Oral health-related quality of life of paediatric patients with AIDS

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Children with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) exhibit impaired dental status, which can affect their quality of life. This study assessed the oral health-related quality of life of these patients and associated factors.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The "Child Perceptions Questionnaire 11-14", rating overall and domain-specific (oral symptoms, functional limitations, emotional well being, and social well being) oral health-related quality of life (OHR-QoL) was completed by 88 children with AIDS assisted in the Child Institute, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Parents or guardians provided behavioural and socio-demographic information. The clinical status was provided by hospital records. OHR-QoL covariates were assessed by Poisson regression analysis.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The most affected OHR-QoL subscale concerned oral symptoms, whose rate was 23.9%. The direct answer for oral health and well being made up a rate of 47.7%. Brushing the teeth less than two times a day and viral load exceeding 10,000 HIV-RNA copies per millilitre of plasma were directly associated (p < 0.05) with a poorer oral health-related quality of life.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Children with more severe AIDS manifestations complained of poorer status of oral symptoms, functional limitations, emotional and social well being related to their oral health. Recognizing the factors that are associated with poorer OHR-QoL in children with AIDS may contribute to the planning of dental services for this population.</p

PGH1, the Precursor for the Anti-Inflammatory Prostaglandins of the 1-series, Is a Potent Activator of the Pro-Inflammatory Receptor CRTH2/DP2

Prostaglandin H1 (PGH1) is the cyclo-oxygenase metabolite of dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (DGLA) and the precursor for the 1-series of prostaglandins which are often viewed as “anti-inflammatory”. Herein we present evidence that PGH1 is a potent activator of the pro-inflammatory PGD2 receptor CRTH2, an attractive therapeutic target to treat allergic diseases such as asthma and atopic dermatitis. Non-invasive, real time dynamic mass redistribution analysis of living human CRTH2 transfectants and Ca2+ flux studies reveal that PGH1 activates CRTH2 as PGH2, PGD2 or PGD1 do. The PGH1 precursor DGLA and the other PGH1 metabolites did not display such effect. PGH1 specifically internalizes CRTH2 in stable CRTH2 transfectants as assessed by antibody feeding assays. Physiological relevance of CRTH2 ligation by PGH1 is demonstrated in several primary human hematopoietic lineages, which endogenously express CRTH2: PGH1 mediates migration of and Ca2+ flux in Th2 lymphocytes, shape change of eosinophils, and their adhesion to human pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells under physiological flow conditions. All these effects are abrogated in the presence of the CRTH2 specific antagonist TM30089. Together, our results identify PGH1 as an important lipid intermediate and novel CRTH2 agonist which may trigger CRTH2 activation in vivo in the absence of functional prostaglandin D synthase

Qualidade de vida e saúde bucal em crianças - parte II: versão brasileira do Child Perceptions Questionnaire Quality of life and oral health in children - Part II: Brazilian version of the Child Perceptions Questionnaire

O Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ11-14) é um instrumento auto-aplicável para avaliação da qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde bucal em crianças. O objetivo do estudo foi de traduzir e adaptar o questionário para seu uso no Brasil. O questionário foi traduzido do original em inglês ao português, utilizando o processo de tradução reversa (inglês/português/inglês), seguido de avaliação pelo comitê revisor e pela adaptação cultural em um grupo de 20 crianças. As crianças de 11 a 14 anos não compreenderam algumas questões do questionário. Inicialmente, as questões 4 e 11 apresentaram nível de incompreensão superior a 15%. Foram feitas as adaptações necessárias e a terceira versão em português foi auto-aplicada em uma nova amostra de 20 crianças. Nesta etapa, somente a questão 40 foi incompreendida e modificada. Q quarta versão em português foi considerada adequada para mais de 95% das crianças avaliadas. A versão para o português do instrumento CPQ11-14 é um instrumento útil para avaliação da qualidade de vida relacionada à saúde bucal em crianças brasileiras.<br>The Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ11-14) is a self-administered instrument for the assessment of oral health-related quality of life in children. The objective of this study was to translate and adapt the questionnaire for use in Brazil. The questionnaire was translated from the English original into Brazilian Portuguese using the back-translation method (English/Portuguese/English), followed by evaluation by the review committee and cultural adaptation in a sample of 20 children. Eleven- to fourteen-year-old children did not understand some questions of the questionnaire. Initially, questions 4 and 11 showed an index of "incomprehensibility" in excess of 15%. The necessary cultural adapations were made and the third Portuguese version of CPQ11-14 was self-applied on a new sample of 20 children. Only one question (40) was misunderstood and modified. The fourth Portuguese version was considered adequate by more than 95% of the children evaluated. The Portuguese version of CPQ11-14 is a useful instrument for assessing oral health-related quality of life in Brazilian children

Phospholipase signalling networks in cancer

Phospholipases (PLC, PLD and PLA) are essential mediators of intracellular and intercellular signalling. They can function as phospholipid-hydrolysing enzymes that can generate many bioactive lipid mediators, such as diacylglycerol, phosphatidic acid, lysophosphatidic acid and arachidonic acid. Lipid mediators generated by phospholipases regulate multiple cellular processes that can promote tumorigenesis, including proliferation, migration, invasion and angiogenesis. Although many individual phospholipases have been extensively studied, how phospholipases regulate diverse cancer-associated cellular processes and the interplay between different phospholipases have yet to be fully elucidated. A thorough understanding of the cancer-associated signalling networks of phospholipases is necessary to determine whether these enzymes can be targeted therapeutically.close1