Hepatitis B and C virus infections among patients with gingivitis and adult periodontitis: seroprevalence and public health importance

The aim of the present case control study was to identify seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C virus [HBV and HCV] infections among one hundred cases with periodontal disease [71% gingivitis and 29% adult periodontitis] and one hundred controls with healthy gingiva matched for age and sex. Moreover, it aimed to detect hepatitis markers in saliva samples corresponding to the positive sera. Different risk factors associated with hepatitis infection and detectability rate of hepatitis markers were also studied. Methodology: enzyme linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA] technique was used to detect the presence of hepatitis B surface antigen [HBsAg], antibody to hepatitis B core antigen [anti HBc], e antigen [eAg] and antibody to hepatitis C virus [anti HCV] both in serum and saliva samples. HCV RNA was detected by polymerase chain reaction [PCR] technique. Oral examination was performed for assessment of simplified Oral Hygiene Index [OHI-S], Papillary Bleeding Index [PBI], probing pocket depth and loss of fibre attachment. cases with periodontal disease showed higher percentages of hepatitis exposure [hepex; anti HCV and/or anti HBc] and significantly higher anti HCV seropositivity than the controls [26% and 13% versus 22% and 8%, respectively]. No difference in HBsAg carrier rate nor in anti HBc seropositivity was elicited. Furthermore, cases with periodontal disease showed higher detectability rate of HBsAg, anti HBc, anti HCV or both anti HCV and/or anti HBc in whole unstimulated saliva than the controls [100% vs 66.7%, 50% vs 23.5%, 23.1% vs 0.0% and 42.3% vs 18.2%, respectively]. Stepwise logistic regression delineated two significant factors associated with the risk of hepatitis exposure, the first predictor was the rural residence and the second one was the history of blood transfusion [OR=3.10, 2.94, respectively]. Periodontal disease, severity of bleeding and bad oral hygiene were associated with the risk of hepatitis infection and with the detectability of hepatitis markers in the whole saliva

Toxicological impact of lead and/or rodenticide diphacinone I. Changes in bleeding time, body weight, amino acid and protein contents and food and water consumption in albino rats

An observable depression in food consumption accompanied with a decrease of body weight were noticed in animals exposed to lead in various time intervals of the study. Water consumption showed a decrease in initial periods of exposure to lead but it tended to elevate by the 4[th] week of intoxication. This parameter also decreased during the period of diphacinone group and of lead treated animals followed by diphacinone were higher than those of the control group, however liver weights of both treated groups decreased compared to those of controls. Kidney weight did not change due to treatments. Bleeding time increased through the later periods of lead acetate treatment. Exposure of animals to diphacinone preceded by lead acetate for 4 weeks caused futher increase in the bleeding time compared to control or lead treated groups. Animals treated with only diphacinone showed an elongate bleeding time which was longer than those of other experimental groups. Total protein contents decreased significantly in the liver kidney and brain during the second week of intoxication. In contrast serum showed substantial elevations especially during the initial periods of the treatment. Amino acid analysis indicated a general initial decrease in various organs followed by marked elevations by termination of the experiment

Toxicological impact of lead and/or rodenticide diphacinone on albino rats 2-changes in enzyme profile and protein metabolism

The objective of this study is to explore the interaction between lead pollution and the anticoagulant rodenticide, diphacinone, on adult male albino rats through the disturbances occurring in enzyme activities due to these risk factors. Following are the results obtained: Treatment of animals with diphacinone only has resulted in variable effects on various parameters examined where the highest effect was noticed on the kiduey. However, treatment of rats with lead [Pb] before exposure to diphacinone has counteracted most of the toxicological effects of the anticoagulant on the kidney as evidenced from unaltered renal GPT, alkaline phosphtase and brain 5 -nuclcotidasc and Pb concentration. The effect of the anticoagulant on serum constituents was restricted to 5 nucleotidase activity. However, moderate but significant decrease in sGPT activity was also recorded. With respect to alkaline phosphatase [ALP], diphacinone intoxication has no effect on the activity of this enzyme in both serum and brain, whereas it stimulates hepatic enzyme activity and depressed the activity of this enzyme in the kidney. On the other hand, diphacinone intoxication of animals pretreated with Pb for 28 days has resulted in decreases in activity of ALP in both serum and brain, whereas no detectable change occurred in both liver and kidney. Lead concentration underwent significant decreases in various organs examined following diphacinone treatment when compared with the control groups

Toxicological impact of lead poisoning on enzyme profile in some vital organs of albino rats

The present work was performed to investigate the effects of chronic exposure to lead acetate on enzyme profile in liver, kidney and brain in addition to blood serum of adult male albino rats. Lead concentrations were also monitored in tissues of the previously mentioned organs. Results obtained were as follows: Chronic intoxication with lead acetate induced significant elevation in serum aminotransferase enzymes [sGOT and sGPT], however, the latter enzyme was highly affected in response to treatment than sGOT. Conversely, there were significant declines in the activity of' aminotransferases in almost all examined organs with fluctuable magnitudes. Highly significant decline in serum alkaline phosphatase was observed after administration of lead acetate during different time intervals of experimentation. On the other hand, lead acetate has resulted in excitation of alkaline_phosphatase during the early periods of intoxication, whereas by termination of the experiment, the activity of the enzyme tended to decrease significantly especially in the brain and liver. The present data indicated increases in the activity of serum 5' nucleotidase [5'-NT] during various experimental periods, while tissue 5'-NT showed nearly a similar pattern of changes like alkaline phosphatase. Lead concentrations in blood, brain, liver and kidneys are extremely variable during various periods of treatment with lead acetate. With the exception of the blood, all tissues showed upward trends with exposure time, however, marked elevations were noticed in the blood and liver whereas low concentration was observed in the brain