A Fast Method for DEFB1-44C/G SNP Genotyping in Brazilian Patients with Periodontitis

Svrha: Defensini su kationski antimikrobni peptidi koji se pojavljuju u epitelnim stanicama. Imaju antimikrobna, antifungalna i antivirusna svojstva te su prirođena komponenta imunosnog odgovora. Jedna od hipoteza jest da peptidi štite usnu šupljinu. U ovom istraživanju procijenili smo polimorfizam gena DEFB1 kod dijabetičara s parodontitisom ili bez njega i rezultate usporedili sa zdravom kontrolnom skupinom. Materijali i metode: Koristili smo se testom Hairpin-Shaped Primer (HP) kako bismo istražili rasprostranjenost - 44 C/G SNP-a (rsl1800972) u 119 uzoraka ljudske DNK dobivene od dijabetičara i zdravih pacijenata. Rezultati: Rezultati su pokazali da između grupa nema razlika u rasprostranjenosti, te da je kod dijabetičara s parodontitisom češći homozigotni mutant. Zaključak: Potrebna su daljnja istraživanja kako bi se otkrila uloga polimorfizma DEFB1 kod dijabetičara s parodontitisom te utjecaj peptida na parodontne patogene.Aim: Defensins are cationic antimicrobial peptides expressed in epithelial cells. Such peptides exhibit antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties, and are a component of the innate immune response. It has been suggested that they have a protective role in the oral cavity. This study evaluated the DEFB1 polymorphism in diabetic patients with or without periodontitis in comparison to healthy controls. Material and Methods: We used Hairpin-Shaped Primer (HP) assay to study the distribution of the -44 C/G SNP (rs1800972) in 119 human DNAs obtained from diabetic patients and healthy control patients. Results: The results indicate that there are no differences in distribution between groups and that in diabetic periodontitis patients the homozygous mutant could be found more frequently. Conclusion: Further studies are necessary in order to investigate the role of DEFB1 polymorphisms in diabetic periodontitis patients and the influence of the peptide in periodontal pathogens

Are there differences between partial and total periodontal examination of the mouth?

Background: Diagnosis of periodontal disease for epidemiologic survey is difficult due to complexity of periodontal exam. The aim of this study was  to compare data from a full-mouth examination and a partial-mouth examination, observing the agreement between both methods of presenting the Community Periodontal Index (CPI). Methods and Findings: The population comprised of male and female subjects, aged 18 years and over, attending public health centers in the city of Recife, Brazil. A total of 505 patients participated in this study. Each participant completed a form and underwent periodontal examination. Firstly, for each tooth present one of the periodontal conditions was determined: periodontal health, gingival bleeding, dental calculus, shallow periodontal pockets and deep periodontal pockets, according to CPI. Finally, partial data (10 index teeth) was recorded derived from the total version of CPI. Bivariate analysis of frequencies and means was performed. Mc Nemar test was used to calculate the level of statistical significance of the association tested. There are significant statistical differences between partial and full-mouth examination (p<0.001). According to gender, men classified as score 1 presented the same prevalence in both methods; partial recording overestimated 0.2% of women classified as score 1; percentile difference among men was higher for subjects classified as score 0. Among subjects with at least one tooth with deep periodontal pocket, percentile difference between different approaches was higher among elders (60 years and over). Conclusions: Considering the variable age, the smaller amount of lost information refers to periodontal pockets in individuals aged 18 to 30 years of age. In older individuals classified as periodontally healthy and with gingival bleeding no loss of information was observed. Partial examination of the mouth underestimated the presence of periodontal pockets and overestimated the presence of calculus and bleeding. A high concordance between the partial and total examination was observed

Factors Influencing the Presence of Papilla between Adjacent Implants and between a Tooth and an Implant

Cilj: Željelo se klinički i radiološki procijeniti čimbenike koji utječu na prisutnost ili odsutnost interdentalne papile između implantata i zuba ili drugog implantata. Materijal i metode: Uzorak je obuhvatio 44 pacijenta obaju spolova u dobi između 21 i 68 godina rehabilitirana sa 114 oseintegrirajućih implantata. U retrospektivnom kliničkom istraživanju podijeljeni su prema prisutnosti ili odsutnosti interproksimalnih papila kako slijedi: 1. skupina – nema papile, 2. skupina – djelomična papila, 3. skupina – potpuno oblikovana papila. Procijenjeni su uspješnost implantata, parodontni biotip te vertikalna i horizontalna udaljenost interproksimalnih područja. Rezultati: Od 114 implantata 46,5 % smatrano je neuspješnim, a krvarenje se pojavilo u 29,8 % slučajeva. Parodontni biotip bio je u 85,1 % regija tanak i valovit. Procjena skupina prema konfiguraciji interproksimalnog prostora pokazala je statistički značajnu razliku (p = 0,007), pri čemu je 61,9 % širokih i dugih interproksimalnih prostora klasificirano kao skupina 1, a 31 % uskih i kratkih interproksimalnih prostora uvršteno je u skupinu 3. Zaključak: Zaključeno je da je morfologija interdentalnog prostora čimbenik koji je najsnažnije povezan s prisutnošću ili odsutnošću interdentalne papile.Aim: The aim this study was to evaluate the factors that influence the presence or absence of the interproximal papilla between implants adjacent to the teeth or other implants, through clinical and radiographic evaluation. Material and Methods: The non-probabilistic sample comprised 44 patients of both genders aged between 21 and 68 years, rehabilitated with 114 osseointegrated implants. Through a retrospective clinical study, the patients were divided according to the presence or absence of the interproximal papilla: Group 1 - Absence of Papilla, Group 2 - Partial Presence of Papilla and Group 3 - Total Presence of Papilla. The success of the implants, the periodontal biotype, and the vertical and horizontal distances of the interproximal regions included in the study were evaluated. Results: Of the 114 implants, 46.5% were considered unsuccessful, and bleeding was resent in 29.8%. The periodontal biotype presented as thin and scalloped was found in 85.1% of the regions. The evaluation of the groups according to the confirmation of the interproximal space showed a statistically significant difference (p = 0.007), with 61.9% of the wide and long interproximal spaces classified as Group 1, while 31% of the narrow and short interproximal spaces were classified as Group 3. Conclusion: It was concluded that the morphology of the interproximal space was the factor that was most strongly associated with the presence or absence of the interproximal papilla

