Composite indicators of dental health: functioning teeth and the number of sound-equivalent teeth (T-Health)

Abstract –This study investigated whether two new composite dental indicators -"the number of functioning teeth" and "the number of sound-equivalent teeth" are more efficient than the conventional DM FT index in revealing the social and behavioural factors which are significantly related to oral health status. The arbitrary set of weights given to the T-Health indicator was also evaluated. The number of functioning teeth was defined as the aggregate of filled (otherwise sound) and sound teeth. The T-Health was defined as a weighted average of sound teeth, filled (otherwise sound) teeth and teeth with some decay, the weights intended in principle to represent the relative amounts of sound tissue in these three categories of teeth. An arbitrary set of weights was used: 4, 2, and 1 for sound, filled, and decayed teeth, respectively. 164 families (father, mother and at least one 13-yr-old child) from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, were randomly selected from 13-yr-old children from private and state schools. The parents'ages ranged from 35 to 44 yr. Socio-economic status, area of residence, level of education, family income, sugar consumption, toothbrushing frequency and type of dental attendance were the social and behavioural oral health risk-factors considered in this study. The results indicated that the two new dental indicators are more sensitive to the influence of social and behavioural factors, such as those investigated here, than is the traditional DM FT index. A different set of weights (4, I, and I for sound, filled, and decayed) was suggested for the construction of the T-Health.     

Echography and scintigraphy using technetium 99m pyrophosphate in the diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis

The diagnosis of amyloid cardiomyopathy was only based, until the last few years, on the results of invasive techniques. It seems presently that the combined contribution of cardiac sonography and scintigraphy using technetium 99m pyrophosphate, makes, most of the time, this diagnosis possible without need for additional examinations. This notion is illustrated by a typical case-report and data from the literature. Demonstration on the cardiac sonogram of a thickening of the walls-while the context and especially the electrocardiogram are not in favor of a left ventricular hypertrophy--associated with a very particular "hyperechoing" aspect and an abnormal fixation on the scintigram, may be considered specific of this disease.     

Severe, late-onset graft-versus-host disease in a liver transplant recipient documented by chimerism analysis

A 52-year-old liver transplant recipient presented 8 months after transplantation with oral thrush, then 3 days later with oral ulcers and a diffuse rash, and 5 days later with an acutely reduced white blood cell count, rash, fever, and diarrhea. Bone marrow biopsy revealed severe aplasia. Although graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) was considered, the late onset of these symptoms was felt to render this etiology unlikely because GVHD usually occurs 2 to 6 weeks after transplantation. All potentially myelosuppressive medications were discontinued, and the patient was treated with high doses of hematopoietic growth factors. Because his symptoms continued, chimerism analysis was performed, which indicated that 96% of the peripheral blood mononuclear cells were of liver-donor origin. Ultimately, the patient underwent an allogeneic peripheral blood hematopoietic progenitor cell transplant from a human leukocyte antigen-identical brother, but he died 5 days after transplantation of overwhelming Candida kruseii infection. To our knowledge, this is the first chimerism-analysis-documented case of severe acute GVHD presenting so late after liver transplantation. It is of note that the patient had no known risks for GVHD in that he was relatively young and shared only one major human leukocyte antigen with his donor. Consideration should be given to GVHD as a cause of bone marrow aplasia at any time after organ transplantation. Storage of cell pellets from all transplant recipients and donors is highly recommended to facilitate the diagnostic evaluation.     

Sinistral equal-size spiral cleavage of the indirectly developing polychaete Hydroides elegans.

Two major variants of the stereotypic spiral cleavage correlate with distinct developmental modes in polychaetes. Indirect development through a feeding trochophore larva correlates with development from four equal-sized blastomeres, whereas direct development correlates with unequal cleavage characterized by a large dorsal blastomere precursor maternally predetermined. The equal-size spiral cleavage of the indirectly developing serpulid Hydroides elegans has been reconstructed from serial sections of nuclei-stained embryos. The order of cell divisions has been determined from the 2-cell stage to the 80-cell stage, when gastrulation cell movements start to overlap with late spiral-cleavage divisions. In contrast to related species, the third cleavage in Hydroides elegans is invariably sinistral. The four quadrants remain indistinct until the 60-cell stage, when the small 2d22 and large 2d21 cells are generated. The developmental significance of the invariant spiral cleavage relates to the spatial distribution of gene functions that it partitions and their relation to blastomere fate commitments. The conservation and divergence of the cleavage pattern among spiralians is well suited to study the developmental control of the cell-cleavage machinery and its evolution.     

