A cross-sectional survey on the status of oral health administration for students in Japanese universities

Purpose: A rapid deterioration of oral health after high school age is an issue to be addressed in Japan. Although this problem may relate to the weakness of oral health promotion for university students, the investigation of oral health-promoting activities, including annual dental checkups (DCs), undertaken by universities has never been conducted. Therefore, a questionnaire survey among health administration departments (HADs) was conducted to clarify the status of oral health-promoting activities for students. Methods: Self-administered questionnaire was voluntarily answered by HAD’s staff in 2015-2016. The major questions were on information concerning the university, HAD’s staff, implementation of DCs, and oral health-promoting activities for students. Results: Of 295 universities, 130 valid responses (response rate 44.1%) were analyzed. DCs were implemented in 10.9% of the universities. The main reasons for not implementing DCs were the large budgetary burden and low needs of students. The dental clinic introductory service was undertaken by 62.3%, whereas provision of oral health information was undertaken by only 23.8%. Conclusion: A low ratio of universities implemented DCs and provided oral health information. Further expansion of DC implementation is considered difficult because of the budgetary burden. Promoting the provision of oral health information from universities is required to improve students’ oral health

The co-existence of NS5A and NS5B resistance-associated substitutions is associated with virologic failure in Hepatitis C Virus genotype 1 patients treated with sofosbuvir and ledipasvir

<div><p>Objective</p><p>The present study aimed to reveal the factors associated with virologic failure in sofosbuvir and ledipasvir (SOF/LDV)-treated patients, and identify baseline NS5A or NS5B resistance-associated substitutions (RASs).</p><p>Methods</p><p>Four hundred ninety-three patients with Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) genotype 1b infection were treated with SOF/LDV; 31 had a history of interferon (IFN)-free treatment with daclatasvir and asunaprevir. The effect of baseline RASs on the response to SOF/LDV therapy was analyzed.</p><p>Results</p><p>Overall, a sustained virologic response at 12 weeks (SVR12) was achieved in 476 patients (96.6%). The SVR12 rates in the patients with IFN-free treatment-naïve and retreatment were 97.6% and 80.6%, respectively. HCV elimination was not achieved in 17 patients, 11 (including 5 with IFN-free retreatment) of whom had virologic failure. Eight patients had coexisting NS5A RASs of Q24, L28 and/or R30, L31, or Y93 and one patient had coexisting NS5A RASs of P32L and A92K. Interestingly, 10 and 8 patients had NS5B A218S and C316N RAS respectively. According to a multivariate analysis, coexisting NS5A RASs, NS5A P32 RAS, NS5B A218 and/or C316 RASs, and γ-glutamyltranspeptidase were associated with virologic failure. In the naïve patients, all patients without NS5B A218 and/or C316 RAS achieved an SVR12. Notably, the SVR12 rates of patients with coexisting NS5A and NS5B RASs were significantly lower (83.3%).</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>Although SOF/LDV therapy resulted in a high SVR12 rate, coexisting NS5A and NS5B RASs were associated with virologic failure. These results might indicate that the coexisting baseline RASs influence the therapeutic effects of SOF/LDV.</p></div

The virologic response rates (intention-to-treat analysis).

<p>The sustained virologic response (SVR) 12 rates of the IFN-free treatment-naïve patients and IFN-free retreatment patients were 97.6% and 80.6% respectively.</p