Stature estimation by Carrea's index and its reliability in different types of dental alignment.

Stature is a measurable feature of the body, useful in human identification, which may include or exclude an individual from a missing persons list. The aim of this study is to analyze the Carrea´s index for stature estimation in dental arches with normal dentition, crowding and diastema. Plaster casts of 51 students of the Federal University of Paraíba were analyzed. Each hemiarch was divided according to the dental position, and the elements were measured with divider and digital calipers. Considering the normal and crowded dentition, the Carrea´s index presented a satisfactory success percentage, between 72.2% and 95.2%, with no statistically significant difference between sexes or between right and left sides. The presence of diastema reduced the number of matches to less than 62.5%. It was concluded that the Carrea´s index is a reliable method for height estimation in arches with normal and crowded dentitions, useful in males and females, and in the right and left sides. However, the method was not efficient in hemiarches with diastema.

Inhibition by alpha-fetoprotein fractions of hemagglutination reactions between A and B antigens of human red blood cells and specific antisera.

It is shown that fetal alpha-fetoprotein (AF)-rich fractions, isolated by chemical methods, can inhibit the agglutination reaction of human AB red blood cells (RBC) with specific antisera. Hemagglutination was not inhibited by other amniotic fluid or umbilical cord serum proteins in equivalent concentrations or by other pregnancy-associated hormones. The inhibitory effect is related to the amount of antibodies and AF fractions. It seems that AF interferes with the interaction between the antibody and the cell-surface antigens by preventing the binding of the antibodies to the cells. It is suggested that the ability of AF to inhibit hemagglutination reactions in vitro may play a role during pregnancy on the immune reaction between anti-A and anti-B antibodies and the corresponding RBC antigens, as well as on the manifestations or hemolytic disease of the newborn.