Associations of oral fluid MMP-8 with periodontitis in Swiss adult subjects.

OBJECTIVE: MMP-8 is a prominent collagenase in periodontal disease. This cross-sectional study examined whether MMP-8 levels in saliva and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) are associated with periodontitis in a Swiss population. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 258 subjects (107 m, 151 f, mean age: 43.5 yr; range: 21-58 yr) acquired from the Swiss bone marrow donor registry participated in the study. Saliva and GCF samples were collected from subjects followed by a thorough dental and periodontal examination. MMP-8 levels were determined with immunofluorometric assay. Associations of MMP-8 levels with periodontal diagnosis, probing pocket depth (PPD) and bleeding on probing were statistically analysed with Pearson chi-square test, Spearman's rho and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: MMP-8 in GCF correlated with MMP-8 in saliva (p < .001). Periodontitis was more common (p < .001) among subjects with high levels of MMP-8 in saliva and/or GCF compared with subjects with low levels of MMP-8. Higher MMP-8 levels in GCF and saliva were associated with any periodontal diagnosis (mild, moderate or severe), greater PPD, and bleeding on probing (p < .05). When age, gender, smoking, body mass index, number of medications and decayed, missing and filled teeth were adjusted for, all observed associations remained statistically significant. The area under curve of receiver-operating characteristic was 0.67 for saliva and 0.71 for GCF. CONCLUSION: Elevated MMP-8 levels both in saliva and GCF are associated with periodontitis in a normal adult population.

Antimicrobial activity of Streptococcus salivarius K12 on bacteria involved in oral malodour.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the antimicrobial activity of the bacteriocin-producing strain Streptococcus salivarius K12 against several bacteria involved in halitosis. DESIGN: The inhibitory activity of S. salivarius K12 against Solobacterium moorei CCUG39336, four clinical S. moorei isolates, Atopobium parvulum ATCC33793 and Eubacterium sulci ATCC35585 was examined by a deferred antagonism test. Eubacterium saburreum ATCC33271 and Parvimonas micra ATCC33270, which have been tested in previous studies, served as positive controls, and the Gram-negative strain Bacteroides fragilis ZIB2800 served as a negative control. Additionally, the occurrence of resistance in S. moorei CCUG39336 to S. salivarius K12 was analysed by either direct plating or by passage of S. moorei CCUG39336 on chloroform-inactived S. salivarius K12-containing agar plates. RESULTS: S. salivarius K12 suppressed the growth of all Gram-positive bacteria tested, but the extent to which the bacteria were inhibited varied. E. sulci ATCC35585 was the most sensitive strain, while all five S. moorei isolates were inhibited to a lesser extent. Natural resistance seems to be very low in S. moorei CCUG39336, and there was only a slight decrease in sensitivity after exposure to S. salivarius K12 over 10 passages. CONCLUSION: Our studies demonstrate that S. salivarius K12 has antimicrobial activity against bacteria involved in halitosis. This strain might be an interesting and valuable candidate for the development of an antimicrobial therapy for halitosis.

Longitudinal assessment of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and hyposalivation.

Hyposalivation is a common adverse effect of anti-neoplastic therapy of head and neck cancer, causing impaired quality of life and predisposition to oral infections. However, data on the effects of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) on salivary secretion are scarce. The present study determined stimulated whole-saliva flow rates in HSCT recipients in comparison with a healthy control group. Stimulated whole-saliva flow rates of 228 allogeneic HSCT recipients (134 males, 94 females; mean age, 43 yrs) were examined pre-HSCT and 6, 12, and 24 months post-HSCT. Healthy individuals (n = 144; 69 males, 75 females; mean age, 46 yrs) served as the control group. Stimulated saliva flow rates (mL/min) were measured and analyzed statistically, stratifying for hematological diagnoses and conditioning therapy. Hyposalivation (≤ 0.7 mL/min) was found in 40% (p < 0.00001), 53% (p < 0.00001), 31% (p < 0.01), and 26% (n.s.) of the recipients pre-HSCT, and 6, 12, and 24 months post-HSCT, respectively, whereas 16% of the control individuals had hyposalivation. Severe hyposalivation (≤ 0.3 mL/min) was found in 11%, 18%, 4%, and 4% of the recipients pre-HSCT, and 6, 12, and 24 months post-HSCT, respectively. Additionally, conditioning regimen and sex had an impact on saliva flow. In conclusion, hyposalivation was observed to be a common but generally reversible complication among HSCT recipients.

Confirmation testing of amphetamines and designer drugs in human urine by capillary electrophoresis-ion trap mass spectrometry.

Monitoring of amphetamines and designer drugs in human urine is a timely topic in clinical toxicology, surveillance of drug substitution, forensic science, drug testing at the workplace, and doping control. Confirmation testing of urinary amphetamine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, Ecstasy) and 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA) by capillary electrophoresis (CE) combined with atmospheric pressure electrospray ionization and ion trap mass spectrometry (MS) is described. Using an aqueous pH 4.6 buffer composed of ammonium acetate/acetic acid, CE-MS and CE-MS2 provided data that permitted the unambiguous confirmation of these drugs in external quality control urines. Furthermore, other drugs of abuse present in alkaline urinary extracts, including methadone and morphine, could also be monitored. The data presented illustrate that the sensitivity achieved with the benchtop MS is comparable to that observed by CE with UV absorption detection. CE-MS2 is further shown to be capable of identifying comigrating compounds, including the comigration of amphetamine with nicotine.

