Conversion of 12-membered d3- and l3-CoCd metallorings into a 24-membered d3l3-CoCd metalloring.

The treatment of [Co(d- or l-ebp)]- with CdX2 (X = Br-, I-) gave a cyclic CoIII3CdII3 complex with a 12-membered metalloring, [Cd3X3{Co(d- or l-ebp)}3] (d3- or l3-1X). The use of a 1 : 1 mixture of [Co(d-ebp)]- and [Co(l-ebp)]-, instead of [Co(d- or l-ebp)]-, led to the creation of a cyclic CoIII6CdII6 complex with a 24-membered metalloring, [Cd6X6(H2O)6{Co(d-ebp)}3{Co(l-ebp)}3] (d3l3-2X). Compounds d3l3-2X were also produced when d3-1X and l3-1X were mixed in water in a 1 : 1 ratio, illustrating the conversion of a pair of homochiral metallorings into a double-sized heterochiral metalloring.

Assessing the progression of chronic periodontitis using subgingival pathogen levels: a 24-month prospective multicenter cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of the progression of periodontitis presently depends on the use of clinical symptoms (such as attachment loss) and radiographic imaging. The aim of the multicenter study described here was to evaluate the diagnostic use of the bacterial content of subgingival plaque recovered from the deepest pockets in assessing disease progression in chronic periodontitis patients. METHODS: This study consisted of a 24-month investigation of a total of 163 patients with chronic periodontitis who received trimonthly follow-up care. Subgingival plaque from the deepest pockets was recovered and assessed for bacterial content of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans using the modified Invader PLUS assay. The corresponding serum IgG titers were measured using ELISA. Changes in clinical parameters were evaluated over the course of 24 months. The sensitivity, specificity, and prediction values were calculated and used to determine cutoff points for prediction of the progression of chronic periodontitis. RESULTS: Of the 124 individuals who completed the 24-month monitoring phase, 62 exhibited progression of periodontitis, whereas 62 demonstrated stable disease. The P. gingivalis counts of subgingival plaque from the deepest pockets was significantly associated with the progression of periodontitis (p < 0.001, positive predictive value = 0.708). CONCLUSIONS: The P. gingivalis counts of subgingival plaque from the deepest pockets may be associated with the progression of periodontitis.

Salivary pathogen and serum antibody to assess the progression of chronic periodontitis: a 24-mo prospective multicenter cohort study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: A diagnosis of periodontitis progression is presently limited to clinical parameters such as attachment loss and radiographic imaging. The aim of this multicenter study was to monitor disease progression in patients with chronic periodontitis during a 24-mo follow-up program and to evaluate the amount of bacteria in saliva and corresponding IgG titers in serum for determining the diagnostic usefulness of each in indicating disease progression and stability. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 163 patients with chronic periodontitis who received trimonthly follow-up care were observed for 24 mo. The clinical parameters and salivary content of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans were assessed using the modified Invader PLUS assay, and the corresponding serum IgG titers were measured using ELISA. The changes through 24 mo were analyzed using cut-off values calculated for each factor. One-way ANOVA or Fisher's exact test was used to perform between-group comparison for the data collected. Diagnostic values were calculated using Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: Of the 124 individuals who completed the 24-mo monitoring phase, 62 exhibited periodontitis progression, whereas 62 demonstrated stable disease. Seven patients withdrew because of acute periodontal abscess. The ratio of P. gingivalis to total bacteria and the combination of P. gingivalis counts and IgG titers against P. gingivalis were significantly related to the progression of periodontitis. The combination of P. gingivalis ratio and P. gingivalis IgG titers was significantly associated with the progression of periodontitis (p = 0.001, sensitivity = 0.339, specificity = 0.790). CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that the combination of P. gingivalis ratio in saliva and serum IgG titers against P. gingivalis may be associated with the progression of periodontitis.

