Prevalence of human herpesvirus in plasma and saliva of cirrhotic patients: A pilot study.

AIMS: The objective of this study was to identify the presence of human herpesvirus (HHV) in the plasma and saliva of hepatic-cirrhosis patients and correlate it with clinical data and laboratory tests. This is a pilot, observational, and cross-sectional study. METHODS AND RESULTS: Specimens of plasma and saliva from 72 cirrhotic individuals were analyzed by means of polymerase chain reaction. The patient population had a mean age of 54.84 years old (SD ± 10) and was 70% males (51/72). Approximately 47% (n = 34) of the patients had leukopenia and HHV was not identified in the plasma specimens. The main species of HHV identified in the saliva were HHV-7 (n = 42, 62%) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) (n = 30, 41%). Moreover, there was a significant decrease in the total number of leukocytes and lymphocytes in saliva containing EBV (P = .038 and P = .047, respectively). CONCLUSION: The results show that the presence of EBV in the saliva of cirrhotic patients was correlated with their circulating immune status. It may be possible that the immune dysfunction displayed by the cirrhotic patients plays a role in the shedding of EBV into saliva.

Infrared spectroscopy as a predictive tool for the severity of COVID-19 using patient's saliva: A strategy to avoid hyperinflammation.

Discriminate the severity level of COVID-19 disease is still a challenge. Here we investigate the capability of micro-infrared absorption spectroscopy (micro-FTIR) to probe COVID-19 severity level and predict hyperinflammation, correlating the assigned vibrational data to relevant biomolecules related to the immune system. Saliva of 184 patients was analysed by ELISA assay (Hepcidin) and micro-FTIR. Vibrational bands related to IgM and IgA can discriminate healthy from Severe individuals (sensitivity ≥ 0.749, specificity ≥ 0.945) and are less effective in discriminating Mild or Moderate individuals from the Severe group (sensitivity ≥ 0.628, specificity ≥ 0.867). Analysis of the second derivative of spectra probed increased levels of IL-6 in the saliva a key additional information for the degree of severity prediction. Because the model discriminates all the groups regarding the Severe group, it predicts an intense state of inflammation based on FTIR analysis. It is a powerful tool for predicting hyperinflammation conditions related to SARS-CoV-2 infection and may be an ally in implementing drugs or therapeutic approaches to manage COVID-19 in the Severe stage in healthcare facilities.

Three-Dimensional Volumetric Investigation of Onodi Cells: A Multi-Slice Computed Tomography Study.

Introduction Onodi cells (OCs) are posterior ethmoid cells that are located above the sphenoid sinus, close to or even surrounding the carotid artery and optic nerve. Objective To investigate and evaluate the volumetric variation of OCs through multi-slice computed tomography (MSCT) scans. Methods We performed a retrospective review of MSCT scans of 79 subjects, 40 male and 39 female patients, Whose age ranged from 18 to 83 (mean: 39.6) years. The volumes of the OCs on the right and left sides were measured using the ITK-SNAP software (open-source) with semiautomatic segmentation. The possible relationships involving age, gender, contact with the optic nerve, extension of the pneumatization of the posterior ethmoid cells into the clinoid processes, mucous thickening in the anterior and posterior ethmoid cells, and obliteration of the sphenoethmoidal complex were analyzed with the Pearson correlation and Chi-squared tests according to the type of data compared and logistic regression models ( p < 0.05). Results We observed that an increase of one unit in the volume of OCs also increases the chance of extension of pneumatization into the clinoid processes by 0.15% ( p = 0.001). No significant correlations were identified regarding age, gender, and volume of the OCs. Conclusion The volume of the OCs has effects on the extension of pneumatization into the clinoid processes.

Texture Analysis of Temporomandibular Joint Disc Changes Associated with Effusion Using Magnetic Resonance Images.

