Microbiological and host-derived biomarker evaluation following non-surgical periodontal therapy with short-term administration of systemic antimicrobials: secondary outcomes of an RCT.

Nonsurgical periodontal therapy with adjunctive use of systemic antimicrobials (for 7-14 days) showed improved clinical, microbiological and immunological results over the mechanical protocol alone. Considering the increasing risk for antimicrobial resistance with longer antibiotic regimes, it is important to establish the optimal antibiotic protocol with a maximum antimicrobial benefit and minimum risk for adverse effects. The aim of the study was to evaluate the microbiological and inflammatory outcomes 12-months after a 3-/7-day systemic antibiotic protocol [amoxicillin (AMX) + metronidazole (MET)] adjunctive to subgingival debridement in severe periodontitis compared to mechanical treatment alone. From the initially treated 102 patients, 75 subjects (Placebo group: n = 26; 3-day AMX + MET group: n = 24; 7-day AMX + MET group: n = 25) completed the 12-month examination. Clinical parameters, eight periodontal pathogens and inflammatory markers were determined at baseline and 3-, 6-, 12-months after therapy using real-time PCR and ELISA respectively. After 6 months, several periodontopathogens were significantly more reduced in the two antibiotic groups compared to placebo (p < 0.05). After 1 year, both antibiotic protocols showed significant reductions and detection of the keystone pathogen P. gingivalis compared to placebo. Antibiotic protocols, smoking, disease severity, baseline-BOP, -CAL and -IL-1ß, as well as detection of T. denticola at 12-months significantly influenced the residual number of deep sites. The present data indicate that the systemic use of both short and longer antibiotic protocols (AMX + MET) adjunctive to nonsurgical periodontal therapy lead to higher microbiological improvements compared to subgingival debridement alone. The two investigated antibiotic protocols led to comparable microbiological and inflammatory results.

The effect of green tea as an adjunct to scaling and root planing in non-surgical periodontitis therapy: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To provide a systematic overview on the efficacy of green tea catechin as an adjunct to scaling and root planing (SRP) in terms of probing pocket depth (PPD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed using electronic databases in PubMed, Scopus, Medline, Cochrane, CINAHL, and Web of Science on randomized clinical trials up to January 2017. The research question was posed in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. RESULTS: The search provided 234 studies. After analyzing the full texts, five studies were included, with four studies qualifying for meta-analysis. Mean PPD reduction was significantly higher (α = 0.05) when green tea catechin was used as an adjunct to SRP (test group) than with SRP alone (control group). The difference in the reduction was 0.74 mm [0.35-1.13; 95% CI]. CONCLUSION: The local application of green tea catechin as an adjunct to SRP may result in a beneficial reduction in PPD. Due to the highly heterogeneous data and some risk of bias, however, this data still needs to be interpreted with caution. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The finding suggests that green tea catechin may be a topical adjunct to SRP without negative side effects.

Influence of the internal anatomy on the leakage of root canals filled with thermoplastic technique.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this paper is to evaluate the influence of the internal anatomy on the leakage of root canals filled with the thermoplastic technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The upper central incisors (UCI) and mesial roots of the lower molars (MRLM) (n = 12 each) were tested regarding leakage using the gas-enhanced permeation test (GEPT) after root filling. The quality of the root fillings was assessed using micro-computed tomography (µCT) by superimposing scans before and after treatment to calculate unfilled volume. The calculated void volume was compared between the groups and correlated to the measured leakage values. Data were analyzed using t test and Pearson's correlation tests (p < 0.05). RESULTS: The mean void volume did not differ between UCI and MRLM (13.7 ± 6.2% vs. 14.2 ± 6.8%, respectively). However, significantly more leakage was evident in the MRLM (p < 0.001). While the leakage correlated highly to the void volume in the MRLM group (R 2 = 0.981, p < 0.001), no correlation was found in UCI (R 2 = 0.467, p = 0.126). CONCLUSION: MRLM showed higher leakage values, which correlated to the void volume in the root canal fillings. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Care should always be taken while doing root canal treatments, but attention to teeth with known/expected complex root canal anatomy should be considered.

Prevalence of Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis in caries-free and caries-active children in relation to the oral microbiota-a clinical study.