Panoramic radiography measurements, osteoporosis diagnoses and fractures in Japanese men and women.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association of the shape of the mandibular cortex on panoramic radiographs with the risk of an osteoporosis diagnosis without prevalent fractures and with the risk of osteoporotic fractures in Japanese men and women. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: One thousand and twenty-one subjects aged 40-89 years, who visited our university hospital and underwent panoramic radiography between 2007 and 2013, participated in this study. Eighty-eight patients received a diagnosis of osteoporosis without prevalent fractures, and 55 were diagnosed with osteoporotic fractures. Blinded to the groupings, we classified the shape of the mandibular cortex on panoramic radiographs as normal, moderately eroded or severely eroded. RESULTS: After adjustment for confounding factors, the odds ratios for an osteoporosis diagnosis associated with moderately eroded and severely eroded mandibular cortices were 1.4 (95% CI, 0.8-2.6) and 2.6 (95% CI, 1.4-5.0), respectively. The odds ratios for an osteoporotic fracture associated with moderately eroded and severely eroded cortices were 0.8 (95% CI, 0.4-1.7) and 1.1 (95% CI, 0.5-2.5), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Subjects in Japan with eroded mandibular cortices tended to be at increased risk of osteoporosis diagnoses but not of fractures.

Detecting young Japanese adults with undetected low skeletal bone density using panoramic radiographs.

OBJECTIVE: The cortical width below the mental foramen of the mandible determined from panoramic radiographs is a useful screening tool for identifying elderly individuals with a low skeletal bone mineral density (BMD). However, whether the mandible cortical width (MCW) is useful for identifying a low skeletal BMD in men and women of 40 years or younger is not known. METHODS: The BMD of the calcaneus was measured by ultrasonography bone densitometry in 158 men and 76 women aged 18-36 years. A logistic regression analysis adjusted for age was used to calculate the odds ratios and 95% confidence interval (CI) of having a low calcaneal BMD, according to the quartiles of the MCW. The areas under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) for identifying participants with a low calcaneal BMD using the MCW were assessed to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the MCW. RESULTS: In men, the adjusted odds ratios of a low calcaneal BMD associated with the second, third and lowest quartiles of MCW were 5.66 (95% CI, 0.61-52.23), 5.43 (95% CI, 0.59-50.18) and 33.22 (95% CI, 3.97-276.94), respectively, compared with the highest quartile, while no significant trend in the adjusted odds ratios was observed in women. The AUC for identifying participants with a low calcaneal BMD based on the MCW was 0.796 (95% CI, 0.702-0.890) in men and 0.593 (95% CI, 0.398-0.788) in women. CONCLUSION: MCW determined from panoramic radiographs can be used to identify undetected low calcaneus BMD in young adult men, but not in young adult women.

The effect of horizontal X-ray beam angulation on the detection of furcation defects of mandibular first molars in intraoral radiography.

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to investigate the effect of changes in horizontal X-ray beam angulation in intraoral radiography on the detection accuracy of furcation defects in the mandibular first molar, and to examine the anatomical relationship between the roots and furcation area as a possible cause of changes in detectability. METHODS: Simulated furcation defects with various depths were created in five mandibular first molars. Intraoral radiographs were taken at various horizontal angulations of the projection beams. The diagnostic accuracies were determined based on receiver operating characteristic analysis. The geometric relationship that might influence the accuracy was investigated through use of a compact cone beam CT in 59 first molar areas. RESULTS: Although the horizontal angulations showing the highest accuracies were shifted mesially, no differences were found between the angles of -10 degrees and 20 degrees . The relationship between the roots and the furcation area was relevant to the range of angulations showing high detectabilities. CONCLUSIONS: The angulations traditionally used for detecting proximal caries are also suitable for detecting furcation defects.

Increased mRNA expression of collagen V gene in pulmonary fibrosis of systemic sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Collagen V shows promise as an inducer of interstitial lung fibrosis in experimental systemic sclerosis (SSc). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Remodelling of the pulmonary interstitium was evaluated based on the clinical data and open lung biopsies from 15 patients with SSc. Normal lung tissues obtained from eight individuals who died of traumatic injuries were used as control group. Immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, morphometry, tri-dimensional reconstruction and a real-time polymerase chain reaction were used to evaluate the quantity, structure and molecular chains of collagen V. The impact of these markers was tested on clinical data. RESULTS: The main difference in collagen V content between SSc patients and the control group was an increased, abnormal and distorted fibre deposition in the alveolar septa and the pre-acinar artery wall. The lungs from SSc patients presented [alpha1(V)] and [alpha2(V)] mRNA chain expression increased, but [alpha2(V)] was proportionally increased compared with the control group. High levels of collagen V were inversely associated with vital capacity (r = -0.72; P = 0.002), forced vital capacity (r = -0.76; P < 0.001), forced expiratory volume in 1-s (r = -0.89; P < 0.001) and diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (r = -0.62; P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Abnormal collagen V fibres are overproduced in lungs from SSc patients and may play an important role in the pathogenesis of the disease as this molecule regulates tissue collagen assembly. The aberrant histoarchitecture observed in SSc can be related to the overexpression of the [alpha2(V)] gene of unknown origin.

