Salivary interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha in patients with drug-induced xerostomia.

It is well known that cytokines are involved in the homeostasis of oral cavity and that altered levels of either serum and/or salivary cytokines have been found in certain oral/systemic diseases. So far, cytokines in connection with xerostomia have been investigated in patients with Sjögren's syndrome. We wanted to find out whether drugs themselves influence salivary glands, which would result in altered cytokine level or whether xerostomia itself of different causes leads to the changes in salivary cytokine levels. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate levels of salivary interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in 30 patients with drug-induced xerostomia, age range 29-84 and mean 63.9 years. Control group consisted of 30 healthy participants, age range 30-82 years and mean age 65.2 years. Enzyme-linked immunoassay was performed on commercially available kits. Statistical analysis was performed by use of Student's test. No significant differences in salivary IL-6 and TNF-alpha between patients with drug-induced xerostomia when compared with the healthy controls were found (P < 0.05). We might conclude that drugs do not induce damage to the salivary glands which could be seen in altered salivary IL-6 and TNF-alpha levels and that xerostomia itself, induced by drugs does not alter levels of the investigated salivary cytokines.

Salivary interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in patients with burning mouth syndrome.

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is characterized by burning symptoms on the clinically healthy oral mucosa. To date, etiology of BMS is still unknown. We hypothesized that maybe inflammation which is not clinically apparent might lead to burning symptoms which would then result in altered cytokine profile. In the 28 female patients with BMS (age range 48-80 years, mean 64.05 years) and 28 female controls (age range 40-75 years, mean 63.82 years) by use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels were determined. Statistical analysis included use of independent sample t-test and P < 0.05 was considered as significant. Our results show no significant differences between patients and controls regarding salivary IL-6 and TNF-alpha.

Salivary interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in patients with recurrent aphthous ulceration.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent apthous ulceration (RAU) is a well known oral disease which seems to be mediated principally by the immune system. However, it is still a matter of debate which part of the immune system is implicated in its pathogenesis as a reaction to the still unknown antigen. The aim of this study was to evaluate salivary cytokines, interleukin (IL)-6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha. METHODS: In 26 patients with minor RAU, age range of 23-49 years (mean 27.3 years), during both the acute phase and remission and in 26 healthy controls, age range of 22-64 years (mean 30.1 years), salivary IL-6 and TNF-alpha levels were determined by use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Statistical analysis was performed by use of descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Significant differences in salivary TNF-alpha between healthy controls and patients with acute RAU and during the remission period were found (P < 0.001) as well as between patients with acute RAU and those during the remission period (P < 0.001). No differences in salivary IL-6 between all three groups could be found. CONCLUSIONS: We might conclude that elevated salivary TNF-alpha levels during acute RAU and especially during the remission period are of importance in RAU, whereas salivary IL-6 levels seem not to play a role in the RAU disease.

Natural killer cell activity, phagocytosis, and number of peripheral blood cells in breast cancer patients treated with tamoxifen.

The number of leukocytes, proportion and absolute number of granulocytes, lymphocytes, CD4+ cells, CD8+ cells, CD16+ cells, B-lymphocytes, monocytes, natural killer cell (NK) activity, and granulocyte and monocyte phagocytic functions--ingestion and intracellular killing--were determined in a group of 27 patients with ductal invasive breast carcinoma, stage I-III, before and 7 months following postsurgical telecobalt radiotherapy, divided into two subgroups, one of them receiving tamoxifen (TMX group) and the other one not receiving any further therapy (control group). In control group, proportion of all lymphocytes and CD8+ cells as well as absolute number of all lymphocytes, CD4+, CD8+, CD16+ and B lymphocytes were decreased following TCT in comparison to their pre-TCT values, while in TMX group only absolute number of all lymphocytes remained decreased following TCT. Moreover, post-TCT proportions of all and CD8+ lymphocytes as well as absolute numbers of all and CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes in TMX patients were significantly increased in comparison to the same parameters in control post-TCT patients, although there was no difference between the two subgroups before TCT. At the other hand, granulocyte ingestion was decreased in post-TCT TMX patients compared to post-TCT values in control patients and NK cell activity showed a similar, although statistically not significant, tendency. It seems that TMX helps recovery of lymphocyte populations decreased by radiotherapy, probably by stimulation of cells carrying estrogen receptors, but its effects on phagocytic functions and probably NK cell activity seemed to be rather inhibitory than stimulatory.

Negative effect of uraemia and cuprophane haemodialysis on natural killer cells.

The evidence indicating the important role of natural killer (NK) cells in immune surveillance against tumours and certain infections is accumulating. Uraemic and dialysed patients are known to be at greater risk of infections and malignant diseases. NK cells were analysed in patients with advanced uraemia, and in patients treated with different dialysis techniques. Number of NK cells was morphologically identified as large granular lymphocytes in blood smears. NK activity was determined as mononuclear cell cytotoxicity against K562 cells. In a group of uraemic patients, large granular lymphocyte number was reduced to 39%, and NK activity to 41%-52% of control values. Large granular lymphocyte number and NK activity in patients haemodialysed on cuprophane membranes was significantly reduced, compared to corresponding values in controls and uraemic patients, declining to 17% and 8%-16% of respective control values. In a group of patients treated by CAPD, and in a group haemodialysed on polyacrylonitrile membranes, NK activity was close to values in the uraemic group, but significantly greater than those of cuprophane-haemodialysed patients. Haemodialysis on cuprophane membranes has an additional negative effect on NK cells, which are already seriously depressed by the uraemic state.

[The development and duration of immunity in children vaccinated against measles with the Edmonston-Zagreb vaccine]. / Stvaranje i trajanje imunosti u djece cijepljene protiv ospica vakcinom Edmonston-Zagreb.

After routine measles-rubella-mumps (MRM) vaccine, seroconversion rate for measles heminhibiting (HI) antibodies in a group of 161 children was determined. Of the 154 children who had no HI antibodies in the first serum sample, 153 (99.3%) developed these antibodies in titres greater than or equal to 1:4 and 148 (96.1%) in titres greater than or equal to 1:8 at 6 weeks postvaccination. These results are in concord with the WHO standards. Another study was designed to evaluate persistence of HI antibodies to measles in a group of 123 children who were given MRM vaccine 1-6 years earlier. No significant decrease in HI antibody titers was recorded. It is concluded that immunity acquired through vaccination with the Edmonston-Zagreb measles virus strain in children aged 12 months to 3 years is satisfactory and that it does not decrease at least up to 6 years following vaccination.

Incorporation of 14C-amino acids into rat hypothalamus in vitro.

Biosynthesis of peptides in vitro in male rat hypothalamic fragments wasinvestigated by incubating the tissue with 14C-labelled leucine, proline and glycine. Depending on the amino acid used, 4 or 6 labelled peptides were extracted from the tissue fragments with organic solvent mixture. The incorporation of the label into peptides was time dependent. LH-RH and oxytocin thus synthesized were identified by thin layer chromatography and high voltage electrophoresis using cold LH-RH and oxytocin as standards.