In situ analysis of usefulness of strontium-fluoride toothpaste for enamel remineralization

Aim. The aim of the study was to investigate the usefulness of an experimental fluoride toothpaste supplemented with Sr2+ for enamel remineralization. Material and methods. Two experimental groups comprised volunteers aged 20–30 years who had all the oral cavity sanation procedures carried out and all the primary and secondary caries lesions filled before undergoing investigations. The material included twenty healthy premolar teeth extracted for orthodontic reasons due to their abnormal position in the arch or to teeth crowding in 12–14 year old children. The teeth were sectioned into blocks and artificially demineralized. The samples were placed in the oral cavity on the buccal surfaces of the first molar teeth of volunteers who used toothpaste supplemented with Ca2+, P043-, F- (group I), toothpaste supplemented with Ca2+, P043-, F-, Sr2+ (group II) and control toothpaste supplemented with Ca2+, P043- (Hydroxyapatite-HAP). The content of calcium and phosphorus was analyzed on the lateral walls of the enamel lesions, at preselected depths of 15 Î1m and 100 Î1m, by using EDS microanalysis. Results. After three months, the content of calcium in both studied groups was significantly lower at 15 Î1m and 100 Î1m of enamel depth than at the baseline (immediately after enamel demineralization). After six months, the content of calcium was lower only at 15 Î1m in both groups. At 100 Î1m of depth the calcium content was significantly higher in group II and the reference group (HAP). After three months the phosphorus content was significantly lower in group II at 15 Î1m. After six months the content of phosphorous was significantly higher in group II at 15 Î1m and 100 Î1m of enamel depth. Conclusion. The results suggest that supplementation of fluoride toothpaste with strontium improved the effect of enamel remineralization

Non-carious tooth loss in terms of erosion – a literature review

The loss of tooth structure caused by the process of chemical dissolution and mechanical abrasion is becoming a great problem in modern dentistry. Patient awareness as well as diagnostic alertness of a dentist are crucial for proper prevention and treatment. Late diagnosis and treatment of extensive loss of tooth structure caused by erosion, abrasion or abfraction poses many difficulties for clinicians. Chronically progressive loss of tooth structure can cause loss of vertical dimension of the bite, secondary orthodontic complications and also aesthetic and functional problems. The treatment is often associated with long-term diagnosis and interdisciplinary, expensive rehabilitation of the entire stomatognathic system. The aim of this study was to review current publications on the prevalence of tooth wear in developmental age, with focus on etiology, risk factors, prevention and treatment methods

Obesity and its exponents in the oral cavity – a literature review

Obesity has reached pandemic proportions, according to the World Health Organization over the last years. Not only adults suffer from the disease but more often children and young people. One of the main causes of overweight and obesity is excessive food intake, particularly highly processed carbohydrates. This type of food, taken in large quantities, without observing the gaps between meals leads to negative changes also in the mouth. Among researchers, there is a discussion of the relationship of obesity with dental caries, periodontal disease and xerostomia. More and more scientific reports draw attention to the changes in the microflora of the oral cavity in the course of obesity. The paper presents the latest views on the diagnosis of obesity, the impact of the disease on the state of the hard and soft tissues of the oral cavity and its exponents found in saliva, as an excellent diagnostic material

