[Relation between hypogonadism and malocclusion in beta-thalassemia major patients: analysis of 122 subjects]. / Relazione tra ipogonadismo e malocclusione dentaria in pazienti affetti da beta-talassemia major. Studio su 122 pazienti.

AIM: The type of malocclusion most often seen in beta thalassemic patients is represented by Angle's II class, which however cannot be considered significant in the patients studied in this research. The only causal factor indicated by medical literature for this pathology is medullary hyperplasia due to inefficient erythropoiesis which occurs in patients transfused at low hemoglobin levels. The aim of this research is to evaluate the influence of other factors as well, particularly sexual development, the level of seric ferritin, ALT, and age at first transfusion. METHODS: One-hundred and twenty-two b thalassemic patients and 39 homozygotes, aged between 16 and 27, undergoing treatment at the "Ospedale Regionale per le Microcitemie di Cagliari", have been analysed. RESULTS: The results of the statistic analysis have shown that hypogonadism can play an important role in determining malocclusions in male beta thalassemic patients (Odds ratio 4,5; CI 1,5-13). No other factor has shown any statistically relevant influence on dental occlusion. CONCLUSION: It would therefore be interesting to further investigate the hormonal mechanisms that can alter bone development in thalassemic youngsters: the prevention of such alterations will surely contribute to improving the quality of life in these patients, particularly now that their life expectancy has been significantly extended by the progress made in transfusional therapy and ferrochelation.

Determination of the human salivary peptides histatins 1, 3, 5 and statherin by high-performance liquid chromatography and by diode-array detection.

A reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method with diode-array detection for the quantification of several human salivary peptides is described. Sample pretreatment consisted of the acidification of whole saliva by phosphate buffer. This treatment produced precipitation of mucins, alpha-amylases and other high-molecular-mass salivary proteins, simultaneous inhibition of intrinsic protease activities and reduction of sample viscosity. Direct HPLC analysis by diode-array detection of the resulting acidic sample allowed one to quantify histatin 1, histatin 3, histatin 5, statherin, as well as uric acid, in normal subjects. Moreover, the groups of peaks pertaining to proline-rich proteins and cystatins were tentatively identified. The method can be useful in assessing the concentration of salivary peptides from normal subjects and from patients suffering oral and/or periodontal diseases.

[Malignant tumors of the oral cavity. Epidemiologic study of 294 cases observed during the decade 1984-1994]. / Neoplasie maligne del cavo orale. Studio epidemiologico su 294 casi osservati nel decennio 1984-1994.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The research has been carried out with the cooperation of Department of Otorhinolaryngology of the "Ospedale S.S. Trinita" in Cagliari, on 294 patients suffering from oral malignant tumours between 1984 and 1994. This kind of disease was studied in relation to age, sex, histological type, and afterwards the examination results were compared to other researchers' studies. All the 294 patients were recorded in the operating theatre's registers. Oral malignant tumours amount to about 45% of the neoplastic systemic pathology. Use and misuse of alcohol, smoking, repeated blows resulting in pre-cancerous lesions including leukoplakia, might be considered the main causes of the origin of oral tumours. RESULTS: Male patients (237) amount to 80.7% of the examined sample, while female ones (57) reach only 19.3%. The part most frequently involved is the tongue (97 cases, 33%), then the area of the lower lip (69 cases, 23.5%), and finally the lower part of the oral space (47 cases, 15.58%). CONCLUSIONS: From the histological point of view, the squamous carcinoma is found more often in the tongue, in the lower oral space and in the lips, while the basal carcinoma in the lower lip rather then in the upper one. A remarkable increase in the squamous carcinoma and a grow in the areas of the tongue has been observed.

[Paradoxical fluoride phenomena in a Sardegna district]. / Fenomeno paradosso del fluoro in un centro della Sardegna.

The authors in epidemiologic research on dental caries of primary-school children in a village having optimufluorotic water, put in evidence fluorine paradox phenomena founding high percentual of cariopatic subjects.

[Ossifying fibroma of the upper jaw of probable periosteal origin]. / Considerazioni sul fibroma ossificante del mascellare superiore di verosimile origine periostale.

The AA. describe a case of bone producing fibroma rising in a young patient after the drawing of a tooth. Histological reports, effected with different methods, confirmed this diagnosis.

[Clinico-statistical survey of neoplasms of the oral cavity in a Sardinian population]. / Rilievi clinico-statistici sulle neoplasie del cavo orale nella popolazione sarda.

The AA. examine 14,987 bioptic investigations comings from Anatomy and Pathologic Histology Institute of Cagliari University relieved during the period 1936-1968 (twenty-eight years). They stop on main data giving prominence to: incidence of stomatologic cases, of benignant and malignant tumours, of inflammatory and precancerous states in the mouth. They moreover describe neoplasia frequency in reference to histologic type, to sex, to age and to localization.

[Apicectomy and replantation. Report of a clinical case]. / Apicectomia e reimpianto. Descrizione di un caso clinico.

The AA. report a case treated with cyst-enucleation, apicaectomy and tooth replantation and then prosthetic management, which they control for the last twenty years, and beyond initial expectations, they could establish an astonishing result indeed.

[About odontomas]. / In tema di odontomi.

The AA., after to have passed in review etiopathogenetic interpretations of odontomas and symptomatology, report 12 cases, from Odontostomatologic Clinic of Cagliari, dwelling on one of them especially, where the two epithelial and connective components, made evident microscopically, let foresee probable reductions either connective eithen epithelial component.