The purpose of this study was to identify changes in the temporomandibular joint disc affected by effusion by using texture analysis of magnetic resonance images (MRIs). METHODS: A total of 223 images of the TMJ, 42 with joint effusion and 181 without, were analyzed. Three consecutive slices were then exported to MaZda software, in which two oval ROIs (one in the anterior band and another in the intermediate zone of the joint disc) were determined in each slice and eleven texture parameters were calculated by using a gray-level co-occurrence matrix. Spearman's correlation coefficient test was used to assess the correlation between texture variables and to select variables for analysis. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the groups. RESULTS: The significance level was set at 5%, with the results demonstrating that there was no high correlation between the parameter directions. It was possible to observe a trend between the average parameters, in which the group with effusion always had smaller values than the group without effusion, except for the parameter measuring the difference in entropy. CONCLUSION: The trend towards lower overall values for the texture parameters suggested a different behavior between TMJ discs affected by effusion and those not affected, indicating that there may be intrinsic changes.

Mucocutaneous histoplasmosis as the first manifestation of AIDS.

Immunosuppressed patients can present with opportunistic infections resulting from an intrinsic systemic disease, which easily evolves into more aggressive and less common conditions. This work reports a clinical case of a female patient with histoplasmosis lesions in the nasal and oral mucosa, including pulmonary, hematological, and hepatic impairment, which led to the diagnosis of HIV seropositivity. In the presence of severe immunosuppression, morbidity is increased due to deep fungal infections and their unusual clinical characteristics can make diagnosis difficult. Therefore, it can be very helpful to recognize these clinical characteristics in order to determine early diagnostic interventions. It is important to recognize mucocutaneous manifestations of histoplasmosis because the biopsy of these lesions, and subsequent histopathological analysis, is one of the quickest, safest, and cheapest methods of diagnosis.

Noninvasive Techniques for Management of Erythema Multiforme.

An 18-year-old man was referred for a diagnosis of extensive oral lesions. During the interview, he reported a medical history of ganglionic tuberculosis, type 2 herpes infection, and significant weight loss due to dysphagia. Intraoral exam revealed multiple painful and ulcerated lesions covered by pseudomembrane. Lesions were observed on the labial and buccal mucosa, tongue, and soft palate. The laboratory findings included serum positivity for the Epstein-Barr virus, and salivary tests showed positive values for herpes simplex virus (HSV-2) and human herpesvirus (HHV-7). The diagnostic hypothesis was based on clinical findings and viral infection detected in the saliva, which triggered an immunological disorder, that is, erythema multiforme (EM). The treatment consisted of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT), with substantial improvement in pain and healing as seen in the following twenty-four hours. Complete resolution of the lesions was achieved five days after the first session. Once the diagnosis of virus-induced EM was confirmed, noninvasive techniques (e.g., salivary tests and aPDT) were very successful and can be indicated for managing these lesions.

Quantification of Torque Teno Virus (TTV) in plasma and saliva of individuals with liver cirrhosis: a cross sectional study.

Introduction: Torque teno virus (TTV) has been pointed as an endogenous marker of immune function, the objective of this study was to investigate the TTV viral load in plasma and saliva of cirrhotic individuals and correlate it with clinical characteristics. Methods: Blood, saliva, clinical data from records and laboratory tests were collected from 72 cirrhotic patients. Plasma and saliva were submitted to real-time polymerase chain reaction for quantification of TTV viral load. Results: The majority of the patients presented decompensated cirrhosis (59.7%) and 47.2% had alterations in the white blood series. TTV was identified in 28 specimens of plasma (38.8%) and in 67 specimens of saliva (93.0%), with median values of TTV copies/mL of 90.6 in plasma and 245.14 in saliva. All the patients who were positive for TTV in plasma were also positive in saliva, with both fluids having a moderately positive correlation for the presence of TTV. There was no correlation between TTV viral load, either in plasma or in saliva, and any of the variables studied. Conclusion: TTV is more frequently found and in greater amount in the saliva than in the plasma of cirrhotic patients. There was no correlation between TTV viral load and clinical parameters.

