Oral and salivary parameters in patients with rheumatic diseases

We studied the presence of secondary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and the composition of saliva, prevalence of oral pathogens, periodontitis, mouth mucosa, and teeth in patients with various rheumatic diseases and in healthy controls. The hypothesis was that different rheumatic diseases might cause differences in oral health characteristics because of the liability of secondary SS in the patients. The study involved 77 patients and 77 age-matched and sex-matched controls. Twenty patients were suffering from spondylarthropathy (SPA), 18 from ankylosing spondylitis (AS), 24 from rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and 15 from mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD). Clinical and radiographic oral health status was recorded and salivary flow rates were measured. Selected salivary proteins and immunoglobulins were analysed by routine methods. Minor salivary gland biopsy samples were taken from the patients for assessment of inflammatory focus scores. Differences between patients and controls and in between the different rheumatic diseases were analysed statistically. Secondary SS was diagnosed in 39% (30/77) of the patients. A severe periodontal condition (community periodontal index of treatment needs score 3 or 4) occurred in 58% (45/77) of the rheumatic patients compared with only 26% (20/77) of the controls (p<0.0001). The severity of focal sialadenitis (focus score) correlated significant with salivary IgA, IgG, and IgM concentrations. Salivary albumin, total protein, IgG, and IgM concentrations were higher in all patient groups than in the controls. The number of patients with low salivary flow rates was higher in all patient groups compared to controls. Oral yeast counts were significantly higher in the patients than in the controls (p<0.001). In a subgroup analysis, patients with SS had higher values for salivary IgA and IgM than patients without SS. Dental caries and oral lactobacilli were more frequent in patients with SS, but SS was not associated with periodontitis. No major differences were noted in other salivary biochemical parameters between these two groups. Patients with rheumatic diseases, irrespective of specific diagnosis, thus had various alterations in salivary flow and composition and oral health. The findings may reflect the autoimmune inflammation of the salivary glands frequently observed in these patients.     

Lack of CD44 variant 6 expression in rectal cancer invasive front associates with early recurrence

AIM: To investigate the prognostic value of CD44 variant 6 (CD44v6), a membranous adhesion molecule, in rectal cancer.METHODS: Altogether, 210 rectal cancer samples from 214 patients treated with short-course radiotherapy (RT, n = 90), long-course (chemo) RT (n = 53) or surgery alone (n = 71) were studied with immunohistochemistry for CD44v6. The extent and intensity of membranous and cytoplasmic CD44v6 staining, and the intratumoral membranous staining pattern, were analyzed.RESULTS: Membranous CD44v6 expression was seen in 84% and cytoplasmic expression in 81% of the cases. In 59% of the tumors with membranous CD44v6 expression, the staining pattern in the invasive front was determined as “front-positive” and in 41% as “front-negative”. The latter pattern was associated with narrower circumferential margin (P = 0.01), infiltrative growth pattern (P < 0.001), and shorter disease-free survival in univariate survival analysis (P = 0.022) when compared to the “front-positive” tumors.CONCLUSION: The lack of membranous CD44v6 in the rectal cancer invasive front could be used as a method to identify patients at increased risk for recurrent disease.     

Laminarthrectomy as a surgical approach for decompressing the spinal canal: assessment of preoperative versus postoperative dural sac cross-sectional areal (DSCSA)

Introduction

Surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is today the most frequently performed procedure in the adult lumbar spine. Long-term benefit of surgery for LSS is well documented both in randomized and in non-randomized trials. In this paper, we present the results from laminarthrectomy as an alternative surgical approach, which have theoretical advantages over other approaches. In this study, we wanted to study the clinical and radiological results of laminarthrectomy. Dural sac cross-sectional areal (DSCSA) is an objective method to quantify the degree of central stenosis in the spinal canal, and was used to measure whether we were able to achieve an adequate decompression of the spinal canal with laminarthrectomy as a surgical approach.

Materials and methods

All patients operated on with this approach consecutively in the period 1 January 2008 to 31 March 2009 were included in the study. All perioperative complications were noted. Clinical results were measured by means of a questionnaire. The patients that agreed to attend the study had an MRI taken of the operated level. DSCSA before and after surgery of the actual level were measured by three observers. We then performed a correlation test between increase of area and clinical results. We also tested for inter- and intra-observer reability.

