Effects of low-level laser therapy on expression of TNF-α and TGF-β in skeletal muscle during the repair process

The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on the expression of TNF-α and TGF-β in the tibialis anterior muscle of rats following cryoinjury. Muscle regeneration involves cell proliferation, migration and differentiation and is regulated by growth factors and cytokines. A growing body of evidence suggests that LLLT promotes skeletal muscle regeneration by reducing the duration of acute inflammation and accelerating tissue repair. Adult male Wistar rats (n = 35) were randomly divided into three groups: control group (no lesion, untreated, n = 5), cryoinjury without LLLT group (n = 15), and cryoinjury with LLLT group (n = 15). The injured region was irradiated three times a week using an AlGaInP laser (660 nm; beam spot 0.04 cm², output power 20 mW, power density 500 mW/cm², energy density 5 J/cm², exposure time 10 s). Muscle remodeling was evaluated at 1, 7 and 14 days (long-term) following injury. The muscles were removed and total RNA was isolated using TRIzol reagent and cDNA synthesis. Real-time polymerase chain reactions were performed using TNF-α and TGF-β primers; GAPDH was used to normalize the data. LLLT caused a decrease in TNF-α mRNA expression at 1 and 7 days following injury and in TGF-β mRNA expression at 7 days following cryoinjury in comparison to the control group. LLLT modulated cytokine expression during short-term muscle remodeling, inducing a decrease in TNF-α and TGF-β.     

Diagnostic errors in the echography of the hip in newborns

Neonatal hip sonography according to Graf employs a standardized image in a frontal section plane ("3-point system") and a good scanner adjustment (the femoral head must be anechoic, like the hyaline cartilage roof triangle). Pathologic conditions can change some of these parameters. The authors examined 6,000 neonatal hips in order to point out the commonest causes of diagnostic error. Two types of error were considered: method errors and interpretation errors. Method errors: they are due to the choice of transducer and frequency, to scanner adjustment and definition of the standard section plane. Their incidence was 2.25% and supported by an uncorrect definition of the standard section plane. Interpretation errors: they come from the wrong localization of some reference points--i.e., lower iliac margin, labrum--, uncorrect evaluation of increased echogenicity of the cartilaginous roof, infant age, application of radiographic criteria and uncorrect measurements of alpha and beta angles. Interpretation errors had 5.5% incidence; they were all due to the uncorrect measurement of alpha (3.18%) and beta (2.33%) angles, especially in pathological hips (68%). To reduce the number of errors, the authors suggest to strictly apply Graf's method, to make a diagnosis based on the morphological changes of the cartilaginous and osseous acetabular roof and, only later on, to measure alpha and beta angles to confirm the diagnosis or in the follow-up.     

Age of first dental visit and predictors for oral healthcare utilisation in preschool children

Purpose: To assess the age the of the first dental visit and the association of self-perceived oral health, socioeconomic and clinical indicators with healthcare utilisation in Brazilian preschool children. Materials and Methods: An epidemiological survey with 455 5- to 59-month-old children was conducted on National Children's Vaccination Day in Santa Maria, RS, Brazil. Data about age and reasons for the first dental visit, healthcare utilisation, socioeconomic status and self-perceived oral health were collected by means of a parental semi-structured questionnaire. Calibrated examiners evaluated the prevalence of dental caries (WHO) and dental trauma. The assessment of the association used Poisson regression models (prevalence ratio; 95% confidence interval [CI]). Results: A total of 24.2% (95% CI: 20.3% to 28.4%) of the study sample had already had a first dental visit. Older children, those with dental caries and dental trauma and whose mothers had a higher level of education were more likely to have gone to the dentist. Children of low socioeconomic status were more likely to have visited public than private healthcare services. The reasons for the first dental visit were associated with clinical indicators of the sample. The distribution of utilisation of the types of oral healthcare services (public or private) varied across the socioeconomic groups. Non-white children with dental caries and dental trauma tended to visit a dentist only for treatment reasons. Conclusion: Socioeconomic and clinical indicators are associated with the use of dental services, indicating the need for strategies to promote public health and reorientation of services that facilitate dental access for preschool children.     

