Proteomics-based identification of salivary changes in patients with burning mouth syndrome

Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is a chronic oral condition characterized by an intraoral burning sensation, taste alterations, and dry mouth sensations. Although a number of factors have been closely related to the appearance of the symptoms, including anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances, the etiology of BMS remains unclear. Furthermore, currently no objective diagnostic tools exist, making its diagnosis challenging. Therefore, to contribute to the knowledge about BMS etiology and look for objective tools for its diagnosis, the present study was conducted. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the proteomic profile of the resting whole saliva of patients with BMS and age and sex-matched controls using two-dimensional electrophoresis. The results showed evidence of changes in saliva at the level of proteins related to important pathways such as stress (sAA), immune system (Ig), and inflammation (leukocyte elastase inhibitor). While some of our findings have been previously described others, such as the deregulation of the coiled-coin domain containing protein 25 in BMS, are presented here for the first time to our knowledge. Thus, saliva provides us with relevant information about BMS pathophysiology and could be considered a suitable biofluid for its study and/or diagnosi

'Surviving the sting': The use of solicited diaries in children and young people with oral mucosal disease

Background: Chronic oral mucosal conditions, including oral ulcers, commonly affect children and young people and are capable of significant pain and morbidity. Little is known about patient perception of paediatric oral medicine services offered in relation to these conditions. The concept of a diary is increasingly recognised as a valuable way to capture patient events and perspective in healthcare research. Aim of the paper: This article provides the background to the use of solicited diaries as a method of accessing the perspective of children and young people and describes a service evaluation that aimed to explore the experiences of young people with chronic oral ulcers attending the paediatric oral medicine clinic in a UK Dental Hospital. Results: Chronic oral ulcers were found to significantly impact on a variety of physical and psychosocial aspects of young people's lives. Overall, feedback regarding the specialist service was positive but suggestions were made for improvements. Conclusion: This article reviews the use of the solicited diary within healthcare research. It also illustrates the value of the diary in exploration of children and young people's perspective on their chronic oral mucosal disease. In addition, a need for further research in this area has been highlighted. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd, BSPD and IAPD

Use of saliva for diagnosis and monitoring the SARS-CoV-2: a general perspective

In this report, updated information and future perspectives about the use of saliva as a sample for laboratory analysis of the Covid-19 are highlighted. Saliva can be used for the direct detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the quantification of the specific immunoglobulins produced against it, and for the evaluation of the non-specific, innate immune response of the patient. Moreover, a deeper knowledge of potential changes in the saliva proteome in this disease may allow the identification of new diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, or even help our understanding of the mechanisms associated with the disease. With the development of appropriate sample collection and processing methods and the use of adequate assays, saliva can provide useful clinical information about the disease and could be potentially included in guidelines for sample collection for the diagnosis, disease management, and control of Covid-19

Natural Coumarins: Exploring the Pharmacological Complexity and Underlying Molecular Mechanisms

Coumarins belong to the benzopyrone family commonly found in many medicinal plants. Natural coumarins demonstrated a wide spectrum of pharmacological activities, including anti-inflammatory, anticoagulant, anticancer, antibacterial, antimalarial, casein kinase-2 (CK2) inhibitory, antifungal, antiviral, Alzheimer's disease inhibition, neuroprotective, anticonvulsant, phytoalexins, ulcerogenic, and antihypertensive. There are very few studies on the bioavailability of coumarins; therefore, further investigations are necessitated to study the bioavailability of different coumarins which already showed good biological activities in previous studies. On the evidence of varied pharmacological properties, the present work presents an overall review of the derivation, availability, and biological capacities of coumarins with further consideration of the essential mode of their therapeutic actions. In conclusion, a wide variety of coumarins are available, and their pharmacological activities are of current interest thanks to their synthetic accessibility and riches in medicinal plants. Coumarins perform the valuable function as therapeutic agents in a range of medical fields

Application of the NEOH Framework for Self-Evaluation of One Health Elements of a Case-Study on Obesity in European Dogs and Dog-Owners

