The Surface-Specific Caries Pattern of Participants in a School-Based Fluoride Mouthrinsing Program with Implications for the Use of Sealants

This paper describes the surface-specific changes in the DMFS after seven years of a school-based mouthrinsing program occurring in the elementary schools of the fluoride-deficient Three Village Central School District, Long Island, New York. The effectiveness of mouthrinsing was evaluated annually by comparing the caries prevalence of a random sample of participants to that of Three Village elementary schoolchildren examined in 1975, prior to the beginning of the program. Because sixth-grade children rinsed the longest and had the longest exposure to the caries challenge, only sixth-grade children who participated in the program are included in the analysis. Overall, they experienced a 50 percent reduction in dental caries; the reduction was not uniformly experienced by all surfaces. Proximal surface caries showed the greatest rate of change but the least absolute change, because the amount of proximal carious lesions was low initially. Occlusal surfaces showed the greatest absolute reduction in dental caries, whereas buccolingual surfaces had the lowest percentage reduction. The majority of the decayed or filled surfaces, 94 percent, involved pits or fissures. Therefore, it was concluded that the combined use of sealants and weekly fluoride rinsing could produce a virtual elimination of dental decay in elementary schoolchildren.     

Plasma‐derived human antithrombin attenuates ventilator‐induced coagulopathy but not inflammation in a Streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia model in rats

Summary. Background: Mechanical ventilation exaggerates pneumonia‐associated pulmonary coagulopathy and inflammation. We hypothesized that the administration of plasma‐derived human antithrombin (AT), one of the natural inhibitors of coagulation, prevents ventilator‐induced pulmonary coagulopathy, inflammation and bacterial outgrowth in a Streptococcus pneumoniae pneumonia model in rats. Methods: Forty‐eight hours after induction of S. pneumoniae pneumonia rats were subjected to mechanical ventilation (tidal volume 12 mL kg^?1, positive end‐expiratory pressure 0 cmH₂O and inspired oxygen fraction 40%). Rats were randomized to systemic treatment with AT (250 IU administered intravenously (i.v.) before the start of mechanical ventilation) or placebo (saline). Non‐ventilated, non‐infected rats and non‐ventilated rats with pneumonia served as controls. The primary endpoints were pulmonary coagulation and inflammation in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Results: Pneumonia was characterized by local activation of coagulation and inhibition of fibrinolysis, resulting in increased levels of fibrin degradation products and fibrin deposition in the lung. Mechanical ventilation exaggerated pulmonary coagulopathy and inflammation. Systemic administration of AT led to supra‐normal BALF levels of AT and decreased ventilator‐associated activation of coagulation. AT neither affected pulmonary inflammation nor bacterial outgrowth from the lungs or blood.Conclusions: Plasma‐derived human AT attenuates ventilator‐induced coagulopathy, but not inflammation and bacterial outgrowth in a S. pneumoniae pneumonia model in rats.     

Ca2+Mg3+-ATPase activity in erythrocyte membranes in hypercalciuric nephrolithiasic patients

SUMMARY: Ca²⁺Mg²⁺ATPase is an enzyme involved in calcium transport across biological membranes. In order to determine its possible role in the pathogenesis of calcium nephrolithiasis, we assessed Ca²⁺Mg²⁺-ATPase activity in erythrocyte membranes from 18 hypercalciuric (HC) nephrolithiasic patients (nine with absorptive hypercalciuria (AHC), nine with renal hypercalciuria (RHC)) and eight normocalciuric healthy controls (C). Participants took no medication for at least 3 months before the study and remained on a diet containing approximately 25 mmol of calcium per day for 14 days. Pump activity was measured in calmodulin-free red blood cell membranes and expressed in umol of phosphate released per mg of membrane protein per h. There were statistically significant differences in pump activity between groups (1.43±0.07; 1.93±0.1; 1.65±0.06; C, AHC, RHC, respectively, P < 0.005 (three groups) and P < 0.02 AHC versus RHC. Enzyme activity was positively correlated with 24-h urinary calcium excretion (r = 0.64, P < 0.01) in HC patients; no such relationship was found in C. In conclusion, erythrocyte membrane Ca²⁺Mg²⁺ATPase activity is increased in HC. Differences in enzyme activity between AHC and RHC may reflect different degrees of a single generalized epithelial calcium transport disturbance.     

Anterior maxillary osteotomy in a patient with congenital port-wine stain

A case of anterior maxillary osteotomy in a patient with facial asymmetry associated with a facial and oral port-wine stain is reported. Consideration of the vascular syndromes associated with port-wine stain, and thorough clinical, conventional radiographic, and arteriographic examinations are essential prior to any major orthognathic surgery.     

Comparison of antibody isotype responses to Schistosoma mansoni antigens by infected and putative resistant individuals living in an endemic area

The isotypic patterns of antibodies against Schistosoma mansoni antigenic preparations from eggs (SEA), adult worms (SWAP) andcercariae (CERC) have been studied in sera from two groups of individuals living in an area endemic for S. mansoni. One of the groups was comprised of individuals diagnosed as having S. mansoni infections based on their patency, i.e. those passing eggs in their faeces (patent infections, PI). The other group has been consider 'putatively resistant' due to their residence in an endemic area, their documented exposure to positive transmission sites, and their repeated negativity upon stool examinations (endemic normals, EN). There are strong specific responses oflgGl, IgG4 and IgM, particularly to SEA and CERC, by both groups. The reactivities of all isotypes were lower to SWAP. The responses of IgG4, IgM and IgE anti-CERC in EN and PI are higher than those found in normal individuals from outside endemic areas. In general, EN individuals express a relative higher level of anti-STEG IgE as compared to IgG4. On the other hand the pool of sera from PI showed the opposite pattern of higher IgG4 as compared to IgE. Several correlations are seen between isotypic responses to SEA, SWAP and CERC based on comparisons to the anti-SWAP IgE responses of the individuals in the two groups. These comparisons indicate the presence of distinct immunologic differences between individuals in the PI and the EN groups.,     

Oral Health Status of a Federal Prison Population

The purpose of this study was to describe the prevalence of decayed, missing, and filled teeth among federal male prisoners (aged 21-75) in the US Penitentiary. Leavenworth, Kansas, and to assess the impact of age, race, number of years incarcerated, and number of visits to the prison dentist on these parameters of oral health. Inmates (n = 191) were randomly selected and represented 16.4 percent of the prison population (N = 1,161). Two calibrated examiners collected caries and tooth loss data using NIDR criteria. No radiographs were taken. Results showed a mean DMFT of 12.9 for inmates aged 20-34, 16.4 for inmates aged 35- 44, and 22.1 for inmates aged 45 and older. Whites had significantly fewer decayed teeth (P less than .05) than black inmates for ages 20-34. The number of missing teeth increased significantly (P less than .01) with inmate age. Proportion edentulous (both arches) was 5.2 percent for ages 35 to 44, 17.3 percent for ages 45-54, and 45.5 percent for ages 55 to 75. Cross tabulations and chi-square analyses showed that inmates incarcerated less than two years had a significantly (P less than .001) lower utilization rate of dental services, and that inmates who made greater use of available dental services had fewer decayed teeth than those with lower utilization rates.