A comparison of bacterial growth inhibiting effects of six commercially available mouthrinses

In this study the bacterial growth inhibiting effects of six commercially available mouthrinses (Hibident® Prodent® Merocet® Listerine® Veadent® and Meridol® were determined. Hibident® was used as a positive control. Five strains were tested (Streptococcus mutans C67, Streptococcus sanguis CH3, Veillonella alcalescens V1, Lactobacillus acidophilus JP and Actinomyces viscosus C74), as representatives of the supragingival human microflora. The Maximal Inhibiting Dilution (MID) was measured in batch cultures for each product and strain. With respect to the positive control, Hibident® (containing 0.2 per cent chlorhexidine), the most effective product was Meridol® (containing 125 ppm aminefluoride 297 and 125 ppm stannous fluoride) followed by Merocet® (containing 0.05 per cent cetylpyridinium chloride), Veadent® (containing 0.03 per cent sanguinarine), Listerine® (containing phenolic compounds) and Prodent® (containing 0.5 per cent sodium fluoride). Although all products have been separately reported to yield a plaque reduction in vivo, this study provides a firm basis for a comparison between products, as they were all evaluated in a similar way.</p

Adalimumab for long-term treatment of psoriatic arthritis: 2-year data from the Adalimumab Effectiveness in Psoriatic Arthritis Trial (ADEPT)

Objective: To evaluate the long-term effectiveness and tolerability of adalimumab in the treatment of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). Methods: Patients with PsA who completed a 24-week, double-blind study of adalimumab versus placebo were eligible to enroll in an open-label extension study and receive adalimumab 40 mg subcutaneously every other week for up to an additional 120 weeks. At the time of this analysis, available efficacy evaluations throughout 2 years of treatment (n = 245) included American College of Rheumatology (ACR) 20%, 50% and 70% improvement scores, measures of joint disease and skin disease, disability and quality of life; modified total Sharp scores (mTSS) were available for 2.75 years of treatment for patients who received adalimumab in the 24-week study. Results: After 24 weeks of double- blind treatment, the mean change in mTSS was -20.2 for the adalimumab group (N = 144) and 1.0 for the placebo group (N = 152; p20% of patients achieving the strict criterion of psoriasis area and severity index 100. The nature and frequency of adverse events during long-term adalimumab treatment were consistent with the safety profile during short-term treatment. Conclusions: The clinical and radiographic efficacy of adalimumab demonstrated during short-term treatment was sustained during long-term treatment. Adalimumab has a favourable risk-benefit profile in patients with PsA

Clinical effects of commercially available mouthrinses on the development of plaque, gingivitis and enamel surface free energy

In this study the clinical effects of 6 commercially available mouthrinses on the development of plaque and gingivitis and on the tooth surface free energy were evaluated in vivo. The following rinses were used: Hibident®(containing 0·2% chlorhexidine), Prodent®(containing 0·05% sodium fluoride) Meridol®(containing 125 ppm aminefluoride, 125 ppm stannous fluoride), Merocet®(containing 0·05% cetylpyridinium chloride), Veadent®(containing 0·03% sanguinarine) and Listerine®(containing several phenolic compounds). Sixty test persons were selected and requested to employ the same, non-fluoridated toothpaste over 14 days. At days 0 and 14, the plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), planimetric plaque index (PP) and the tooth surface free energy were assessed. After this preparatory phase, all oral hygiene was stopped for 6 days and only a rinse twice a day (30 s, 10 ml was used). After this period, the above parameters were measured again. In addition, the microbial composition of the plaque was determined at the beginning (day 0) and the end of the study (day 20). Hibident®(incorporated in this study as a positive control) demonstrated the lowest PI after 6 days use, whereas Meridol®demonstrated the lowest GI. PI and GI scores were highest after the use of Prodent®(incorporated as a negative control). None of the products were able to alter the tooth surface free energy markedly or to cause great shifts in microbial composition of the plaque. Since in this study, 6 products were evaluated in an identical way, the results provide a rigorous basis for comparing their clinical efficacies.</p

Cetylpyridinium chloride adsorption on the wettability and elemental surface composition of human enamel.

To determine the influence of cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) adsorption on the wettability and elemental surface composition of human enamel, with and without adsorbed salivary constituents, surface-free energies and elemental compositions were determined. The surface-free energies were estimated from contact angle measurements; whereas the elemental compositions were determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Surface-free energies of ground and polished enamel (88 +/- 8 mJ.m-2 and saliva-coated enamel (103 +/- 4) became similar (109-112) upon adsorption of CPC. Also, the N/C concentration ratios of the ground and polished enamel surface (0.06) and saliva-coated enamel (0.21) become equal upon CPC adsorption. The N/C concentration ratio after CPC adsorption (N/C = 0.04) corresponds with the value expected on basis of the molecular structure of CPC. The strongest evidence for adsorption of CPC to both ground and polished enamel and saliva-coated enamel is presented by the double nitrogen N1s peak. This double nitrogen1s peak is not observed for ground and polished enamel nor for enamel with a salivary coating on top of adsorbed CPC, which indicates that adsorbed CPC can be completely screened by salivary proteins. This study demonstrates that CPC has a definite capacity to adsorb both on ground and polished enamel as well as on pellicle-coated enamel.</p