Effect of nonsurgical periodontal treatment on clinical periodontal variables and salivary resistin levels in obese Asians.

This study investigated changes in periodontal outcomes after nonsurgical periodontal treatment (NSPT) and evaluated associations of change in salivary resistin level with periodontal outcomes in obese Malaysians with chronic periodontitis. Sixty-two obese adults with chronic periodontitis were randomly divided into a test group (n = 31), which received NSPT, and a control group (n = 31), which received no treatment. Plaque score (PS), gingival bleeding index (GBI), probing pocket depth (PPD), and clinical attachment loss (CAL) were measured at baseline and at 6 and 12 weeks after NSPT. Salivary resistin levels were evaluated by using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. PS was significantly lower in patients who received NSPT than in the control group at 6 and 12 weeks (P < 0.05). In the NSPT group the percentages of sites with shallow and moderate pockets decreased significantly, but there was no significant change in deep pockets. Resistin levels significantly decreased after NSPT (P < 0.05). Change in salivary resistin level was not significantly associated with periodontal outcomes. In obese Malaysians, NSPT significantly improved PS and GBI, and improved PPD and CAL for shallow and moderately deep pockets but not for deep pockets. Salivary resistin level was not associated with improvement in either periodontal variable.

Can stature be estimated from tooth crown dimensions? A study in a sample of South-East Asians.

OBJECTIVE: Stature estimation is an important step during medico-legal and forensic examination. Difficulty arises when highly decomposed and mutilated dead bodies with fragmentary remains are brought for forensic identification like in mass disaster or airplane crash. The body remains could be just a jaw with some teeth. The objective of this study was to explore if the stature of an individual can be determined from the tooth crown dimensions. DESIGN: A total of 201 volunteers participated in this study. The stature and clinical crown dimensions (length, mesiodistal and labiolingual diameters) of maxillary anterior teeth were measured. Correlation between crown dimensions and stature was analyzed by Pearson correlation test. Regression analysis was used to get equations for estimation of stature from crown measurements. The regression equations were applied in the same sample of volunteers that was used to obtain the equations. The reliability and accuracy of the equations were checked in another sample of volunteers. RESULTS: Length and mesiodistal diameter of the crown of central incisors and canines showed significant albeit low to moderate correlations (0.35-0.45) with the stature. The correlation co-efficient values were higher (as high as 0.537) when summation of the measurements was taken for analysis. The regression equations when applied to the same and a test sample of volunteers revealed that differences between actual and estimated stature can be as low as 0.01 to as much as 16.50cm. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that although there are some degrees of positive correlations between stature and tooth crown dimensions, stature estimation from the tooth crown dimensions cannot provide the accuracy of estimation as required in forensic situations. The stature estimation accuracy using tooth crown dimensions is comparable to that of cephalo-facial dimensions but inferior to that of long bones.

Salivary proteins associated with periodontitis in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The objective of this study was to investigate the salivary proteins that are associated with periodontitis in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Volunteers for the study were patients from the Diabetic Unit, University of Malaya Medical Centre, whose periodontal status was determined. The diabetic volunteers were divided into two groups, i.e., patients with periodontitis and those who were periodontally healthy. Saliva samples were collected and treated with 10% TCA/acetone/20 mM DTT to precipitate the proteins, which were then separated using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Gel images were scanned using the GS-800(TM) Calibrated Densitometer. The protein spots were analyzed and expressed in percentage volumes. The percentage volume of each protein spot was subjected to Mann-Whitney statistical analysis using SPSS software and false discovery rate correction. When the expression of the salivary proteins was compared between the T2DM patients with periodontitis with those who were periodontally healthy, seven proteins, including polymeric immunoglobulin receptor, plastin-2, actin related protein 3, leukocyte elastase inhibitor, carbonic anhydrases 6, immunoglobulin J and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, were found to be differentially expressed (p < 0.01304). This implies that the proteins may have the potential to be used as biomarkers for the prediction of T2DM patients who may be prone to periodontitis.

Potential uses of human salivary protein and peptide analysis in the diagnosis of disease.

Saliva is an important body fluid containing a complex mixture of proteins, peptides and other substances. These are not only important in maintaining the health of the oral cavity but also may yield information about oral and systemic disease. Comprehensive analysis and identification of the proteomic content of human saliva may contribute to the understanding of oral pathophysiology and provide a foundation for the recognition of potential biomarkers of human disease. The collection of saliva samples is non-invasive, safe, and inexpensive. It seems likely that testing methods can be developed which can be used in general medical or dental practice. However, it is important to realize that the collection of saliva must be carefully controlled. In this paper we review the progress in the analysis of the human salivary proteome and summarise the diagnostic possibilities that have been explored. The precautions in collecting saliva, and some of the factors which would have to be considered if a diagnostic test were to be generally adopted are discussed.