Gender differences in systemic inflammation and atheroma formation following Porphyromonas gingivalis infection in heterozygous apolipoprotein E-deficient mice.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Men are at higher risk for periodontal and cardiovascular diseases compared with women, although they have lower serum levels of risk markers, including lipids and acute phase proteins. In this study, we investigated whether infection with a major periodontal pathogen, Porphyromonas gingivalis, affected the inflammatory and atherosclerotic response of male and female mice differently. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-eight heterozygous apolipoprotein E-deficient mice (24 males and 24 females), maintained on normal diet, were infected twice by intrasubcutaneous chamber injections of P. gingivalis or vehicle at weeks 11 and 14 of age. Serum samples were collected before the first infection and bi-weekly thereafter, to quantify levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and the murine acute phase protein, serum amyloid A (SAA). Mice were killed at week 17 to evaluate aortic atheroma lesion score. RESULTS: Males had significantly higher baseline HDL cholesterol levels (p < 0.01, factorial ANOVA). Following P. gingivalis infection, HDL cholesterol levels decreased over time in infected males only [p < 0.05, generalized estimating equation (GEE)], whereas SAA levels increased and remained elevated over time in both male and female infected mice (p < 0.01, GEE). Lesion scores were significantly higher in infected mice (3-fold, p < 0.01, factorial ANOVA), and lesion scores of all mice were positively correlated with SAA levels at the time of killing (Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.40, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: In these young mice, P. gingivalis infection induced sex-specific changes in serum lipids but no gender differences in acute phase proteins and atheroma lesion score.

Description of Lyme disease-like syndrome in Brazil. Is it a new tick borne disease or Lyme disease variation?

An emerging clinical entity that reproduces clinical manifestations similar to those observed in Lyme disease (LD) has been recently under discussion in Brazil. Due to etiological and laboratory particularities it is named LD-like syndrome or LD imitator syndrome. The condition is considered to be a zoonosis transmitted by ticks of the genus Amblyomma, possibly caused by interaction of multiple fastidious microorganisms originating a protean clinical picture, including neurological, osteoarticular and erythema migrans-like lesions. When peripheral blood of patients with LD-like syndrome is viewed under a dark-field microscope, mobile uncultivable spirochete-like bacteria are observed. PCR carried out with specific or conservative primers to recognize Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto or the genus Borrelia has been negative in ticks and in biological samples. Two different procedures, respectively involving hematoxylin and eosin staining of cerebrospinal fluid and electron microscopy analysis of blood, have revealed spirochetes not belonging to the genera Borrelia, Leptospira or Treponema. Surprisingly, co-infection with microorganisms resembling Mycoplasma and Chlamydia was observed on one occasion by electron microscopy analysis. We discuss here the possible existence of a new tick-borne disease in Brazil imitating LD, except for a higher frequency of recurrence episodes observed along prolonged clinical follow-up.

Description of Lyme disease-like syndrome in Brazil: is it a new tick borne disease or Lyme disease variation?

An emerging clinical entity that reproduces clinical manifestations similar to those observed in Lyme disease (LD) has been recently under discussion in Brazil. Due to etiological and laboratory particularities it is named LD-like syndrome or LD imitator syndrome. The condition is considered to be a zoonosis transmitted by ticks of the genus Amblyomma, possibly caused by interaction of multiple fastidious microorganisms originating a protean clinical picture, including neurological, osteoarticular and erythema migrans-like lesions. When peripheral blood of patients with LD-like syndrome is viewed under a dark-field microscope, mobile uncultivable spirochete-like bacteria are observed. PCR carried out with specific or conservative primers to recognize Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto or the genus Borrelia has been negative in ticks and in biological samples. Two different procedures, respectively involving hematoxylin and eosin staining of cerebrospinal fluid and electron microscopy analysis of blood, have revealed spirochetes not belonging to the genera Borrelia, Leptospira or Treponema. Surprisingly, co-infection with microorganisms resembling Mycoplasma and Chlamydia was observed on one occasion by electron microscopy analysis. We discuss here the possible existence of a new tick-borne disease in Brazil imitating LD, except for a higher frequency of recurrence episodes observed along prolonged clinical follow-up.

