Characteristics, Detection Methods and Treatment of Questionable Occlusal Carious Lesions:Findings from The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network

Questionable occlusal carious lesions (QOC) can be defined as an occlusal tooth surface with no cavitation and no radiographic radiolucencies, but caries is suspected due to roughness, surface opacities, or staining. An earlier analysis of data from this study indicates ⅓ of patients have a QOC. The objective of this report is to quantify the characteristics of these common lesions, diagnostic aids used, and treatment of QOC. A total of 82 dentist and hygienist practitioner-investigators from the United States and Denmark in The National Dental Practice-Based Research Network participated. When consented patients presented with a QOC, information was recorded about the patient, tooth, lesion, and treatments. 2,603 QOC from 1,732 patients were analyzed. Lesions were usually associated with a fissure, on molars, and varied from yellow to black in color. Half presented with a chalky luster and had a rough surface when examined with an explorer. There was an association between color and luster, 10% were chalky-light, 47% were shiny-dark, and 42% were mixtures. A higher proportion of chalky than shiny lesions were light (22% vs. 9%; p < 0.001). Lesions light in color were less common in adults than pediatric patients (9% vs. 32%; p < 0.001). Lesions that were chalky and light were more common among pediatric than adult patients (22% vs. 6%, p < 0.001). This is the first study to investigate characteristics of QOC in routine clinical practice. Clinicians commonly face this diagnostic uncertainty. Determining the characteristics of these lesions are relevant when making diagnostic and treatment decisions

Antigens recognized by autologous antibody in patients with renal-cell carcinoma.

The screening of cDNA expression libraries derived from human tumors with autologous antibody (SEREX) is a powerful method for defining the structure of tumor antigens recognized by the humoral immune system. Sixty-five distinct antigens (NY-REN-1 to NY-REN-65) reactive with autologous IgG were identified by SEREX analysis of 4 renal cancer patients and were characterized in terms of cDNA sequence, mRNA expression pattern, and reactivity with allogeneic sera. REN-9, -10, -19, and -26 have a known association with human cancer. REN-9 (LUCA-15) and REN-10 (gene 21) map to the small cell lung cancer tumor suppressor gene locus on chromosome 3p21.3. REN-19 is equivalent to LKB1/STK11, a gene that is defective in Peutz-Jeghers syndrome and cancer. REN-26 is encoded by the bcr gene involved in the [t(9:22)] bcr/abl translocation. Genes encoding 3 of the antigens in the series showed differential mRNA expression; REN-3 displays a pattern of tissue-specific isoforms, and REN-21 and REN-43 are expressed at a high level in testis in comparison to 15 other normal tissues. The other 62 antigens were broadly expressed in normal tissues. With regard to immunogenicity, 20 of the 65 antigens reacted only with autologous sera. Thirty-three antigens reacted with sera from normal donors, indicating that their immunogenicity is not restricted to cancer. The remaining 12 antigens reacted with sera from 5-25% of the cancer patients but not with sera from normal donors. Seventy percent of the renal cancer patients had antibodies directed against one or more of these 12 antigens. Our results demonstrate the potential of the SEREX approach for the analysis of the humoral immune response against human cancer

A critical exploration of lesbian perspectives on eating disorders

There is now a considerable body of research exploring how culturally dominant gendered norms are implicated in mobilising girls' and women's 'anorexic' and 'bulimic' experiences and practices. However, much less is known about lesbian experiences of 'eating disorders'. This article explores some of those specificities. Drawing on interviews with self-identified lesbian women with a history of 'anorexia' and/or 'bulimia', our analysis suggests that while many of the ways in which participants discursively constituted their 'eating disorders' were similar to those identified in research with girls and women assumed to be heterosexual, there were also important differences where participants' actual or emerging lesbian subjectivities were integral to their accounts of developing, living with and recovering from 'anorexia' and/or 'bulimia'. Our analysis suggests that the processes of coming to recognise oneself as a lesbian and of 'coming out' to others in predominantly hetero-normative contexts may be profoundly implicated in the discursive production of lesbian women's 'eating disorders' and that further research is required to better understand lesbian perspectives on 'eating disorders'. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC