence of caries in a university-based cohort of paediatric patients.

MATERIALS

A total of 118 paediatric patients were included in the study. In addition to the evaluation of clinical (vitality test, percussion test) and radiographic (X-ray bitewing, OPT) parameters, patients' lifestyle was investigated through validated questionnaries. Data regarding decayed, missing, filled teeth index were recorded for both permanent (DMFT) and deciduous teeth (dmft). Logistic/linear regression models (crude estimates) and multiple regression models (logistic/linear) adjusted for confounding factors were built to evaluate the association between lifestyle habits and caries. The results were reported as Odds Ratio (OR - con 95% CI) for logistic regression models and Mean Difference (MD - con 95% CI) for linear models.

CONCLUSION

The present study confirmed the role of nutritional habits in caries development in the paediatric population, especially for deciduous dentition. Further clinical studies are needed to improve the quality of administered questionnaires and evaluate the cause/effect relationship between environmental risk factors and caries.

Installing tungsten Fischer carbene complexes into a calixarene framework

The first examples of calix[4]arene-based Fischer carbene complexes are here reported. The organometallic calixarene complexes showed a promising cytotoxicity towards human tumor cell lines.

Qualitative and quantitative performance of ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/MRI versus ¹⁸F-FDG-PET/CT in patients with head and neck cancer

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

MR imaging and PET/CT are integrated in the work-up of head and neck cancer patients. The hybrid imaging technology (18)F-FDG-PET/MR imaging combining morphological and functional information might be attractive in this patient population. The aim of the study was to compare whole-body (18)F-FDG-PET/MR imaging and (18)F-FDG-PET/CT in patients with head and neck cancer, both qualitatively in terms of lymph node and distant metastases detection and quantitatively in terms of standardized uptake values measured in (18)F-FDG-avid lesions.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Fourteen patients with head and neck cancer underwent both whole-body PET/CT and PET/MR imaging after a single injection of (18)F-FDG. Two groups of readers counted the number of lesions on PET/CT and PET/MR imaging scans. A consensus reading was performed in those cases in which the groups disagreed. Quantitative standardized uptake value measurements were performed by placing spheric ROIs over the lesions in 3 different planes. Weighted and unweighted κ statistics, correlation analysis, and the Wilcoxon signed rank test were used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS

κ statistics for the number of head and neck lesion lesions counted (pooled across regions) revealed interreader agreement between groups 1 and 2 of 0.47 and 0.56, respectively. Intrareader agreement was 0.67 and 0.63. The consensus reading provided an intrareader agreement of 0.63. For the presence or absence of metastasis, interreader agreement was 0.85 and 0.70. The consensus reading provided an intrareader agreement of 0.72. The correlations between the maximum standardized uptake value in (18)F-FDG-PET/MR imaging and (18)F-FDG-PET/CT for primary tumors and lymph node and metastatic lesions were very high (Spearman r = 1.00, 0.93, and 0.92, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

In patients with head and neck cancer, (18)F-FDG-PET/MR imaging and (18)F-FDG-PET/CT provide comparable results in the detection of lymph node and distant metastases. Standardized uptake values derived from (18)F-FDG-PET/MR imaging can be used reliably in this patient population.

Synthesis, structures, and properties of nine-, twelve-, and eighteen-membered N-benzyloxyethyl cyclic alpha-peptoids

N-Benzyloxyethyl cyclic alpha-peptoids of various size were prepared and their conformational features were investigated by means of computational, spectroscopic, and X-ray crystallographic studies.

Performance evaluation of a conformal thermal monitoring sheet sensor array for measurement of surface temperature distributions during superficial hyperthermia treatments

PURPOSE

This paper presents a novel conformal thermal monitoring sheet (TMS) sensor array with differential thermal sensitivity for measuring temperature distributions over large surface areas. Performance of the sensor array is evaluated in terms of thermal accuracy, mechanical stability and conformity to contoured surfaces, probe self-heating under irradiation from microwave and ultrasound hyperthermia sources, and electromagnetic field perturbation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A prototype with 4 x 4 array of fiber-optic sensors embedded between two flexible and thermally conducting polyimide films was developed as an alternative to the standard 1-2 mm diameter plastic catheter-based probes used in clinical hyperthermia. Computed tomography images and bending tests were performed to evaluate the conformability and mechanical stability respectively. Irradiation and thermal barrier tests were conducted and thermal response of the prototype was compared with round cross-sectional clinical probes.

RESULTS

Bending and conformity tests demonstrated higher flexibility, dimensional stability and close conformity to human torso. Minimal perturbation of microwave fields and low probe self-heating was observed when irradiated with 915 MHz microwave and 3.4 MHz ultrasound sources. The transient and steady state thermal responses of the TMS array were superior compared to the clinical probes.

CONCLUSIONS

A conformal TMS sensor array with improved thermal sensitivity and dimensional stability was investigated for real-time skin temperature monitoring. This fixed-geometry, body-conforming array of thermal sensors allows fast and accurate characterization of two-dimensional temperature distributions over large surface areas. The prototype TMS demonstrates significant advantages over clinical probes for characterizing skin temperature distributions during hyperthermia treatments of superficial tissue disease.

Tumor-associated stroma cell therapy in patients with pancreatic cancer potentiates therapeutic effect of tumor B-cell hybrid (TBH) auto-vaccines

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Background: Pancreatic Cancer (PC) tumor-associated stroma cells play an important role in PC’s immune surveillance escape. Secretion of Transforming Growth Factor β (TGFβ) and IL10 by PC tumor cells disturb the antigen presenting function of the stroma cells. It may explain the poor results of most immunotherapeutic approaches. Granger et al. reported a successful approach for treating small size pancreatic tumors, namely Mixed Lymphocyte Culture (MLC) cytoimplant. MLC cytoimplants, acting as a Th1 cytokine pump inside the tumor, are thought to revert the tumor-associated stroma cell dysfunction, and facilitate an immune attack. In view that TBH auto-vaccines have modest activity in advanced PC, we considered the possibility that a combination of MLC cytoimplant and TBH vaccines might potentiate the immune response. In this study we compared the response of MLC cytoimplant, TBH vaccines, and combinations of both therapies. Methods: 40 patients with advanced PC were treated: Group 1 MLC cytoimplan (10); Group 2 TBH vaccines (3); Group 3 one MLC cytoimplant and three TBH vaccines (9); Group 4 one MLC cytoimplant and six TBH vaccines (12) and Group 5 one MLC cytoimplant followed by two TBH immunizations, then second MLC cytoimplant followed by 4 TBH vaccines (6). Anti-tumor immune response was measured by Lymphocyte proliferation assay against autologous PC. Results: MLC cytoimplant combined with TBH vaccines appears to have synergistic and effective anti-tumor activity in advanced PC. Kaplan Meyer analysis showed a significant difference in the survival of group 4 as compared with the other four groups (P<0.001). After cytoimplant administration, 1/12 patients in Group 4 and 1/6 patients in Group 5 experienced transient bleeding episodes (lasting less than 12 hours). After the second MLC cytoimplant, all patients in Group 5 developed significant Graft Vs Host Disease (GVHD), an occurrence that probably contributed to the Group’s shorter survival when compared to Group 4’s survival. Conclusions: The observation that a second MLC cytoimplant leads to GVHD is consistent with a pro-inflammatory change in the tumor-associated stroma cells. MLC cytoimplant followed by TBH vaccines appear to prolong survival.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Periodontal pathogens in atheromatous plaques. A controlled clinical and laboratory trial

OBJECTIVE

A possible relationship between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease has been suggested. The aims of this controlled clinical study were: (i) to ascertain the presence of periodontal bacteria DNA [Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, Fusobacterium nucleatum, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Tannerella forsythensis (formerly Bacteroides forsythus)] in carotid atheromatous plaques and (ii) to assess the concomitant presence of the same periodontal bacteria DNA, if any, in periodontal pockets and in carotid atheroma in the same patient.

METHODS

A total of 52 patients scheduled for carotid endarderectomy were enrolled in this study. The test group consisted of 26 dentate patients; the control group included 26 edentulous patients. A complete periodontal examination, including radiographic orthopanoramic and subgingival plaque sample, was performed in the test population. Oral and X-ray examinations were performed in the control group. Atheromatous plaques were harvested during surgical procedure for each dentate and edentulous patient and then sent to the microbiological laboratory. Subgingival plaque samples and carotid specimens were examined using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique by means of specific primers for periodontal bacteria. Amplification of extracted DNA was tested using human beta-globin specific-primers.

RESULTS

Out of 52 endarterectomy samples, 12 (seven dentate, five edentulous patients) were excluded as negative to DNA amplification. In subgingival plaque samples of 19 test patients, T. forsythensis (79%), F. nucleatum (63%), P. intermedia (53%), P. gingivalis (37%) and A. actinomycetemcomitans (5%) were found. No periodontal bacteria DNA was detected by PCR in any of the carotid samples in either patient group.

CONCLUSION

The presence of periodontal bacteria DNA in atheromatous plaques could not be confirmed by this study and thus no correlation could be established between species associated with periodontal disease and putative bacteria contributing to atheromatous plaques.