Ana Vitória Imbronito

Efficacy of a herbal toothpaste on patients with established gingivitis: a randomized controlled trial

The aim of this randomised, double blind controlled trial was to verify the efficacy of a herbal dentifrice on the reduction of plaque and gingivitis. Forty eight volunteers with established gingivitis were randomly assigned to either a test group (herbal dentifrice) or positive control group (dentifrice with triclosan and fluoride). The dentifrices were distributed in plain white tubes by an independent pharmacy, which revealed the contents of each tube only after the experimental period. Plaque and gingivitis assessments were carried out on baseline and after 28 days of product use. All examinations were conducted by the same calibrated investigator. Subjects were instructed to brush their teeth three times daily using their assigned dentifrice for 28 days. There was a significant reduction in plaque levels in both the test and control groups. However, there was no significant difference between the groups. A significant reduction in gingivitis was observed in both groups, although there was no significant difference between them. No adverse reactions were reported. The authors concluded that both dentifrices were effective in reducing plaque and gingivitis in subjects with established gingivitis.

Herpes viruses in periodontal compromised sites: comparison between HIV‐positive and ‐negative patients

AIM The objective of this study was to compare the frequency of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) in subgingival plaque, saliva and peripheral blood of HIV-positive and-negative patients with periodontal disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS Fifty HIV-positive subjects (23 with gingivitis, 27 with periodontitis) and 50 healthy HIV-negative patients with chronic periodontitis were included in the study. Parameters of probing depth (PD), clinical attachment level (CAL), gingival index and plaque index were recorded. The samples were processed for viral identification by the nested polymerase chain reaction technique. RESULTS HCMV was the most prevalent virus in HIV-positive (82%) and-negative patients (84%), and the detection in the three samples was similar (p>0.05). HSV-1 was the least prevalent virus in both groups, being detected in similar frequencies in oral sites and in peripheral blood. EBV-1 was found more frequently in saliva and subgingival plaque of HIV-positive patients than in HIV-negative patients (p< or =0.05). CONCLUSIONS EBV-1 was more frequently recovered in oral sites of HIV-positive patients than in HIV-negative patients.

Healing of alveolar bone in resorbable and non-resorbable membrane-protected defects. A histologic pilot study in dogs.

Two main types of membrane barriers are used for bone regeneration, non-resorbable and resorbable. Polytetrafluorethilene non-resorbable membranes have been extensively studied but they require a second surgical step for removal. Although polylactic acid (PLA) resorbable membranes avoid this problem, they have not been sufficiently evaluated on bone defects. The purpose of this pilot study was to compare the healing events of bone regeneration after placement of non-resorbable or resorbable membranes and to evaluate the amount of newly formed bone 2 and 4 months after membrane placement. Mandibular second, third and fourth premolars of four adult mongrel dogs were extracted bilaterally. Two rectangular bone defects (8 mm corono-apical and 12 mm mesial-distal) were created bilaterally 3 months after tooth extractions. Each dog received two resorbable membranes and one non-resorbable membrane; one defect was left untreated. Two dogs were killed at 2 months and the remaining two at 4 months following surgery. Undecalcified sections were obtained and stained with toluidine blue and pyronin G. Histomorphometric analysis was performed using the NIH Image software. Newly formed bone was observed under both resorbable and non-resorbable membranes. The amount of regenerated bone was similar between both treatments at 2 and 4 months after surgery. At 2 months, the newly formed bone was still immature whereas at 4 months some areas of woven bone were observed. The bone formation observed in the untreated defects was significantly lower than that observed in both resorbable and non-resorbable membrane-protected defects. In summary, the present study suggests that PLA membranes can yield good results when used on bone defects while avoid a second surgical procedure.

Relationship Between Herpesviruses and Periodontopathogens in Patients With HIV and Periodontitis

BACKGROUND The purpose of the present study is to verify a possible association between herpesviruses and periodontal pathogens in individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and periodontitis. METHODS Twenty-seven patients with HIV and chronic periodontitis and 23 patients with HIV and gingivitis were included in the study. Probing depth, clinical attachment loss, gingival index, and plaque index were recorded. Blood, saliva, and subgingival plaque were processed for viral and bacterial identification. Bacteria were identified by 16S rRNA-based polymerase chain reaction and viruses by the nested polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS For the chronic periodontitis group, Epstein-Barr (EBV)-1 (70.4%) and Tannerella forsythia (Tf) (51.8%) presented higher detection in subgingival plaque and saliva (81.5% and 40.7%, respectively) than in blood (22% and 0%, respectively) (P <0.005 and P <0.0001, respectively). Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) was more frequent in subgingival plaque (77.7%; P <0.0001). In the gingivitis group, Pg and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) presented higher frequency in subgingival plaque (95.6% and 91.3%, respectively; P <0.0001 and P = 0.004). Tf and EBV-1 were detected more frequently in subgingival plaque (47.8% and 78.3%, respectively) and saliva (52.2% and 52.2%, respectively; P = 0.004 and P <0.005) than in blood. EBV-1, EBV-1-HCMV, and presence of different viruses presented an association with periodontitis in saliva. CONCLUSIONS No association was detected for herpesviruses and periodontal pathogens in patients who are HIV-positive with periodontitis. EBV-1 and coinfection (EBV-1-HCMV) were associated with patients who are HIV-positive with periodontitis.

Detection of human cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus in coronary atherosclerotic tissue

Previous studies indicated that patients with atherosclerosis are predominantly infected by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), but rarely infected by type 1 Epstein-Barr virus (EBV-1). In this study, atheromas of 30 patients who underwent aortocoronary bypass surgery with coronary endartherectomy were tested for the presence of these two viruses. HCMV occurred in 93.3% of the samples and EBV-1 was present in 50% of them. Concurrent presence of both pathogens was detected in 43.3% of the samples.