Validation of a noninvasive aMMP-8 point-of-care diagnostic methodology in COVID-19 patients with periodontal disease

Objectives: The aim of this study was to validate an active matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-8) point-of-care diagnostic tool in COVID-19 patients with periodontal disease. Subjects, Materials, and Methods: Seventy-two COVID-19-positive and 30 COVID-19-negative subjects were enrolled in the study. Demographic data were recorded, periodontal examination carried out, and chairside tests run for evaluating the expression of active MMP-8 (aMMP-8) in the site with maximum periodontal breakdown via gingival crevicular fluid sampling as well as via a mouth rinse-based kit for general disease activity. In COVID-19-positive patients, the kits were run again once the patients turned COVID-19 negative. Results: The overall (n = 102) sensitivity/specificity of the mouthrinse-based kits to detect periodontal disease was 79.41%136.76% and that of site-specific kits was 64.71%/55.88% while adjusting for age, gender, and smoking status increased the sensitivity and specificity (82.35%/76.47% and 73.53%/88.24, respectively). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis for the adjusted model revealed very good area under the ROC curve 0.746-0.869 (p < .001) and 0.740-0.872 (p < .001) (the aMMP-8 mouth rinse and site-specific kits, respectively). No statistically significant difference was observed in the distribution of results of aMMP-8 mouth rinse test (p = .302) and aMMP-8 site-specific test (p = .189) once the subjects recovered from COVID-19. Conclusions: The findings of the present study support the aMMP-8 point-of-care testing (PoCT) kits as screening tools for periodontitis in COVID-19 patients. The overall screening accuracy can be further increased by utilizing adjunctively risk factors of periodontitis. The reported noninvasive, user-friendly, and objective PoCT diagnostic methodology may provide a way of stratifying risk groups, deciding upon referrals, and in the institution of diligent oral hygiene regimens.Peer reviewe

Bioavailability of vitamins A and E from whole and vitamin-fortified milks in control subjects

Background: Dairy products fortified with vitamins and minerals represent a growing market that is of interest to those sectors of the population with unbalanced diets and increased needs. However, there is little information on the bioavailability of micronutrients in milk products at dietary intake levels. Aim of the study: To evaluate the bioavailability of vitamins A and E in whole milk and fortified whole and skimmed milk in control subjects.Methods: A single-dose bioavailability study was performed using three commercially available milks (unfortified whole milk and whole and skimmed milk fortified with vitamins A and E). Nineteen volunteers (10 women and 9 men) ingested 430 ml of each milk on different days. The contents of retinol and α-tocopherol provided in the milks and the retinyl esters and α-tocopherol in triglyceride-rich lipoprotein fractions (TRL) from plasma collected for 6.5 h postprandially were assayed using a quality-controlled HPLC method. The relative absorption of vitamins A and E from milks was calculated on the basis of area under the curve (AUC) versus time curve estimations, adjusted for plasma volume and expressed as percentage of the amount of nutrient provided. Results: The total amounts of retinol and α-tocopherol provided ranged between 0.48 and 4.15 μmol and 0.41 and 32.49 μmol, respectively. The AUC value of retinyl palmitate in TRL was higher for fortified whole milk than for the other two milks (unfortified whole and fortified skimmed milk). The percent relative absorption of vitamin A did not differ among the three types of milk. The AUC for α-tocopherol was no different after the ingestion of any of these milks. Conclusion: The mean percentage of retinol absorption was apparently similar for the three types of milk, regardless of the amount of fat ingested with each type of milk and the vitamin A provided. © 2006 Steinkopff Verlag.Peer Reviewe