Dental and oral manifestations of celiac disease.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to evaluate the dental and oral manifestations in patients with celiac disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 40 patients with the disease and 40 without the disease matched by age in southern Brazil. The CD group included patients previously diagnosed by positive anti-endomysial (IgA) examination and confirmed by small intestine biopsy. The presence of dental enamel defects and dental caries was evaluated by a calibrated researcher according to AINE's and WHO's criteria, respectively. The history of recurrent aphthous ulcers and dry mouth was obtained through reporting. For the evaluation of the salivary flow, the saliva samples were obtained through the non-stimulated and stimulated saliva collection method. RESULTS: There was a significant association between CD and dental enamel defects (OR=2.38, P=0.045) and dry mouth (OR=9.15, P=0.002). No difference was found for the report of recurrent aphthous ulcers and caries experience between the two groups. Patients with CD had normal pattern of unstimulated and stimulated saliva flow rates (0.67 ± 0.38 ml / min and 1.14 ± 0.47 ml / min, respectively). A higher occurrence of dental enamel defects was observed in patients with classic CD (P=0.054). Of the 1,962 permanent teeth, 59 presented dental enamel defects, 71.8% of which were in patients with CD (P=0.001), predominantly in molars (P=0.009). CONCLUSIONS: CD increased the likelihood of dental enamel defects and dry mouth sensation. The oral examination can be an important auxiliary tool for the identification of cases of the disease.

The tensiometric properties of expanded guinea pig skin.

Our purpose in this study was to evaluate the tensile properties of expanded skin. In five guinea pigs, 29-cc ovoid tissue expanders were placed and sequentially expanded every 4 days until maximum volume was achieved. Five control and five expanded skins were harvested. Using an Instron tensile testing apparatus, skins were evaluated for stress-strain, maximum stiffness, and tensile strength, and the results were statistically compared. Centrally located expanded specimens demonstrated significantly weaker stress-strain values: 9.51 in.lb/in3 for expanded versus 30.11 in.lb/in3 for control (p less than 0.001). Maximum stiffness was similarly reduced: 4.56 lb/mm2 for expanded vs. 12.98 lb/mm2 for control (p less than 0.001). This is a 67.4 and 64.9 percent reduction, respectively, for the stress-strain and maximum stiffness. No statistically significant difference was seen in peripherally located expanded specimens relative to the controls: stress-strain expanded, 28.7 in.lb/in3 (p greater than 0.5); maximum stiffness expanded, 12.84 lb/mm2 (p greater than 0.5). Expanded skin demonstrated an average 35 percent reduction in tensile strength. We conclude that the tensile properties of expanded skin are significantly less than unexpanded skin and are a function of the degree of expansion.