Heterogeneity in the families of sons of alcoholics: the impact of familial vulnerability type on offspring characteristics.

In 2 samples of sons of alcoholics (family history positive for alcoholism; FHP: N = 74 & N = 72), cluster analyses identified 3 subtypes of familial vulnerability: 1 with low levels of familial psychopathology (FHP-LP) and moderate levels of familial alcoholism; a 2nd with high levels of familial antisocial personality (FHP-ASP), violence, and alcoholism; and a 3rd with high levels of familial depression (FHP-DEP), mania, anxiety disorder, and alcoholism. Compared with family history negative (FHN) participants (N = 106), FHP offspring had higher levels of alcohol problems. FHP-ASP offspring had elevated levels of antisocial traits and negative affect. Compared with FHN participants, FHP-DEP offspring elevated levels of antisocial traits, hypomania, and experience seeking. FHP-LP offspring had moderate levels of antisocial traits.

Shell disease and metal content of blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, from the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuarine System, North Carolina.

Concentrations of 13 elements were determined for three tissues (gill, hepatopancreas, muscle) in diseased crabs from a contaminated estuary (Pamlico River, NC), and in non-diseased crabs from both the contaminated estuary and a relatively uncontaminated area (Albemarle Sound, NC) during the fall 1989 and summer 1990. The diseased crabs had lesions which completely penetrated their dorsal integument, while the non-diseased crabs lacked lesions. Sediments within the contaminated area showed enrichment of arsenic, cadmium, manganese, titanium and vanadium relative to the uncontaminated area. Levels of aluminum, arsenic, cobalt, manganese, nickel, titanium, vanadium and zinc were significantly higher in both gill and hepatopancreas in crabs from the contaminated area. Manganese was always highest in the diseased crabs in all tissues measured. The concentrations of the remaining elements were greater in the gills of diseased crabs, while highest values of these elements in the hepatopancreas varied among the diseased and non-diseased crabs from the polluted area. Conversely, copper levels were always highest in all tissues in crabs from the uncontaminated area, and typically lowest in the diseased crabs. Concentrations of aluminum and arsenic were also significantly greater in the muscle tissue of crabs from the contaminated area, but no distinct trend was evident with regard to diseased versus non-diseased crabs. Arsenic was the only element accumulated by crabs in the contaminated area which has a known toxic affect on the tissue responsible for cuticle synthesis and repair (hypodermis) in crustaceans. Metals also accumulated could possibly act synergetically to compromise normal metabolism.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Freeze-dried bone and coralline implants compared in the dog.

Partially demineralized, antigen-extracted, freeze-dried cadaver bone and a hydroxyapatite replica of a marine coral skeleton were implanted in 30 surgically created two-wall intrabony pockets in two dogs. Results after 6 and 8 months showed connective tissue encapsulation and some periodontal ligament formation around the cadaver bone. In contrast, the coralline implant was consistently invaded by fibrovascular tissue, showed bone formation on its internal surfaces and had some periodontal ligament formation around it.

Toothbrushing with hydrogen peroxide-sodium bicarbonate compared to toothpowder and water in reducing periodontal pocket suppuration and darkfield bacterial counts.

This study attempted to isolate and test the therapeutic effectiveness of toothbrushing with hydrogen peroxide-sodium bicarbonate supplemented with scaling and systemic antibiotics. Forty-two subjects selected for pocket suppuration were divided into two groups. Group I was treated sequentially with brushing, scaling and systemic antibiotics. Group II was treated with brushing and scaling performed concurrently. Half of each group were control subjects using an inert toothpowder. Subjects were monitored by darkfield microscopy for spirochetes and motile rods. In Group I, toothbrushing alone showed approximately a 1/3 reduction in the number of suppuration sites, no difference between experimental and control subgroups and no significant changes in the darkfield counts. Scaling, whether subsequent to the toothbrushing (Group I) or concurrent with the toothbrushing (Group II), showed a statistically significant reduction (about 70%) in the number of suppuration sites in all subgroups. Darkfield counts after scaling were reduced significantly in some subgroups but not in others. The addition of systemic antibiotics in Group I resulted in an almost total elimination of suppuration sites and spirochetes in 15 subjects, but there were no significant differences between the test and control subgroups. In both Groups I and II, neither experimental peroxide-bicarbonate subgroup could be differentiated statistically from its toothpowder-water control at any time.

Association between ABO blood groups, HL-A antigens and periodontal diseases in young adults: a follow-up study.

Two hundred and thirty-eight Caucasians were studied for ABO blood typing and for HL-A antigens. The subjects were divided into normal, necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, chronic gingivitis, periodontosis and periodontitis groups. Results showed the chronic gingivitis group was significantly different in ABO grouping than the control group with the gingivitis subjects having a larger percentage of AB types and a smaller percentage of O types. The periodontosis group showed a trend toward more A and B blood groups and a smaller percentage of O groups than the controls. Compared to the normal group there was a significant reduction in HL-A2 antigen frequency in the periodontitis groups and a trend in reduced frequency in the periodontosis group.

Serum immunoglobulins in periodontosis patients.

This study indicates that a significantly greater percentage of periodontosis patients had high serum IgM and IgA levels compared to the control subjects plus a trend in the same direction for IgG. Paradoxically, 41% of the periodontosis subjects had no elevation of IgG, IgA or IgM.

Low HL-A2 frequency and periodontitis.

The frequency of HL-A2 was significantly low (21%) in patients with periodontitis when compared to controls who were free of periodontal disease (61%). The effect was most pronounced in females in whom HL-A2 was present in 12.5% (2 out of 16). This finding suggests that genes controlling susceptibility to microbial agents may be linked to the HL-A LOCUS.