Immune cell infiltration and broncovascular remodeling after nitric acid nasal instillation in a mouse bronchiolitis obliterans model.

Immune cell airway infiltration and the bronchovascular remodeling process have shown to be promising in the understanding of bronchiolitis obliterans (BO) pathogenesis. In this study we sought to validate the importance of immune cells, whether diffusely distributed or forming lymphoid follicles, collagen density, and vascular factors. Eight weeks after a single nitric acid (NA) nasal instillation, lung changes were characterized by lumen distortion, epithelial layer folding, reduction or total obliteration of terminal bronchiole (TB) lumen, and wall thickness increase. The morphologic changes in the TB and TA (terminal artery) lumen coincide with the measurement difference in the three groups. The TB diameter and lumen were significantly decreased in BO when compared with non-BO lungs (0.76 +/- 0.05 microm vs. 0.81 +/- 0.05 microm and 12,286.13 +/- 378.83 microm vs. 18,182.27 +/- 5,593.98 microm, p = 0.05 and p = 0.01, respectively). Equally significant was the increase in TB thickness in BO when compared with the non-BO group (201.72 +/- 35.75 microm vs. 149.75 +/- 40.61 microm, p = 0.007). The morphologic changes in immune cells seen in TB, TA, and bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT) also coincide with the quantification differences observed in the three groups. We concluded that immune cell infiltration and collagen/vascular remodeling are related to the spectrum of histologic changes in a BO nasal-induced model in mice and may be an appropriate target for prospective studies of human bronchiolitis.

Radionuclide imaging for the assessment of esophageal motility disorders in mixed connective tissue disease patients: relation to pulmonary impairment.

Esophageal functional abnormalities may lead to regurgitation, chronic esophagitis and life-threatening conditions such as aspiration pneumonia. In mixed connective tissue disease patients, previous reports showed that esophageal dysfunction varies according to the method employed for investigation. Our study was conceived to: (i) assess esophageal motility and mucosal aspects in patients with mixed connective tissue disease by endoscopy, cine-esophogram and scintigraphy focusing on the prevalence of each exam; and (ii) verify the association between pulmonary and esophageal dysfunctions. Twenty-four mixed connective tissue disease patients were enrolled for this study. Cine-esophogram and upper digestive endoscopy with mucosal biopsy were performed according to previous standardization. Radionuclide esophageal scintigraphy was performed with a semisolid meal with (99m)Tc. Eleven healthy individuals voluntarily submitted to scintigraphy as controls. Cine-esophogram showed esophageal delayed emptying in 90% of patients. At scintigraphy there was a significant delay in total esophageal transit time in the group of patients when compared to healthy controls (35.3 +/- 8.2 s. vs. 13.6 +/- 9.5 s.; P < 0.0001). The whole esophageal body showed dysmotility in 96% of patients. The cine-esophogram detected functional esophageal impairment similar to scintigraphic findings. Histopathologic examination found esophagitis in 95% of studied patients. Reduced lung volumes were associated with esophagitis and delayed esophageal clearance at scintigraphy, observed at the distal portion of the esophagus. Esophageal scintigraphy is easy to perform, with good acceptance by patients with low radiation exposition. It is a useful non-invasive test for follow-up and interventional studies concerning esophagus dysfunction.

Efficacy of periodontal disease and tooth loss to screen for low bone mineral density in Japanese women.