CD3+/CD16+CD56+ cell numbers in peripheral blood are correlated with higher tumor burden in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is the commonest histological type of malignant lymphoma, andremains incurable in many cases. Developing more efficient immunotherapy strategies will require betterunderstanding of the disorders of immune responses in cancer patients. NKT (natural killer-like T) cells wereoriginally described as a unique population of T cells with the co-expression of NK cell markers. Apart fromtheir role in protecting against microbial pathogens and controlling autoimmune diseases, NKT cells havebeen recently revealed as one of the key players in the immune responses against tumors. The objective of thisstudy was to evaluate the frequency of CD3+/CD16+CD56+ cells in the peripheral blood of 28 diffuse largeB-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients in correlation with clinical and laboratory parameters. Median percentagesof CD3+/CD16+CD56+ were significantly lower in patients with DLBCL compared to healthy donors(7.37% vs. 9.01%, p = 0.01; 4.60% vs. 5.81%, p = 0.03), although there were no differences in absolute counts.The frequency and the absolute numbers of CD3+/CD16+CD56+ cells were lower in advanced clinical stagesthan in earlier ones. The median percentage of CD3+/CD16+CD56+ cells in patients in Ann Arbor stages 1–2 was5.55% vs. 3.15% in stages 3–4 (p = 0.02), with median absolute counts respectively 0.26 G/L vs. 0.41 G/L (p == 0.02). The percentage and absolute numbers of CD3+/CD16+CD56+ cells were significantly higher in DL-BCL patients without B-symptoms compared to the patients with B-symptoms, (5.51% vs. 2.46%, p = 0.04;0.21 G/L vs. 0.44 G/L, p = 0.04). The percentage of CD3+/CD16+CD56+ cells correlated adversely with serumlactate dehydrogenase (R= –445; p < 0.05) which might influence NKT count. These figures suggest a relationshipbetween higher tumor burden and more aggressive disease and decreased NKT numbers. But it remains tobe explained whether low NKT cell counts in the peripheral blood of patients with DLBCL are the result of theirsuppression by the tumor cells, or their migration to affected lymph nodes or organs

Assessment of the pathway of apoptosis involving PAR-4, DAXX and ZIPK proteins in CLL patients and its relationship with the principal prognostic factors

Par-4 (prostate apoptosis response-4) protein was originally found upregulated in prostate tumor cells undergoing apoptosis. Then it was further identified as a proapoptotic protein upregulated both in normal and leukemic lymphocytes. The aim of our study was to assess PAR-4 protein expression in the B cells of CLL patients and to examine its relationship with the expression of other proteins involved in the apoptosis process, such as DAXX, ZIPK and BCL-2. We found a positive relationship between PAR-4 and BCL-2 protein expression. Additionally, there was a positive correlation between PAR-4 and both DAXX and ZIPK protein expression. The results of our research were also analyzed in association with the principal CLL prognostic factors. There was a positive correlation between the expression of PAR-4 protein and the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) serum concentration (p < 0.005). The expression of PAR-4 protein in B cells correlated positively with the percentage of CD38+ cells (p < 0.05), as well as with CD38+/ZAP-70+ cells (p < 0.05). Moreover, we found a close relationship between LPL protein expression or LPL/ADAM29 MFI ratio and PAR-4 protein expression. Our results confirm the significance of apoptosis deregulation in CLL, and suggest a possible relationship between PAR-4 expression and the clinical course of the disease. This however requires further investigation. (Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica 2011; Vol. 49, No. 1, pp. 98&#8211;103

Regional Odontodysplasia: A Systematic Review of Case Reports

Regional odontodysplasia is a rare developmental disorder characterised by hypoplasia and hypomineralisation of enamel and dentin. Our systematic review aimed to organise the knowledge on localisation, symptomatology and treatment methods in patients with regional odontodysplasia based on case reports published in the databases PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. Case reports were described in 28 different countries, considering 180 patients (including 91 females). Regional odontodysplasia occurs mainly in both deciduous and permanent dentition (66.1%). The affected teeth were observed more frequently in the maxilla (70.0%), especially on the left side (45.6%). The most common reported symptoms were ghost teeth, poorly developed buds, yellowish-brown colour of crowns and delayed eruption of permanent teeth in affected quadrants. The most popular treatment method was surgical treatment (78.6%) with subsequent prosthetic therapy (34.6%). Based on the review of cases, pathognomonic clinical and radiological signs can be found, however, it is difficult to reach a consensus on the choice of treatment method

Oral Health Status in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Diseases: A Systematic Review

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic disorders that affect the gastrointestinal tract, including the oral cavity. This systematic review was designed to answer the question “Is there a relationship between oral health status and inflammatory bowel diseases?”. Following the inclusion and exclusion criteria, fifteen studies were included (according to PRISMA statement guidelines). Due to their heterogeneity, only six articles about the prevalence of periodontal disease in IBD patients were included in the meta-analysis. Both Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) patients had an increased odds of periodontitis coincidence compared to the controls, more than 2- and 3-fold, respectively. Moreover, in most studies, patients with IBD were characterized by higher values of caries indices. In conclusion, despite the conducted systematic review, the risk of oral diseases in IBD patients cannot be clearly established due to the possible association of other factors, e.g., sociodemographic or environmental factors