Cone-beam computed tomography texture analysis can help differentiate odontogenic and non-odontogenic maxillary sinusitis.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess texture analysis (TA) of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images as a quantitative tool for the differential diagnosis of odontogenic and non-odontogenic maxillary sinusitis (OS and NOS, respectively). Materials and Methods: CBCT images of 40 patients diagnosed with OS (N=20) and NOS (N=20) were evaluated. The gray level co-occurrence (GLCM) matrix parameters, and gray level run length matrix texture (GLRLM) parameters were extracted using manually placed regions of interest on lesion images. Seven texture parameters were calculated using GLCM and 4 parameters using GLRLM. The Mann-Whitney test was used for comparisons between the groups, and the Levene test was performed to confirm the homogeneity of variance (α=5%). Results: The results showed statistically significant differences (P<0.05) between the OS and NOS patients regarding 3 TA parameters. NOS patients presented higher values for contrast, while OS patients presented higher values for correlation and inverse difference moment. Greater textural homogeneity was observed in the OS patients than in the NOS patients, with statistically significant differences in standard deviations between the groups for correlation, sum of squares, sum of entropy, and entropy. Conclusion: TA enabled quantitative differentiation between OS and NOS on CBCT images by using the parameters of contrast, correlation, and inverse difference moment.

Teledentistry and COVID-19 molecular surveillance strategy for a safe clinical environment in Paediatric Dentistry / Teleodontología y estrategia de vigilancia molecular para COVID-19 proporcionando un entorno clínico seguro en Odontología Pediátrica / Teleodontologia e estratégia de vigilância molecular para a COVID-19 proporcionando um ambiente clínico seguro na Odontopediatria

The aim of this manuscript is to describe a hybrid care model to paediatricpatients on a virtual basis for dental treatment before conducting an in-person surveillance by using combined nasal/oral swabbing (NOS).This longitudinal study used a convenience sample of paediatric patients and members of the dental team from an undergraduate paediatric dentistry clinic at the University of São Paulo School of Dentistry during the COVID-19 pandemic. Firstly, parents werecontacted and teledentistry was used for screening children who need dental treatment. Appointments were scheduled once a week for two months, in which a pre-COVID-19 screening was performed. Dental team and children's parents completed a questionnaire addressing COVID-19-related symptoms. Members of the dental team and children were tested for COVID-19 before entering the dental clinic, by NOS and RT-PCR screening.Ninety-three individuals were enrolled and all of them completed the electronic questionnaire on symptoms and had NOS collected weekly, totalising 241 pairs of swabs. No participant reported COVID-19 symptomsbefore entering the clinic for treatment. Only one child tested positive in the third week of sampling. The hybrid care model associated with molecular testing for asymptomatics provided a safe clinical environment regarding the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (AU).

El propósito de este manuscrito es describir un modelo híbrido de atención odontológica, a través de una plataforma virtual que precede a la realización de vigilancia molecular presencial mediante hisopado nasal/oral combinado, en pacientes pediátricos. Eneste estudio longitudinal se utilizó una muestra de conveniencia de pacientes pediátricos y miembros del equipo odontológico en la clínica de pregrado de la Facultad de Odontología de la Universidade de São Paulo durante la pandemia de COVID-19. En primerlugar, se contactó con los padres y se utilizó la consulta virtual para seleccionar a los niños que requerían tratamiento odontológico. Se programaron citas una vez a la semana durante dos meses, en las que se realizó el cribado previo a COVID-19. El equipo dental y los padres de los niños rellenaron un cuestionario en el que se abordaban los síntomas relacionados con la COVID-19. A continuación, los miembros del equipo dental y los niños fueron sometidos a pruebas de detección de COVID-19 antes de entrar en la clínica para atendimiento mediante cribado con hisopo nasal/oral y RT-PCR. Se inscribieron 93 personas, todas las cuales cumplimentaron el cuestionario electrónico sobre síntomas y se les recogieron muestras semanalmente, con un total de 241 pares dehisopos. Ningún participante declaró síntomas de COVID-19 antes de entrar en la clínica para recibir tratamiento. Sólo un niño dio positivo en la tercera semana de toma de muestras. El modelo de tratamiento híbrido unido a las pruebas moleculares para asintomáticos proporcionó un entorno clínico seguro con respecto a la transmisión del SARS-CoV-2 (AU).