Obesity is a malnutrition disorder of global concern with increasing prevalence driven by underlying societal, economic and environmental mechanisms leading to changed physical activity patterns, eating behaviors and diet compositions in both humans and in their pet-dogs. A questionnaire-based study was carried out as a joint effort across 11 European countries. It was considered a One Health (OH) initiative between scientists from human and animal health sectors aiming to identify factors associated with obesity in dog owners and their dogs. Expected outcomes of this approach included new insights unachievable by single-sector research initiatives, and hence potentially leading to new cross-sectorial solutions. We performed an internal evaluation among the actors of the obesity initiative using the framework for evaluation developed by the “Network for Evaluation of One Health” (NEOH). It served as a case-study for the NEOH consortium to illustrate the application and provide feedback on the utility of the framework. The evaluation was performed by a subgroup of scientists also involved in the obesity study group, and it consisted of: (1) the definition of the initiative and its context, (2) the description of the theory of change, and (3) the qualitative and quantitative process evaluation of operations and supporting infrastructures scored on a scale from 0 to 1. In the One Health operations, the obesity study initiative scored medium high on OH-thinking (0.5) and OH-planning (0.45), and relatively high on OH-working (0.7). The supporting infrastructure score was high for systemic organization (0.8), but low for sharing (0.45) and learning (0.28). The calculated OH-index was 0.29 (on scale 0 to 1) indicating that the full potential of health integration and collaboration was not exploited in the initiative, and the main issue identified was a lack of stakeholder engagement. The OH-ratio of 1.1 indicated equal focus on operations and supporting infrastructures. Hence, the evaluation identified potentially counterproductive as well as beneficial characteristics, which are further discussed in this paper in relation to the expected outcomes. The NEOH framework for evaluation requires that the evaluators have a good understanding of systems thinking and the mechanisms of the health issue targeted by the initiative

Transition from being OK to NOT OK with tooth loss among a selection of older people in Iran: a qualitative study

Background: Several studies have covered oral health and dental decay in old age, but these studies mostly applied standard quantitative tools and did not include consideration of older people’s views on oral problems, partial edentulism in particular. Objective: To explore people’s perceptions in terms of the transition from being OK to NOT OK with tooth loss among a selection of older people in Iran. Materials and methods: A qualitative content analysis study was chosen for the research by interviewing 15 older people using open-ended questions. Criteria for participation in the study were as follows: fitting the Kennedy class I or class I modification I category, having a minimum of four teeth but not more than 20 and being aged 60 years or more. The recorded interviews were then transcribed, and a coding process was applied based on a qualitative, conventional content analysis. Results: The four main themes that emerged were as follows: (i) gradual realisation of the need to deal with the problem; (ii) the search for information on dental health; (iii) the challenge of adaptation; and (iv) tendency towards dental rehabilitation. Conclusion: The turning point in the transition from being OK to NOT OK seemed to be associated with an edentulous crisis that had occurred from another problem such as stomach ache, distention, or nocturnal dyspnoea due to swallowing food that had not been properly chewed and had an affect on an elderly person’s life, physically and mentally. It is important to recognise the concept of healthy eating in relation to edentulism

Effect of thermal and chemical treatments used for SARS-COV-2 inactivation in the measurement of saliva analytes

The present study aims to assess the effects of thermal and chemical inactivating procedures, that can be used for SARS-CoV-2 inactivation, on different salivary analytes. SDS-Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) protein profile and a panel of 25 specific biomarkers of oxidative status, stress, metabolism and tissue damage were evaluated in samples subjected to different treatments: thermal (65 °C or 92 °C) and chemical with detergents [sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), Triton X-100 or NP-40]. Salivary SDS-PAGE profile was most affected by heating at 92 °C, with three and two protein bands decreasing and increasing their expression levels, respectively. This treatment also affected the results of several enzymes, with some of them being also affected by heating at 65 °C and incubation with SDS. The use of Triton X-100 or NP-40 resulted in increased values of cortisol, triglycerides and glucose, not affecting the other tested biomarkers. The present results will help researchers and clinicians to select the best protocols to work in safe conditions with saliva, taking into account the target analyte planned to be measured

