Unsweetened ice popsicles impart a positive feeling and reduce self‐mutilation after paediatric dental treatment with local anaesthesia

International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2010; 20: 382–388 Aim. The purpose of the current study was to assess whether an unsweetened ice‐popsicle imparts a positive feeling to children after dental treatment in which local anaesthesia is administered, and whether it reduces the tendency of children to self‐mutilate (bite the lip, cheek or tongue) after the administration of local anaesthesia. Design. Crossover study of 31 children aged 4–11 years old who needed similar dental treatments on both sides of the mandible or maxilla under local anaesthesia. At the end of each appointment the child received a toy or an ice‐popsicle especially made for this study. Patients and parents answered a questionnaire regarding the children’s behaviour and feeling immediately after the treatment, and 10 and 30 min after receiving the ice‐popsicle or toy. Results. Children who received ice‐popsicles after dental treatment under local anaesthesia felt less discomfort and suffered less soft tissue trauma than they did when they received a toy. Reduction in soft tissue trauma was evident 10 min after receiving the ice‐popsicles. Conclusion. Licking of an ice‐popsicle after dental treatment with local anaesthesia reduces the feeling of discomfort and the biting of soft tissue and self‐ mutilation.     

Sleep disturbances in asymptomatic BRCA1/2 mutation carriers: women at high risk for breast–ovarian cancer

This study investigated the association between positive genetic diagnosis for BRCA1/2 mutations and sleep quality in Ashkenazi asymptomatic women. Seventy‐three women, including 17 asymptomatic BRCA1/2 carriers and 20 non‐carriers from the oncogenetic clinic, and 36 community controls, participated in a cross‐sectional design. Women completed sociodemographic, clinical, general psychological distress, cancer‐related worry (CRW), fatigue and sleep questionnaires in their homes, and wore actigraphs for 5–7 nights. Impaired global subjective sleep quality was demonstrated in BRCA1/2 carriers compared to non‐carriers and controls [mean Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) total scores 7.29 ± 4.34; 3.94 ± 2.49; 4.21 ± 2.80, respectively, P = 0.021] and poor sleep quality (PSQI total score >5) was significantly higher in carriers (53%) compared to non‐carriers (20%) and controls (28%, P = 0.03). Based on actigraphic measures, sleep latency tended to be longer in carriers compared to counterparts, albeit not significantly. Increased sleep disturbance was related significantly to increased fatigue in the entire sample and in the control group; to psychological distress in the entire sample and in non‐carriers; and to CRW in the entire sample. In carriers, sleep disturbance was related strongly but non‐significantly to fatigue, psychological distress and CRW. Fatigue and carrier status were significant predictors of sleep quality, accounting for 15.7% of the variance. In conclusion, asymptomatic BRCA1/2 carriers experience poor sleep quality compared to non‐carriers and controls. Our study design is unique in that it offers insight regarding the nature of being an asymptomatic carrier, and affords the opportunity to examine factors that may contribute to the development of insomnia in women at risk for breast–ovarian cancer.     

Glyco-tuftsin derivatives modulate interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor production

Six Thr¹ (O-glyco)-derivatives of the “phagocytosis stimulating peptide” tuftsin, H-Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-OH and the N-glycosylated undecapeptide H-Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-Glu-Gln-Gln-Tyr-Asn(β-d -GlcNAc)-Ser-Thr-OH, which correspond to the “tuftsin-region” at the Fc-domain of immunoglobulin G (amino acid residues 289–299), were evaluated in comparison with tuftsin and rigin, H-Gly-Gln-Pro-Arg-OH, for their capacity to evoke the release of interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor from mouse peritoneal macrophages and from human monocytes. Several glycosylated tuftsin derivatives were found to modulate, in a rather dose-dependent manner, the release of the two cytokines from both cell types.     

Synthesis of modified tuftsins containing monosaccharides or monosaccharide derivatives

Synthesis of some modified tuftsins is described in which a monosaccharide or a monosaccharide derivative was incorporated in the molecule. Acylation of H-Thr-Lys(Z)-Pro-Arg(NO₂)-OBzl with D(+)-gluco-1,5-lactone followed by catalytic hydrogenation gave Nα-gluconyl-tuftsin. Glycosylation of the carboxyl function of the C-terminal arginine has been achieved by reacting, through the mixed anhydride procedure, Boc-Thr-Lys(Z)-Pro-OH with 2-deoxy-2-(N^G-nitroargininamido)-D-glucopyranose followed by catalytic hydrogenation and trifluoroacetic acid treatment. O-Glucosyl-tuftsin has been prepared by reacting o-nitrophenyl N-benzyloxycarbonyl-O-[(α + β)2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-D-grucopyranosyl]-threoninate with H-Lys(Z)-Pro-Arg(NO₂)-OBzl in the presence of 1-hydroxybenzotriazole. Flash chromatography on silica gel allowed a partial separation of the diastereoisomers, one of which has been isolated in a reasonable yield. The single diasteroisomer and the α + β anomeric mixture were separately deblocked by catalytic hydrogenation and purified by RP-HPLC.     