O objetivo deste manuscrito é descrever um modelo de atendimento odontológico híbrido, por meio de uma plataforma virtual anterior a realização de uma vigilância molecular presencial usando esfregaço combinado nasal/oral, em pacientes pediátricos. Este estudo longitudinal utilizou uma amostra de conveniência de pacientes pediátricos e membros da equipe odontológica na clínica de graduação da Faculdade de Odontologia da Universidade de São Paulo durante a pandemia COVID-19. Primeiro, os pais foram contactados e a consulta virtual foi utilizada para o rastreio de crianças que necessitavam de tratamento odontológico. Foram agendadas consultas uma vez por semana durante dois meses, nas quais foi realizado um rastreio pré-COVID-19. A equipe odontológica e os pais das crianças preencheram um questionário que abordava os sintomas relacionados com a COVID-19. Em sequência, os membros da equipe odontológica e as crianças foram testados para o COVID-19 antes de entrarem na clínica para atendimento, através do rastreio com esfregaço nasal/oral e RT-PCR. Noventa e três indivíduos foram inscritos e todos eles preencheram o questionário eletrônico sobre os sintomas e tiveram amostras coletadas semanalmente, totalizando 241 pares de cotonetes. Nenhum participante comunicou sintomas de COVID-19 antes de entrar na clínica para tratamento. Apenas uma criança testou positivo na terceira semana de amostragem. O modelo de tratamento híbrido associado a testes moleculares para assintomática proporcionou um ambiente clínico seguro no que diz respeito à transmissão da SARS-CoV-2 (AU).

Severe acute respiratory syndrome by influenza and factors associated with death in older adults: a population study.

INTRODUCTION: Influenza is characterized by an acute viral infection, which can lead to severe conditions and death, especially in vulnerable populations, such as older adults. Therefore, we sought to analyze cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) due to influenza in older adults registered in Brazil and investigate the factors related to death due to this disease. METHODOLOGY: This is a cross-sectional, population-based study that used secondary data from the Influenza Epidemiological Surveillance Information System (IESIS-Influenza). Older adults aged 60 years and above with laboratory diagnosis of influenza were included. RESULTS: A total of 3,547 older adults with SARS due to influenza were included, out of which 1,185 cases with death as the outcome were identified. Among older adults with death as the outcome, 87.4% were not vaccinated against influenza. The main risk factors for death were invasive ventilatory support use, intensive care unit admission, brown skin color and dyspnea (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study described the profile of older adults with SARS due to influenza in Brazil. Factors associated with death in this population were identified. Moreover, the need to encourage compliance with vaccination among older adults is evident in order to prevent severe cases and unfavorable outcomes related to influenza.

EZH2 Expression Correlates With T-Cell Infiltration in Oral Leukoplakia and Predicts Cancer Transformation.

BACKGROUND/AIM: The EZH2 complex is involved in cellular proliferation and modulates the immune response in cancer. Less is known about the importance of EZH2 in precancerous lesions such as oral leukoplakia (OL). The aim of the study was to explore the association between EZH2 expression, immune activation, and cancer transformation in OL. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Analyses were retrospectively performed on nine OL cases that had undergone transformation to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC; OL-ca) and nine that had not undergone transformation (OL-non). EZH2-expressing cells, CD3+ and CD8+ T cells, and CD1a+ Langerhans cells were visualized with immunohistofluorescence and counted. RESULTS: A moderate positive correlation between CD3- and EZH2-expressing and CD8- and EZH2-expressing cells in the epithelium was found (r=0.57, p=0.01; r=0.59, p=0.01). The number of EZH2-expressing cells in the epithelium of OL-ca was significantly higher compared to OL-non (p=0.0002). Cancer-free survival rates differed significantly between patients with EZH2high compared to EZH2low expression (p=0.001). EZH2high expression in OL epithelium was associated with a 13-fold higher risk for developing OSCC (HR=12.8). CONCLUSION: EZH2 expression in oral epithelium predicts OSCC transformation of OL and correlates with the level of T-cell infiltration.

Torque Teno virus DNA is found in the intracranial aneurysm wall-Is there a causative role?