OBJECTIVES: The correlation between caries and the oral prevalence of Candida spp. in children is contradictory in literature. Thereby, authors focused on Candida albicans as the most isolated Candida species from the oral cavity. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to compare caries-free and caries-bearing children regarding their oral carriage of Candida spp. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty-six caries-free (CF group) and 26 caries-active children (CA group) were included into this study. Three different types of specimens were assessed, saliva and plaque, and in the case of caries, infected dentine samples were microbiologically analyzed for aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms and their counts. Special attention was given to the differentiation between C. albicans and Candida dubliniensis. Additionally, different biochemical tests, VITEK 2 (VITEK®2, bioMérieux, Marcy-l'Etoile, France) and 16S and 18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequencing, were applied for identification. RESULTS: The detection of C. albicans did not differ between the CF and CA groups. C. dubliniensis was never detected in any specimen of the CF group, but occurred in one quarter of the CA group (27 % in plaque, 23 % in saliva), thus leading to a statistically significant difference between the two groups (p < 0.05). In six of these cases, C. dubliniensis was detected concomitantly in saliva and plaque and once only in plaque. CA group harbored statistically more Streptococcus mutans than the control group revealing a correlation between S. mutans and C. dubliniensis regarding the caries group. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study reporting a frequent detection of C. dubliniensis in caries-active children, which could have been underestimated so far due to difficulties in differentiation between this yeast species and C. albicans. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Microbiological diagnostic-especially of oral Candida species-is an important determinant for identifying etiological factors of dental caries in children.

Weather and air pollutants have an impact on patients with respiratory diseases and breathing difficulties in Munich, Germany.

This study determined the influence of various meteorological variables and air pollutants on airway disorders in general, and asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in particular, in Munich, Bavaria, during 2006 and 2007. This was achieved through an evaluation of the daily frequency of calls to medical and emergency call centres, ambulatory medical care visits at general practitioners, and prescriptions of antibiotics for respiratory diseases. Meteorological parameters were extracted from data supplied by the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecast. Data on air pollutant levels were extracted from the air quality database of the European Environmental Agency for different measurement sites. In addition to descriptive analyses, a backward elimination procedure was performed to identify variables associated with medical outcome variables. Afterwards, generalised additive models (GAM) were used to verify whether the selected variables had a linear or nonlinear impact on the medical outcomes. The analyses demonstrated associations between environmental parameters and daily frequencies of different medical outcomes, such as visits at GPs and air pressure (-27 % per 10 hPa change) or ozone (-24 % per 10 µg/m(3) change). The results of the GAM indicated that the effects of some covariates, such as carbon monoxide on consultations at GPs, or humidity on medical calls in general, were nonlinear, while the type of association varied between medical outcomes. These data suggest that the multiple, complex effect of environmental factors on medical outcomes should not be assumed homogeneous or linear a priori and that different settings might be associated with different types of associations.

Effect of N-chlorotaurine mouth rinses on plaque regrowth and plaque vitality.

The purpose of this 4-day plaque regrowth study was to assess the effect of N-chlorotaurine (NCT) mouth rinses on plaque inhibition and plaque vitality. Eighty volunteers participated in this investigator-blind, randomized, clinical controlled study in parallel groups. No oral hygiene was permitted except rinsing with a 2% or 3% NCT mouth rinse, a positive or a negative control. Primary parameters were the plaque index (Silness and Löe, Acta Odontol Scand, 22:121-135, 1964) and plaque vitality (Netuschil et al., J Clin Periodontol, 16:484-488, 1989) after the final rinse. In addition, another plaque index (Turesky et al., J Periodontol, 41:41-43, 1970), plaque area, and bleeding on probing were recorded. All parameters were taken at baseline and day 5. U test was applied on a 5% error level. No differences in plaque inhibition were found between the two NCT formulations and the negative control. However, a statistically significant reduction of plaque vitality compared to the negative and positive control was observed. Discoloration of the tongue and unpleasant taste were recorded in participants in the NCT groups. NCT mouth rinses did not inhibit plaque regrowth, but they did reduce the vitality of plaque bacteria. Methods of prolonging the substantivity of the NCT mouth rinses should be investigated to enhance the antibacterial properties of these formulations.

How to select study designs and parameters to investigate the effect of mouthrinses? Part I: rationale and background.

In the literature and in the daily study routine, a wide range of study designs exists to test the efficacy of mouthrinses. Within these various designs, a considerable number of parameters is applied. Due to the different protocols currently used the outcome of these investigations is hardly to compare. Therefore, it was the aim of the present investigation to assess suitable study designs of different durations, to select and compare parameters, and to find suitable study participants in order to finally recommend more standardized protocols for future studies on oral antiseptics. Eight-hour substantivity studies, four-day plaque re-growth studies, 21-day experimental gingivitis studies, and six-month home-use studies were performed either cross-over or parallel. The clinical studies were randomized, controlled, and investigator-blinded. From most often applied clinical and laboratory parameters, two plaque indices, bacterial vitality, three gingivitis indices, gingival crevicular fluid, colony forming units, and the discoloration index were selected to assess plaque inhibition, gingivitis development, tooth staining, and possible bacterial shifts in the oral cavity. Four or five, respectively, treatment groups were formed that rinsed with the following solutions: chlorhexidine digluconate 0.06%, 0.12%, 0.20%, amine fluoride/stannous fluoride, and a negative control. In addition, all study designs were tested on two different study populations. Population alpha consisted of persons who had a gingival index <0.8 while population beta participants presented a mean gingival index of >/=0.8. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated between parameters and between subsets of teeth and full-mouth recording. T-tests were applied to compare between populations alpha and beta.

