Consensus Report of the XI Congress of the Spanish Society of Odontology for the Handicapped and Special Patients

This article summarizes the findings of consensus of the XI congress of the SEOEME. All of these conclusions are referring to the review articles responsible to the general rapporteurs in order to bringing up to date knowledge with regard to the use of implants in patients medically compromised and with special needs and, in the dental management of autism and cerebral palsy, in the dental treatment of patients with genetic and adquired haematological disorders, the dental implications of cardiovascular disease and hospital dentistry. Key words:Autism, cardiovascular diseases, cerebral palsy, dental implants, disabled patients, haematological disorders, hospital dentistry.     

Proposal of new regression formulae for the estimation of age in infant skeletal remains from the metric study of the pars basilaris

In the context of physical and forensic anthropology, when a child’s skeleton is damaged or in poor condition, which is common, many of the metric methods for the estimation of skeletal age cannot be used. In these circumstances, those more resistant bones, such as the pars basilaris, will be most useful. The aims of this study were to test existing methods for estimating skeletal age from the metric study of the pars basilaris and to propose new regression formulae. One hundred fourteen individuals aged between 5 months of gestation and 6 years were analyzed; seven measures were taken from each pars basilaris using a digital caliper. The chronological age was compared with the estimated age using the methods published by Fazekas and Kósa in 1978 and by Scheuer and MacLaughlin in 1994. New regression formulae are proposed, obtained by classical calibration, which include confidence intervals at 50 and 97.5 % to express the error. With both methods, significant differences were observed; the method of Fazekas and Kósa shows a tendency to underestimate the age, and the method of Scheuer and MacLaughlin tends to overestimate it. The proposed formulae represent a good tool for estimating age in many different contexts because they are relatively easy to apply, although other analysis systems, such as Bayesian approach or geometric morphometry, offer more robust and effective results.

     

Different pattern of pleiotrophin and midkine expression in neuropathic pain: Correlation between changes in pleiotrophin gene expression and rat strain differences in neuropathic pain

Pleiotrophin (PTN) and midkine (MK) are two growth factors highly redundant in function that exhibit neurotrophic actions and are upregulated at sites of nerve injury, both properties being compatible with a potential involvement in the pathophysiological events that follow nerve damage (i.e. neuropathic pain). We have tested this hypothesis by comparatively studying PTN and MK gene expression in the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) of three rat strains known to differ in their behavioural responses to chronic constriction injury (CCI) of the sciatic nerve: Lewis, Fischer 344 (F344) and Sprague–Dawley (SD). Real time RT-PCR revealed minimal changes in PTN/MK gene expression in the spinal cord after CCI despite the strain considered, but marked changes were detected in DRG. A significant upregulation of PTN gene expression occurred in injured DRG of the F344 strain, the only strain that recovers from CCI-induced mechanical allodynia 28 days after surgery. In contrast, PTN was found to be downregulated in injured DRG of SD rats, the most sensitive strain in behavioural studies. These changes in PTN were not paralleled by concomitant modifications of MK gene expression. The results demonstrate previously unidentified differences between PTN and MK patterns of expression. Furthermore, the data suggest that upregulation of PTN, but not MK, could play an important role in the recovery from CCI.     

Preguntas y respuestas relacionadas con tabaquismo en pacientes con EPOC. Aplicación de metodología con formato PICO

The ALAT and SEPAR Treatment and Control of Smoking Groups have collaborated in the preparation of this document which attempts to answer, by way of PICO methodology, different questions on health interventions for helping COPD patients to stop smoking.The main recommendations are: (i) moderate-quality evidence and strong recommendation for performing spirometry in COPD patients and in smokers with a high risk of developing the disease, as a motivational tool (particularly for showing evidence of lung age), a diagnostic tool, and for active case-finding; (ii) high-quality evidence and strong recommendation for using intensive dedicated behavioral counselling and drug treatment for helping COPD patients to stop smoking; (iii) high-quality evidence and strong recommendation for initiating interventions for helping COPD patients to stop smoking during hospitalization with improvement when the intervention is prolonged after discharge, and (iv) high-quality evidence and strong recommendation for funding treatment of smoking in COPD patients, in view of the impact on health and health economics.     

Melatonin and celecoxib improve the outcomes in hamsters with experimental pancreatic cancer

Abstract: Pancreatic cancer is a major health problem because of the aggressiveness of the disease and the lack of effective systemic therapies. Melatonin (MEL) has antioxidant activity and prevents experimental genotoxicity. The specific inhibitor of cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2), celecoxib (CEL), increases the efficacy of chemoradiotherapy in advanced pancreatic cancer. The objective of the study was the comparison and synergic effect of MEL and CEL during either the induction or progression phases of the tumor process, measuring parameters of oxidative stress, number of tumor nodules and survival of animals with pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer was induced by N‐nitrosobis (2‐oxopropyl)amine) (BOP) in Syrian hamsters. Melatonin and/or CEL were administered during the induction, postinduction as well as during both phases. The presence of tumor nodules were observed macroscopically in pancreatic and splenic areas, and the levels of lipoperoxides (LPO), reduced glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px) in pancreatic tissue were measured. The increases in tumor nodules and LPO as well as the reductions in GSH and enzymatic antioxidants in the pancreas induced by BOP were related to a lower survival rate of animals. The administration of MEL exerted a more potent beneficial effect than CEL treatment on the reduction in tumor nodules, oxidative stress and death of experimental BOP‐treated animals. The combined treatment only exerted a synergistic beneficial effect when administered during the induction phase. Melatonin by itself had significant beneficial actions in improving the survival of hamsters.