Objective: Torque Teno virus (TTV) is a recently discovered virus with high prevalence worldwide, that has been associated with vascular diseases. The aim of this study is to investigate the prevalence of TTV molecular DNA in the intracranial aneurysm (IA) artery walls. Method: Samples of IA walls were collected after microsurgical clipping from 35 patients with IA (22 ruptured/13 unruptured cases). The samples were submitted to molecular DNA extraction using the EasyMag automatized extractor and performed with Qiagen DNA extraction Minikit 250. The samples underwent PCR examination with primers for ß-globin as internal control using the Nanodrop ® 2000 spectrophotometer. A quantitative (real-time) PCR with TTV-specific primers was performed. Clinical and radiological data of patients included was collected. Results: TTV was detected in 15 (42.85%) cases, being 10 (45.4%) ruptured and 5 (38.4%) unruptured (p = 0.732) lesions. Multiple IAs accounted for 14 (40%) cases. Five cases (17.2%) had TTV+ and multiple aneurysms (p = 0.73). Association between presence of virus and aneurysm rupture was not statistically significant (p = 0.96). Conclusion: This study demonstrated a relatively high prevalence of viral DNA in the walls of IAs. This is the first study to identify the presence of TTV DNA in IA's samples, which was found more often in ruptured lesions. This is an exploratory study, therefore, larger studies are required to clarify the relationships between inflammation, viral infection, IA formation and rupture.

Epstein-Barr virus oral shedding and viremia and their association with oral hairy leukoplakia in HIV+ individuals.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the oral shedding and viremia of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in HIV-positive patients and their relationship with oral hairy leukoplakia (OHL). METHODOLOGY: A total of 94 HIV-positive patients were included in the study, in which blood and saliva samples were collected for EBV quantification. Data on gender, age, time of HIV seropositivity, combined antiretroviral therapy (cART), CD4+ T-cell counts, and HIV viral load were collected. OHL diagnosis was based on histopathological examination and EBV in situ hybridization. RESULTS: The EBV load in the 94 HIV-positive patients was higher in saliva than in blood (2.4 and 1.6, respectively), and there was a positive correlation between EBV oral shedding and viremia (p = 0.001). Twenty (21.27%) patients had OHL and also a higher EBV load in saliva (mean log10  = 3.11) compared to those who had no OHL (p = 0.045). Presence of OHL was only associated with age (p = 0.030). CONCLUSION: In HIV-positive patients, the presence of OHL was associated with EBV oral shedding but not with viremia, regardless of the amount of circulating CD4+ T cells.

Oral shedding of herpesviruses and clinical outcomes in hematopoietic stem cell transplant patients.

OBJECTIVES: To characterize the oral shedding of herpes viruses in patients who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (alloHSCT) and investigate its relationship with clinical outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Polymerase chain reaction and enzymatic digestion were performed to identify the oral shedding of the members of the Herpesviridae family in 31 patients. The samples were collected from the oral cavity at five timestamps. RESULTS: The presence of each herpesvirus in the oral cavity was observed in 3.2%, 12.9%, 19.3%, 32.2%, 54.8% and 93.5% patients for human herpesvirus (HHV)-6A, herpes simplex virus-1, HHV-6B, cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and HHV-7, respectively. Oral shedding of herpes virus was not uncommon after alloHSCT. There was a statistically significant association between the EBV and CMV oral shedding at C1 and the cumulative incidence of acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD). The results suggested that the presence of HSV-1 at C2 was related to a relapse. The HHV-7 oral shedding at C2 suggests a possible link between relapse, progression-free survival and overall survival of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who developed aGVHD showed higher CMV and EBV shedding in the oral cavity at aplasia, suggesting modifications to the pattern of immune cell response and inflammatory microenvironment.

In vivo study of cone beam computed tomography texture analysis of mandibular condyle and its correlation with gender and age.

