The Effect of Fluoride Glass Slow-Release Devices on the Protection of Primary and Permanent Dental Enamel to Erosive Challenge

Aim: To investigate the use of fluoride glass slow-release devices (FGSRD) for the prevention of dental erosion of human dental enamel in vitro. Methods: Human teeth (permanent and primary) were used for this study. Enamel slabs were randomly allocated to four study groups: Group 1: 24 permanent enamel slabs with FGSRD, Group 2: 24 permanent enamel slabs with placebo non-FGSRD, Group 3: 20 primary enamel slabs with FGSRD, Group 4: 20 primary enamel slabs with placebo non-FGSRD. The glass slow-release devices were randomised into two groups. Test and placebo groups were coded until the end of the study. The enamel slabs were dipped in a citric acid solution for two minutes five times daily for 28 days and brushed twice a day. This was to create the erosive environment for this in vitro study. The slabs were kept in artificial saliva and stored in an incubator at 37oC. The glass slow-release devices (fluoride and non-fluoride) were present in all containers. The surface profile was measured at baseline using surface profilometry and after 14 and 28 days of the cycling regime. Analysis: Simple t-tests were used to compare the permanent and primary teeth groups with 0.05 as the significance level and an ANOVA t-test with a Bonferroni correction to compare: primary and permanent teeth. Daily fluoride release of the FGSRD’s was measured. Results: For enamel of primary teeth, after 14 days 40% less erosion was observed in the F group which decreased to 31% at the end of the study period, i.e., 28 days. This was highly statistically significant (p<0.001) at both time points. For permanent enamel, no significant differences were observed (p=0.091). Conclusion: FGSRD’s have great potential for protection of primary human enamel against erosive challenge in addition to a number of other uses

Influenza antiviral drugs: present and future

Η γρίπη προκαλεί ετήσιες επιδημίες και πανδημίες με αυξημένη νοσηρότητα και θνησιμότητα. Αντιικοί παράγοντες με διαφορετική χημική σύσταση και θεραπευτική προσέγγιση μειώνουν τη διάρκεια των συμπτωμάτων, τις επιπλοκές και το θάνατο. Η ανάδυση ιών με ανθεκτικότητα στις αδαμαντάνες και στους αναστολείς της νευραμινιδάσης οδηγεί σε ανάγκη για ανακάλυψη νέων αντιικών φαρμάκων.Influenza causes annual epidemics and pandemics with increased morbidity and mortality. Antiviral agents with different chemical structure and mode of administration reduce the duration of symptoms, the risk of complications and death. The emergence of viruses with resistance against adamantanes and neuraminidase inhibitors drives research on additional influenza antivirals

The epidemiology of tuberculosis in Greece

Tuberculosis is the infection caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex species that usually affects the lungs but can also occur as extrapulmonary or disseminated disease. According to the recently published report by the ECDC and WHO, the case notification rate in Greece was 6.0 cases per 100.000 population in 2008, while underreporting is an important problem for TB control

Knowledge of medical students about Hepatitis B

The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge level of graduate medical students about Hepatitis B. The material of this study was 109 questionnaires, answered by an equal number of students. According to the results, the knowledge of graduate medical students on Hepatitis B was in quite satisfactory level concerning most of the topics

Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki: common use objects and their bacterial burden

The aim of this study was to determine the microbial burden on common use objects in the Medical School of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The research took place in the seven departments of the central building of the Medical School, from January to February 2010. Fifty samples (29 doorknobs, 21 faucet handles) were collected from various places of the departments using swabs moistened by nutrient broth. The samples were inoculated into nutrient broth, MacConkey agar and blood agar. Isolates were identified and typed by conventional procedures.From the samples collected, 1-5 types of bacteria were isolated per object, presenting a growth scale from negligible to high. The most common isolate was coagulase negative Staphylococcus (27), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (17), Bacillus spp (16), Enterobacteriaceae (10), Diphtheroid spp (8), Pseudomonas spp (2) and the least occurring microorganism was β-haemolytic Streptococcus (1). The members of the Enterobacteriaceae isolated were: Escherichia spp (5), Enterobacter spp (3), Pantoea spp (1) and Klebsiella spp (1).In conclusion, doorknobs and faucet handles in the Medical School bare a sufficient microbial population, which however mostly belong to the normal flora or to potential pathogens. The level of hygiene, at least regarding the cleaning of hands and objects of common use, appears satisfying

Detection of Chlamydia pneumoniae (Chlamydophila pneumoniae) DNA in atherosclerotic plaques and its molecular analysis in northern Greece

Objectives: C. pneumoniae responsible for respiratory tract infections has also been assocciated with chronic diseases such as atherosclerosis.The aim of the present study is the detection of C. pneumoniae DNA in various atherosclerotic arteries by a sensitive and specific PCR. In order to investigate whether there is a relation between a specific type and atherosclerosis, genotyping was performed. Methods: The study group consisted of 122 atherosclerotic plaques from patients (mean age 68.4, range 50-89 years old, 95 males and 25 females) with severe atherosclerosis. C. pneumoniae DNA was detected in atherosclerotic plaques by nested «Touchdown» PCR. A second PCR targeting the ygeD-urk intergenic region was performed and PCR products were sequenced.Results: 12.3% of the specimens were positive for C. pneumoniae. Detection rates in specimens of carotid, abdominal, and femoral arteries were 12%, 15.6%, and 10%, respectively. (p = NS). 14 strains were found to have 100% homology with J138, AR39 and TW-183, while one strain had a 23 bp invertible region and revealed 100% homology with the CWL029.Conclusion: Overall, 15/122 (12.3%) atherosclerotic specimens from patients were positive for C. pneumoniae. The strains detected belong to two different types designated as genotype I and II. Genotype I was the prevalent and only one strain had the reverse orientation of the 23bp region in northern Greece

Letters

by S Gee, S Cotter, D O’Flanagan, on behalf of the national incident management tea