Prevention of secondary caries by silver diamine fluoride

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the use of 38% silver diamine fluoride (SDF) as a treatment for preventing secondary caries in glass ionomer cement (GIC) and composite resin (CR) restorations. Methods: Six extracted human sound premolars were collected. Four cavities (4 × 2 × 2 mm3) were prepared on each premolar and then allocated to the following restoration groups: group 1, SDF conditioning and GIC restoration; group 2, GIC restoration; group 3, SDF conditioning and CR restoration; and group 4, CR restoration. After thermal cycling and sterilisation, the teeth were soaked in a 5% sucrose solution containing Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacillus acidophilus for 28 days. Micro-computed tomography was used to study demineralisation. The outer lesion depth (OLD) and wall lesion depth (WLD) of the tooth–restoration interface were measured. The OLD and WLD were directly related to the extent of secondary caries. Two-way analysis of variance was used to analyse the effects of SDF conditioning and restorative materials on OLD. Results: The mean ± standard deviation OLD values were 156 ± 45 μm, 235 ± 33 μm, 153 ± 20 μm and 232 ± 24 μm for groups 1–4, respectively. The OLD was less in restorations with SDF conditioning (P < 0.001) than in those without SDF conditioning. No interaction effect on OLD was found between the restorative materials and SDF conditioning (P = 0.062). The WLD was detected only in groups 3 and 4. Clinical significance: Conditioning with 38% SDF can increase resistance of GIC and CR restorations to secondary caries.postprin

Inhibitory effect of silver diamine fluoride on dentine demineralisation and collagen degradation

Objective To investigate the inhibitory effects of 38% silver diamine fluoride (SDF) on demineralised dentine. Methods Human dentine blocks were demineralised and allocated to four groups: SF, F, S and W. The blocks in group SF received a topical application of 38% SDF solution (253,900 ppm Ag, 44,800 ppm F), group F received a 10% sodium fluoride solution (44,800 ppm F), group S received a 42% silver nitrate solution (253,900 ppm Ag) and group W received deionised water (control). They were subjected to pH cycling using demineralisation solution (pH 5) and remineralisation solution (pH 7) for 8 days. The surface morphology, crystal characteristics, lesion depth and collagen matrix degradation of the specimens were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), micro-CT testing and spectrophotometry with a hydroxyproline assay. Results The surface morphology under SEM showed evident demineralisation with exposed collagen in groups S and W, but not in group SF. Clusters of granular spherical grains were observed in the cross-sections of specimens in groups SF and F. XRD revealed precipitates of silver chloride in groups SF and S. The mean lesion depths (±SD) of groups SF, F, S and W were 182 ± 32 μm, 204 ± 26 μm, 259 ± 42 μm and 265 ± 40 μm, respectively (SDF, F < S, W; p < 0.01). Groups SF and S had significantly less hydroxyproline liberated from the dentine matrix than groups F and W (p < 0.01). Conclusion The use of 38% SDF inhibited demineralisation and preserved collagen from degradation in demineralised dentine. Clinical significance SDF application positively influences dentine remineralization

Prevention of secondary caries using silver diamine fluoride treatment and casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate modified glass-ionomer cement

Objective: To study the effect of silver diamine fluoride (SDF) treatment and incorporating casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) into a glass-ionomer cement (GIC) to prevent secondary caries. Method: A cervical cavity was prepared on 32 premolars for the following restoration groups: group 1, conventional GIC restoration; group 2, SDF (38%) treatment and conventional GIC restoration; group 3, CPP-ACP (3%) modified GIC; and group 4, SDF treatment and CPP-ACP modified GIC. The restored teeth were thermal-cycled before undergoing a multi-species cariogenic biofilm challenge. The restored teeth were examined by micro-computed tomography (micro-CT), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA. Results: Micro-CT determined outer lesion depths for groups 1–4 were: 123 ± 6 μm, 87 ± 7 μm, 79 ± 3 μm and 68 ± 5 μm respectively. An interaction effect on the outer lesion depth was found between the restorative materials and SDF treatment (p < 0.001). Both SDF treatment and modification with CPP-ACP had a significant effect on outer lesion depth (p < 0.001). SEM/EDX showed an increase of calcium and phosphorus at the root dentine adjacent to the restoration in groups 3 and 4 (CPP-ACP modified GIC). FTIR revealed that SDF treatment and CPP-ACP modified GIC had a significant effect on amide I-to-hydrogen phosphate ratio on the material-root interface (p = 0.001). Conclusion: SDF treatment and incorporation of CPP-ACP into GIC restorative material can prevent secondary root caries development. Clinical significance: The results provide useful information to dentists in formulating clinical management protocols and material when treating root caries.postprin

Exploring multilocus associations of inflammation genes and colorectal cancer risk using hapConstructor

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In candidate-gene association studies of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), multilocus analyses are frequently of high dimensionality when considering haplotypes or haplotype pairs (diplotypes) and differing modes of expression. Often, while candidate genes are selected based on their biological involvement in a given pathway, little is known about the functionality of SNPs to guide association studies. Investigators face the challenge of exploring multiple SNP models to elucidate which variants, independently or in combination, might be associated with a disease of interest. A data mining module, hapConstructor (freely-available in Genie software) performs systematic construction and association testing of multilocus genotype data in a Monte Carlo framework. Our objective was to assess its utility to guide statistical analyses of haplotypes within a candidate region (or combined genotypes across candidate genes) beyond that offered by a standard logistic regression approach.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We applied the hapConstructor method to a multilocus investigation of candidate genes involved in pro-inflammatory cytokine IL6 production, <it>IKBKB</it>, <it>IL6</it>, and <it>NFKB1 </it>(16 SNPs total) hypothesized to operate together to alter colorectal cancer risk. Data come from two U.S. multicenter studies, one of colon cancer (1,556 cases and 1,956 matched controls) and one of rectal cancer (754 cases and 959 matched controls).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>HapConstrcutor enabled us to identify important associations that were further analyzed in logistic regression models to simultaneously adjust for confounders. The most significant finding (nominal <it>P </it>= 0.0004; false discovery rate <it>q </it>= 0.037) was a combined genotype association across <it>IKBKB </it>SNP rs5029748 (1 or 2 variant alleles), <it>IL6 </it>rs1800797 (1 or 2 variant alleles), and <it>NFKB1 </it>rs4648110 (2 variant alleles) which conferred an ~80% decreased risk of colon cancer.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Strengths of hapConstructor were: systematic identification of multiple loci within and across genes important in CRC risk; false discovery rate assessment; and efficient guidance of subsequent logistic regression analyses.</p

Adjusting ferritin concentrations for inflammation: Biomarkers Reflecting Inflammation and Nutritional Determinants of Anemia (BRINDA) project

Background: The accurate estimation of iron deficiency is important in planning and implementing interventions. Ferritin is recommended as the primary measure of iron status, but interpretability is challenging in settings with infection and inflammation

Circulating microRNAs Reveal Time Course of Organ Injury in a Porcine Model of Acetaminophen-Induced Acute Liver Failure

Acute liver failure is a rare but catastrophic condition which can progress rapidly to multi-organ failure. Studies investigating the onset of individual organ injury such as the liver, kidneys and brain during the evolution of acute liver failure, are lacking. MicroRNAs are short, non-coding strands of RNA that are released into the circulation following tissue injury. In this study, we have characterised the release of both global microRNA and specific microRNA species into the plasma using a porcine model of acetaminophen-induced acute liver failure. Pigs were induced to acute liver failure with oral acetaminophen over 19h±2h and death occurred 13h±3h thereafter. Global microRNA concentrations increased 4h prior to acute liver failure in plasma (P<0.0001) but not in isolated exosomes, and were associated with increasing plasma levels of the damage-associated molecular pattern molecule, genomic DNA (P<0.0001). MiR122 increased around the time of onset of acute liver failure (P<0.0001) and was associated with increasing international normalised ratio (P<0.0001). MiR192 increased 8h after acute liver failure (P<0.0001) and was associated with increasing creatinine (P<0.0001). The increase in miR124-1 occurred concurrent with the pre-terminal increase in intracranial pressure (P<0.0001) and was associated with decreasing cerebral perfusion pressure (P<0.002)

Mutagenicity of comfrey (Symphytum Officinale) in rat liver

Comfrey is a rat liver toxin and carcinogen that has been used as a vegetable and herbal remedy by humans. In order to evaluate the mechanisms underlying its carcinogenicity, we examined the mutagenicity of comfrey in the transgenic Big Blue rat model. Our results indicate that comfrey is mutagenic in rat liver and the types of mutations induced by comfrey suggest that its tumorigenicity results from the genotoxicity of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in the plant

Measurements of the Absolute Branching Ratios for the Dominant KL Decays, the KL Lifetime, and Vus with the KLOE Detector

From a sample of about 10^9 Phi mesons produced at DAFNE, we have selected KL mesons tagged by observing KS->pi+pi- decays. We present results on the major KL branching ratios, including those of the semileptonic decays needed for the determination of Vus. These branching ratio measurements are fully inclusive with respect to final-state radiation. The KL lifetime has also been measured.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Lett.