Results

Fifty-six laminarthrectomy were performed. There were 17 % complications, none of them were life-threatening or disabling. 46 patients attended the study and answered the questionnaire. Thirty-four patients (83 %) reported clinical improvement, whereas six (13 %) patients reported no improvement, and two (4 %) patients reported that they were worse. Mean ODI was 23.0. Mean EQ-5D was 0.77. Mean VAS-score for back-pain was 3.1 and mean VAS-score for leg-pain was 2.8. Mean DSCSA were measured to 80 mm² before surgery and 161 mm² after surgery. That gave an increase of DSCSA of 81 mm² (101 %). We found a significant positive correlation between increase of area and clinical results. We also found consistent inter- and intra-observer reability.

Discussion

In this study, the clinical results of laminarthrectomy were good, and comparable with other reports for LSS. The rates of complications are also comparable with other reports in spinal surgery. A significant increase in the spinal canal diameter was achieved. Within the limitations a retrospective study gives, we conclude that laminarthrectomy seems to be a safe and effective surgical approach for significant decompressing the adult central spinal canal, and measurement of DSCSA, before and after surgery seems to be a good way to quantify the degree of decompression.     

Too tight to give birth? Assessment of pelvic floor muscle function in 277 nulliparous pregnant women

Introduction and hypothesis

Theoretically, tight or strong pelvic floor muscles may impair the progress of labor and lead to instrumental deliveries. We aimed to investigate whether vaginal resting pressure, pelvic floor muscle strength, or endurance at midpregnancy affect delivery outcome.

Methods

This was a prospective cohort study of women giving birth at a university hospital. Vaginal resting pressure, pelvic floor muscle strength, and endurance in 300 nulliparous pregnant women were assessed at mean gestational week 20.8 (±1.4) using a high precision pressure transducer connected to a vaginal balloon. Delivery outcome measures [acute cesarean section, prolonged second stage of labor (> 2 h), instrumental vaginal delivery (vacuum and forceps), episiotomy, and third- and fourth-degree perineal tear) were retrieved from the hospital’s electronic birth records.

Results

Twenty-three women were lost to follow-up, mostly because they gave birth at another hospital. Women with prolonged second stage had significantly higher resting pressure than women with second stage less than 2 h; the mean difference was 4.4 cmH₂O [95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.2–7.6], p?<?0.01, adjusted odds ratio 1.049 (95 % CI 1.011–1.089, p?=?0.012). Vaginal resting pressure did not affect other delivery outcomes. Pelvic floor muscle strength and endurance similarly were not associated with any delivery outcomes.

Conclusions

While midpregnancy vaginal resting pressure is associated with prolonged second stage of labor, neither vaginal resting pressure nor pelvic floor muscle strength or endurance are associated with operative delivery or perineal tears. Strong pelvic floor muscles are not disadvantageous for vaginal delivery.     

Renal impairment in children with posterior urethral valves

Background

Posterior urethral valves (PUV) are a common cause of end-stage renal failure in childhood. Our aim was to describe a cohort of patients with PUV and to investigate the predictors of renal impairment.

Methods

We performed a retrospective chart review of children with PUV who were followed at King Abdulaziz University hospital between 2002 and 2011.

Results

The cohort comprised 68 boys. There was a significant difference in the duration of follow-up (p?=?0.024), nadir serum creatinine (p?<?0.001), and last known serum creatinine level (p?=?0.001) between the patients with and without renal impairment. The duration of follow-up appeared to be a significant predictor for serum creatinine doubling (p?=?0.003; odds ratio, 1.8). There was no difference in the age of presentation, age at the time of the study, and first or last serum creatinine between children who initially had vesicostomy and children who had ablation.

Conclusions

Ablation of PUV or vesicostomy did not influence kidney function in our study cohort. Children with a normal nadir serum creatinine who presented early had a better outcome.     

The Structure of Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms in the General Population at 18 Months

It is unclear whether symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in young children in the population fit the three-factor structure of ASD as described in the DSM-IV, and cluster together in individual subjects. This study analysed questionnaire data on ASD symptoms filled in by mothers of 11,332 18-month-old children that was collected in the context of the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Confirmatory Factor Analyses showed that the three-factor model had a significantly better fit then the two- and one-factor model of ASD symptoms. Latent class analysis revealed four homogeneous groups of children (classes) with different scores for Social Interaction and Communication at one hand and Stereotypies/Rigidity at the other hand.