ATLANTIC EPIPHYTES: a data set of vascular and non-vascular epiphyte plants and lichens from the Atlantic Forest

Epiphytes are hyper-diverse and one of the frequently undervalued life forms in plant surveys and biodiversity inventories. Epiphytes of the Atlantic Forest, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world, have high endemism and radiated recently in the Pliocene. We aimed to (1) compile an extensive Atlantic Forest data set on vascular, non-vascular plants (including hemiepiphytes), and lichen epiphyte species occurrence and abundance; (2) describe the epiphyte distribution in the Atlantic Forest, in order to indicate future sampling efforts. Our work presents the first epiphyte data set with information on abundance and occurrence of epiphyte phorophyte species. All data compiled here come from three main sources provided by the authors: published sources (comprising peer-reviewed articles, books, and theses), unpublished data, and herbarium data. We compiled a data set composed of 2,095 species, from 89,270 holo/hemiepiphyte records, in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay, recorded from 1824 to early 2018. Most of the records were from qualitative data (occurrence only, 88%), well distributed throughout the Atlantic Forest. For quantitative records, the most common sampling method was individual trees (71%), followed by plot sampling (19%), and transect sampling (10%). Angiosperms (81%) were the most frequently registered group, and Bromeliaceae and Orchidaceae were the families with the greatest number of records (27,272 and 21,945, respectively). Ferns and Lycophytes presented fewer records than Angiosperms, and Polypodiaceae were the most recorded family, and more concentrated in the Southern and Southeastern regions. Data on non-vascular plants and lichens were scarce, with a few disjunct records concentrated in the Northeastern region of the Atlantic Forest. For all non-vascular plant records, Lejeuneaceae, a family of liverworts, was the most recorded family. We hope that our effort to organize scattered epiphyte data help advance the knowledge of epiphyte ecology, as well as our understanding of macroecological and biogeographical patterns in the Atlantic Forest. No copyright restrictions are associated with the data set. Please cite this Ecology Data Paper if the data are used in publication and teaching events. © 2019 The Authors. Ecology © 2019 The Ecological Society of Americ

Error in measuring implant thread depth using high frequency ultrasonic imaging.

Absolute error (μm) is given as a function of image angle between the implant and the ultrasonic imaging array. Optical measurements (see S2 Fig) serve as a reference standard. Four implant types, i.e., 4.5–13, 4–13, 3.5–13 and 5–13 (left to right) were assessed using 3 imaging modes, i.e., F24, FSH24, and FCSH24 (top to bottom). For each combination of implant and imaging mode the image angle was arranged from -30° to +30° and three estimates of the implant thread depth were obtained. The absolute difference between the ultrasonic and the optical measurement is plotted as the function of image angle. Finally, the resulting data is fitted using a 1st order polynomial. Slope and bias are provided for each imaging mode. Slope describes dependence of the error with respect to the image angle. Bias describes any constant over- or underestimation of the measurement. For both, the 95% confidence interval is provided in parentheses. A green ‘X’ indicates a slope estimate for which the 95% confidence interval includes zero, i.e., the slope is not significantly different from zero. (DOCX)</p

Listing of optical abutment angle reference measurements (N = 3 per abutment).

A total of 16 abutments were tested. Note: Abutments are labeled using the smaller angle, i.e., either the opening angle or its complement. Here, for abutments 3.5–3, 3.5–5, and 4–3, the complement angles are listed. (DOCX)</p

Ultrasonic images of an abutment to illustrate the difference between the investigated imaging modes, namely F24 (single frequency imaging), FSH24 (spatial harmonics), and FCSH24 (compound spatial harmonics).

A yellow dashed outline of the abutment is shown within each ultrasound image. An optical scan of the same sample is shown in the right-side panel. Observable image differences include clutter reduction, which is mostly seen in F24 (clutter 1 and 2), much less in FSH24 and FCSH24. FCSH24 and FSH24 differ in the delineation of the abutment surface. This can be seen in the enlarged inset (red dashed frame), where FCSH24 shows a more continuous rendering of the abutment surface. These differences might influence imaging interpretation.</p

Left graph: Root mean squared error (RMSE) in measuring abutment angles of the 16 specimens.

The RMSE is the range of 1.5 to 4.6 degrees. Right graph: Mean RMSE in degrees and confidence interval error bars across 16 abutment types for each imaging mode (F24, FSH24, and FCSH24). The RMSE is in the range of 2.5 to 2.8 degrees for all 3 modes without statistical significance.</p