How to select study designs and parameters to investigate the effect of mouthrinses? Part II: comparisons between the parameters used.

A variety of parameters is available to assess the efficacy of oral antiseptics. Most study protocols select the parameters according to the specific study goal or according to preferences of the researchers. Beside general recommendations for home-use studies, no recommendations exist for other study types. Therefore, pre-selected parameters should be compared within several study designs and the most suitable parameters should be recommended for further application. The following parameters were selected before study start: plaque indices (PlI, Silness & Loe 1964, M-QHI, Turesky et al. 1970), plaque area (PlA), bacterial vitality (BV, Netuschil et al. 1989), gingivitis indices (GI, Loe 1967; M-GI, Lobene et al. 1986; BOP, Ainamo & Bay 1975), gingival crevicular fluid, colony forming units, and the discoloration index (DI, Brecx et al. 1993). The parameters were applied in four study designs: eight-hour substantivity studies, four-day plaque re-growth studies, 21-day experimental gingivitis studies, and six-month home-use studies. Pearson correlation coefficients were computed. The highest correlations were found between PlI and M-QHI and between GI and M-GI (p<0.01) in all corresponding studies and treatment groups. Few middle correlations existed between BOP and the other gingival indices. Neither GI nor M-GI correlated with GCF nor did BV with plaque indices. Inconsistent correlations were obtained between PlA and plaque indices and between PlI and GI. It is concluded, that primary parameters for these designs should be one plaque index and/or one gingivitis index to monitor plaque and gingivitis. The other parameters did not yield additional information about the study outcome.

Effect of two new chlorhexidine mouthrinses on the development of dental plaque, gingivitis, and discolouration. A randomized, investigator-blind, placebo-controlled, 3-week experimental gingivitis study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this experimental gingivitis study was to assess the efficacy and safety of two new chlorhexidine (CHX) mouthrinses. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Ninety volunteers participated in this investigator-blind, randomized, clinical-controlled trial in parallel groups. During the treatment period, no oral hygiene measures except rinsing with non-alcoholic 0.2% CHX or 0.2% CHX/0.055% sodium fluoride mouthrinses, a positive control, or a negative control were permitted. The primary parameter was the gingival index; the secondary parameters were plaque index, discolouration index, and bleeding on probing. Clinical examinations were conducted 14 days before the start of the study, at baseline, and after 7, 14, and 21 days. The two sample t-test, anova, and ancova were used for the statistical analysis. RESULTS: No difference in efficacy was found between the two new CHX formulations and the positive control. On day 21, statistically significantly less gingival inflammation and plaque accumulation compared with placebo were observed. Besides discolouration and taste irritations, no adverse events were recorded. CONCLUSION: The two new CHX mouthrinses were able to inhibit plaque re-growth and gingivitis. Neither the omission of alcohol nor the supplementation with sodium fluoride had weakened the clinical efficacy of CHX with respect to the analysed clinical parameters.

Influence of pattern of menopausal transition on the amount of trabecular bone loss. Results from a 6-year prospective longitudinal study.

INTRODUCTION: Bone density is lower in postmenopausal than in premenopausal women. Recent findings have suggested that accelerated bone loss already begins before menopause. Despite numerous cross-sectional studies on menopause-related bone density, longitudinal data on perimenopausal bone density changes are scarce. This study sought to characterize the dynamics of changes leading to postmenopausal osteopenia and to possibly find the time point at which accelerated bone loss begins. METHODS: We prospectively followed 34 pre-, peri- and early postmenopausal women without prior external hormone use, measuring their lumbar spine trabecular bone density with quantitative computer tomography at 0, 2 and 6 years. The analysis of the changes over time was done in a tri-parted fashion, since menopausal status changed variably for individual subjects: we grouped the participants according to their currently valid menopausal classification for prospective (baseline classification), interim (2 years) and retrospective (6-year classification) analysis. RESULTS: Six different patterns of menopausal transition were identified in our sample. Bone loss in the groups not reaching postmenopause during 6 years of observation was >50% of the maximum bone loss observed during the study period. Invariably for all analyses, the perimenopausal phase with estrogen levels still adequate was associated with the greatest reduction of trabecular bone mineral density, reaching 6.3% loss annually in the lumbar spine. By comparison, the average rate of loss was slower in the early postmenopause; total bone loss differed by pattern of menopausal transition (one-way ANOVA p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The presented data for the first time show the perimenopausal course of trabecular bone loss (as measured by QCT of the lumbar spine). Acceleration of bone loss during perimenopause reached half-maximal values of the total bone loss measured around menopause, despite adequate serum estradiol levels.