The relationship between oral indicators and bone mineral density (BMD) has been studied by many investigators, with mixed and complex results. The purpose of the present cross-sectional study was to evaluate the associations of periodontal conditions and tooth loss with metacarpal BMD (m-BMD) in a community-based cohort and the usefulness of tooth count as a potential screening tool to detect low BMD. Subjects were 356 Japanese women (171 premenopausal, mean age 37.9+/-8.0 years; 185 postmenopausal, mean age 63.3+/-7.7 years). Periodontal status was evaluated by the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN). m-BMD was measured by computerized X-ray densitometry. The proportion of subjects with periodontitis (CPITN 3 or 4) increased as m-BMD decreased. The odds ratio (OR) of osteopenia or osteoporosis in relation to periodontitis was 3.2 (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0--5.3). After adjustment for age and menopausal status, the OR was 2.0 (95% CI, 1.1--3.7). Among postmenopausal women, those having fewer than 20 teeth were 1.6 times more likely to have low m-BMD than those having more than 20 teeth (chi-square for trend in postmenopausal group, 4.27; P<0.05). Receiver-operating curve (ROC) analysis indicated that number of teeth remaining or CPITN score had a greater than 50/50 chance to correctly identify women with osteoporosis or osteopenia, but the areas under the curve (0.72 and 0.67, respectively) are considered less than highly accurate screening tools. These results indicate that periodontitis and tooth loss after menopause may be useful indicators of m-BMD loss in Japanese women.

Search for Borrelia sp. in ticks collected from potential reservoirs in an urban forest reserve in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil: a short report.

A total of 128 ticks of the genus Amblyomma were recovered from 5 marsupials (Didelphis albiventris) - with 4 recaptures - and 17 rodents (16 Bolomys lasiurus and 1 Rattus norvegicus) captured in an urban forest reserve in Campo Grande, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Of the ticks collected, 95 (78.9%) were in larval form and 22 (21.1%) were nymphs; the only adult (0.8%) was identified as A. cajennense. Viewed under dark-field microscopy in the fourth month after seeding, 9 cultures prepared from spleens and livers of the rodents, blood of the marsupials, and macerates of Amblyomma sp. nymphs revealed spiral-shaped, spirochete-like structures resembling those of Borrelia sp. Some of them showed little motility, while others were non-motile. No such structures could be found either in positive Giemsa-stained culture smears or under electron microscopy. No PCR amplification of DNA from those cultures could be obtained by employing Leptospira sp., B. burgdorferi, and Borrelia sp. primers. These aspects suggest that the spirochete-like structures found in this study do not fit into the genera Borrelia or Leptospira, requiring instead to be isolated for proper identification.

Search for Borrelia sp. in ticks collected from potential reservoirs in an urban forest reserve in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil: a short report

A total of 128 ticks of the genus Amblyomma were recovered from 5 marsupials (Didelphis albiventris) - with 4 recaptures - and 17 rodents (16 Bolomys lasiurus and 1 Rattus norvegicus) captured in an urban forest reserve in Campo Grande, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Of the ticks collected, 95 (78.9 percent) were in larval form and 22 (21.1 percent) were nymphs; the only adult (0.8 percent) was identified as A. cajennense. Viewed under dark-field microscopy in the fourth month after seeding, 9 cultures prepared from spleens and livers of the rodents, blood of the marsupials, and macerates of Amblyomma sp. nymphs revealed spiral-shaped, spirochete-like structures resembling those of Borrelia sp. Some of them showed little motility, while others were non-motile. No such structures could be found either in positive Giemsa-stained culture smears or under electron microscopy. No PCR amplification of DNA from those cultures could be obtained by employing Leptospira sp., B. burgdorferi, and Borrelia sp. primers. These aspects suggest that the spirochete-like structures found in this study do not fit into the genera Borrelia or Leptospira, requiring instead to be isolated for proper identification

Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies in dogs from Cotia county, São Paulo State, Brazil.

Dogs sera samples collected from Cotia County, São Paulo were tested using indirect immunoenzymatic test (ELISA) in order to study Lyme disease serology in dogs. ELISA method was standardized and G39/40 North American strain of Borrelia burgdorferi was used as antigen. Positive results were confirmed employing the Western blotting technique. Because of the possibility of cross-reactions, sera were also tested for different serological strains of Leptospira interrogans and L. biflexa using microscopic sera agglutination test. Twenty-three of 237 (9.7%) serum samples were positive in the ELISA; 20 of them (86.9%) were confirmed by the Western blotting, what suggests that Cotia may be a risk area for Lyme disease. Although 4 samples (1.7%) were positive for Lyme disease and leptospirosis, no correlation was found between the results (X(2) = 0.725; p = 0.394) what suggests absence of serological cross reactivity.

Effect of repeated local minocycline administration on periodontal healing following guided tissue regeneration.