Long-term effects of tongue piercing — a case control study

The aim of this study was to evaluate tooth and periodontal damage in subjects wearing a tongue piercing (TP) in comparison to matched control subjects without tongue piercing. Members of the German Federal Armed Forces who had TP (group TP) and a matched control group (group C) volunteered to take part in the study. The time in situ, localization and material of TP were documented. Dental examinations included DMF-T, oral hygiene, enamel fissures (EF), enamel cracks (EC) and recessions. Statistical analysis was determined by χ2 test and the t test. Both groups had 46 male subjects (mean age 22.1 years). The piercings had been in situ for 3.8 ± 3.1 years. Subjects in the TP group had a total of 1,260 teeth. Twenty-nine subjects had 115 teeth (9.1%) with EF (67% lingual). In group C (1,243 teeth), 30 subjects had 60 teeth with EF (4.8%, 78% vestibular) (p < 0.01). Thirty-eight subjects belonging to group TP had EC in 186 teeth (15%). In group C, 26 subjects with 56 teeth (4.5%) were affected by EC (p < 0.001). Twenty-seven subjects in group TP had 97 teeth (7.7%) with recessions. Lingual surfaces of anterior teeth in the lower jaw were affected most frequently (74%). In group C, 8 subjects had 19 teeth (1.5%) with recessions (65% vestibular). Differences between the two groups were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Tongue piercing is correlated with an increased occurrence of enamel fissures, enamel cracks and lingual recessions. Patients need better information on the potential complications associated with tongue piercing

Photodegradation of carbendazim sensitized by aromatic ketones

Carbendazim (1) is a benzimidazole extensively used as post-harvest fungicide on fruits and vegetables. The aim of the present work is to study the photodegradation of I sensitized by aromatic ketones, with special attention to mechanistic aspects and to the possible detoxification associated with photochemical treatment. Laser flash photolysis (LPF) lambda(exc) = 355 nm of xanthone (XA) and anthraquinone (AQ) was performed in MeCN solutions, in the presence of 1. A new transient absorbing at lambda(max) 500 and 320 nm was obtained and assigned to the semioxidized radical cation 1(+center dot). An exergonic thermodynamics for electron transfer quenching was confirmed by means of the Rehm-Weller equation. The same species was observed by direct LFP of 1 at 266 nm in polar solvents. Conversely, when a deoxygenated solution of 1 was submitted to LFP in cyclohexane the transient spectrum presented a band with maximum at 380 nm; it was assigned to the triplet excited state ((3)1*) on the basis of energy transfer to oxygen and beta-carotene. The photodegradation of 1 was achieved using XA and AQ as electron acceptors in a solar-simulator, in aerated aqueous medium; the reaction was faster with XA. Formation of a new photoproduct was initially observed; its structure was assigned as carbendazim N-C5 dimer (2). A balance of the total organic carbon (TOC) after prolonged irradiation indicated that mineralization does not occur to a significant extent, pointing to oxidative fragmentation of 1 and 2 to give a variety of low molecular weight products. To check whether the observed photodegradation of 1 results in a decreased toxicity, biological assays were performed using an established model based on the inhibition of mobility of Daphnia magna. The results demonstrate that photodegradation leads to a diminished toxicity, indicating that the photoproducts are less toxic than the parent compound. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Financial support from the MICINN (Grant: CTQ2010-19909) and the Generalitat Valenciana (Prometeo Program) is gratefully acknowledged.Jornet Olivé, MD.; Castillo López, MÁ.; Sabater Marco, C.; Tormos Faus, RE.; Miranda Alonso, MÁ. (2013). Photodegradation of carbendazim sensitized by aromatic ketones. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology A: Chemistry. 256:36-41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotochem.2013.02.004S364125