An application of isotonic longitudinal marginal regression to monitoring the healing process.

This paper discusses marginal regression for repeated ordinal measurements that are isotonic over time. Such data are often observed in longitudinal studies on healing processes in which, due to recovery, the status of patients only improves or remains the same. We show how this prior information can be used to construct appropriate and parsimoniously parametrized marginal models. As a second aspect, we also incorporate nonparametric fitting of covariate effects via a penalized quasi-likelihood or general estimating equation approach. We illustrate our methods by an application to sports-related injuries.

Protection from hypoxemic renal dysfunction by verapamil and manganese in the rabbit.

The ability of calcium channel blockers to prevent and/or to reverse the hypoxemia-induced renal dysfunction was studied in anesthetized and mechanically-ventilated rabbits. Renal blood flow (RBF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were determined by para-aminohippuric acid and inulin clearance, respectively. Each animal was considered as its own control. In 9 rabbits (group 1), verapamil infusion, 1 microgram.kg-1.min-1, did not change basal renal hemodynamics. In a second group (n = 9), hypoxemia induced marked significant decreases in GFR, RBF and urine flow rate (-22 +/- 5%, -18 +/- 6% and -34 +/- 7% respectively). The administration of verapamil partially reversed the hypoxemia-induced renal dysfunction. Likewise, hypoxemia did not induce any change in renal function in verapamil pretreated rabbits (n = 8). This study shows that verapamil is able to prevent and to partially reverse the adverse effects of hypoxemia on renal hemodynamics. The intrarenal infusion of manganese chloride, another calcium channel blocker, was also effective in blunting the hypoxemia-induced changes in the left infused kidney, but not in the contralateral kidney. The overall results demonstrate that a significant protection from hypoxemic renal dysfunction can be achieved by inhibitors of calcium ion transport.

Pharmacological doses of atrial natriuretic peptide ameliorate the acute renal dysfunction induced by systemic hypoxemia.

The acute renal effects of systemic hypoxemia and the ability of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) to reverse these effects were assessed in seven anesthetized and mechanically ventilated adult rabbits. Throughout the experiment, arterial pH, PaCO2 and HCO3 remained unchanged. Hypoxemia induced a significant increase in rabbit-ANP plasma levels from 151 +/- 26 to 246 +/- 65 pg/ml. During the normoxemic period (PaO2 = 131 +/- 12 mm Hg), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), renal blood flow (RBF), renal vascular resistance (RVR) and urinary sodium excretion (UNaV) were similar in both kidneys. The subsequent hypoxemic period (PaO2 = 30 +/- 1 mm Hg) caused a decrease in right and left kidney function: GFR, -26 +/- 5 and -29 +/- 6%; RBF, -17 +/- 9 and -29 +/- 8%; RVR, +28 +/- 16 and +59 +/- 30%; urine flow rate, -38 +/- 6 and -36 +/- 6%; and UNaV, -51 +/- 7 and -50 +/- 7%, respectively. Human-ANP infusion in the left renal artery (100 ng/min) during sustained systemic hypoxemia induced a significant improvement in GFR (+57 +/- 18%), RBF (+21 +/- 8%), RVR (-20 +/- 7%), urine flow rate (+151 +/- 27%) and UNaV (+270 +/- 48%) in the left experimental kidney, as compared with the preceding hypoxemic period. In contrast, the function of the right control kidney remained impaired.

The action of N,N-diethyldithiocarbamate(DDC) on red blood cells.

Glutathione exerts a pro-oxidative effect by increasing H2O2-formation in the presence of methemoglobin and a radical-generating substance (e.g. DDC). This effect might contribute to the loss of glutathione in cells in which formation of methemoglobin is provoked by radicals.

Status of glutathione in the rat liver. Enhanced formation of oxygen radicals at low oxygen tension.

Rat livers were initially perfused and then stored at various temperatures up to 4 h. The intra- and extrahepatic status of glutathione, the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide in the preservation medium, the action of a OH-scavenger and of a xanthine oxidase-inhibitor were investigated as candidates for the assessment of oxidative alterations due to ischemia. Furthermore respiratory functions of mitochondria were measured. The increased efflux of GSSG from the liver tissue, the increase of the GSSGtot/GSHtot-ratio and the favourable effects of formate as OH-scavenger and of allopurinol as xanthine oxidase-inhibitor confirm the hypothesis about the oxidative damage under conditions of oxygen deficiency. The nucleotide degradation, especially the steps catalyzed by xanthine oxidase and uricase, is the main metabolic pathway for the generation of oxygen radicals under ischemic conditions.