Sleep quality in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: An actigraphic study

Abstract  The aim of the present study was to compare the sleep of 12 children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with that of 12 normal controls. The children were examined in their natural environment, using continuous actigraphic monitoring over several consecutive nights, as well as undergoing subjective parental reports. It was hypothesized that children diagnosed with ADHD would suffer from reduced sleep quality than children without ADHD. This hypothesis was supported by the actigraphic measures, but not supported by the subjective parental reports. It was also found that the sleep quality of the two groups differed over the course of the night, which suggests a difference in sleep architecture. Various possible explanations for these findings, their implications regarding the relationship between sleep and ADHD, and the resulting treatment ramifications are discussed, and suggestions for further research are provided.     

Subclasses of IgA antibodies in serum and saliva samples of newborns and infants immunized against rotavirus

Little is known about subclass levels of IgA in serum or saliva of infants in the perinatal period. We have previously shown that very young infants are capable of responding to an experimental rotavirus vaccine with both serum and salivary IgA, and that small amounts of IgA are already detectable in cord blood of these infants. In the present study, total IgA1 and IgA2 antibodies in serum and saliva samples of some of these infants at birth, at 6 weeks of age, and at 12 weeks of age, were determined by a quantitative ELISA. Also, subclass-specific IgA antibodies to the rotavirus group A common antigen were determined by ELISA. The ratio of average serum concentrations of IgA1 to IgA2 for 14 infants at 6 weeks of age was 19:1, while in saliva it was 5:1. Between 6 and 12 weeks of age levels of serum IgA1 increased by 25%, while levels of IgA2 did not increase perceptibly. Concentrations of IgA1 were higher in infant sera than in saliva, while concentrations of IgA2 were slightly higher in saliva than in serum. When calculated as specific ELISA units per mg IgA1, more salivary IgA1 was specific for rotavirus than serum IgA1. Further studies are needed to determine when infant IgA2 levels rise to values more characteristic of children and adults. This may be of significance for infant mucosal immunizations if secretory IgA2, more resistant to bacterial proteases than IgA1, is required for efficient defence of the respiratory and intestinal tracts.     

Synthesis and biological activity of tuftsin and rigin derivatives containing monosaccharides or monosaccharide derivatives

Synthesis of some modified rigins is described in which either D-gluconic acid or 2-amino-2-deoxy-β-D-glucopyranose have been linked to the parent molecule through amide bonds involving the α-amino function, α-carboxyl function or the γ-amide function of glutamine in position 2. Glu²-rigin and D-gluconyl-Glu²-rigin have also been synthesized. Binding and phagocytosis assays have been carried out on the rigin derivatives and on some glycosylated tuftsin derivatives as well. Of all the tested peptides only rigin enhanced the phagocytic capacity of mouse peritoneal macrophages to the same extent as tuftsin. The peptides H-Thr-Lys-Pro-Arg-NH-Glc and Nα-gluconyl-Gly-Glu-Pro-Arg-OH slightly enhanced phagocytosis. H-Thr[(α + β)-O-glucosyl]-Lys-Pro-Arg-OH was found to displace ³H-tuftsin even better than tuftsin but lacked the ability to stimulate phagocytosis.     

Regulation of Human Interleukin-2 and Interferon-Gamma Gene Expression by Suppressor T Lymphocytes

Concomitant with induction of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) gene expression in human tonsil cells, mitogenic stimulation induces a transient activation of cells able to effectively suppress expression of these genes. Induction of IL-2 and IFN-gamma genes largely precedes appearance of suppressor cell activity, allowing expression of both genes to occur before strong down-regulation is exerted by activated suppressor cells. Suppressive activity induced in one cell population can inhibit IL-2 and IFN-gamma gene expression in another population from the same donor. The distinct nature of suppressor cells is supported by the absence of down-regulation of IL-2 gene expression in a helper cell line, MLA-144; yet, in these cells, negative control can be expressed when active suppressor cells are introduced. Our findings support the concept that actual levels of IL-2 and IFN-gamma gene activity are regulated to a large extent by the differential kinetics of activation of suppressor cells on one hand and of cells expressing the IL-2 and IFN-gamma genes on the other.