OBJECTIVE: Texture analysis is an image processing method that aims to assess the distribution of gray-level intensity and spatial organization of the pixels in the image. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the texture analysis applied to cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images could detect variation in the condyle trabecular bone of individuals from different age groups and genders. METHODS: The sample consisted of imaging exams from 63 individuals divided into three groups according to age groups of 03-13, 14-24 and 25-34. For texture analysis, the MaZda® software was used to extract the following parameters: second angular momentum, contrast, correlation, sum of squares, inverse difference moment, sum entropy and entropy. Statistical analysis was performed using Mann-Whitney test for gender and Kruskal-Wallis test for age (P = 5%). RESULTS: No statistically significant differences were found between age groups for any of the parameters. Males had lower values for the parameter correlation than those of females (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Texture analysis proved to be useful to discriminate mandibular condyle trabecular bone between genders.

Magnetic resonance imaging texture analysis for quantitative evaluation of the mandibular condyle in juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the joints and other organs, including the development of the former in a growing child. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of texture analysis (TA) based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to provide biomarkers that serve to identify patients likely to progress to temporomandibular joint damage by associating JIA with age, gender and disease onset age. METHODS: The radiological database was retrospectively reviewed. A total of 45 patients were first divided into control group (23) and JIA group (22). TA was performed using grey-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) parameters, in which 11 textural parameters were calculated using MaZda software. These 11 parameters were ranked based on the p value obtained with ANOVA and then correlated with age, gender and disease onset age. RESULTS: Significant differences in texture parameters of condyle were demonstrated between JIA group and control group (p < 0.05). There was a progressive loss of uniformity in the grayscale pixels of MRI with an increasing age in JIA group. CONCLUSIONS: MRI TA of the condyle can make it possible to detect the alterations in bone marrow of patients with JIA and promising tool which may help the image analysis.

Three-Dimensional Volumetric Analysis of Frontal Ethmoidal Cells and Evaluation of Influential Factors: A Helical Computed Tomography Study.

In the present study, we aimed to assess frontal ethmoidal cells by using segmentation 3D software to establish a possible correlation between volume variation and both gender and age, as well as a relationship with Keros classification. Helical computed tomography images were obtained from 71 patients for analysis, in which the agger nasi cell, supra agger cell, supra agger frontal cell, supra bulla frontal cell, supraorbital ethmoidal cell, supra bulla cell, and frontal septal cell were identified and segmented to obtain their volume. Significant differences in volume were found for age and gender regarding agger nasi cells (p-value = 0.017), supra agger cells (p-value < 0.001), and frontal septal cells (p-value = 0.049). In the frontal septal cells, an increase of one year in age reduced the volume by 0.309, on average. According to Keros classification, the mean volumes were 10.07 and 25.64, respectively, for types II and III, both being greater than that of type I. Extracting volumetric data by using segmentation software in agger nasi cells, supra agger cells, and frontal septal cells may be useful for obtaining additional information related to age, in addition to possibly contributing to elucidating the anatomical variations in the region and an identification forensic tool.

Magnetic resonance imaging texture analysis to differentiate ameloblastoma from odontogenic keratocyst.

The differentiation between ameloblastoma (AB) and odontogenic keratocyst (OKC) is essential for the formulation of the surgical plan, especially considering the biological behavior of these two pathological entities. Therefore, developing means to increase the accuracy of the diagnostic process is extremely important for a safe treatment. The aim of this study was to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based on texture analysis (TA) as an aid in differentiating AB from OKC. This study comprised 18 patients; eight patients with AB and ten with OKC. All diagnoses were determined through incisional biopsy and later through histological examination of the surgical specimen. MRI was performed using a 3 T scanner with a neurovascular coil according to a specific protocol. All images were exported to segmentation software in which the volume of interest (VOI) was determined by a radiologist, who was blind to the histopathological results. Next, the textural parameters were computed by using the MATLAB software. Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to assess the correlation between texture parameters and the selected variables. Differences in TA parameters were compared between AB and OKC by using the Mann-Whitney test. Mann-Whitney test showed a statistically significant difference between AB and OKC for the parameters entropy (P = 0.033) and sum average (P = 0.033). MRI texture analysis has the potential to discriminate between AB and OKC as a noninvasive method. MRI texture analysis can be an additional tool to differentiate ameloblastoma from odontogenic keratocyst.