BACKGROUND: Infection after a periodontal surgical site has been prepared for guided tissue regeneration (GTR) is one of the common complications that can compromise healing. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of repeated local antimicrobial therapy following GTR for improving clinical attachment gains, and to histologically evaluate the various cell populations and bacterial contamination of the retrieved expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membrane (ePTFE). METHODS: Forty periodontal intrabony defects in 40 patients were treated by a flap procedure that included the use of ePTFE membranes to allow GTR. Patients were randomly assigned to 2 treatment groups: 20 patients were treated with the ePTFE alone (control group), and the other 20 were treated with the ePTFE combined with the administration of a weekly repeated local application of minocycline ointment for 8 weeks after membrane placement (test group). The membranes were retrieved 6 weeks after the initial surgery and sectioned serially in a coronal-apical plane. The sections were then divided into 9 fields and examined by light microscopy for the presence of inflammatory cells and oral bacteria. Clinical measurements were taken at the time of baseline examination and at a 6-month follow-up examination after removal of the ePTFE. RESULTS: At the 6-month follow-up examination, control and test groups showed significant improvement; i.e., reduction in the probing depth and increased clinical attachment gain compared with the values at the baseline examination. However, the mean clinical attachment gain of the test group (3.0+/-0.3 mm) was significantly (P = 0.03) greater than that of the control group (2.0+/-0.5 mm). Histologically, the total number of the cells of both groups was similar. In both groups, mononuclear cells were dominant and fibroblasts, neutrophils, and plasma cells were rarely encountered. There was a tendency for the number of macrophages to be somewhat higher in the control group. The total number of bacteria in the test group was significantly less than that in the control group. The number of bacteria in both control and test groups decreased toward the apical portion. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, clinical attachment gain of intrabony defects following GTR was favorable with repeated local administration of minocycline ointment. However, a complete microbial eradication was not achieved.

Low metacarpal bone density, tooth loss, and periodontal disease in Japanese women.

The relationship between periodontitis and systemic bone mineral density in Japanese women is undetermined. We tested the hypothesis that periodontitis was more frequent in women with low metacarpal bone mineral density (m-BMD). Subjects were 190 Japanese women (89 premenopausal, 101 post-menopausal). Periodontal status was evaluated according to the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Need (CPITN). M-BMD was measured by computed x-ray densitometry. The proportion of subjects with periodontitis (CPITN > or = 3) increased as m-BMD decreased in pre-menopausal (18.2%, 36.9%, and 66.6% in the normal, borderline, and very low m-BMD groups, p < 0.02) and post-menopausal women (41.5%, 54.8%, 60%, and 68.4% in the normal, borderline, low, and very low m-BMD groups, p < 0.05). Among post-menopausal women, those with very low m-BMD had fewer teeth present than women with normal m-BMD (19.9+/-7.2 vs. 25.1+/-4.1, p < 0.01). These results indicate that m-BMD loss is associated with periodontitis in Japanese women, and with tooth loss after menopause.

Oviposition and eclosion periods of Ixodes didelphidis Fonseca and Aragão, 1951 (Acari: Ixodidae) under laboratory conditions.

Oviposition and eclosion periods for Ixodes didelphidis were observed under two temperatures (25 degrees C and 27 degrees C) and 90-95% humidity. Although there was a significant increase in the eclosion period (p<0.05) and a tendency to increase the oviposition period at 25 degrees C, there was neither significant differences in the interval (days), until maximum peak of eclosion nor in the number of emerging larvae during the peak nor the total number of emerged larvae. These temperature values are not critical for embryological development of the species. Because at 27 degrees C and under high humidity the oviposition and eclosion periods are shorter, and the percentage of emerged larvae is higher, we consider this to be the ideal temperature for laboratory studies.

Borrelia-like spirochetes recovered from ticks and small mammals collected in the Atlantic Forest Reserve, Cotia county, State of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Forty-four marsupials, 77 rodents and 161 ticks were captured in an Atlantic Forest Reserve in Cotia county, State of Sao Paulo, where human cases of Lyme disease (LD) simile were reported. Twenty-one borrelia-like spirochete isolates were recovered from the mammals' blood and rodent livers or spleens, and triturated ticks inoculated into BSK II medium. Our results suggest that the reservoirs and ticks collected may harbor borrelia-like spirochetes, some of which have an antigenic similarity with the unknown causative agent of LD simile in Brazil, and/or with North American Borrelia burgdorferi s.s.