Autism Through the Ages: A Mixed Methods Approach to Understanding How Age and Age of Diagnosis Affect Quality of Life

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - A significant proportion of autistic adults today were not diagnosed until later in life, a group referred to as the ‘lost generation,’...     

Influence of children's oral health-related quality of life on school performance and school absenteeism

Objective: This study assessed the relation of child oral health‐related quality of life with school performance and school absenteeism. Methods: We followed a cross‐sectional design with a multistage random sample of 312 12‐year‐old schoolchildren living in Brazil. The participants completed the child perceptions questionnaire (CPQ_11–14) that provides information about psychological factors, while their parents or guardians answered questions on their socioeconomic status measured by parents' education level and household income. A dental examination of each child provided information on the prevalence of caries and dental trauma. Data on school performance, which included the results of baseline Brazilian language (Portuguese) tests, and school absenteeism (school days missed) were obtained from the school register. Multilevel linear regression was used to investigate the association among psychological and socioeconomic status and children's school performance. Results: In the multiple model, after adjusting for individual covariates, being a girl was associated with higher school performance (P < 0.05), whereas low household income (P < 0.05), higher mean of CPQ_11–14 (P < 0.05), and higher school days missed (P < 0.001) were identified as individual determinants of lower school performance. When the school‐level covariates were included in the model, the association between subjects' level characteristics and school performance still persisted. Conclusion: Children's school performance and absence were influenced by psychological and socioeconomic conditions.     

Correction to: Ultrasound resistive index,power Doppler,and clinical parameters in established rheumatoid arthritis

Clinical Rheumatology - The original version of this article, unfortunately, contained an error. One of the author's name on this article was incorrectly spelled as “José Alexandre...     

Anti-Mullerian hormone and insulin resistance in polycystic ovary syndrome

Introduction: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a prevalent disease affecting women of reproductive age. It may be associated with metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance (IR) and obesity. The anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) levels seem to be higher in patients with PCOS.

Objective: The present study was designed to evaluate the association between AMH and insulin in women with PCOS with and without IR.

Methods: Cross-sectional study, including 86 patients, selected and divided into three groups: Group A: 26 women with PCOS and IR; Group B: 30 women with PCOS and without IR; and Group C: 30 controls without PCOS.

Results: We found significant difference between serum AMH levels in the group of women with PCOS and without IR when compared to the control group, thus showing that PCOS and IR play an important role in elevating the levels of this hormone. When the groups were compared with each other following adjustment for BMI, serum AMH levels were significantly higher in the group of women with PCOS and IR.

Conclusion: AMH levels are significantly higher in patients with PCOS, particularly in those women with PCOS and IR. Nevertheless, larger samples are required to confirm these findings.     

Socioeconomic and psychosocial predictors of dental healthcare use among Brazilian preschool children

Background

Disparities in utilization of oral healthcare services have been attributed to socioeconomic and individual behavioral factors. Parents’ socioeconomic status, demographics, schooling, and perceptions of oral health may influence their children’s use of dental services. This cross-sectional study assessed the relationships between socioeconomic and psychosocial factors and the utilization of dental health services by children aged 1–5 years.

Methods

Data were collected through clinical exams and a structured questionnaire administered during the National Day of Children’s Vaccination. A Poisson regression model was used to estimate prevalence ratios and 95% confidence intervals.

Results

Data were collected from a total of 478 children. Only 112 (23.68%) were found to have visited a dentist; 67.77% of those had seen the dentist for preventive care. Most (63.11%) used public rather than private services. The use of dental services varied according to parental socioeconomic status; children from low socioeconomic backgrounds and those whose parents rated their oral health as “poor” used dental services less frequently. The reason for visiting the dentist also varied with socioeconomic status, in that children of parents with poor socioeconomic status and who reported their child’s oral health as “fair/poor” were less likely to have visited the dentist for preventive care.

Conclusion

This study demonstrated that psychosocial and socioeconomic factors are important predictors of the utilization of dental care services.