The effect of non-surgical periodontal therapy on peroxidase activity in diabetic patients: a case-control pilot study

Objective: To evaluate the effect of periodontal therapy on clinical parameters as well as on total salivary peroxidase (TSP) activity and myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in the gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) and of systemically healthy individuals.
Material and Methods: Twenty DM2 subjects with inadequate metabolic control (test group) and 20 systemically healthy individuals (control group), both groups with chronic periodontitis, were enrolled. Periodontal clinical parameters, namely periodontal probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), visible plaque index (VPI), bleeding on probing (BOP), gingival bleeding index (GBI) and presence of suppuration (SUP), as well as TSP activity and GCF MPO activity, were assessed before and 3 months after non-surgical periodontal therapy.
Results: At baseline and 3 months post-treatment, the test group presented a higher percentage of sites with VPI and BOP ( p <0.01). MPO activity in the GCF presented lower values ( p <0.05) for the test group at both baseline and the post-treatment period. The periodontal treatment resulted in a significant improvement of most clinical and enzymatic parameters for both groups ( p <0.05).
Conclusions: In both groups, the periodontal therapy was effective in improving most clinical parameters and in reducing salivary and GCF enzymatic activity. The diabetic individuals presented lower MPO activity in the GCF.     

Spectrum of autoimmune blistering dermatoses in Tunisia: an 11-year study and a review of the literature

Background Autoimmune bullous dermatoses (ABD) are a rare but significant group of cutaneous disorders posing great diagnostic and therapeutic challenges to the treating dermatologist. Few surveys have been carried out to describe the whole spectrum of ABD in a region. Objective To determine the clinicoepidemiological features of various ABD. Methods We retrospectively recruited all ABD cases seen during an 11‐year period (1997–2007). Results One hundred and seventy‐four patients were involved (16.3 cases/year). Pemphigus was observed to be the most common ABD (53%), with the majority being pemphigus vulgaris (61%) vs. 36% of pemphigus foliaceus (Tunisian pemphigus). Discussion Most epidemiological surveys have focused on a single or just one group of ABD. In our series, pemphigus foliaceus was relatively more prevalent than in occidental data. The frequencies of subepidermal immunobullous dermatoses in our study were in agreement with those in the literature.     

Testicular epidermoid cyst. A case report

Epidermoid cyst of the testis is a rare, begnin intratesticular tumor. Through a case report of a patient who underwent an orchidectomy, we study clinical, radiological and therapeutic aspects and particularities of this pathology.