IL-17, A Possible Salivary Biomarker for Preterm Birth in Females with Periodontitis

BackgroundPrevious studies have suggested that chronic periodontal infection may be associate with preterm births and low birth weight. The present study was conducted to evaluate the levels of interleukin-17 (IL-17) in saliva samples of pregnant females as a possible marker in determining whether or not an association exists between chronic periodontitis and preterm labor.AimThe aim of the study is to assess the relation between the periodontal health status and preterm low birth weight of the new born on the basis of salivary IL-17 levels.Materials and MethodsThis case–control study included a random sample of 40 female patients, aged 18 to 35 years, who were in their second trimester, assigned to two groups, Group 1 consisted of 20 pregnant females without periodontitis, Group 2 included 20 pregnant females with periodontitis. Saliva samples were obtained in the second trimester and postpartum. Saliva samples were measured by using ELISA for IL-17 levels.ResultsIL-17 levels in saliva were significantly higher in Group 2 than that of Group 1(p < 0.001). There was no significant difference found between the preterm and low birth weight cases and periodontitis.ConclusionThis study did not find any association between the periodontitis and preterm deliveries and low birth weight cases on the basis of IL-17 levels in saliva.     

Novel mutations in the SH3BP2 gene associated with sporadic central giant cell lesions and cherubism

Central giant cell lesion (CGCL) is a reactive bone lesion that occurs mainly in the mandible, characterized by the multinucleated osteoclast-like giant cells in a background of oval to spindle-shaped mononuclear cells. The etiology is unknown and occurs more commonly in young adults. Cherubism, a rare disease found predominantly in females has histologic characteristics indistinguishable from those of CGCL and is caused by mutations mostly present in exon 9 of the SH3BP2 gene. In this study, we investigated four cases of CGCL and one case of cherubism. DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and tumor tissue and all coding and flanking regions of the SH3BP2 amplified by PCR and directly sequenced to identify underlying mutations. Two novel mutations were found; a heterozygous missense mutation c.1442A>T (Q481L) in exon 11 in one sporadic case of CGCL and a heterozygous germline and tumor tissue missense mutation c.320C>T (T107M) in exon 4 in one patient with cherubism. These findings open a new window to investigate the possible relationship between the pathogenesis of the cherubism and CGCL.     

Trigeminal nerve: anatomic correlation with MR imaging

Through correlation with cryomicrotic sections, the appearance of the trigeminal nerve and its branches on magnetic resonance images is described in healthy individuals and in patients with tumors involving this nerve. Coronal images are best for defining the different parts of the nerve and for making a side-to-side comparison. Sagittal images are useful to demonstrate tumors involving the gasserian ganglion.     

Late,not early mismatch responses to changes in frequency are reduced or deviant in children with dyslexia: an event-related potential study

Background

Developmental disorders of oral and written language have been linked to deficits in the processing of auditory information. However, findings have been inconsistent, both for behavioural and electrophysiological measures.

Methods

In this study, we examined event-related potentials (ERPs) in 20 6- to 14-year-old children with developmental dyslexia and 20 age-matched controls, divided into younger (6–11 years, n = 10) and older (11–14 years, n = 10) age bands. We focused on early (mismatch negativity; MMN) and late (late discriminative negativity; LDN) conventional mismatch responses and associated measures derived from time-frequency analysis (inter-trial coherence and event-related spectral perturbation). Responses were elicited using an auditory oddball task, whereby a stream of 1000-Hz standards was interspersed with rare large (1,200 Hz) and small (1,030 Hz) frequency deviants.

Results

Conventional analyses revealed no significant differences between groups in the size of the MMN to either large or small frequency deviants. However, the younger age band of children with dyslexia showed an enhanced inter-trial coherence in the theta frequency band over the time window corresponding to the MMN to small deviants. By contrast, these same children showed a reduced-amplitude LDN for the small deviants relative to their age-matched controls, whilst the older children with dyslexia showed a shorter and less intense period of event-related desynchronization over this time window.

Conclusions

Initial detection and discrimination of auditory frequency change appears normal or even enhanced in children with dyslexia. Rather, deficits in late-stage auditory processing appear to be a feature of this population.