Oral mucosa in children with Prader–Willi syndrome

J Oral Pathol Med (2011) 40 : 778–784 Prader–Willi syndrome is a genetic disorder. Abnormal saliva secretion, emotional and behaviour problems, may affect the health status of the oral mucousa. Objectives: To assess the impact of self‐destructive behaviour and abnormal saliva secretion on the oral mucosa in children with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS). Materials and methods: Fifteen PWS’s children (mean age 9.8 ± 4.4 years) and 15 healthy children (mean age 11.5 ± 3.5 years) were assessed for self‐destructive behaviours, such as picking at the skin, physical and chemical saliva characteristics, mycology, and the clinical status of the oral mucosa. Results: Picking at the skin was only in children with PWS (n = 12). In contrast to the control group, the moistening rate of the lower lip mucosa was slower, and the mean pH of the resting saliva was reduced in the affected subjects. Sticky frothy or frothy saliva, decreased secretion rate of the stimulated saliva, and a reduced buffer capacity were more frequently in PWS’s children; Candida spp. and oral candidiasis were also more common. Injurious lesions in the oral mucosa were found in one control child, and in eight PWS’s subjects. In affected children, the lesions were concurrent with picking at the skin. A statistical correlation was noted between the presence of Candida spp. and oral candidiasis, and unfavourable saliva properties, and between injurious lesions and a slow moistening rate of the lower lip mucosa, and oral candidiasis. Conclusions: Abnormal saliva secretion and self‐destructive behaviours in children with Prader–Willi syndrome predispose them to injurious lesions in the oral mucosa, and possibly, to oral candidiosis.     

Chosen environmental factors and their effect on the incidence of overweight and obesity in the population of Podlasie Region

The study was conducted to evaluate chosen environmental factors that may contribute to overweight or obesity among the population of Podlasie. Socio-economic status, physical activity and the use of condiments and medications were assessed. The investigations, treated as preliminary, used questionnaire technique and involved 150 volunteers (132 women and 18 men), aged 18-69 years (women; mean 37.4 +/- 12.50) and 18-62 (men; mean 30.0 +/- 11.03). In the majority of subjects the first symptoms of obesity appeared in childhood and puberty. Overweight was familial in 69.6% of women and in 77.7% of men (statistically significant risk factor), which could reflect genetic load or similar lifestyle. Frequency and type of recreational and sports activity were evaluated. Over 77% of the subjects examined declared little and inadequately matched physical activity. The knowledge of health state was unsatisfactory and obesity was considered only in cosmetic terms. Prophylactic actions should intend to educate the whole society, propagate healthy lifestyle and to increase physical activity. People with overweight and obesity should tend to normalise body mass and thus to improve metabolic parameters and general feeling.     

Premenstrual syndrome and associated skin diseases related to hypersensitivity to female sex hormones

OBJECTIVE: To study skin diseases and hypersensitivity to female sex hormones in patients with the premenstrual syndrome (PMS). STUDY DESIGN: Thirty women answered a questionnaire related to PMS and underwent gynecologic, dermatologic and laboratory examinations. Intradermal testing was performed with estradiol valerate, progesterone and placebo. Desensitization treatment was instituted in 15 patients. RESULTS: Ten patients were diagnosed with PMS and concomitant skin disease, including pruritus vulvae, hyperpigmentation, papular eruption and acne vulgaris (group A). Ten patients diagnosed with PMS but without skin disease served as the first control group (group B). The second control group consisted of 10 healthy women (group C). Immediate and delayed hypersensitivity reactions to sex hormones were observed in all patients with PMS and PMS-related skin diseases (groups A and B) but not in healthy women (group C). Desensitization produced a decrease in PMS symptoms and improvement in the skin disease related to PMS. CONCLUSION: Skin diseases may be a part of PMS. Demonstration of a delayed allergic reaction tofemale sex hormones may uncover a significant pathogenetic mechanism in patients with recurrent skin disease and PMS.     

Enzymatic diagnosis of neurological risk of premature labor

The level of oxytocinase in the pregnant woman's blood is a sensitive marker of the efficiency of the hypothalamus/hypophisis/suprarenal glands in mother and fetus, as well as the quantity of hormone production, also in placenta, which determines the duration of pregnancy and the course of labor. In the study, the level of oxytocinase was measured before the labour in 485 pregnant women at risk of premature labour. After the mean duration of pregnancy of 264 +/- 12 days, 353 infants were born fully mature (group I), and 132 with the lowered maturity of 6-9 Klimek points (group II). In group II, the mean pregnancy duration (249 days), body mass (2700 g) and oxytocinase level (5.6 mumol/l/min) were significantly lower and tocolysis was necessary twice as often (41% vs. 21%). Independently of the level of newborn maturity in cases of tocolysis the mean level of oxytocinase was significantly 2.6 times lower (3 +/- 0.8 mumol/l/min) than in the other pregnant women (7.9 mumol/l/min). It proves, that low oxytocinasaemia becomes normal following the ACTH-depot therapy, which eliminates the necessity of tocolysis.     

Hypertension in pregnancy--risk factors,prevention and treatment

The term hypertension in pregnancy stands either for a high blood pressure, which has already developed before pregnancy (i.e., chronic hypertension in pregnancy), or for a pregnancy-associated disease (i.e., pregnancy-induced hypertension). Each form of hypertension may be an isolated phenomenon or constitute a part of the syndrome of preeclampsia or eclampsia. This review focuses mainly on the risk factor assessment, prevention and treatment of hypertension developing during pregnancy. Despite a frequent occurrence of this disease its prevention and treatment is still a subject of debates, and only a limited number of studies, which fulfill the criteria of "evidence-based medicine" have so far been performed in this field. Although the impressive advances in treatment of hypertension in the general population have been done, the choice of drugs and control of hypertension developing during pregnancy is still far from being satisfactory.     

Evaluation of selected serum protein markers as early detectors of ovarian cancer

OBJECTIVE: an attempt to determine the value of the simultaneous quantization of osteopontin (OPN), insulin-growth factor II (IGF II), leptin, prolactin and CA 125 for early detection of ovarian cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective study of 69 women including: 15 females with ovarian cancer; 33 females with benign ovarian neoplasm; 21 disease-free females; The levels of IGF II, prolactin, leptin and CA 125 were determined in serum, while the level of OPN was checked in plasma. RESULTS: The concentrations of IGF II, leptin and prolactin do not let us distinguish among disease-free females, females with ovarian cancer and those with benign ovarian neoplasms on the basis of biochemical markers. The comparison of OPN and CA 125 levels showed significant differences in the concentrations of the biomarkers between disease-free females and females with ovarian cancer, as well as between females with benign ovarian neoplasms and females with ovarian cancer. The ROC curves for two groups: disease-free females and females with ovarian cancer, proved the diagnostic value of OPN and CA 125. CONCLUSIONS: The simultaneous quantization of OPN, IGF II leptin and prolactin has not been proved useful for the early detection of ovarian cancer. Statistically significant increase of OPN & CA 125 levels was noted in case of women with ovarian cancer diagnosed through microscopic examination. The analysis of ROC curves showed comparable diagnostic usefulness of both markers. Quantization of OPN may have an additional value for treatment monitoring of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer but with concentration of CA 125 within the reference value.