Stereoselective screening for and confirmation of urinary enantiomers of amphetamine, methamphetamine, designer drugs, methadone and selected metabolites by capillary electrophoresis.

Data presented in this paper demonstrate that a competitive binding, electrokinetic capillary-based immunoassay previously used for screening of urinary amphetamine and analogs cannot be employed to distinguish between the enantiomers of amphetamine and methamphetamine. However, capillary zone electrophoresis with a pH 2.5 buffer containing (2-hydroxypropyl)-beta-cyclodextrin as chiral selector is shown to permit the enantioselective analysis of urinary extracts containing methamphetamine, amphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (Ecstasy) and other designer drugs, and methadone together with its major metabolite, 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine. In that approach, enantiomer identification is based upon comparison of extracted polychrome UV absorption data and electropherograms obtained by rerunning of spiked extracts with spectra and electropherograms monitored after extraction of fortified blank urine. The suitability of the described chiral electrokinetic capillary method for drug screening and confirmation is demonstrated via analysis of unhydrolyzed quality control urines containing a variety of drugs of abuse. Furthermore, in a urine of a patient under selegiline pharmacotherapy, the presence of the R-(-)-enantiomers of methamphetamine and amphetamine could be unambiguously identified. Direct intake of an R-enantiomer or ingestion of drugs that metabolize to the R-enantiomers can be distinguished from the intake of S-(+)-enantiomers (drug abuse) or prescribed drugs that metabolize to the S-enantiomers of methamphetamine and amphetamine. The described approach is simple, reproducible, inexpensive and reliable (free of interferences of other major basic drugs that are frequently found in toxicological urines) and could thus be used for screening for and confirmation of urinary enantiomers in a routine laboratory.

Screening for urinary amphetamine and analogs by capillary electrophoretic immunoassays and confirmation by capillary electrophoresis with on-column multiwavelength absorbance detection.

This paper characterizes competitive binding, electrokinetic capillary-based immunoassays for screening of urinary amphetamine (A) and analogs using reagents which were commercialized for a fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA). After incubation of 25 microL urine with the reactants, a small aliquot of the mixture is applied onto a fused-silica capillary and unbound fluorescein-labeled tracer compounds are monitored by capillary electrophoresis with on-column laser-induced fluorescence detection. Configurations in presence and absence of micelles were investigated and found to be capable of recognizing urinary D-(+)-amphetamine at concentrations > about 80 ng/mL. Similar responses were obtained for racemic methamphetamine (MA) and 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). The electrokinetic immunoassay data suggest that the FPIA reagent kit includes two immunoassay systems (two antibodies and two tracer molecules), one that recognizes MA and MDMA, and one that is geared towards monitoring of A. For confirmation analysis of urinary amphetamines and ephedrines, capillary electrophoresis in a pH 9.2 buffer and multiwavelength UV detection was employed. The suitability of the electrokinetic methods for screening and confirmation is demonstrated via analysis of patient and external quality control urines.

Analysis of fluorescein isothiocyanate derivatized amphetamine and analogs in human urine by capillary electrophoresis in chip-based and fused-silica capillary instrumentation.

Amines can easily be derivatized with fluorescein isothiocyanate isomer I (FITC) and analyzed by capillary electrophoresis (CE) using alkaline buffers with or without dodecyl sulfate micelles. This paper reports the CE analysis of FITC-derivatized amphetamine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine and beta-phenylethylamine in human urine using chip-based and fused-silica capillary instrumentation with laser-induced fluorescence detection. Data obtained via direct labeling of fortified urine are compared to those generated after FITC labeling of urinary extracts that were prepared by solid-phase extraction using a copolymer phase. For a urine volume of 5 mL with a "spiked amine": FITC ratio of 1:250, the latter approach was found to provide a sensitivity that is relevant for toxicological drug screening and confirmation (about 200 ng/mL urine). With direct labeling of 10 microL urine that was alkalinized and diluted for derivatization, the limit of identification was determined to be about 10 microg/mL, a value that is too high for practical purposes. Compared to fused-silica capillaries, electrophoresis in microstructures is shown to provide faster separations and higher efficiencies without loss of accuracy and precision.

[Normal weight of the brain in adults in relation to age, sex, body height and weight]. / Das Normgewicht des Gehirns beim Erwachsenen in Abhängigkeit von Alter, Geschlecht, Körpergrösse und Gewicht.

Based on more than 8000 autopsies of male and female patients without brain diseases the normal brain weight of adult males and females in relation to sex, age, body-weight, and body-height as well as Body Mass Index were calculated. The average brain weight of the adult male was 1336 gr; for the adult female 1198 gr. With increasing age, brain weight decreases by 2.7 gr in males, and by 2.2 gr in females per year. Per centimeter body height brain weight increases independent of sex by an average of about 3.7 gr. Body Mass Index is of minor importance and only relevant in males. Based on these data the independent variables, age and height, were for the first time combined in a nomogram for the calculation of brain weight. The mathematical functions were integrated in a computer program which facilitates the calculation of normal brain weights in individual cases.