Modulating telomerase activity in tumor patients by targeting dyskerin binding site for hTR.

Telomeres shortening, which leads to apoptosis, is prevented by telomerase adding small repeated segments of DNA to the telomeres. The telomerase level has been correlated with progression of several cancer types, including acute leukemia, breast, prostate, lung cancer and melanoma. Suppression of telomerase activity was found to reduce metastatic potential but could have serious side effects in normal proliferative cells. One of the proteins stabilizing the telomerase complex called dyskerin reduces the maximum telomerase activity. We suggest a possible therapeutic agent which would disable the interaction of dyskerin and telomerase, but would not completely inhibit telomerase activity.

Expression of contact allergy in undergoing prosthodontic therapy patients with oral diseases.

AIM: Contact allergy is a postponed reaction of hypersensitivity where a localised cutaneous or mucosal lesion occurs due to a recurrent contact with an allergen. Placement of a fixed or removable prosthetic replacement into the oral cavity causes corrosive processes on the surface of the restoration and discharge of ions, which as haptens can induce allergic reactions. The purpose of this study was to examine occurrence of allergies to basic and auxiliary restorative dental materials in patients with lichen, stomatitis and stomatopyrosis by means of an epicutaneous allergy test. METHODS: The study included 32 patients with a fixed and/or removable replacement and 7 patients with one of the mentioned diagnoses, but without any replacement. Testing was conducted using a standard method (patch test), and hypersensitivity to 13 most common allergens in prosthodontics was examined. RESULTS: The research results revealed higher frequency of positive allergic reactions in persons with the mentioned diseases and with a restoration. Patients with lichen indicated positive patch test in the majority of cases. The allergens of nickel, cobalt and chromium demonstrated the highest score of positive results, and negative score was found for dibutylphthalate and HH mix. Stomatopyrosis was more common in persons with hypersensitivity to chromium. A lower incidence of positive allergic reactions to epoxide resins was found in female than in male subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The epicutaneous (patch) test performed in the subjects examined in this study, showed that the majority of positive reactions was caused by mixes of nickel, cobalt and chromium; however, unwanted reactions also to other auxiliary materials used in dental practice should also be considered.

Trichomonas tenax proteolytic activity.

In this study, proteolytic activity of Trichomonas tenax collected directly from patient's dentobacterial plaque was examined. Electrophoretic method involving polyacrylamide gels (Commassie Brilliant Blue R-250) and electrophoretic method involving gelatin-containing polyacrylamide gels, have been used to analyse Trichomonas tenax proteolytic activity. The most obvious and the fastest activities were obtained when gels were incubated in pH 4.6; followed by results of incubating in pH 5.6; while in pH 2.8 activity was less effective but still obvious. Proteolytic activities were the most effective in area of protein MW 36 kDa. Different activities of enzymes depending on pH of incubated media indicate the presence of different endopeptidases in cell lysates of protozoon Trichomonas tenax from dentobacterial plaque.

The influence of dental amalgam on the blood count.

The purpose of this research was to determine the influence of dental amalgam on the blood count of the holder of amalgam fillings. The experiments were performed on 30 Wistar rats. One group of rats received 8 mg of fragmented dental amalgam daily incorporated in their food during 60 days (group S2) and group S3 received amalgam fillings in their anterior teeth, which remained for 60 days. Both experiment groups (S2 and S3) were compared to one another as well as to control group (S1). From all animals of all experiment groups blood samples were drawn during the experiment in particular periods and complete blood count and differential blood count was performed. The findings of particular indicators of the complete blood count and differential blood count of all experiment rats groups S1, S2 and S3 do not deviate from the physiological values regarding age and sex of the observed animals.

Some periodontological parameters in patients with oesophagogastric passage insufficiency.

The aim of this study was to examine the state of oral hygiene (OHI), the presence of tooth calculus and the condition of the gingiva on the group of 101 patient with oesophagogastric passage insufficiency. The control was group of 78 examines without clinical signs of oesophagogastric disease. The plaque was visualised by plaque revelator and recorded on each tooth. The calculus and condition of gingiva was determined according to the modified instruction of WHO, 1987. Both parameters were determined for each sextant of upper and lower jaw. The results of the OHI on the patients with oesophagogastric passage insufficiency (0.3, SD 0.126) was statistically different (p < 0.01) in comparison with control group (0.51, SD 0.25). Pathological changes of gingiva were more prominent in patient with insufficiency and that difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). Calculus was more evident in control group but statistically insignificant (p < 0.1). The data show that insufficiency of oesophagogastric passage can cause pathological changes of gingiva while the lower OHI and less prominent calculus could be explained probably by better oral hygiene of patients because of bad taste in mouths.

Occupational tooth-wear in clothing industry workers.

A research on tooth-wear was done in a clothing factory, focusing on the teeth of the inter-canine sector in 59 workers who had volunteered for the research. The subjects were in the habit of cutting the thread with their teeth instead of using scissors as was prescribed in the production process. In 53 (89.83%) of the subjects, damages of the incisal portion of the tooth were found, whereas in the remaining 6 (10.17%) there were no such changes. No significant difference could be established in the incidence of tooth-wear between the women workers who cut the thread with their teeth constantly and those who only did that occasionally (p > 0.05). Because of the action of pulling a thread across the incisal edge of the incisor, defects--in the form of solitary, oval or multiple cuts (attributed the values 1, 2 and 3)--had been inflicted on the incisal portion of the teeth. Most frequently those were the defects of the enamel (type 2, 1), but in some cases dentin (type 3), also was affected. A somewhat more severe degree of damage was observed from workers biting the purely polyester-made thread (p < 0.05) than from biting the regular sewing type of thread. Education of the workers seems to be the only useful prevention, since we are dealing with only a bad habit. Therefore, the workers should be warned that the seemingly innocent cutting of thread with their teeth could lead to esthetic, functional and restorative problems.

[Influence of aging and the loss of teeth on some variations of TMJ]. / Utjecaj zivotne dobi i stupnja ozubljenosti na neke parametre temporomandibularnog zgloba.

Many authors consider that the contours and dimensions of TMJ continue to be reshaped and remodeled even after the period of growth and development is complete, in response to changing mechanical stresses under influence of aging, abrasion and the loss of the teeth. Therefore, the aim of this study was to find out if aging and the loss of teeth make any influence on TMJ. The sample consisted of 80 dry skulls and their mandibles. The following parameters were measured: 1A (AB) the distance from the lateral ending of petrotympanic fissure to the intersection of petrotympanic and petrosquamosus fissure, 1B (BC) the distances from the intersection of petrotympanic and petrosquamosus fissure to the most prominent part of the articular eminence, 1C (AC) the distance from the lateral ending of petrotympanic fissure to the most prominent part of articular eminence and 2 (h) the depth of the mandibular fossa. Measured values were analysed in connection with sex, age, the different percentage of the remaining teeth and the left or the right side. There was no significant difference at the probability level of 95%, nor for the left and the right side, neither for the different age groups, sex and the different percentage of the remaining teeth (p greater than 0.05). Still, it is obscure the existence and the changes in TMJ when the growth is completed. It is necessary to study this problem on the bigger sample and the new methods as CT and artroscopy could be helpful.