Experimental infection of immunomodulated NOD/LtSz-SCID mice as a new model for Plasmodium falciparum erythrocytic stages

The main objective of this study was to determine whether a chemical immunomodulation protocol could reduce the resistance of NOD/LtSz-SCID mice to Plasmodium falciparum infection and provide an improved mouse model for screening the antimalarial activity of new compounds. This model was compared with the presently used immunodeficient Beige/Nude/Xid (BNX) mouse model, using the same protocol, in terms of percentage of infected mice, parasite development, leukocyte response and phagocytosis of P. falciparum infected cells in various organs. Our results show that the combination of the chemical immune modulation protocol with the genetic background of NOD/LtSz-SCID mice results in the development of long-lasting P. falciparum infection in a high percentage of mice. A comparison of the results obtained in the histological study for both mouse models suggests that the higher rate of success in NOD/LtSz-SCID mice could be related to the reduced macrophage recruitment developed in different tissues to remove the parasite from blood.     

Neuroendocrine carcinomas (carcinoid tumor) of the testis. A clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical study of ten cases

We studied 10 cases of primary pure testicular neuroendocrine carcinoma. Patients were between 16 and 48 years old and had testicular swelling with pain or a painless testicular mass and no history of neuroendocrine carcinoma or other malignant neoplasm. All underwent orchiectomy. The tumors were low (n = 9) and intermediate (n = 1) grades with a variegated histologic appearance characterized by a nesting pattern, cords of neoplastic cells with rosettes, or sheets of neoplastic cells. Mitotic activity was lacking in 9 cases. In 1 case, mitotic figures ranged from 7 to 8 per 10 high-power fields, and cellular atypia and comedo-like necrosis were present. Immunohistochemical studies using a keratin cocktail, chromogranin, synaptophysin, epidermal growth factor, p53, placental-like alkaline phosphatase, and CD117 (c-kit) were performed in all cases. Keratin, chromogranin, and synaptophysin were positive in all tumors. Clinical follow-up information was obtained for 6 patients (range, 12-60 months): 5 with low-grade tumors were alive 24 to 60 months after diagnosis; 1 with an intermediate-grade tumor died of tumor 12 months after initial diagnosis. The behavior of these tumors, while in the testicular region, correlates well with the histologic grade. We propose replacing the term testicular carcinoid with neuroendocrine carcinoma, which better reflects the nature of these neoplasms.     

Metabolic polymorphisms and the micronucleus frequency in buccal epithelium of adolescents living in an urban environment

Micronuclei and other biomarkers were evaluated in oral cells from 11- to 16-year-old girls living in a foster home in the central area of México City. Variables analyzed for possible association with these biomarkers include smoking habits, body mass index, metabolic polymorphisms for NAT1 and GSTM1 and whether the cells were obtained from the cheek or pharynx. The results indicated that individuals having the NAT1*10 homozygous genotype showed a significant increase in chromatin buds and binucleated cells. When the damage in the cheek was compared with damage in the pharynx, a significant increase in micronuclei and binucleated cells was found for the latter tissue in all the individuals analyzed.     

Antibodies to staphylococcal enterotoxins and toxic shock syndrome toxin 1 in sera of patients and healthy people in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Sera from 33 persons with staphylococcal infections and from 37 healthy persons were surveyed for the presence of antibody to staphylococcal enterotoxins A, B, C, D, and E and toxic shock syndrome toxin 1. Thirty-one (93.9%) of the patients and 35 (94.6%) of the control group had antibodies to one or more of the enterotoxins. The numbers of patients with antibody to the enterotoxins were as follows: A, 8; B, 9; C, 7; D, 17; E, 21; and toxic shock syndrome toxin 1, 11. The numbers of healthy individuals with antibody to the enterotoxins were as follows: A, 6; B, 12; C, 8; D, 27; E, 21; and toxic shock syndrome toxin 1, 9.     

Pulmonary artery angiosarcoma: a clinicopathologic and radiological correlation

A 69-year-old man presented with cough, shortness of breath, and fatigue. He was initially treated for allergies and then for pulmonary embolism. Radiologically, a tumor mass was found to occlude the right pulmonary artery and involve the pulmonary trunk. A right pneumonectomy was performed. Histologically, a cellular malignant spindle and epithelioid tumor with areas of necrosis and brisk mitotic activity was seen. In some areas, the tumor appeared to form vascular channels. Focal osteosarcomatous differentiation was present. Immunohistochemical studies were performed including vimentin, smooth muscle actin, desmin, CD31, CD34, S100, and pan-cytokeratin. The tumor cells were positive for CD31 and vimentin and negative for pan-cytokeratin, CD34, and S100. Two months after surgery, the patient was alive and well.     

Effect of photobiomodulation therapy on the proliferation phase and wound healing in rats fed with an experimental hypoproteic diet

Lasers in Medical Science - Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) has been indicated for enforcement on healing skin wounds. This study evaluated the effects of PBMT on the healing of skin wounds...